QB Wars #2 - John Elway vs Joe Montana

[IrishCanadian25]

John Elway vs. Joe Montana

John Elway

• 9× Pro Bowl selection (1986, 1987, 1989, 1991, 1993, 1994, 1996, 1997, 1998)
• 3× 2nd Team All-Pro selection (1987, 1993, 1996)
• NFL 1990s All-Decade Team
• 1987 NFL MVP
• 2× Super Bowl champion (XXXII, XXXIII)
• Super Bowl XXXIII MVP
• 5× AFC Champion (1986, 1987, 1989, 1997, 1998)
• 2× UPI AFL-AFC Offensive Player of the Year (1987, 1993)
• Denver Broncos Ring of Fame
• Denver Broncos #7 retired

Joe Montana

• Rated #4 NFL Player of all-time by NFL.com
• 8× Pro Bowl selection (1981, 1983, 1984, 1985, 1987, 1989, 1990, 1993)
• 6× All-Pro selection (1981, 1983, 1984, 1987, 1989, 1990)
• 4× Super Bowl Champion (XVI, XIX, XXIII, XXIV)
• 3× Super Bowl MVP (1982, 1985, 1990)
• 2× AP NFL MVP (1989, 1990)
• 2× Associated Press Male Athlete of the Year (1989, 1990)
• UPI NFC Player of the Year (1981)
• AP NFL Comeback Player of the Year (1986)
• PFWA NFL MVP (1989)
• NEA NFL MVP (1989)
• Sporting News Sportsman/Pro Athlete of the Year (1989)
• AP NFL Offensive Player of the Year (1989)
• Sports Illustrated Sportsman of the Year (1990)
• Bert Bell Award (1989)
• Cotton Bowl Classic MVP (1979)
• NFL 75th Anniversary All-Time Team
• NFL 1980s All-Decade Team
• San Francisco 49ers #16 retired
• Pro Football Hall of Fame (2000 Inductee)

​

Here, once again, it's power house vs power house. You have one of the greatest winners in the history of pro sports in Montana vs one of the best pure QB's in the game's history in Elway, a guy who didn't get the ring until the very end of his career, when he got 2.

One point I'd like to make before the responses begin. I realize that by most accounts, Montana had more success than Elway. But there's one critical factor. NFL.com did a list of the greatest NFL players of all time, factoring in all positions. The greatest player in NFL history according to them? Jerry Rice, the greatest Wide Receiver ever. I think one can make the argument that Rice made Montana better than Montana made Rice. But that's up for debate.

Have at it and I'll jump in shortly.

 

[FitFinlay4Life]

Montana all the way. I'm a Chargers fan and hated Elway back in the day (divisional rivaly and all that) but that was mild compared to my hatred of Montana and the 49ers. I'm sure many Elway supporters will point out the wealth of resources Joe had at his disposal and, to a degree, they would be right but a QB is the general who has to move all the pieces and Montana would have a claim at being the best all time at this. Just as it was when they were playing, Elway is very much the bridesmaid to Montana's bride.

 

[Big Sexy]

Not even close. The only argument Elway has is the talent around him was usually not that great, compared to Montana who had great talent. Elway had 4 seasons where he threw more picks then td's and he only had 3 seasons where his completion % was over 60. Even in Montana's early years when the Niners talent wasn't overly spectacular he still put up better numbers then Elway.

Of all the elite qb's I always found Elway to be the most overrated. He was definitely an all time great at the position but the people who put him at number one or in the top 3 are definitely overrating him. Montana was superior in everything minus athletic ability and he is the right choice here.

 

[Larry]

This is an interesting match up and one that I don't think is as cut-and-dry as it may look on the outside. With both guys you have strengths and weaknesses the other man does and doesn't possess. For instance, it should be noted that John Elway is one of the best mobile quarterbacks of all time, scoring 4 rushing td's in 4 different Superbowls and holding rushing QB records with the likes of Michael Vick, Steve McNair, Frank Tarkenton, Randall Cunningham, and Steve Young. That's something of value when you're comparing him to another guy who wasn't a really mobile quarterback, it changes the entire dynamic of an offense and it's approach.

Both men have shown that they are clutch players with historic game changing/winning drives that are remembered in NFL lore as some of the greatest comebacks of all time. This is another big factor and one edged out by Montana who was known through his career as "Joe Cool" and "The Comeback Kid" for his come from behind wins in high pressure situations, while Elway lost 3 Superbowls in a row starting each game hot and fizzling out under the pressure of the big game. Elway may have developed that attribute later down the road, winning his 2 Superbowls in a row, but for the record he's blown it more times than not.

I think the argument of talent surrounding the QB is pretty relevant here as well. It is true that Joe Montana had the best WR(and by some peoples view best player) of all time which always gave him a better weapon to display his talents where Elway had to make good with what he could get. It could also be noted that when he finally did get a pretty decent team around him he won 2 Superbowls in a row, so who is to say that had their situations been reversed, Elway wouldn't be the guy with the greater records, Superbowl wins, and stats? Statistically/Historically Elway is up there with Montana, the numbers may not be above but they are on par. Elway was an elite quarterback by anyone's standards, a more athletic player than Montana, and a guy who simply wasn't as good as he would eventually be when Montana was at his peak , winning his titles, and setting his records.

He was good when there was someone else out there who was simply the best, kind of like the Utah Jazz during the heyday of the Chicago Bulls. Regardless of all that though, Montana does have the records, he's beat John Elway in a big game before, and he is technically the better quarterback. If he had not been such a consistent come from behind winner, such a clutch player, I would be inclined to say Elway might have actually been better but in a worse situation which made him look not as good. However tell-tale things like that come from behind talent, big game performance, and consistency through out his career give Montana the easy edge over Elway in my view.

 

[Davi323]

The only stat you need to know is this:

Joe Montana played in 4 Super Bowls, and didn't throw a single INT.

This one stat sums up everything you can ever want in a quarterback. First, he was good enough to get to 4 Super Bowls. That in and of itself is a major undertaking. But, once you get there, to play at such a high level, against the best possible competition, and still play almost flawless football? Joe Montana was Joe Cool. The big time players play big in the big games, and nobody played bigger than Joe Montana. From "the Catch" in the 1981 NFC title game, to the infamous John Candy drive against the Bengals in Super Bowl XXIII, Montana was unflappable when the pressure was on.

He wasn't the fastest. He wasn't the tallest. He didn't have a cannon for an arm. From a physical standpoint, Joe Montana was an average QB. But, the one thing he had, that trumps EVERYTHING else, is he won. The guy just had a knack for winning...and when it comes down to it, isn't that what you really want in a QB? Someone who just wins?

 

[Poop Master Flex]

Joe Montana wins against ANY quarterback ever.

The biggest reason why Joe is ahead of everyone else is the one intangible that every all time great has and that is clutch performance.

Joe played his best when he needed to play his best. Simply put, he knew how to win and he always played at the highest level when he needed to. He won 4 super bowls and was always a big reason why San Fransisco won those Super Bowls. Just look at Super Bowl XXIII as my point. His team is down with a little more than 2 minutes on the clock, he calms his linemen down by making the John Candy remark, then marches down the field to win the game. Not only was he a great quarterback, he was also a great leader.

Davi323 said it already, he was just an average QB but he knew how to win and he did it when he needed to win. The guy wasn't just a great quarterback he was the greatest quarterback.

 

[Davi323]

Joe played his best when he needed to play his best.

This is the very definition of "clutch". If you only had 2 minutes to drive down the field 98 yards in the Super Bowl, there isn't a single QB I would want under center more than Joe Montana. Not because he would throw the ball 50 yards down field, but because you knew that he would find the one guy that was open, that he was going to avoid the sack, that he wasn't going to throw the pick. You had faith that when the pressure was on, Joe would rise above it, because that's just what he did.

 

[It's Damn True]

Elway's mobility was impressive.