by S Brown

Created on: January 29, 2008   Last Updated: October 31, 2008

The main difficulty in deciding who was the greatest Super Bowl quarterback of all time is that it is hard to ignore personal biases. There is also the question of whether you base your choice on a single game performance or a compilation of Super Bowl appearances. Or do you use their best single game as part of their score and their cumulative games as the rest of the score? I believe there is one clear choice as the best Super Bowl quarterback of all time. There is one I would want year after year, and there is one that I would want if I had to bank it all on one chance. It all comes down to Joe Montana. The fact that there is anyone who even considers anyone else as the best is baffling to me. Sure, Tom Brady is the current face of the NFL, highly regarded as the heir apparent to Montana. But, he is no Joe Montana. Brady will probably win his fourth Super Bowl on Feb. 3, but he will still only be, at best, number 2 on my list.

Montana's single best Super Bowl would have to be SB XXIV. His completion percentage was 76%, and he threw for a then record five touchdowns with no interceptions. He won the Most Valuable Player award, and his 49ers completely destroyed another revered quarterback, John Elway, and his Broncos. Brady's best Super Bowl was probably SB XXXIX with a completion rate of 70%. He threw for two touchdowns and no interceptions. But, he didn't even win the Most Valuable Player award. Obviously, the MVP award is not rewarded through exact science, but it is interesting that he didn't get it for his best single Super Bowl performance. His Patriots beat a Panthers team that will only be remembered for playing a competitive game. Their quarterback was capable, but not a future Hall of Famer.

Montana is the greatest in his cumulative Super Bowl career as well. His overall completion rate was 68% with eleven touchdowns and no interceptions. He won three MVP awards, threw for a total of 1142 yards, and won four Super Bowls with no losses. Beyond simple stats, Montana had the composure to lead his team in difficult situations. His rally against the Bengals in SB XXIII made him a legend in his own time. His leadership was incredible, he was cool under pressure, and is arguably the greatest quarterback of all time period. If you had to win one game, against anyone, and could pick one player to lead your team, who would you choose? I would choose Montana. Keep in mind that the NFL had fewer teams then and was not as watered-down. I remember the stories

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