DAN MARINO - BEST QB EVER!

[Guest YouDaFoo]

Althought I'm a die-hard Bucs fan, I gotta show my love for Marino, who is the best QB of all time!

 

People say Akiman, Elway, and Montana, are better, how so?

 

Marino didn't have the offence those QB's had, Marino had one of the worse offence of all time. And you people complain he's a choker? If Akiman, Elway, or Montana had the same team, they wouldnt be having a superbowl ring also.

 

Dan Marino made the best out of his team. He even threw 48 Touchdowns, which is the single season record, and made his WR's look like pro bowlers.

 

If Marino had the Dolphins team right now, they would be Superbowl Champs!

[Guest y2jailbait]

Johnny Unitas?

[Guest YouDaFoo]

2nd best...

[Guest y2jailbait]

wow, quite a statement there, even better than the great GLENN FOLEY~!

[Guest LatinoHeat]

Joe Namath. No doubt about it. 2 bum knees and still won SB 3 for the city of NY.

 

That playoff commercial of Namath still gives me goosebumps.

[Guest Vern Gagne]

This was recently a topic.

 

Sammy Baugh is the best QB ever.

[Guest Spaceman Spiff]

I agree w/ the title of this thread 100%

[Guest Mad Dog]

The main downfall to Marino was that he was one of the most immobile QBs during the 80s.

 

Montana is more impressive considering that scouts graded his arm as average before he was drafted.

[Guest Spaceman Spiff]

The main downfall to Marino was that he was one of the most immobile QBs during the 80s.

But he made up for that w/ his quick release, as well as "hopping" up in the pocket to buy some extra time. For being immobile, he hardly got sacked. I could be wrong, but he/the Dolphins have the record for fewest sacks allowed in a season (something like 10 sacks)

[Guest Eagan469]

<- Bills Fan

 

In other words, fuck the Dolphins

[Guest thetrendsetter]

Ryan Leaf is the best quarterback ever...

 

*L*

[Guest Edwin MacPhisto]

If Marino had a guy like Ricky Williams behind him, the Dolphins would have gotten their super bowl rings. The nonexistent running game was the only thing holding them back; Marino was amazing, but he was the only thing the defense ever had to stop.

 

Of course, now they've got a stellar running game...and an average quarterback that can't even get them into the playoffs. Though this year, I attribute that mostly to really, REALLY bad play-calling by the coach and coordinators in that last game against the Patriots.

[Guest DrTom]

Marino's certainly one of the great ones, but I can't help regarding any claim that he's the best of all-time as naive. He has a lot of passing records because he threw the ball about 400 times per game. Clayton and Duper were both good receivers when Marino was younger, and even if the skill level at the position dropped a bit over time, the Dolphins' passing attack was well-designed.

 

If you want to talk about doing a lot with a little, look at Johnny Unitas, who lacked Marino's quick release and arm strength, and whose favorite target was a fairly slow, short white guy who had one leg longer than the other. But Unitas still won a ton of big games, something Marino failed to do. He won them because he had an uncanny understanding of how to beat any defensive scheme, and he called plays that maximized the strengths of his complementary players instead of emphasizing his own.

 

Sorry, but if you're the best of all-time, you prove it by winning games when they really matter. Unitas did. Montana did. Elway did. Favre did. Marino didn't. And that's why he doesn't deserve to be mentioned in the same breath as the other four. Passing records are nice, but they're ultimately empty at gut-check time.

[Guest Spaceman Spiff]

He has a lot of passing records because he threw the ball about 400 times per game.

Because the Dolphins defenses typically stunk, giving up a lot of points/game. Couple that with a non-existent running game, and that's why Marino threw the ball alot. I'd also put some blame on Shula for not drafting people to improve those areas, instead relying on Dan to win games.

 

Clayton and Duper were both good receivers when Marino was younger, and even if the skill level at the position dropped a bit over time, the Dolphins' passing attack was well-designed.

While the Marks were good WR's, I think it was more about Dan making them look great.

 

He [unitas] won them because he had an uncanny understanding of how to beat any defensive scheme, and he called plays that maximized the strengths of his complementary players instead of emphasizing his own.

Dan didn't (or rarely did) call his own plays. From what I understand, Unitas did, and I don't have a problem ranking Johnny U above Marino (and I'm a huge Dolphins fan).

 

Sorry, but if you're the best of all-time, you prove it by winning games when they really matter. Unitas did. Montana did. Elway did. Favre did. Marino didn't. And that's why he doesn't deserve to be mentioned in the same breath as the other four. Passing records are nice, but they're ultimately empty at gut-check time.

I think Dan may be 2nd all time to Elway in 4th quarter comebacks to tie or win a game, plus is 2nd in all-time wins by a QB behind Elway. Plus, it's very tough to win a SB, much less get to one, when yout team lacks both a credible run game and defense.

Montana was a great QB, but he did have an outstanding supporting cast in Rice, Roger Craig, Lott, etc., plus a football genius for a coach. Elway wasn't able to win a SB until Denver got Terrell Davis. Before that, he was getting blown out in SB's, and if not for Davis, would arguably be seen as another Jim Kelly.

