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5. Danny White (Dallas Cowboys 1974-1988) 1st Place Cowboys QB Career Record 68-34-0 (66.67%) 11th out of 102 Record in Games with Good Defense 51-7-0 (87.93%) 7th out of 102 Record in Games with Bad Defense 17-27-0 (38.64%) 12th out of 102 Percentage of Games with Good Defense 58/102 (56.86%) 30th out of 102 (+25) Wins above Average in a 16 Game Season (2.284) This is probably the ranking that stunned me the most, when you ask most people who Danny White is, I doubt many would give you a satisfactory answer. It's not like he was some legend of the game or anything, he's simply forgotten about. White did have a few things go in his favour to help bolster his ranking, but you don't get to the top five by just being an ordinary dude. White wasn't an ordinary dude, and he was a worthy successor to Staubach's name. However, never winning the ultimate prize as a starting QB meant that he was simply meant to be forgotten by the general fanbase. White was drafted in 1974 by the Cowboys, primarily to be a punter rather than a quarterback. White wanted to show what he could do and played in the World Football league instead, a league that quickly popped up and immediately became defunct a couple of seasons later. He came back to the Cowboys n 1976 as their punter, but he earned enough credit to stick around as the team's backup quarterback. And White bided his time, as Roger Staubach dominated the 70's, and while White is the highest player on this list to fail to make a super bowl as a starting QB, he made two as the team's punter. White's only real game time in the 70's outside of relief performances and kneel downs was in the 1978 playoffs, where after Staubach got hurt and the offense was looking shaky, White came in, led the offense to perfection, and helped complete the comeback over the Atlanta Falcons. White's time would come in 1980 after Staubach retired, and the Dallas offense didn't miss a beat. The Cowboys led the league in scoring, and even though White threw 25 interceptions, he was making good throws down the field and got the Cowboys to a 12-4 record, narrowly losing a tiebreaker with the Eagles for the best record in the NFC. White would start off rusty against the Rams in the wild-card round, but get his head on straight in the second half and lead the cowboys to 28 unanswered points in a 34-13 victory. He would show off his 4th quarter heroics in the next week against the Falcons, throwing two late touchdowns to Drew Pearson to complete a 30-27 comeback. However in the conference championship White couldn't quite handle the Eagles defense in Veterans Stadium and was beaten black and blue in a 20-7 loss. White wouldn't let what happened in 1980 stop him in 1981, as the Cowboys went 12-4 once again, this time winning the division and earning a first round bye. The Cowboys would beat up the upstart Bucs 38-0, and find themselves in the conference championship again, this time against the San Francisco 49ers. Roger Staubach made his legacy by leading a comeback victory against the 49ers... I suppose turnabout is only fair play for Joe Montana. White and Montana went back and forth the entire game, and it got to a point where White got the Cowboys up 27-21 with about 11 minutes left. But White stumbled and couldn't get the offense going one more time, Joe Montana led the drive that ended in Dwight Clark's catch with under a minute left in the game, and there just wasn't enough time for White to lead a comeback as he got strip sacked when trying to let a long play develop, and that was it for the Cowboys. White would be back in the strike shortened season of 1982, with only 9 games a 6-3 record was more than enough to make a postseason, especially with the expanded 16 team field. They would outlast the Bucs in the wild-card round, and against the Packers in the divisional round, White and Dickey would trade pick 6's in a high scoring 37-26 victory for the Boys. They would play the Redskins in the conference championship game, but White would be taken out of the game in the second quarter and have to watch as his backup Gary Hogeboom got demolished by the Redskins and their defense. White kept the offense hungry, but Dallas would begin it's gradual decline as the players that made up the doomsday defense were long gone and they just weren't filling up with fresh bodies fast enough. White's offense would be second in the NFL in 1983 on the back of his nearly 4000 yards and 28 TDs, but their defense would drop to 20th. So even though they went 12-4 that year, their playoff run was dashed in the wild card round by the lowly 9-7 Rams. White threw three interceptions in the loss, and no one on the Dallas defense could stop Vince Ferragamo and rookie Eric Dickerson. Dissatisfied with constantly losing in the playoffs, Landry benched White for Hogeboom to start the 1984 season. Hogeboom started well, but at the first sign of trouble Landry benched him for White, and they played musical chairs as the Cowboys went 9-7 and missed the playoffs entirely. White would be back in 1985, and would go 10-4 as the team's starter as the Cowboys went back to the playoffs with a 10-6 record overall. However the Cowboys run would be stopped by the Rams once again, where White threw 3 interceptions in the loss, and Dieter Brock went 6/22 for 50 yards. Needless to say if not for Eric Dickerson rushing for 248 yards, it might have been the most hideous playoff game ever played. That would be the last season Danny White stayed healthy, as injuries started to pile up one after the other, as the Cowboys spiraled into becoming a terrible team. The Boys would start 1986 with a 6-2 record, the best offense in football and a great season underway for Danny White... but Carl Banks would get a good blind side sack on him, and tore most of the ligaments in his throwing wrist. The Cowboys would go 1-7 down the stretch and miss the playoffs entirely. White would be inconsistent in 1987 as he just couldn't throw it like he used to, and was pulled in November for Steve Pelluer. 1988 would mark his last season after starting the season as the backup. He came in for relief of Pelluer a couple of times, but tore his ACL in relief duties. The Cowboys didn't bother to resign him, and White retired at his lowest point. White was the steward for a declining Cowboys team. While Tom Landry was an all time great coach, the 80's were not kind to the man and they were not as kind to the franchise who lost a lot of leaders and never really found players to pick up the slack. As White went, so too did Landry as the Cowboys began their rebuild under Jimmy Johnson, Jerry Jones, and Troy Aikman. White is a forgotten face, but he put up numbers with the best of the best in the 80's, and when he was healthy the Cowboys were always a threat to make it to the big dance. The problem was that they could never get over that hump. Whether it was the Rams defense having White's number, or Joe Montana founding his legacy on the graves of the Doomsday Defense, or just getting injured in a game that could have really gone either way up to that point. White is a quarterback who revels in misfortune and despite what he did to prolong Dallas' competitive seasons, it just wasn't enough to matter. White was always the first place loser, and all that means to Cowboys fans is you're just a loser. Never mind that his splits are absurd, and he didn't get to have top 10 all time defensive rankings like Staubach and Aikman, he never got to a super bowl, and that is the mark that will follow him forever.

6. Aaron Rodgers (Green Bay Packers 2005-Current) 1st Place Packers QB Career Record 103-53-0 (66.03%) 12th out of 102 Record in Games with Good Defense 73-14-0 (83.91%) 24th out of 102 Record in Games with Bad Defense 30-39-0 (43.48%) 4th out of 102 Percentage of Games with Good Defense 87/156 (55.77%) 31st out of 102 (+25) Wins above Average in a 16 Game Season (2.248) (2.103 after the 2018 Season) We're really getting into it now, with the career leader in passer rating, and the most efficient passer of all time in Aaron Rodgers. Rodgers' career is a fascinating tale and is the modern example of one hall of fame quarterback succeeding another. But how does one succeed a legend in Brett Favre? As anyone can tell you, it's not easy. Favre and Rodgers hated each other from the outset, Favre wasn't fussed about a young kid trying to replace him, and Rodgers just hated the way Favre would treat him as a result. So they never got along very well, and it would take years on the bench before Rodgers got a real opportunity to take over. Rodgers was a Jeff Tedford quarterback, and while they were drafted highly, not one of them would be called a big time success, and most of them were downright busts (Trent Dilfer, Akili Smith, David Carr, Joey Harrington and Kyle Boller). Still Rodgers had time to learn on the bench and while he wouldn't get many reps, he'd get a lot of practices and time to observe and adjust to the NFL level, and playing on the scout team helped him prepare for what he had to go up against. After spending three seasons on the bench, and nearly being traded to the Raiders in 2007 for Randy Moss, 2008 finally gave him his chance to start, after Favre was jettisoned to the Jets. Rodgers came out of the gates hard and fast, throwing for 4000 yards, 28 TD's, and a career high 13 interceptions. However, Rodgers built a reputation as being unable to win a close game, as the Packers went 6-10 despite their offensive prowess thanks to 7 losses of 4 or less points. Rodgers always had the last word for haters, and would respond in 2009 by taking the Packers to the playoffs with an 11-5 record, and bringing his INT count below 10. However the playoff run would end quickly as the Arizona Cardinals got the better of them in the wild-card round, and despite putting up 45 points and sending the game to overtime, Rodgers was sacked and stripped on the first drive of overtime, giving the Cardinals their victory. Rodgers would battle back in 2010, and despite suffering a couple of concussions, and missing a regular season game, he would go 10-5 as the Packers starter, including winning the last two games of the season to sneak the Packers into the postseason chase. He would his first playoff game against the Eagles, throwing 3 touchdowns early in a 21-16 victory. They'd go on the road against Atlanta, and put up 48 points, as Rodgers threw for 3 TDs and 366 yards in the victory. And against the division rival Bears in the conference championship, they simply outlasted the defense, since Caleb Hanie was no threat on the offense and won 21-14. That brought the Packers to their first super bowl since the 1997 season, and put them up against the Pittsburgh Steelers who were going for the repeat. Rodgers and Roethlisberger would air it out, but it would be the Packers who came out ahead in a 31-25 victory. Rodgers won a championship in his third season as a starter, and it looked like there would be even more to come. 2011 held true to that promise. The Packers went 15-1 that season, Rodgers dominated the field, throwing for 4643 yards, 45 TD's and only 6 INT's as he won the league MVP by a wide margin, and had the greatest single season passer rating in league history at 122.5 (with enough attempts to qualify). But even with home field advantage, they would not be able to answer the Giants defense, as the team gave the ball up 4 times in a 37-20 loss, only the second time they would be held under 24 points that season. The Packers wouldn't be quite so dominant in 2012, but with Rodgers leading the offense with pinpoint precision, they would once again win the division with an 11-5 record. The Vikings stood no chance in the wild-card round that year, as the Packers cruised to a 24-10 victory. However they would meet their match in the San Francisco 49ers and Colin Kaepernick, who threw for 260 and 2 TD's and ran for 180 and 2 TD's on them that day in a 45-31 game. The cracks were starting to form and knowing what we know now about Rodgers and McCarthy, the cracks were probably in place for a long time. In 2013, Rodgers would see most of his offensive weapons miss time due to injury, and see himself suffer a serious shoulder injury in week 9 against the Bears after leading the Packers to a 5-2 record at that point. The Packers struggled to a 7-7-1 record with Matt Flynn and Seneca Wallace, and Rodgers had recovered enough and the situation was desperate enough for McCarthy to turn to him for the final week of the season, a win and in game against the Bears. Rodgers successfully led a 4th quarter comeback against the Bears, culminating in a 48 yard TD pass to Randall Cobb in the final minute. At 8-7-1, the Packers snuck into the postseason once again. Colin Kaepernick would prove to be a Packer killer, as he led the final drive of the game to get Phil Dawson in range to kick a field goal, beating the Packers 20-17. The heartbreak didn't stop there. Rodgers was healthy and hale in 2014, and took the Packers to a 12-4 record, good for the second seed in the NFC, and once again making 38 TD's and 5 INT's look normal for a season of play. Rodgers would win the second MVP of his career, and take down the Cowboys in a thrilling divisional round game, capped off by a Rodgers to Rodgers TD. But things can't end nicely for Rodgers, and the 2014 NFC Championship would make any packers fan pull their hair out. The Packers had a 19-7 lead over the Seahawks with just over 5 minutes to go. Wilson was able to use his 4th quarter magic to lead the Seahawks down the field and score a touchdown, and then Brandon Bostick muffed the onside kick, letting the Seahawks recover and put another TD on the board, going up 22-19 with 1:25 left. Rodgers was able to get the Packers in range for a field goal and tie the game, but the Packers lost the coin toss, and Wilson led the Seahawks down the field to score their third touchdown in three drives, leaving the Packers sitting at home for the super bowl once again. 2015 and 2016 would see the Packers make the post-season again, but they would in 2015 after forcing overtime against the Cardinals with a hail mary TD pass, only to lose when the defense couldn't stop Larry Fitzgerald in the over time period after they lost the coin toss. 2016 would see them get revenge against the Giants in the wild-card round, winning 38-13 in a game the Giants barely showed up for, and then they got in a shootout with the Dallas Cowboys, led by a rookie runningback and QB, and traded 50+ yard field goals in an eventual 34-31 victory. However, the Packers defense would let them down immediately in a loss to the Falcons, not even pretending to be good in a 44-21 loss where the Packers were on the back foot the entire game. 2017's tragedy would be another shoulder injury, suffered after Rodgers took the Packers to a 4-1 start. The team hoped and prayed that they could tread water until Rodgers got healthy for the end of the season, but the damage was just too much. Rodgers was rushed back for week 15 against the Panthers, but clearly wasn't good to go in a 31-24 loss. The Packers put the kibosh on a lost season, and Rodgers was put on season ending IR. That's where the data point ends, but Rodgers looked mortal in 2018 as he had his first losing season since he took over in 2008, and with Mike McCarthy gone, Rodgers will have to adapt to a new coach for 2019, but I'm sure Packers fans are hopeful that the change can only mean good things for the team. Rodgers is the most efficient passer to ever play in this league, he does not throw interceptions very often, his accuracy is on point, and his mobility in the pocket makes him a real challenge to take down. The biggest knock on Rodgers is that he will spend a lot of time waiting for a play to develop, which is why he'll take a lot of sacks and hits and sometimes those hits end up taking him out for the season. Rodgers has a great winning percentage in games with bad defense, with only three players having a better mark than him in that regard. His defenses trend toward being above average, but over the past few seasons that number has been regressing toward the mean. Rodgers' career is marked with a lot of heartbreaking losses and a seeming propensity to lose games in overtime on the very first possession. When it's come time for a player to step up and make a big play for the Packers, it's always been Aaron Rodgers, and that's why he finishes so high on this list.

