Posted by MikeT23 on 2/15/2013 10:53:00 AM (view original):
That's how I feel about Tarkenton. Dude threw for 47000 yard and ran for 3000 more. He played in an era where the INT wasn't the death of a QB and, when completion percentage took on more importance, he increased his accuracy. He averaged 20 passing, 2 rushing TD on his career and, if I'm not mistaken, lost 3-4 Super Bowls. Put a couple of SB wins in there and he gets a lot more all-time love.
You're around my age, so guys like Tarkenton and Stabler seem really cool, because that was the time when we were playing schoolyard football, and Oakland/Minnesota were always in the playoffs. Tarkenton lost Super Bowls to Bradshaw, Griese, and Stabler, and didn't play well in ANY of the Super Bowls. He was just too frenetic and scattered and weak-armed to carry a team (speaking of good defenses carrying a QB, how about the Purple People Eaters?)
Anyone that puts Young ahead of Montana must be under the age of 40. Steve Young, while exceptional, inherited an offensive MACHINE, and could still only win one SB as the quarterback. Roger Craig's fumble that ended the run for a three-peat probably changed history for Steve Young and Jim Kelly, because the 49ers would've played Buffalo in the Super Bowl, and one of those guys would've won their first Super Bowl. Montana had been broken in half by Leonard Marshall (which would've gotten Marshall ejected in today's pussified NFL) in the championship game.