[EL DANDY~! 0]

Marino is the greatest PASSER ever. He holds every major passing record in NFL history, surpassing the records set by the great Fran Tarkenton. You also can't leave out Montana, Unitas, OR Elway. Hell, Brett Favre has been in the league 12 years and has 300+ TD passes. If he plays until he's 40, he'll have 500 TDs easily, knocking Marino off the top spot, AND he's mobile. Greatest QB? No. Greatest passer? Definitely, without a shadow of a doubt.

[Guest Dopey]

That's a bold statement there El Dandy!!! Although Marino was a fantastic QB, Elway, Montana, and Johnny U would probably have to be put before him.

 

Sorry, but it's Elway at #1. And I'm not even a Bronco's fan.

[Guest phoenixrising]

I put Elway at #1 as well. If I could pick any QB to put in with the game on the line I'd take number 7, cause he found a way.

 

I will admit that Marino doesn't get a lot of respect. He's comparable to Fran Tarkenton, the man whose records Marino broke. Fran was a great QB, proved that a scrambling QB could be effective in the NFL, but he lost three Super Bowls and that's all people will remember him for. Hell, Elway was considered the guy who couldn't win the big one until he got two in his final two years. Those two Super Bowls erased any doubts about him. Maybe winning a championship isn't the greatest measure of a quarterback (after all, among the Elways, Bradshaws and Starrs there is the occasional Dilfer), but it will always be considered the most important. So that's why Marino falls behind Elway, Unitas and Montana in my book.

[Guest DrTom]

Because the Dolphins defenses typically stunk, giving up a lot of points/game.

How much of that was due to the pass-happy offense, though? The running game eats up the clock, but a team that passes a lot tends to have poor time of possession numbers. If the defenses were on the field a long time, it stands to reason they'd be worse than average. Besides, I think the defensive units started to improve in the early 90's.

 

I don't have a problem ranking Johnny U above Marino (and I'm a huge Dolphins fan).

Excellent.

 

Plus, it's very tough to win a SB, much less get to one, when yout team lacks both a credible run game and defense.

True, but the great ones find a way to win. Sure the best QB of all time could overcome adversity and win a Super Bowl ring? The Dolphins had tremendous offensive lines for as good portion of Marino's tenure, and even an average running back looks good behind a great line. They didn't run the ball because they never had the patience to develop the running game and take the good with the bad. Whoever that season's running back was would have a bad game to start the season, and it was right back to pass-pass-pass. Even if you run the ball up the middle for no gain three straight plays, that can make a lot of difference late in the game when you're trying to kill the clock. I don't think the Dolphins ever gave the running game a sincere try during Marino's tenure because they knew their fall-back option was so good and reliable.

 

Elway wasn't able to win a SB until Denver got Terrell Davis.

Denver's offensive scheme was much different than Miami's, though. Also, Elway was a much more mature player and QB during that late-career Super Bowl run. Davis was a big help, but I don't think he was the only reason they won.

 

To me, the best QB of all time debate has always come down to Unitas and Montana. It's incredibly hard to compare players across eras, since the game was played so much differently in Unitas' day. I think Johnny U would have been a winner in any era, though. He also did more with less, called his own plays, and personified the term "field general" as applied to a QB. That's why he gets the nod.

[Guest bps "The Truth" 21]

I'm sure Marino will put this thread right next to his SuperBowl ring in his den.

 

...

 

oh...wait

[Guest Spaceman Spiff]

Besides, I think the defensive units started to improve in the early 90's.

The defense improved once they got Jimmy Johnson, but that was towards the end of Marino's career. But by that point, he had average WR's, and the run game was decent at best. Karim Abdul-Jabar? Lamar Smith? They both had 1000 yard seasons, but were far from a big-time RB.

 

The Dolphins had tremendous offensive lines for as good portion of Marino's tenure, and even an average running back looks good behind a great line. They didn't run the ball because they never had the patience to develop the running game and take the good with the bad.

They had a great pass-blocking O-line, but they couldn't run-block. Pass blocking is a lot easier than run blocking, IMO.

 

Denver's offensive scheme was much different than Miami's, though. Also, Elway was a much more mature player and QB during that late-career Super Bowl run. Davis was a big help, but I don't think he was the only reason they won.

Shanahan & Davis I would put as the biggest helps in Elway winning 2 SB's. Shanahan was able to assemble a great run-blocking O-line, and when the RB is getting 2000 yard seasons, it makes it a lot easier on the QB.

 

Don't get me wrong, Elway was a great QB, but I'd still put Marino ahead of him. When I think of those 2 SB seasons, I think more of Davis than Elway. Granted, I didn't/don't follow the Broncos closely, but I don't recall anything in those 2 seasons that makes me say "Elway carried that team to a SB." He was basically the same QB that lost 3 SB's, but didn't have to assume most of the load for the team.

 

To me, the best QB of all time debate has always come down to Unitas and Montana.

I'll go with that, even though I *HATE* Montana. I still think Montana gets overrated a bit, but 4 SB wins are hard to argue with, especially when he led his team down the field to win the SB against the Esiason Bengals.