7. Roger Staubach (Dallas Cowboys 1969-1979) 2nd Place Cowboys QB Career Record 95-34-0 (73.64%) 2nd out of 102 Record in Games with Good Defense 79-9-0 (89.77%) 3rd out of 102 Record in Games with Bad Defense 16-25-0 (39.02%) 10th out of 102 Percentage of Games with Good Defense 88/129 (68.22%) 4th out of 102 (-3) Wins above Average in a 16 Game Season (2.224) Roger Staubach, the man who helped bring Dallas into the fold as 'America's Team'. While I hate the moniker, it's true that basically the entire south loved the Cowboys in the 70's, and Roger was one of the major reasons why. Before he ever played in the league, he won the Heisman trophy for the US Naval Academy in 1963, and then went on to serve in VIetnam, so his rookie year wasn't until 1969 when he was already 27 years old. While Craig Morton was entrenched as the starter at the time, the things Staubach was doing in camp meant that a QB controversy was starting to brew. Staubach got his first chance to really show his stuff in 1971, after taking a few relief snaps throughout his first two seasons. Morton was benched after a week 1 loss to the Saints, and Staubach came in to right the ship. They would spend time alternating games, even alternating snaps, until Staubach officially won the starting job 8 weeks into the season. Staubach just kept winning after that, taking the Cowboys to an 11-3 record, and hitting a 100 passer rating throwing 15 TDs to only 4 INT's. The Cowboys would beat the Vikings and the 49ers with strong defensive performances and efficient play from Staubach as they made it to their second consecutive super bowl. The Cowboys would choke out the Dolphins 24-3 as Staubach threw two TD's in the victory. In his first season as a starter, Staubach set the expectation of what Dallas fans expect year in and year out. However, Staubach separated his shoulder in the 1972 leaving Craig Morton to assume the starting duties once again, and Morton even led them to the playoffs. But after being put down in a 28-13 hole, Landry put Staubach back in the game and let him lead a miraculous comeback to come out ahead 30-28. Stauabach wasn't 100% though, and couldn't get the Cowboys past the Redskins in the conference championship. Staubach would never give up the starting job again, and the Cowboys would never have a losing season with Roger at the helm as he played out the rest of the 70's. The Cowboys of that era were surrounded by incredible talent, but Staubach's heroics are what really gave the Cowboys that edge to put them over the top. The Cowboys would make the NFC Championship game in 1973 after beating out the Rams in the divisional round, but fell short to Bud Grant and the Vikings defense who picked Staubach off 4 times in the loss. Staubach had the worst season of his career in 1974, going 8-6 after starting the season 1-4. He threw 15 interceptions to only 11 TD's and the Cowboys missed the playoffs for the first and only time in his tenure. The Boys would bounce back in 1975, going 10-4 on the season and winning the NFC East again. They would play the Vikings in a heated divisional round game that was ended by a hail mary pass from Staubach to Drew Pearson. Staubach would face the Rams in the Conference Championship game, and he would throw 4 touchdowns in the first quarter as the Cowboys rolled over them 37-7. But against the Steel Curtain, Staubach and the gang just couldn't muster enough offense to get past those stalwart defenders. 1976 would see the Cowboys take a 11-3 record only to lose at home against the tough Rams defense, where Staubach matched Pat Haden with three interceptions in a 14-12 loss. 1977 would see the Cowboys reach the pinnacle again, as they would go 12-2, tied for the best record in the league in the very last 14 game season. With the addition of rookie runningback Tony Dorsett, Staubach had an efficient season, throwing 18 TDs to only 9 INTs for 2620 yards. The Cowboys got paired up with the Bears in the divisional round, who looked lost as they got creamed 37-7. Against the Vikings in the conference championship, the Cowboys defense would choke out Bob Lee and the Cowboys would cruise to a 23-6 win. That left them in the super bowl against the surprising Denver Broncos and the man who he was splitting snaps with just 6 years prior in Craig Morton. The Cowboys defense didn't give the Broncos a chance to breathe, as Staubach played steady in a 27-10 victory, securing his second super bowl title. But the Cowboys were still hungry, and they wanted more. In the longest season in history (to that point) the Cowboys had the best offense in football in 1978, and they had a 12-4 record to show for it. But it was Danny White who helped the Cowboys past the Falcons in the divisional round after Staubach suffered an injury early in the game. White lead a pair of touchdown drives, and kept the seat warm so Staubach could return for the conference championship. They were caught in another defensive struggle with the Rams, but the Cowboys started to break through in the 3rd quarter, and turned a game that was tied at 0 at halftime to a 28-0 beating, as the Cowboys were set for round two with the Pittsburgh Steelers. In a battle between two teams known primarily for their defensive hegemony, Bradshaw and Staubach went toe to toe, throwing TD pass after TD pass. When the dust had settled, the Steelers had won 35-31, but the quarterbacks had combined for 60 passes, 546 yards, 7 TDs and a couple of interceptions. Staubach had one more year in him, and would lead the league in passer rating for the fourth time in 1979, and lead four 4th quarter comebacks, as the Cowboys forced their way to an 11-5 record. But the Rams would be their kryptonite in the divisional round, as Vince Ferragamo threw three touchdown passes in a 21-19 victory for the Rams. That would be Staubach's last game as he opted to retire due to the toll the game was taking on his body. Staubach ends up having the second best record out of every QB on this study, and as a player who made it to 4 super bowls in 9 seasons (Really 8 since he spent most of 1972 injured), it's not that surprising. Just as well, he had some incredible defenses to work with. Just because the Steel Curtain was the primary defense of the era doesn't mean the decade wasn't chock full of them. Staubach had the third best record in games with good defense, only falling behind two players who have yet to make an appearance on this list. He's also known for his heroics, and that shows in the numbers as he is also in the top 10 for winning percentage with bad defenses, though those games were a lot harder to come by. Roger was a real legend, and is worthy of his spot on this ranking. In all honesty, I was surprised that I had 6 QB's higher than him. However, I can say without a doubt that Staubach was the best the 70's had to offer.

