When Drew Brees hit Darren Sproles for a nine yard touchdown and surpassed
Drew Brees passes his way past Dan Marino.
Dan Marino’s all time single season passing total of 5,084 yards, it was a bittersweet moment for South Floridian football fans. The legendary Marino now took a back seat, but Dolphin fans everywhere were reminded how great he was in an era where the rules weren’t as slanted for the offense. So who was the better QB? And where does each rank all time? Here is my all time top 10 modern QBs. (Note this list only includes players I have seen play live, post 1980)
10. Drew Brees. Perhaps Brees will be higher on the list by the time he retires. For now a Super Bowl MVP, the all time single season passing record, & 276 TDs/145 INTs land him as my #10.
9. Brett Favre. Favre is the only quarterback in NFL history to throw for over 70,000 yards, over 500 touchdowns, over 300 interceptions, and over 10,000 pass attempts. The 3 Time NFL MVP most remarkable accomplishment maybe his 297 consecutive starts. Too many INTs to be higher on the list though.
8. Dan Fouts. Fouts never won a championship, and had great talent in Kellen Winslow, Wes Chandler, and Charlie Joiner surrounding him. But he makes my list at #8 due to the pure beauty of his throws, and 43,040 career yards.
7. Tom Brady. One can argue Brady should be higher on the list, perhaps #1. But his three championship seasons were not his best statistical seasons, and he was blessed to play with great defenses and a Hall of Fame Head Coach in Bill Bellichick. Nonetheless Brady makes the list because of incredible clutch play and a TD/INT ratio that is currently 297/114.
6. Steve Young. Young could be higher on this list, had he not been a #2 for a portion of his career. Yes he was blessed with great talent around him, but his passer rating of 96.8 (second all time) and his incredible athleticism make him my # 6 QB of all time.
5. Peyton Manning. 399 TDs, 54,828 yards, and a 94.9 career passer rating
Peyton Manning is perhaps the smartest QB of all time.
speak for themself. But to me Manning changed the game with his intelligence and mental approach. It seems like every QB in the league now mimics Manning’s cat and mouse games with the defense at the line of scrimmage.
4. Dan Marino. While a Super Bowl win eluded Marino for his entire career, Marino left his mark on the record books and Dolphin fans’ memories forever. Armed with the quickest release in NFL history “Dandy Dan” finished his career with 61,361 yards and 420 TDs.
Dolphin fans will argue Dan Marino as the greatest QB of all time
3. Aaron Rodgers. Some may say it is too soon to put Rodgers this high. But to me more than anything he passes the “eye test”. His 45/6 TD to INT ratio this year is just plain sick.
2. John Elway. Numbers will not sum up Elway as well as some of the other QBs on this list. But two stand out, 148 career wins (second all time only to Favre) and 47 come from behind victories. No QB in NFL history was more feared in the fourth quarter.
1. Joe Montana. 4 Super Bowl starts, 4 Super Bowl wins. “Joe Cool” was
Joe Montana, the best QB of all time?
maybe the most clutch QB ever. And in my opinion no one was as graceful in the pocket. A 273/139 TD to INT ratio isn’t too shabby either.
Ok, so no UM alums made the all time list. Since UM is after all “QB U”, here are my top 5 Hurricane QBs of all time.
5. Jim Kelly. Kelly just missed out on the list above. At UM he compiled 5,233 yards and 32 TDs, and was the first in a long great line of ‘Cane QBs.
4. Gino Torretta. Torretta was spectacular in the 1991 National Championship season and followed it up with a Heisman in ’92. He finished his two year run with over 6.000 yards and 39 TDs.
3. Vinny Testaverde. Testaverde will always be remembered for the 5 INTs in the 1987 Fiesta Bowl. But we need not forget he was the QB on the ’86 National Championship squad and won a Heisman Trophy.
2. Bernie Kosar.Kosar led UM to a national championship in 1983-84 as a
Bernie Kosar led UM to its first National Championship.
first year started and followed it up the next year with 3,642 yards and 25 touchdowns.
1. Ken Dorsey. The greatest UM QB of all time was 38-2 as a starter. If not for a bad pass interference call at Washington in 2000, and a worse one in the 2003 Fiesta Bowl, Dorsey could have gone 40-0. He finished his career setting UM career records for total offense (9,486 yards), passing yards (9,565), passing touchdowns (86) as well.
Please feel free to leave lots of feedback. Please also enjoy these great Ken Dorsey highlights: