Best Quarterback To Never Win A Super Bowl

[NSL]

Who do you think is the greatest Quarterback to ever play in the Super Bowl era, to not win one. They could've made it to one, but they could not have been the starting Quarterback on a team that won it.

While the obvious choice would be Dan Marino, I'm going to go a more recent route and say Randall Cunningham. When Marino made it to the big game, he was still fairly new to the league. It was his second year. Cunningham was with the Eagles for a long time, and became the face of the franchise. He was the person they put all of their hopes in. Marino is one of the greatest Quarterbacks to ever live, but I don't think anyone ever felt he actually stood a chance at winning the Super Bowl. Cunningham was playing the game well ahead of his time. He was an accurate passer, but was also a very effective runner. Because of that, many fans, and analysts, thought that the Eagles would win a Super Bowl with him at the helm.

Now, before you guys go bashing me about not picking Marino, think about it. How interesting could I have made this thread if I just said his name, and let his numbers speak for themselves?

 

[Pimpin]

I was thinking about Marino myself but my pick is Warren Moon. He is very similar to Randall Cunningham. Both were very mobile quarterbacks. I always thought Moon had the stronger arm of the two. He played the game extremely well even when he was way ahead of his time. Both of them weren't second year players like Marino was when he went to the superbowl(yes I count Moon's stint in the CFL). I think the reason why Moon never got to the big game was cause of shitty ass ownership(example: Oilers(Titans) owner Bud Adams trades Moon to Minnesota & the team goes to shit).

 

[Little Jerry Lawler]

Great choices with Cunningham and Moon. Moon was one of the best passers in the NFL and it's a shame he didn't get a chance to go to the Super Bowl. I would also have to put Dan Fouts in this category as well. My heart still goes out to Jim Kelly though. I'd rather not go to a Super Bowl then go to four straight and not win one.

 

[truk24]

Seriously? This is a no-brainer because Marino is the best QB of all time, and he never won a SuperBowl. Marino set the bar for all QB's when it came to passing stats. Imagine if he played in todays game?

 

[z99zazn]

Marino is the easy answer for this question, but its a lot more fun to dig deeper into this. I really like where everyone is going with this. From everyone said so far I'd definitely agree with Warren Moon from what everyone said. He was awesome as a so called "Black Quarterback", being different and being a pocket passer. Cunningham was awesome. Too bad in 1998 the Vikes couldn't have beat the Falcons and won the Super Bowl. Then Cunningham would have his ring and so would my boys Randy Moss and Cris Carter. Fouts put up some great numbers and brought the Chargers to some of the most success they've had in their history. Of quarterbacks not mentioned, I would put Jim Kelly in there. The poor guy got so close so many times. But never quite made it over. You gotta feel for him and Thurman Thomas. Another guy most people wouldn't put up there but I would is Steve McNair. That guy was dynamic. He lost to my St.Louis Rams , but vs a lot of other teams I would have rooted him on. I was hoping he would get it done with the Ravens a few years ago but couldn't. He totally changed his game as he got older. And he was tough as HELL! Played with so many injuries.

 

[z99zazn]

And NSL, thanks for not picking Marino. Reading this topic that was such an obvious answer, but that really was cool you picked someone else so we could be original. I like it!

 

[BooCocky]

Marino and Kelly are one and two but I am gonna throw another name out there. Fran Tarkenton. He played in several superbowls against far superior teams. He lost to the Steelers, Raiders and I believe the Dolphins. Even though his team never led in any of those games. It is an accomplishment getting to one, Tarkenton got to three or four. Those three or four losses shouldn't over shadow his success as a QB. His style transcended the game. He wasn't a big man, he was only 6 foot tall and weighed 190 pounds soak and wet. He was very mobile, and he still had a good enough arm to toss 342 touchdowns and win 124 games. Tarkenton isn't the greatest QB to never win a Super Bowl, but he was one hell of a Quarterback.

 

[TwistofRKO]

Cunningham and Moon are good in addition to Marino..

To not just repeat everyone, I'll say Fran Tarkenton. He was not only a great QB, but IMO the most underrated from the Super Bowl formation days. Top 2-3 mobile of all time, strong arm, good passer.. great QB who never won a SB.

Edit- I swear I typed that at the same time, haha.

 

[agentmichaelscarn]

Dan Marino and honestly it's not really close. Before Favre came along he held pretty much every major passing record, the guy was a beast and he did it without hardly any big name guys around him. His defense was pathetic yet he took that Miami team to the playoffs many times. Quickly non Dolphin fans without looking it up name me 2 WRs that he played with, chances are you can't. Name me some of his running backs he played with again most people couldn't. But just about everybody could name that Cunningham played with Chris Carter(In Philly and Minnesota) and Randy Moss in Minnesota. I'm not taking anything away from Randall he was a hell of a QB but Marino did far more with less talent and he was consistent. Cunningham fell off the map for a stretch in his career, Marino was one of the top QBs and one of the most productive QBs in the league his entire career.

 

[Ty Burna]

The hell is this? I finally had all those memories repressed about the Vikings almost making the Super Bowl and/or almost winning it, to lose. Three quarterbacks mentioned above, Cunningham, Moon, and Tarkenton all played for the Vikings. And now you bring them up and suddenly I need therapy again, thanks guys, I'm having nightmares of the 1998 NFC championship game all over again. Tarkenton took us to 4 Super Bowls, granted I wasn't alive at the time, but he couldn't get it done either. Moon was shit when he was with us, his best days were in Houston with the Oilers.

Cunningham had a crazy comeback with us for like a year and a half, but then again, any quarterback that can throw the ball 50 yards down field with Randy Moss can be a great quarterback, just look at Daunte Culpepper. Culpepper was great when he had Moss, after we traded Moss...well lets just say Culpepper played for the Dolphins when they were shit, Raiders, and Lions since then. Cunningham basically went to shit after his two good years with the Vikings, his best days were with Philadelphia.

So to answer the question, my choice would have to be Fran Tarkenton. He was one of the most innovative QB's of his time, and he has been the only QB to take the Vikings to the Super Bowl, and as I mentioned before, he did it four times. He was at one point the all time leader in every stat possible for a QB including rushing yards. And finally, he was the innovator of scrambling. So as I see it, he was the best QB to never win a Super Bowl.

EDIT: My mistake, Tarkenton took the Vikings to 3 Super Bowls in the 70's, Joe Kapp led the Vikings when we lost to the Kansas City Chiefs in 1969.

 

[The Age of Rated RKO]

Jim Kelly has to be the best quarterback never win a Superbowl. I actually feel sorry for the guy going to the Superbowl four straight years and never having the chance to hoist the Lombardi Trophy over his head. The Bills were dominate in the early 90's, look where there at now. It's a real shame.

I would also have to say that Dan Mario, all I say is look at the stats.

 

[jmt225]

The answer is undoubtedly Dan Marino. The guy never had any talent around him whatsoever. No running game. No 'great' wide receivers. Decent offensive lines. And decent defenses. That's all he ever had to work with his entire career, but yet... he was still able to break unbelievable records and lead his teams deep in the playoffs multiple times.

If John Elway doesn't get the help he gets at the end of his career, then no Super Bowl for him. Dan Marino never got that help. Jim Kelly got the help and still failed. Fran Tarkenton played for really good teams. Randall Cunningham was overrated as hell, I'm sorry. He wouldn’t last a day in today's league, because coaches know how to stop someone like him now. And Warren Moon... when I think about it, I would place him a far second behind Marino. He was a great quarterback, definitely. But at the end of the day... the answer is the obvious one, Dan Marino.

 

[Wobble GFX]

Jim Kelly was so close so many times, but couldn't get it done so i would have to say Marino plus the fact that he didn't have the players around him that Kelly did. im not saying hes going to be one of the best, but numbers wise its looking like Drew Brees could be put in that same spot, just my opinion but its not looking like the Saints are gonna be an elite team anytime soon, just one of those NFC teams that flip flop every year.