8. Steve Young (Tampa Bay Buccaneers 1985-1986, San Francisco 49ers 1987-1999) 1st Place Bucs QB and 2nd Place 49ers QB Career Record 103-49-0 (67.76%) 9th out of 102 Record in Games with Good Defense 82-11-0 (88.17%) 5th out of 102 Record in Games with Bad Defense 21-38-0 (35.59%) 17th out of 102 Percentage of Games with Good Defense 93/152 (61.18%) 18th out of 102 (+10) Wins above Average in a 16 Game Season (2.198) This study has talked about those great 49ers dynasties a lot in passing. From the effects they had on the Cowboys and Packers of the 90's, to the ones they had on the Redskins, and various other teams in the 80's. Steve Young was the first real example of a hall of fame quarterback succeeding another, or at the very least it's the first that comes to mind for most fans of the game. But Young didn't start his career in the Cherry Red 49ers uniform, he took a different path to the NFL than his predecessor. He was poached by the USFL's Los Angeles Express in 1984, and began his career as a USFL star. But the league was fraught with owners who didn't actually have the net worth they said they did, and in a season where the bus drivers wouldn't even take the players to the game unless they were paid up front in cash, the 1985 season was a total disaster for the Express. Young decided to give the USFL an ultimatum, get a new owner or let him buy out his contract and go to the NFL. Young was snatched up by the Buccaneers, where he proceeded to struggle immensely with the team. He went 3-16 over his two seasons there, and the Bucs were ready to move on, planning to take Vinny Testaverde to fill his shoes. Young was traded to the 49ers for a second and fourth round pick, and so began his time as Joe Montana's back up. From 1987-1990, he was riding the bench, but he did get to take over for Montana in multiple games, flashing his potential and showing what he could do with talented offensive players around him. He went 7-3 in his starts in those 4 seasons, with 23 TD passes and only 6 interceptions, making it seem like the future was bright in San Francisco, and he had earned two super bowl rings as a backup quarterback. And after Joe Montana suffered an elbow injury in the 1990 NFC Championship game, it was looking like Steve Young's time would start in 1991. The Niners would struggle early on in 1991, losing a lot of close games, and going 4-5 before Steve Young injured his knee and missed a few games. Steve Bono came in to replace him and on a heater, winning 5 of his next 6 games, before succumbing to an injury of his own. Young played the last game of the season and won to take the 49ers to a 10-6 record, but that wasn't good enough for the playoffs that season, leaving 49ers fans disappointing in Young, and wondering if he would really be the next guy up. Not only having to compete with Steve Bono, it appeared the Joe Montana was set to recover from his surgery, and Young was very nearly traded to the Los Angeles Raiders. But the trade fell through, Steve Young won the starting job and he tried to make his mark on the league once again. He suffered a concussion in his first start, as Steve Bono led the 49ers to victory over the Giants, then lost in a 34-31 shootout with the Bills. However Young would turn the corner after that, winning 13 of the next 14 regular season games to help take the 49ers to a league best 14-2 record, including winning the MVP for the season. They would beat the Redskins in the divisional round, but fail to outscore the Cowboys in the conference championship and had to watch the Cowboys win the super bowl in their stead. But this season made sure the league knew that this was Steve Young's team, and after trading Montana to the Chiefs, it was official. But Young would start cold in 1993, throwing 8 interceptions in the first 4 games of the season. However once he recovered from his thumb injury he was back on the prowl, leading the league in passer rating, touchdowns, and points as the 49ers went 10-6 and took the second seed that year. They'd beat down the Giants in the divisional round, but once again fail to overcome the Dallas Cowboys in the conference championship, losing 38-21. 1994 would be the year Young got the monkey off his back, as the 49ers added all-pro cornerback Deion Sanders to the mix, the defense that has been flagging the past few seasons got immediately bolstered by his lock down play. Young would have the best season of his career, and he'd credit it to telling George Seifert to jump in a lake after he tried to bench him in a 40-8 loss against the Eagles. Young would complete 70% of his passes, throw for nearly 4000 yards, 35 TD's and 10 INT's, while adding another 7 touchdowns on the ground, as the 49ers had the best offense in the league once again, and Young won his second MVP. The playoffs are where a player is truly measured, and Young brought his A game for the postseason as well. After putting up 44 points on the Bears in the divisional round, the 49ers took momentum in the NFC Championship, scoring 31 points in the first half and never looking back on the way to a 38-28 victory. Then the super bowl against the Chargers came, and Steve Young set them on fire, throwing 6 TD passes in the victory. It didn't matter what the Chargers did on the other end of the ball when Young was scoring at will. He won the super bowl MVP that season and the 49ers were the first team to five super bowls. (The Cowboys, Steelers and Patriots would catch up to that mark.) The 49ers would be playoff contenders for the next 4 seasons, and Steve Young would continue to combine passing efficiency with smart scrambles, but from 1995-1997 they would be eliminated each season by Brett Favre and the Green Bay Packers, and Young would always miss a few games here and there with injuries. In 1998, they'd get their revenge thanks to rookie WR Terrell Owens making an incredible catch to beat them, but Young was unable to figure out the dirty bird defense in the divisional round that year, and lost 20-18 after throwing three interceptions in the second half. 1999 would be Young's last season, after he suffered a career ending concussion three games into it. While the 49ers would be competing for the playoffs for a few years after Young retired, his concussions truly marked the end of a historic run by the franchise. Young retired as the most efficient passer of all time, and it really isn't a stretch to say he was a virtuoso on the field. He could see the entire field, and when the pass wasn't working, he could roll out and make a few yards with his legs. The problem was that it left him susceptible to many hits, and eventually ended his career. Young ends up being in the top 5 for winning percentage with a great defense, and top 20 when the defense wasn't up to par. His defensive rating is also incredibly high, by virtue of being on that 49ers dynasty team, but it would have been even higher if not for the years he spent in Tampa. Young also shows the hypothesis that sitting and developing over your first few years ends up being beneficial in the long run, even though Young took his lumps in the USFL and Tampa first.

And now, the legends. Every QB in this tier has more than 2 wins above the average starter for their career. And yet, not all of them have won super bowls, which really shows just how important the team is to a player's success. Regardless, let's start off with number 9. 9. Ken Stabler (Oakland Raiders 1968-1979, Houston Oilers 1980-1981, New Orleans Saints 1982-1984) 2nd Place Raiders, 1st Place Saints and 1st Place Oilers QB Career Record 101-54-1 (65.06%) 14th out of 102 Record in Games with Good Defense 73-10-0 (87.95%) 6th out of 102 Record in Games with Bad Defense 28-44-1 (39.04%) 9th out of 102 Percentage of Games with Good Defense 83/156 (53.21%) 42nd out of 102 (+33) Wins above Average in a 16 Game Season (2.174) The Snake, the original snake, Ken Stabler epitomized what it meant to be a Raiders QB, and was one of the many faces of the team in the 70's. He also gets to be the best Oilers and Saints quarterback by virtue of what I considered a starter for a team, so he also has that going for him as well. Sorry Drew Brees, sorry Steve McNair, we all know you did more for those teams than Stabler. What gets the snake on here is what he did in Oakland. Stabler was a second round pick for the Raiders, but they had already acquired their guy in Daryle Lamonica, so Stabler spent quite a few years in a crowded QB room, that also included the AFL legend and perpetual old man George Blanda. Stabler rode the pine and developed for 5 years, getting a couple of starts for Lamonica, before taking over for him in a playoff game against the Pittsburgh Steelers since Lamonica had come down with the flu. Stabler impressed, and even lead a touchdown drive in the 4th to go up 7-6. However, the immaculate reception happened, and the Steelers dynasty began in earnest. Stabler officially became the Raiders starter early on in the 1973 season, and quickly established himself as one of the most efficient passers of the era. He had scrambling ability early on, but after suffering knee injuries his game developed more as a drop back passer, but he still had the wile and gusto to truly embody the Raider way. If you aren't cheating, you aren't trying. Stabler would lead the Raiders to five straight 9.5+ win seasons, five straight division titles from 73-77, and five straight conference championship appearances. Stabler is also one of only three quarterbacks to get a 100+ passer rating in the 70's. Bert Jones was one as mentioned earlier, and there is one more still to appear on this list. The Raiders would be in a three team heat with the Dolphins and Steelers for much of the 70's. They'd beat the Steelers in 73', but lose to the Dolphins. They'd get payback on the Dolphins in 74' in the Sea of Hands game, but lose to the Steelers in the conference championship. 75' would see the Bengals surprise and make the playoffs, only to get crushed by the Raiders. But once again, the Steel curtain would mark the end of the Raiders in 75. 1976 would be Stabler's best season, as the Raiders went 13-1. Stabler completed 2/3rds of his passes, for over 9.4 YPA on the way to a 103.4 passer rating. They would lead an 11 point comeback against Steve Grogan's Patriots in the divisional round, and in the conference championship game, they refused to lose to the Steelers again, bullying Terry Bradshaw and his receivers and just pounding the rock until the steel curtain bled out. The Vikings stood no chance in the super bowl, and the Raiders would be super bowl champs for the first time, after constantly being in the hunt for nearly 10 seasons. 1977 looked like a potential repeat for the Raiders, but they would be upset in the conference championship by the surprising Denver Broncos and their orange crush defense. The Raiders would however miss the playoffs the next two seasons, only going 9-7 as the league shifted to a more passing oriented mien. The Raiders with new head coach Tom Flores decided that it was time to move on from the Snake, who would be 35 in 1980. Stabler was swapped for the slightly younger Pastorini, and his career as an Oiler began. Despite throwing 28 interceptions and only 13 TD's, the Oilers were able to lean on Earl Campbell and the second best defense in the league to go 11-5 and earn a wild card spot. However Stabler would be bested by his old team, and his replacement in Jim Plunkett. 1981 would see the Oilers struggle, as Stabler failed to improve and they would miss the playoffs entirely at 7-9. Bum Philips would leave for New Orleans and take Stabler with him, trading for him with Archie Manning as the bait. Stabler started two seasons for the Saints, but failed to get them past .500 as he struggled with injuries, and in 1984, he retired part way through the season as his body had had enough. Kenny was always crafty, and he truly personified the Raiders of the 70's. A gritty team with a no nonsense attitude that nobody but the fans could ever love. But you had to respect the lengths he would go to win. Both of his splits put him in the top ten, which truly shows just how gifted a winner he was in any situation. He was the man behind so many classic games in NFL lore. The Ghost to the Post. The Sea of Hands. The Holy Roller. The Autumn wind is a raider, pillaging just for fun. He'll knock you 'round and upside down, and laugh when he's conquered and won.

10. John Elway (Denver Broncos 1983-1998) 2nd Place Broncos QB Career Record 159-83-1 (65.64%) 13th out of 102 Record in Games with Good Defense 119-25-1 (82.41%) 30th out of 102 Record in Games with Bad Defense 40-58-0 (40.82%) 7th out of 102 Percentage of Games with Good Defense 145/243 (59.67%) 21st out of 102 (+11) Wins above Average in a 16 Game Season (1.957) From one comeback king to another, let's talk about John Elway, the highest rated QB with less than 2 wins above the average starter. So you know, 10th place overall. John Elway is the most emblematic player of the team he played for, looking like a horse meant that he could only reasonably play for two teams, three if you're stretching the definition of a horse. Luckily for Elway, the Colts were planning to take him first overall, as the headliner of the 1983 Draft class. Elway and his lawyer parents wanted nothing to do with a team that was already making plans to leave Baltimore and refused to play for them. He was traded for the 4th overall pick, a backup QB, and a first rounder in the 1984 draft. Needless to say, the Colts got fleeced by the Broncos, but it's not like they had any other choice, since Elway could always refuse the NFL and go play baseball instead. In any case, Elway became the starter immediately, though he went through growing pains in his rookie season, and was off and on again with Steve DeBerg his entire rookie year. The Broncos made the postseason at 9-7, but were swept away by the Seahawks who had some consistency to the offense. Elway was made the full time starter in 1984, and on the back of a strong defensive performance that season, the Broncos went 13-3, and had the second seed in the AFC. However Elway would throw a pair of interceptions, and lose to the Steelers 24-17 in the divisional round. The Broncos would lean on Elway a lot more in the coming seasons, and he'd develop his reputation as a comeback artist, leading 6 4th quarter comebacks in 1985, as the Broncos made it to an 11-5 record. However, they missed the playoffs due to tiebreakers, being one of the few 11-5 teams in league history to do so. Elway would again go 11-5 in 1986, and playing with a bit more efficiency, the Broncos actually made it to the playoffs that year. Though Elway did not have a great game against the Patriots, he played his best in the second half, leading a comeback in a 22-17 victory. Then he begin his reputation as a Browns killer, facing the Browns in the conference championship, leading "The Drive" to bring the game to overtime, and then leading another so Rich Karlis could kick the game winning field goal. The Giants would end Elway's first super bowl shot, as Phil Simms went ham, and the Giants defense contained the hard to stop Elway. The Broncos would be back in 1987, even though Elway missed a few games early in the season due to injury. With a 10-4-1 record, Elway and the Broncos put up 34 on the Houston Oilers in the divisional round, and then against the Browns, they won in a game known for Earnest Byner fumbling on the goal line in a 38-33 offensive shootout. Elway would lose his second super bowl, as after putting up a 10-0 lead on the Redskins, they were shut out as Timmy Smith and Ricky Sanders killed them putting up 35 points in the second quarter on the way to a 42-10 victory. Elway won the MVP that year though, so that was cool. The Broncos took 1988 off to go 8-8, turn the ball over a lot, but made sure they were back and ready in 1989. Despite Elway spending most of the 80's being about 1:1 in his TD:INT ratio, the Broncos were still pulling wins out of their asses, and managed to finish 1989 with an 11-5 record, a record which would have had them barely make the wildcard in the NFC, but be the first seed in the AFC by one and a half games. They would face the Steelers in a back and forth game that was decided by a 80 yard touchdown drive in the 4th quarter. They would beat the Browns in the AFC Championship for the third time, and then proceed to get mollywhopped by one of the greatest iterations of the 49ers dynasty in a 55-10 beating. 1990 would mark a big step back, as the Broncos had their first losing season since Elway's rookie season. They went 5-11, and despite Elway throwing for 3500 yards for the first time in his career, the defense was awful. The Broncos would rebound in 1991, and go 12-4. The Defense would go from bottom five to top five and the Broncos would be the second seed in the AFC. They played Warren Moon and the Oilers in a thrilling 26-24 game, where even though the Broncos were down 2 points after scoring a touchdown, they refused to go for 2 instead opting to try and get the ball back to get another field goal to win. Dan Reeves was not a very smart coach despite his years upon years in the league. In the AFC Championship it would be a battle of defenses, and Elway was the first to make a mistake, throwing a interception returned for a touchdown that helped seal a 10-7 victory for the Bills. 1992 would mark a turning point for the Broncos, as they would draft Tommy Maddox in the first round to put the pressure on Elway to get them over the hump. Elway struggled that year after taking a shoulder injury 10 games into the season, and his relationship with the conserative coach was fraying. Tommy Maddox was brought in while Elway recovered, and turned their 7-3 start into an 8-8 finish. Elway threw 17 INTs to only 10 TD's, and the poor performance got Dan Reeves sacked. 1993 would see defensive coordinator Wade Phillips take over the head coaching job, and Jim Fassel the offense. That finalyl gave Elway free reign to sling it like his contemporaries in Marino and Kelly. And sling it he did, throwing for over 4000 yards, often finding hall of fame tight end Shannon Sharpe. The Broncos would lose a lot of close games that season, but make it to the playoffs at 9-7. However they were quickly dispatched by a hungry Raiders team that put up 42 points on them. 1994 also ended miserably, as Elway suffered a season ending knee injury to the Chiefs after taking the Broncos to a 7-6 record with a bottom 5 defense. His backup lost the last three games, and the Broncos missed the playoffs at 7-9, and Wade Phillips was fired. 1995 gave Elway his first offensive minded head coach, the young ballsy coordinator Mike Shanahan, who was known primarily for hating Al Davis, and helping Elway develop in his younger years as his offensive coordinator. The Broncos offense was developing quickly under his tutelage, as rookie runningback Terrell Davis ran for 1000 yards, and Ed McCaffrey and Anthony Miller emerged as receiving options beside Shannon Sharpe. They still went 8-8 that season, but the pieces for an offensive domination of the league were starting to form. The Broncos went 13-3 in 1996, good for the top seed in the AFC, but they were upset by the Jaguars in the divisional round, after Mark Brunell put up 30 on them. The Broncos were getting sick of playoff failure in Elway's time, and 1997 would be the season they finally broke through. They led the league in scoring offense that year, and were 6th in scoring defense, as Elway assembled his full suite of weapons. The Broncos went 12-4, which was only good enough for a wild-card that year, behind the 13-3 Chiefs. Still, they did their work even with the extra game, by first getting revenge on the Jaguars that beat them a year earlier 42-17, relying on the ground game to do their damage. They faced the AFC winning Chiefs in the divisional round, and after taking a 14-10 lead early in the 4th, the Broncos defense locked down Elvis Grbac and the Chiefs. The Broncos would beat the Steelers 24-21, after getting all of their points in the first half. And just like that, Elway was in the super bowl for the 4th time in his career, and he was up against Brett Favre and the defending super bowl champion Packers. They played in a back and forth struggle, but Elway wasn't winning the game with his passing prowess, instead relying on Terrell Davis to do the hard work, and when he needed to give up his body to make a key first down or a touchdown running the ball, he did it. The Broncos won 31-24, and Elway's status in NFL lore was cemented. So he did it one more time in 1998. Despite struggling with injuries throughout the season, the bevy of offensive weapons, and the Terrell Davis runs a train through your city tour meant that the Broncos were able to 14-2, after starting the season out 13-0. After losing to the Giants on a last minute comeback in week 15, they rested their starters for the postseason run to come. They would bully the Dolphins 38-3, as Davis ran for nearly 200 on them. Then they would put up 23 unanswered points on the Jets in the conference championship, after going down 10-0 in the third quarter. We were deprived of a Vikings / Broncos super bowl in 1998, but the Falcons were still a 14-2 team that season and just for a little while, maybe they had a chance to do something to the Broncos that day. But head coach Dan Reeves couldn't keep his dirty birds in line, who were riding high after upsetting the Vikings and just didn't show up in time for the super bowl. John Elway got his revenge on the coach who limited his offensive production in the name of conservatism, and won his second super bowl ring, along with the title of MVP, because the voters were pretty sympathetic to his story by that point, and had a reasonable argument for it. Elway retired the winningest player in NFL history, but that mark has since been surpassed by Brett Favre, Peyton Manning and Tom Brady. Elway is such an odd duck, because his numbers with Dan Reeves as a coach just weren't very good. The defenses he had most of those years were special though, and Elway seemed to play his best when the leash was taken off. It can be seen by his record when his defenses were poor, winning over 40% of those games meant it was nearly impossible to count his teams out of games until the clock struck zero. However he did have a propensity for making the big play rather than the safe one and that would kill him against the best of the best defenses. While his record in those games is still really fricking good, he's surpassed by a lot of guys who know when to fold a bad hand. But that's part of what made Elway an all time great. He has since become an executive for the Denver Broncos, and helped lure Peyton Manning to the team to try and win the city another super bowl. While his draft evaluation of QB's is garbage, at the very least he could play at a high level.

11. Kurt Warner (Green Bay Packers 1994, St. Louis Rams 1998-2003, New York Giants 2004, Arizona Cardinals 2005-2009) 1st Place Rams and 1st Place Cardinals QB Career Record 78-49-0 (61.42%) 20th out of 102 Record in Games with Good Defense 54-12-0 (81.82%) 33rd out of 102 Record in Games with Bad Defense 24-37-0 (39.34%) 8th out of 102 Percentage of Games with Good Defense 66/127 (51.97%) 50th out of 102 (+39) Wins above Average in a 16 Game Season (1.873) Kurt Warner's career is a trip and a half, let me tell you. We all know the story, from stocking groceries, to winning super bowl MVP, making three super bowl appearances and ending his career with a hall of fame gold jacket. That much has been parroted so often by the sports media that I get sick of it, even though Kurt seems like a genuinely good dude. He had a few things go right for him to end up on this list, and I imagine spending your first four years developing your game in other leagues did a lot to keep his rookie lumps out of the NFL. By the time he took over in 1999, he wasn't just some rookie fresh out of the barn, he was a battle tested veteran, though he was throwing passes in Iowa and Amsterdam, not in NFL cities. Kurt Warner had three amazing years for the Rams, completing over 65% of his passes each season, throwing for over 8.7 yards per throw, and never losing more than three games in the regular season each time. If not for an injury and sudden defensive decline in 2000, the Rams could have easily made three straight super bowl appearances with Warner at the helm. However after the super bowl against the Patriots in 2001, Warner seemed to be shook. He spent his next two years in St. Louis battling injuries and terrible play as the greatest show on turf's time ended just as quickly as it had begun. He was brought to the Giants in 2004, but the plan was always to let Eli take over once he was ready. Eli was ready in 10 weeks, and Warner quickly found another team to hang onto. The Arizona Cardinals, who had failed on the Jake Plummer and Josh McCown experiments, and just needed somebody to take over for a season or two. Warner stuck around for a little longer than that, and he seemed to find his groove again in 2007, after spending a couple of years developing rapport with Larry Fitzgerald and Anquan Boldin. He took over for Matt Leinart in week 5 and never looked back. Though the Cardinals still were struggling to find wins, Warner took a team with a bottom 5 defense to an 8-8 record, and new coach Ken Whisenhunt liked what the veteran was doing and made him the starter ahead of the highly drafted Leinart. The defense was still utterly abysmal in 2008, but Kurt Warner and the offense seemed to be a revival of the greatest show on turf, except this time without a Marshall Faulk to make the run game go. Warner put up nearly 4600 yards, 30 TD's and took the Cardinals to a 9-7 record, good enough to win the NFC West that season. Warner and his weapons would not slow down, putting up 30 points against the Falcons in the wild-card round, then putting up 33 against the Panthers, where Jake Delhomme decided he wasn't cut out for the NFL anymore. They would play the Eagles in a tight 32-25 showdown in the conference championship, and after a 7 year hiatus, Warner was back in the super bowl. They played in one of the most entertaining super bowls against the Pittsburgh Steelers, but a pick six to end the first half and scoring too fast after being down 20-16 marked the primary reasons why Kurt doesn't have a second ring. Warner stuck around for one more year with the Cardinals, and became the second player to throw 100 passing TDs with two different teams. The Cardinals defense was actually improved upon in 2009 and Warner went 10-5 as their starter, only missing a game due to a concussion. He would play Aaron Rodgers and the Packers in the wild-card round, a game that the Cardinals barely won 51-45, where Warner had more touchdown passes than incompletions. The Packers got the ball first in overtime, but a strip sack lead to a fumble recovery touchdown, sealing the game. Kurt's final game would be a loss to the New Orleans Saints, in which he suffered a brutal injury in the first half of the game, and eventually needed to be replaced by Leinart in the second half. The game was looking like an another offensive shootout, until Warner was popped, and the Cardinals couldn't match blows with the Saints after that. Not many players have the peaks and valleys Warner did in his career, struggling with adversity not only trying to get into the league, but rising up once again after reaching the very pinnacle. Warner's defenses end up being about the middle of the pack. in 1999 and 2001 with the Rams, his defenses were rock solid, and they made it to two super bowls as a result. In the other years, the Rams were among the league's worst. His time with the Cardinals was pretty similar, he had great offensive weapons, but his defenses were sieves, and most of the games he played in were shootouts. As a result, he has one of the best records among QB's in games with poor defense, winning nearly 40% of those games. His struggles in the middle of his playing career are what keep him from being even higher than this, but make no mistake. When Kurt was on his game, the entire league was on notice. He was one of the best to ever play this game, and a worthy addition to NFL Lore.

12. Jim Kelly (Buffalo Bills 1986-1996) 1st Place Bills QB Career Record 110-65-0 (62.86%) 17th out of 102 Record in Games with Good Defense 83-14-0 (85.57%) 15th out of 102 Record in Games with Bad Defense 27-51-0 (34.62%) 20th out of 102 Percentage of Games with Good Defense 97/175 (55.43%) 32nd out of 102 (+20) Wins above Average in a 16 Game Season (1.841) Jim Kelly is known as one of the three pillars of the 1983 QB Class, but it is often felt like the third wheel in comparison to Marino and Elway. He didn't come out of the league already crowned like Elway, and he wasn't putting up ridiculous passing numbers like Marino was. In fact, Jim Kelly didn't even start his career in the NFL. Because Kelly didn't want to play for a cold weather team, and considering the biggest name of the draft was adamant in not playing for the Colts, Kelly felt like he had a bit of leverage as well. He was thrilled Buffalo didn't take him with their first round pick... only to groan when they took him with their second first round pick that year. He was resigned to his fate, but when going to negotiate his contract, he was poached by the USFL. They offered him a choice, do you want to play in Buffalo... or Houston? Kelly made the decision to play for the Houston Gamblers, and so he made the USFL his bitch for a few seasons. However, the USFL would fold thanks to poor business decision from poor business people, and Kelly's right were still held by the Buffalo Bills. Showing he could dominate the USFL, the Bills were thrilled to get him, even if it took three seasons longer than they had originally planned. The early years were rough for Kelly, as he struggled to get acclimated to the team, and they fired their coach midway through the season. Marv Levy was brought on as the interim and he stuck around, though it took until 1988 for things to really click for the Bills. While Kelly threw more interceptions than touchdowns that season, the emergence of Bruce Smith and that defense meant they could cruise to a 12-4 record. As they would make a habit of, they beat the Oilers in the divisional round, but would be beat by the Bengals in the AFC Championship that year, after Kelly threw 3 picks in the loss. 1989 would see the Bills make the playoffs again, but only barely as Kelly suffered a seperated shoulder midway through the season, and after only taking three weeks off, was back on the field to finish it. The Bills struggled to a 9-7 record in december, and were promptly beaten by the Browns in the wild-card round, despite Kelly throwing for 4 TDs and 400 yards that game. But the reason everyone remembers Jim Kelly and the Bills is the run of 4 straight super bowl appearances, marked by 4 straight super bowl losses. 1990 would see Kelly break a 100 passer rating, and take the last two weeks of the regular season off as the Bills cruised to a 13-3 record and home field advantage in the AFC. The K-Gun offense put up 44 on the Dolphins, and then proceeded to put up 51 on the Los Angeles Raiders. They were looking unstoppable and in super bowl 25 came around, the best strategy was the never give Kelly the ball strategy. The Giants controlled the clock, kept Kelly contained, and despite only having a one point lead, they kept the Bills just far enough away for Scott Norwood to kick it wide right, and become the most miserable man in Buffalo for all time. The Bills didn't get a shot like that again, despite going to the dance three more times. Kelly was putting the league on notice, but he was throwing a lot more picks as the defense was slowly declining. In 91' they'd pound the Chiefs in the divisional round, and against the Broncos they would get into a defensive showdown, decided by a John Elway interception rather than an amazing play by either 1983 QB. But the Redskins would get out to an early 24-0 lead in the Super Bowl, and keep the pressure going long enough to secure a 37-24 victory. 1992 was a year where they didn't even get homefield, going 11-5, and losing their last game of the regular season to the Oilers thanks to a Kelly injury partway through the game. Frank Reich led the greatest comeback in history to beat the Oilers 41-38, after being down 35-3 at one point. Reich would keep them steady against the Steelers, doing enough not to blow a great defensive performance. Jim Kelly came back for the AFC Championship against the Dolphins, and while he was still shaking off the rust, Thurman Thomas did a lot of work in a 29-10 victory. However Kelly didn't last long in the super bowl, getting pulled midway through the second quarter because his knee was aggravated in the game. The Cowboys put up 52 on the Bills, and that was that. Kelly appeared to be weakening in 1993, as he threw 18 TDs and 18 INT's, but the defense was strong, the schedule was weak, and the Bills went 12-4, gaining home field advantage once again. Kelly lead a game winning drive against the Raiders in the divisional round, winning 29-23. There was no need for heroics in the AFC Championship, as the Bills smothered Joe Montana and Marcus Allen on the way to a 30-13 victory. Jim Kelly played the entire rematch against the Cowboys, and even came out to a 13-6 lead at halftime. Then the Dallas defense buckled down, forced a fumble return touchdown, held Buffalo scoreless in the second half, and ending up winning 30-13. The Bills would end up losing their last three games of 94, and fail to make the playoffs entirely at 7-9. They came back in 95 and went 10-6, and even beat the Dolphins in the wild card round 37-22, but against the Pittsburgh Steelers and their defense, Kelly threw three picks in a 40-21 loss. 1996 would be Kelly's last season as he struggled with injuries, was sacked the most times he had ever been in his career, and only threw 14 TDs to 19 INT's. The Bills would lose in the wild card round to the surprising Jaguars, and that would be the first time they ended the career of a QB drafted in the 1983 draft class. They did the same to Marino a few years later, but at least the Bills were competitive in this loss, only falling 30-27. Kelly's career wasn't the longest, but he had 11 strong years in the league, with 8 playoff appearances, and 4 AFC Championship victories to his credit. He could never get his teams over the NFC hump though, and that is something that will always stick with him despite the high level of success he had in the league. When it came to surrounding casts, Kelly had a great group to work with, a pair of hall of fame wide receivers for the majority of his run, a hall of fame running back, one of the greatest defensive ends to ever step onto the field, and a bunch of really talented role players, who all stuck together under the same head coach for 10.5 of those seasons. Once Kelly found his place in the league, he didn't give it up until his body gave up. Kelly ends up in the top 20 for both of his splits, and a defense just barely in the top third of the entire study, which shows that he had no issue performing to his best in any circumstance.

I think legitimately the best idea I have is just to add years where players were meant to be backups as some kind of negative score (either -0.5 per season as a backup's rate, or calculate a number that is less of an approximation than that), and then add that negative score to their careers. Like Jim McMahon had 5 seasons where he was simply a backup who played either zero or one games. If we say he played about 10 games a season normally (since he never did finish a full season in the league), that would lower his careers wins over average to 8.26, and then with an extra 50 games added to his career (now 151 or about 8.5 16 game seasons), his WAA goes down to 0.875, which would put him in between Eli Manning and Cam Newton currently. It's not perfect, but it was something I was thinking about.

Ok fine, I'll do a serious write up on Brett Favre... Drafted in 1991 by Jerry Glanville's Run and Shoot Falcons, Favre and Glanville got along like Clint Eastwood and Teenagers, an obvious disconnect between the front office and the head coach. Favre dropped back all of 5 times for the Falcons, was sacked once, threw two picks, and two incompletions. Packers GM Ron Wolf really coveted Favre coming out of the draft, but was snaked by the Falcons the year prior, so he was willing to trade a first rounder to secure Favre in Green Bay. And as they say, the rest is history. Favre replaced the injured Don Majkowski three games into the 1992 season, and his legacy was born as he lead a comeback after being down 17-3 against the Bengals to secure a 24-23 victory. Favre never gave up a start to any of his backups in his long time there, a list that include Matt Hasselbeck, Mark Brunell, Kurt Warner, Aaron Rodgers, and most importantly of all, Craig Nall. ? Favre and the Packers spent the next couple of seasons compiling talent, while working around a QB who always wanted to make the big play happen, even if it would lead to a costly turnover otherwise. They would go 9-7 and for three straight seasons, and in 1993 and 1994 they would break into the playoffs. Both trips were quite similar, they would beat the Lions in the wild-card round, and then get pounded by the Dallas Cowboys in the divisional round as they just couldn't match the talent those Cowboys teams had. 1995 would mark a turning point for the Packers, as Brett Favre won his first of three consecutive MVP's, on a streak of three straight years with 3800+ yards and 35+ TD passes. The Packers would go 11-5 in 1995, their best record since the Lombardi era, and win a date with Favre's old team the Falcons in the wild-card round. Favre threw 3 TD's and no picks in a 37-20 victory over them. Their next date was with the defending super bowl champion 49ers, and the Packers mauled them, came out to a 21-0 lead early, and sat on it on the way to a 27-17 victory. However, round 3 against the Cowboys would end the same as rounds 1 and 2, with Favre coming up short against the sheer talent on the Dallas team, losing 38-27 after being shut out in the 4th quarter. But 1996 was good, they didn't need to play the Cowboys in the playoffs, and they secured home field advantage in the playoffs with a 13-3 record. The 49ers were no challenge, and the surprising Panthers choked miserably in the NFC Championship game. The Super Bowl put them up against Drew Bledsoe's Patriots, and Favre threw for 2 touchdowns, ran for 1 and didn't win the MVP for the game, instead it went to kick returner Desmond Howard, who scored the last TD of the game in a 35-21 result. 1997 would mark another 13-3 season, and another season where neither the Bucs in the divisional round, nor the 49ers in the conference championship could hope to stop the Packers roll. But all dreams must die, and the Packers faced an opponent they could not beat, the surprising wild card Denver Broncos with an aging John Elway, and Terrell Davis who despite having a migraine took the ball 30 times for 157 yards and 3 TD's. The game was close throughout, but the Packers simply could not make any headway at the end of the game in a 31-24 loss. Favre would never go to the super bowl again, despite his illustrious career, and he would never win the MVP again, though he had plenty of seasons where he was in the discussion for it. The Packers finally lost to the 49ers in the playoffs in 1998, in a game where Favre would throw two picks, and the game would be sealed by an incredible Terrell Owens catch from Steve Young with 8 seconds left on the clock. Favre would throw more interceptions than touchdowns in 1999 as the new head coach Ray Rhodes didn't work out too hot for them. 2000 would see the Pack go 9-7 and miss the playoffs despite going on a 4 game winning streak to end the season. It took until 2001 for the Packers to come back to form, as they retooled the team around Favre with young defensive players, and built chemistry with his new young weapons like Ahman Green, Bubba Franks, and Donald Driver. The Pack would go 12-4, Favre would break the 30 TD mark, and throw less than 20 interceptions for once. They even beat the crap out of the 49ers in the wild-card round, just like old times. Well, then the divisional round happened and the St. Louis Rams and the greatest show on turf put up 45 on the Packers, no doubt bolstered by Favre's 6 interceptions and two lost fumbles by skill position players. The Packers would again go 12-4 in 2002, and this time Favre would only throw 2 interceptions, but lose 2 fumbles as well on the way to a 27-7 loss to Michael Vick's Falcons in the wild card round. The Packers would make the playoffs in 2003 as well with Favre eclipsing 20 picks again and in a wild card game against the Seahawks, he was fortunate that Matt Hasslebeck was the one to throw the first interception in overtime and not him. Of course he would respond by throwing an interception to Brian Dawkins in overtime in the divisional round, putting the Eagles in great position to kick a game winning field goal. 2004 would mark a repeat of Favre throwing too many interceptions in the playoffs, as he gave 4 to the Vikings on the way to a 31-17 loss in the wild card round. This would mark the start of the "will he, won't he retire talk" and prompt the Packers executives to make a decision. It was time to draft Favre's replacement, and they had the luxury of watching as Aaron Rodgers fell to their laps at the 24th overall pick. 2005 in turn, would be Favre worst season of his career. To this point he had never experienced a losing season, but there's a first time for everything as the Packers went 4-12. Favre threw 607 times, only made 20 TD passes, along with 29 interceptions, the highest mark in his career. If not for all the good will he had bought Packers fans, he would have been benched for Rodgers much earlier than he was. Favre waffled with retirement again, but decided to stay on. The struggles continued in 06' but Favre threw 10 less interceptions that season, and the Packers went on a roll in December, winning their last 4 to finish a respectable 8-8. There were calls to replace Favre with Rodgers, but he was still the starter come 2007, and for a brief wonderful period of time for Packers fans, they had felt like their faith in the old codger had been justly rewarded. Favre may have had his best season as a Packer with new head coach Mike McCarthy and he finally meshing. He would throw for 4155 yards, 28 TD's, only 15 INT's, and was second in MVP voting because some asshole team decided to go undefeated that year. He took the Packers to a 13-3 record, and got them home field advantage in the NFC. They would put up 42 points on the outmatched Seattle Seahawks in the divisional round, and look deadly against the New York Giants in the conference championship. But all things must fail, and Brett Favre reminded the world exactly who he was that day in the NFC Championship. The Packers offense stumbled in the 4th quarter against the Giants, and the game was tied at 20 going into overtime, despite multiple opportunities for Lawrence Tynes to kick a game winning field goal. Favre would be certain to give them one more, throwing a pick to RW McQuarters in OT, and watching as Lawrence Tynes finally hit a field goal from 47 yards out. And this would mark the end of his time with the Packers, as they got sick of his waffling with retirement, his desire to be traded to Minnesota was not accepted nor was his release from his contract, and instead he was thrown to the Jets. He would look really good for the Jets, at least for the first 11 games of the season or so, as the Jets would climb to an 8-3 record, including a game where they beat the Patriots in overtime in Gillette Stadium. However, Favre had torn the labrum in his shoulder and decided to keep playing despite the injury and the Jets suffered as a result, losing 4 of their last 5 as Favre threw only 2 TD's to 9 interceptions, as they averaged 16 points of offense down the stretch. The Jets went 9-7 and missed the postseason entirely. The Jets were also fined for not reporting that they had knowledge of Favre's injury. Favre retired... he was cut... and then he suddenly came back just in time to sign with the Minnesota Vikings, because if I have any indication of Favre's personality, dude is a petty and vindictive bitch, and he wanted to stick it to the Packers for taking him out on their terms and not his. Favre had by far his most efficient season of his career, and he had an incredible running mate in the backfield with Adrian Peterson to hand off to. Favre threw less than 10 interceptions for the first time in his career since his rookie season, when he only threw four passes. He also put up 33 TD passes, 4200 yards, and a passer rating over 100 for the first time in his career. The Vikings went 12-4 as a result, and had the second seed in the NFC. And of course, Favre became the first QB in NFL history to beat all 32 current teams. Favre would finally beat the Cowboys in the playoffs in a cathartic 34-3 throttling in the divisional round. But in the conference championship, the Saints defense had all the answers, and beat Favre black and blue as he would eventually throw a game sealing interception, as is par for the course. Favre's 2010 would be marked with injuries, as his starting streak came to an end at 321 games, he would throw 19 interceptions to just 11 TD's in his final season and he would finally retire for real. As expected of a player this high on the list, Favre's splits are incredible. Though the end of his career is marked by many postseason failures, he was an incredible regular season quarterback, and despite how many interceptions he threw he would never get discouraged. Sometimes that was a great thing, nothing could dent his confidence. Sometimes he would just continue to throw interceptions, and no coach, player, or act of god could stop that man from slinging it. Many of his records that he held at his retirement have since been broken by Drew Brees, Tom Brady and Peyton Manning, but when he retired, basically every thing on the record book belonged to him. His consecutive starts including postseason has been threatened a few times by players, but for now it looks like a streak that will hold for a long time. Philip Rivers is the closest player to breaking it currently, and he's 102 starts behind.

13. Jeff (Atlanta Falcons 1991, Green Bay Packers 1992-2007, New York Jets 2008, Minnesota Vikings 2009-2010) 2nd Place Packers and 1st Place Vikings QB Career Record 197-120-0 (62.15%) 18th out of 102 Record in Games with Good Defense 144-29-0 (83.24%) 26th out of 102 Record in Games with Bad Defense 53-91-0 (36.81%) 16th out of 102 Percentage of Games with Good Defense 173/317 (54.57%) 37th out of 102 (+24) Wins above Average in a 16 Game Season (1.795) There are only three things Jeff liked more than sending unsolicited dick pics to strangers. Throwing costly interceptions in postseason games, pretending to retire, and Vicodin.

Well I'm just glad we can take the Rockets out of serious contender talk.

14. Drew Brees (San Diego Chargers 2001-2005, New Orleans Saints 2006-Current) 1st Place Chargers and 2nd Place Saints QB Career Record 149-111-0 (57.31%) 37th out of 102 Record in Games with Good Defense 101-15-0 (87.07%) 11th out of 102 Record in Games with Bad Defense 48-96-0 (33.33%) 24th (T) out of 102 Percentage of Games with Good Defense 116/260 (44.62%) 79th out of 102 (+65) Wins above Average in a 16 Game Season (1.777) (1.892 after the 2018 Season) And now we come to the reason I ended up making this list in the first place. How much better would Drew Brees have been if he had Tom Brady's defenses? Well while he isn't as high as Tom Brady, he's in the same category as some of the greatest players to ever play this game, and with his 2018 numbers, he would jump all the way up to 11th place unofficially. With nearly 2 wins above the average starter he probably would have won every division title that the Patriots won this century, with a probable exception to the first two in 2001 and 2003, because it did take a while for Brees to find his place in the NFL. Brees was drafted in the second round by the San Diego Chargers, as an attempt to move on from the horrid Ryan Leaf era that had plagued the franchise. He sat and learned behind Doug Flutie his rookie year, and got some idea on how to operate as a smaller QB in a league that was not forgiving to players of their stature. He was named the starter in 2002, and played marginally well, but lost the last four games of the season to finish 8-8. He continued to struggle mightily in 2003, going 1-7 before getting benched for Flutie, only to come back and lose the last three games of the season as well. The Chargers made a move to draft his replacement, as they had the first overall pick in the stacked 2004 QB class. And for a time it seemed like the writing was on the wall for Brees. But with the pressure mounting, and Rivers chomping at the bit behind him, Brees started to go off, and become the guy we all know him to be, a passing dynamo who can always find the open guy. He took the Chargers to a 12-4 record, sitting out the last game of the season to rest for the playoffs, while the Chargers put in Flutie instead of the rookie Rivers, since Marty was not fussed about Rivers being brought in to replace his guy. In any case, Brees lost in his first playoff game, one where he came back from down 17-7 against the Jets to bring it into overtime, and even got his kicker in position to make a 40 yard game winner, but Kaeding shanked it, and the Jets eventually won at the end of the first overtime. Brees was named the starter for the 2005 season, and he took a greater command of the offense. However with a loss to the Chiefs in week 16, the Chargers weren't officially eliminated from the playoffs and weren't playing for anything in week 17. Rather than put out Philip Rivers for a meaningless game, Schottenheimer was adamant on playing Drew Brees. And that decision cost them, as Gerard Warren came down on top of Brees and broke his shoulder on a sack fumble. With Brees injured and heading into the end of his contract, and with a young QB chomping at the bit behind him, Brees time in San Diego came to an end. The injury was severe enough that teams were scared of taking a chance on him. The Dolphins decided that they would rather take a chance on Daunte Culpepper with his shredded ACL than try anything with Brees. The Chargers offered him a backup level contract loaded with incentives. However, someone did give him a chance, even if he didn't get his first option in Tony Romo. Sean Payton decided the Saints needed a quarterback, and Aaron Brooks wasn't doing the job, so he took a chance on Drew Brees and told him he would be the starter if he was healthy for training, and paired him with the most electric running back in college history in Reggie Bush. The rest is history. Brees eclipsed 4000 yards for the first time in his career, and would keep that streak going for 12 seasons. The Saints went 10-6 and won the NFC South. They beat the Jeff Garcia Eagles 27-24 in the divisional round, before getting walloped by the Chicago Bears 39-14 in the conference championship. Brees would continue to be the keystone for the team, but the team would struggle with abysmal defenses in 2007 and 2008, going 7-9 and 8-8 respectively. 2009 would mark a change in operations, as while the defense was still not amazing, they did a very good job at forcing turnovers with the cornerback tandem of Jabari Greer and Tracy Porter, and the ball hawking safety Darren Sharper. The Saints would go 13-3, and lock up home field advantage in the NFC by week 16, Brees would eclipse the 70% completion percentage mark, and the Saints would roll. The put up 45 points on the defending NFC Champion Cardinals, and then got into a shootout with Brett Favre and the Minnesota Vikings, a game far more famous for the talks of putting a bounty out on Brett Favre than anything that actually happened, but as you would expect, the game was sealed by a Brett Favre interception in the 4th quarter that would have put them in position to kick a game winning field goal. Brees led the team down the field in the first OT possession, and they kicked a 40 yard field goal before the Vikings could touch the ball. They would go on to super bowl 44 against the Indianapolis Colts, and thanks to the brilliant onside kick to start the second half, the Saints took the momentum, and were able to take a 24-17 lead while giving Peyton Manning the ball with 5:30 left. The Colts looked like they might drive it down the field, but Manning threw an untimely pick to Tracy Porter, who took it back all the way for a touchdown, sealing the game for the Saints and giving Brees his first and only super bowl ring. Because karma came back to bite the Saints hard, and it's still biting to this day. 2010 would see Brees throw 22 interceptions as his run game dissolved into nothing, but the Saints scoring defense improved immensely, and the team went 11-5 as a result. However they were the road team against the 7-9 Seahawks, and fell victim to the Beastquake in a 41-36 loss. Brees would put the league on notice in 2011, completing 71% of his passes, throwing for 5476 yards, 46 TD's and only 14 INT's on the way to a 13-3 record. That wasn't enough for a first round bye in a stacked NFC, so they beat up the Lions in the wild-card round 45-28. And when they needed their defense to make a stop up 32-29 against the 49ers with only 1:37 left in the game... they failed. Alex Smith drove the 49ers down the field and scored the game winning touchdown ending the Saints run 36-32. 2012 would see bounty gate come to light as Sean Payton was suspended for an entire season, and with a new interim head coach, and new defensive coordinator, the Saints stunk. Brees was still amazing, but the defense was bottom 5 in scoring, and gave up 23 or more points in all but three games that season on the way to a 7-9 record. Spags would get fired, Payton would come back as HC, and Rob Ryan was brought in to be the new DC. And for 2013, it all seemed to work. The Saints went from bottom 5 to top 5 in scoring defense, Brees would have his third straight 5000 yard season, and the Saints would win the NFC South at 11-5. They faced a tough showdown against the Nick Foles Eagles in the wild card round, scraping by with a 26-24 win on a last second field goal. However they were crushed by the Legion of Boom in the divisional round, losing 23-15. The Saints would spend the next three years going 7-9, as despite Brees best efforts, his defenses were some of the worst in the league with Rob Ryan revealing his true form, and Dennis Allen revealing his soon after. 2017 would finally see the Saints defense rebound as they spent most of their draft capital developing it. With a top ten scoring defense, Brees showed the league that he was still the same beast that could not be contained, and went 11-5, securing the NFC South on tiebreakers. They would challenge Cam Newton and the Panthers in another offensive showdown, one where the defense actually prevented a last minute comeback by the Panthers. The Saints would proceed to lose in heartbreaking fashion in the divisional round though, after Brees led a game winning field goal drive with only 1:25 left on the clock, and only giving the Vikings 25 seconds to operate a drive to get them into field goal range, Stefon Diggs gets open, evades the corner going for the big hit instead of the wrap up tackle, and is unmolested on the way to the end zone. Despite Brees' best efforts he is subject to heartbreak. The data point ends there, but 2018 was more of the same, despite Brees' effort, a controversial no call forced overtime against the Rams in the conference championship, letting the Rams eventually win that game. Drew Brees is probably one of the most clutch performers we've ever seen in the playoffs, however his defenses are likely the most anti-clutch we've ever seen. There have been multiple opportunities in Brees' career where he has done enough to win key games, only to see his defense squander it away. It has to be difficult to watch. When it comes to playoff losses you can reasonably put on his shoulders, he has two, a loss to the 2006 Bears and their defense and a loss to the Legion of Boom in 2013. Otherwise he's had to deal with his kicker missing a field goal in overtime after leading a ten point comeback, The Beastquake run by Marshawn Lynch, Alex Smith leading a game winning drive with a minute left in a shootout, The Minnesota Miracle, and I don't think we have a name for what happened in 2018 other than BS. Drew Brees doesn't end up being the highest overachiever on this list compared to his defenses, but he's pretty damn close. He's the Sonny Jurgensen of our time, but at the very least he's getting the respect he deserves.

15. Jim McMahon (Chicago Bears 1982-1988, San Diego Chargers 1989, Philadelphia Eagles 1990-1992, Minnesota Vikings 1993, Arizona Cardinals 1994, Cleveland Browns 1995, Green Bay Packers 1995-1996) 1st Place Bears QB Career Record 70-31-0 (69.31%) 6th out of 102 Record in Games with Good Defense 60-11-0 (84.51%) 19th out of 102 Record in Games with Bad Defense 10-20-0 (33.33%) 24th (T) out of 102 Percentage of Games with Good Defense 71/101 (70.30%) 2nd out of 102 (-13) Wins above Average in a 16 Game Season (1.705) ADJUSTED FOR MS/JM BS: (0.875) Jim McMahon was a great player for the Bears. Is he deserving of this high a ranking? Probably not, but he suffers from the same affliction that got Matt Schaub so high, when he sucked, he just got to be a backup. In addition to that, the teams he played with had excellent defenses on the whole, which is why he has the second best defensive rating out of all the players on this list. And to go a step further, his defenses weren't just above average, they were historically great. The 85 Bears and the 91 Eagles are often in discussions for the greatest defenses of all time, so McMahon does well to be a beneficiary of all those factors. McMahon was the fifth overall pick in 1982, and pretty much immediately clashed with Mike Ditka's no nonsense style and the legacy of the Bears. Regardless, McMahon was named the starting QB two games into the strike shortened 1982 season and nearly took the Bears to the playoffs that year. 1983 gave McMahon greater control of the offense, though he often did it without the coaches consent. The Bears stumbled to a 8-8 record, just shy of missing the playoffs once again. 1984 saw the Chicago Bears defense really start to break out onto the scene, but McMahon would watch the second half of the season from the sidelines after suffering broken ribs and a lacerated kidney against the LA Raiders. The Bears would take McMahon's 7-2 start to a 10-6 record, but the team would fail to score a single point on the 49ers in the conference championship game. 1985 would see McMahon continue to direct an offense that just needed the QB not to completely foul it up, and McMahon did his part, going 11-0 in games he started, although he spent some games of that season not starting because coach Ditka hated him that much. The Bears locked up the first seed in the playoffs, held the Rams and Giants to zero points in the NFC, and only allowed a touchdown to the Patriots late in the 4th quarter of a 46-10 thrubbing. The Bears would go undefeated with McMahon under centre in 1986 as well, but due to a dirty hit separating his shoulder, the Bears offense could only falter under 4th string rookie QB Doug Flutie in the postseason. Injuries would again shorten McMahon's seasons in 87 and 88, but he was able to see the end of 1987 as he couldn't overcome the Washington Redskins in a 21-17 loss where he threw three interceptions. McMahon was taken out midway through 1988 in a loss to the Patriots, but was able to comeback for the NFC Championship against the 49ers where the Bears lost 28-3. And that would mark the end of McMahon's time as a bears starter, as he drifted around the league for the next few seasons. He would spend a year in San Diego, and after a 4-8 start and his rocky disposition making enemies with the coaching staff, he was benched for Billy Joe Tolliver and released soon after. He went to backup Randall Cunningham at the invitation of former DC and new Eagles HC Buddy Ryan. With Cunningham getting injured in 1991, McMahon started most of the season behind another incredible defense, but couldn't finish it out, and the team only went 10-6 and missed the playoffs entirely. He went to the Vikings in 1993, and took over the job from Sean Salisbury, and was able to take the Vikings to the playoffs, but failed to perform in the wild card round against the Giants. After that, he simply bounced around the league, getting a second super bowl ring as Brett Favre's backup in 1996, and retiring soon after that. McMahon's numbers were never impressive, even for the era, but he was blessed with some of the greatest defenses of all time, and made it work as best he could. The injuries he struggled with throughout his career meant that he never started a full season for any of the teams he played for, and his abrasive attitude meant that he was never able to find a coach who had much faith in him, even with a super bowl victory under his belt. McMahon is now a chronic alcoholic, a sufferer of early onset dementia, and recently kicked a painkiller addiction thanks to medicinal marijuana. He may not be living his best life now, but he was one of the all time winners in the NFL. Adjusting for the fact that he was a primary backup for 5 seasons after establishing himself as a starter, using the same process I did for Matt Schaub, his new ranking would place him 37th, between Cam Newton, and Eli Manning.

16. Ben Roethlisberger (Pittsburgh Steelers 2004-Current) 1st Place Steelers QB Career Record 149-72-0 (67.42%) 10th out of 102 Record in Games with Good Defense 126-22-0 (85.14%) 17th out of 102 Record in Games with Bad Defense 23-50-0 (31.51%) 33rd out of 102 Percentage of Games with Good Defense 148/221 (66.97%) 6th out of 102 (-10) Wins above Average in a 16 Game Season (1.539) (1.517 after the 2018 Season) Big Ben, the final QB of the 2004 draft to fall on this list, and just shy of the top 15 overall. Ben has been the Steelers starter since he was drafted, and has only missed a few games here and there due to injury, though he has taken a lot of injuries throughout his career. As a rookie, he was accustomed to winning, as he was surrounded by incredible talent on defense along with a very strong run game to rely on. Asked not to make mistakes in his rookie season, he went 13-0 as a starter, but along the way led 5 game winning drives. His numbers were modest, throwing only about 22 times a game, but the Steelers took home field advantage throughout the postseason because of it. They barely beat a struggling Jets team 20-17, that scored on an INT return and a punt return TD, and were in position to kick a game winning field goal in the last two minutes, but missed it, forcing overtime. The Conference Championship showcased the young QB's struggles further as he threw three interceptions to the defending champion Patriots on the way to a 41-27 loss. That year gave them the formula for success though, and 2005 would see them sneak into the playoffs at 11-5, as Roeth struggled with knee injuries throughout the year. They beat the Bengals in Cincinnati in the divisional round, in large part due to Carson Palmer getting his leg shredded on the first drive of the game. Their divisional round matchup would take them to Indianapolis, where they almost lost thanks to a Jerome Bettis fumble, but Ben got back in time to make a touchdown saving tackle. The Colts drove down to the Steelers 30 yard line, but a missed field goal let the Steelers survive 21-18. They would beat up the Denver Broncos handily in the conference championship, and face the Seattle Seahawks in the Super Bowl. Roethlisberger had a terrible game, completing less than half of his passes, and throwing two interceptions, but the Steelers defense shut down Hasselbeck and Alexander, and both Willie Parker and Antwaan Randle El made key TD scores to keep the Seahawks out of the game. Roeth became the youngest QB to win a super bowl at the age of 23. Things were looking great for the Steelers, but Ben crashed his bike in the offseason, and between that injury and a few that piled up throughout the season, the Steelers finished 8-8 as Ben threw 23 picks on the year, and out of the postseason chase. Bill Cowher decided to resign as the Steelers Head Coach, and Mike Tomlin was brought in to replace him. 2007 would also see this team become Ben's team, as he really took the reins of the offense. He would have multiple games with 3 or more TD passes, including a game against the Ravens where he threw 5 in the first half. The Steelers would go 10-6 and take the AFC North that year. However the success would be short lived, as the Steelers were upset by the Jaguars in the Wild Card round after Ben threw 3 interceptions and lost a fumble. They almost made a comeback from being down 28-10, and took a 29-28 lead, but the defense couldn't get a last stop and Josh Scobee kicked a GW field goal to go up 31-29. The Steelers would ride the best defense in the league in 2008 to a 12-4 record, and a first round bye. The offense would take over in the postseason, putting up 35 points against the Chargers in the divisional round. Against the Ravens, it was a defensive affair, as the Steelers bullied young Joe Flacco and came up with a 23-14 victory. Super Bowl 43 would give us one of the most entertaining showdowns in league history, but the game was decided by a perfect pass from Roethlisberger to Santonio Holmes in the endzone, to take a 27-23 lead with less than a minute left. Ben was a two time champion in his first five seasons. Ten years later, he'd still be a two time champion. Roethlisberger slowly took over more and more of the offense, becoming one of the few players with multiple 500 yard passing games, a 5000 yard season, and several 30+ passing TD seasons. The Steelers would get close to a super bowl victory in 2010, after missing the playoffs entirely in 2009, and Ben serving a personal conduct suspension for the first four games of 2010. Leading them to a 12-4 record, with a tiebreaker on the Ravens, the Steelers were awarded a first round bye. They would face those Ravens in a divisional round showdown, but seal the game on a 4th quarter drive from Roethlisberger to win 31-24. They would face the surprising Jets in the AFC Championship instead of the hated Patriots, and would very nearly give up a 24-0 lead, if not for Big Ben and Antonio Brown doing just enough to keep the clock running on the last drive of the game. They would get into a shootout with the Packers in the Super Bowl, but after going down 14-0 thanks to an untimely Roethlisberger interception, the Packers never gave up the lead in a 31-25 victory. The Steelers had a chance to make a TD drive in the last two minutes, but the drive sputtered before it could really even begin. 2010 would mark their last super bowl appearance in Roethlisbergers' time. 2011 would see the Steelers make the playoffs again at 12-4, but they were unable to stop the magic of Tim Tebow and lost in the wild-card round to the Denver Broncos. They would see their offensive coordinator Bruce Arians leave for Indianapolis, and begin to struggle from that point forward. The Steelers would miss the playoffs in 2012 with an 8-8 record, and they needed to win the last three games of the 2013 season just to match that mark. The Steelers would rebound in 2014 thanks to the emergence of Le'Veon Bell in the backfield. It seemed like the Roethlisberger / Haley connection was finally starting to work as the Steelers went 11-5, Roethlisberger threw for 4952 yards, 32 TD's and only 9 interceptions. However, the Steelers would be upset in the wild-card round as the Ravens bend but don't break strategy kept them from scoring TD's on the way to a 30-17 loss. Ben would sprain his MCL in 2015 and miss 5 games, but the Steelers still had enough gas to make the wild-card round at 10-6. They would survive against the Cincinnati Bengals in one of the stupidest games I have ever seen (and went to at length in Andy Dalton's writeup), but simply could not find the offensive firepower to overcome the stingy Denver Broncos defense in the divisional round, losing 23-16. in 2016, the Steelers would rip off 7 straight wins at the end of the season to make the playoffs at 11-5. They would easily handle the Miami Dolphins in the wild-card round, winning 30-12. Then they were the beneficiaries of Andy Reid Clock Management in the divisional round, winning 18-16, on a game where they only kicked field goals. That crap wouldn't fly against the Patriots though, and Tom Brady took them to the woodshed in a 36-17 beating. 2017 really looked like the Steelers best chance to win it all, they went 13-3 in the regular season, the killer B's were dominating on offense, and the defense had taken a step forward, only allowing 19.3 points per game, but they ran into an opponent they could grossly underestimate, and they let Blake Bortles and the Jacksonville Jaguars put up 45 points on them in the divisional round. Enough said. 2018 didn't count for the data points in this study, but the Steelers barely missed the playoffs despite Ben putting up 5000 yards through the air. Ben has one of the best defenses all time when going through this study, as is often the case for these guys who have played with the Steelers for a long time. James Harrison and Troy Polamalu are hall of fame caliber players, and then you have massive contributors like Casey Hampton, Aaron Smith, Joey Porter, James Farrior and Ike Taylor to add to the collection as well, and you see that these Steelers defenses were stacked. Still, Ben isn't only the product of his defenses, playing well in any situation, and developing from a player who is merely a game manager to one who can drive the entire offense through. The Steelers have done their part to surround Big Ben with talent, and he has mostly answered the call, but surprisingly he doesn't have a reputation as a playoff choker despite playing poorly in many of his playoff games throughout his career. Perhaps getting those championships out of the way early is the real ticket to success. He hasn't hit an obvious decline like Eli or Matt Schaub has from his draft class, but with his two best offensive weapons leaving this season, concerns about his brand of leadership have been called into question and worries are forming whether he can really take this team to a third title in his remaining time left. His talent however, is undeniable at this point in time, and he's probably well on the way to the hall of fame once he does decide to end his career.

17. Tony Romo (Dallas Cowboys 2003-2016) 3rd Place Cowboys QB Career Record 80-51-0 (61.07%) 21st out of 102 Record in Games with Good Defense 58-14-0 (80.56%) 36th out of 102 Record in Games with Bad Defense 22-37-0 (37.29%) 14th out of 102 Percentage of Games with Good Defense 72/131 (54.96%) 35th out of 102 (+18) Wins above Average in a 16 Game Season (1.523) We're really getting on a run for these QB's of the late 2000's and 2010's, and Romo is the next contestant on the rank is right. Now the uninformed have shat on Tony Romo for basically his entire career, and I'm here to say that shit is undeserved. Romo was a beast, and one of the great Cowboys we've ever seen, he just didn't have the luxury of being surrounded by hall of famers all over the field like the rest of the Cowboy QB's on this list. Romo was undrafted out of 2003, and drawn to Dallas out of a connection between him and then offensive coordinator Sean Payton being from Eastern Illinois, and a request from coach Bill Parcells who knew that he didn't really have a franchise quarterback, so this kid would have a fair shot to take over. And while he didn't surprass Quincy Carter and Chad Hutchinson in his rookie season, or Vinny Testaverde or Drew Henson in 2004, he stayed on the roster, and made a living as the Cowboys holder. Romo jumped to the second string by 2005, and in 2006, with Sean Payton finding a head coaching job, he wanted to trade a third rounder for Romo. Jerry Jones said no, it had to at least be a second rounder. So Romo stayed put, and in his 4th season in the league, he got his opportunity to shine. He replaced Drew Bledsoe at halftime in a game against the Giants, and despite throwing three interceptions, the offense was moving, so Parcells named him the starter and rolled from there. Romo would go 6-4 down the stretch, and sneak the Cowboys into a wild-card spot in a weaker NFC. However, Romo's first playoff game would end in tragedy, as the Cowboys blew a 20-13 4th quarter lead thanks to a ill-timed fumble by Terry Glenn on a short pass that ended in a safety, and eventually a touchdown on the Seahawks next possession. Down 21-20, Romo drove the Cowboys all the way to the 2 yard line for what should have been an easy 19 yard field goal. But a bad snap and a bad hold killed the attempt, as Romo desperately scrambled to make it to the first down marker, but fell just short. His reputation as a choke artist would never leave him no matter what he did. Coach Bill Parcells would retire, and Wade Phillips would come in to replace him. But Romo was still impressive, and still entrenched as the starter, so he made magic happen in 2007, breaking all of the Cowboys single season passing records on the way to a 13-3 record, and the top seed in the NFC. The playoffs would not bode as well for Romo, as the Giants defense helped keep him in check, and with an opportunity to lead a touchdown drive down 21-17, Romo instead found the hands of R.W. McQuarters in another disappointing Cowboys loss. 2008 would see the Cowboys fail to make the playoffs, as Romo suffered an injury that kept him out three weeks in the middle of the season, and the Cowboys lost their last two games of the season in a rather disappointing fashion to end up 9-7. Romo came back healthy in 2009, and even though the start was rough, the Cowboys won their last three games of the season to finish strong at 11-5, including beating the undefeated Saints, and the division leading Eagles at the time. They would then beat the Eagles again in the wild-card round, with Romo throwing for 244 yards and a couple of TDs in a 34-14 win. However the success streak for the Cowboys would end abruptly when faced up against the resurgent Brett Favre and the vicious Vikings Defense. The Boys lost 34-3 in a game where Romo struggled to stay upright, losing the ball three times and getting sacked 6 times. Romo struggled mightily in 2010, trying to make too much happen all by himself, and in his haste, he suffered a clavicle injury in week 6, taking him out for the rest of the season, and giving him an injury that would nag him for the rest of his days. The Cowboys spent the next three years going .500 under new head coach Jason Garrett, and despite Romo's best efforts, the team around him failed to perform. Romo led 4 fourth quarter comebacks in 2011 that would have been 6 if not for a couple of blocked field goals. He led 5 in 2012, and led 4 game winning drives in 2013 that his defense immediately squandered. The Cowboys were not a good team, but Romo was putting them practically on his back to get them just to mediocrity. If not for suffering a herniated disk at the end of the 2013 season, he might have snuck the Cowboys into another postseason attempt by beating the Eagles, but it was not meant to be. Romo's story was set in ink, at least for every member of the media and in the minds of several people I've had the pleasure of knowing. Someone once said straight to my face that Romo was the worst starting quarterback in the league without any hint of sarcasm. I'd like to think 2014 proved them wrong, but when people are set in their ways, they tend to stay to way. Romo and the Cowboys reeled off a 6-1 start, and when Romo got hurt and replaced by Brandon Weeden, they lost their next two, before Romo came back healthy and went 6-1 to close out the season. He led the league in yards per attempt, completion percentage and passer rating on the way to a 12-4 record, and the third seed in the NFC on tiebreakers. The cowboys would win in the wild card round against the Detroit Lions after coming out cold, and winning 24-20. However, the football gods would not be so kind to the Cowboys a second time around, and in the divisional round against the Green Bay Packers, down 26-21 with 5 minutes to go, Romo throws a game leading touchdown to Dez Bryant... that is overturned, because Bryant didn't have possession of it when he bounced off the ground. Called incomplete, the Packers offense ran the last 5 minutes off the clock, ending the Cowboys hopes once again. Little did we know, the end of Romo's career was nigh. He suffered a collarbone injury early in 2015, and despite being trotted back onto the field midway through the season, the Cowboys were well done without him and they put him back on the shelf after four more games. In 2016, Romo didn't even see the field after suffering a back injury in the preseason. And after seeing what Dakota Prescott could do with Zeke Elliot and that new look offense, the team decided to move on, and Romo decided to retire to become CBS' number one announcer. Romo's career is filled with controversy, trials and tribulations, because the Cowboys of his time just couldn't lose a game, it had to be a big deal every single time it happened, because Romo was just that electric on the field. I think the memory I most associate Romo with is a play in 2007 against the St. Louis Rams. The centre snapped it well over his head, but Romo scooped it up 35 yards behind the LOS, and instead of just falling on it, he ran to the other side of the field, dodging defenders and eventually making a 5 yard gain on the play. He probably ran for about 100 yards on a 5 yard gain, and that's really what felt like the microcosm of his entire career. Romo's rates in shootouts and games where his defenses show up are both very impressive, but because he had never taken the Cowboys to a super bowl, let alone an NFC Championship Game, really tints the colour of his legacy in many Dallas fan's eyes. The Cowboys never had a losing season where he played the entire season, but when the team was left to the hands of Matt Cassel, Jon Kitna or Brandon Weeden, they struggled mightily in his absence.

18. Russell Wilson (Seattle Seahawks 2012-Current) 1st Place Seahawks QB Career Record 73-34-1 (68.06%) 8th out of 102 Record in Games with Good Defense 64-9-1 (87.16%) 9th out of 102 Record in Games with Bad Defense 9-25-0 (26.47%) 57th (T) out of 102 Percentage of Games with Good Defense 74/108 (68.52%) 3rd out of 102 (-15) Wins above Average in a 16 Game Season (1.511) (1.701 after the 2018 Season) It's time for the latest addition to this hall of quarterbacks to make his appearance. Drafted in 2012, he makes it just ahead of his contemporaries in his draft class, but they'd join him soon enough I'm sure. Russell Wilson's story is fascinating, and looking at it now, it's incredible that he fell all the way to the third round in the draft. His draft class was all about Andrew Luck, and Robert Griffin the Third. Other guys in this class could be decent, but they were mostly after thoughts. Wilson had built up a reputation as an incredibly efficient passer in both NC State and Wisconsin, and a few scouts and coaches have gone on record saying he would have been taken a lot higher if he was just a few inches taller. However these things are often blessings in disguise, and Wilson fell to the Seahawks in the third round, a team building around an exuberant head coach and ball to the wall defense. The plan was to let him develop behind big free agent signing Matt Flynn, but as training camp went on, it was readily apparent that Russell was ready to make the Seahawks his team. Wilson was named the starter for the regular season, and he hasn't looked back since. Wilson has never thrown more than 11 interceptions on a season. Wilson has never had a losing season in the league. In every year except for 2017, the Seahawks have made the postseason since Wilson became the starter. Early on, Wilson wasn't asked to throw very often, as the Seahawks would establish the run with Marshawn Lynch, and then establish the Russ once their opponents were good and worn down. In his rookie season, the Seahawks went 11-5, and found themselves in the wild-card round against the last QB to be mentioned, Matt Ryan. If not for a last minute field goal drive, Wilson would have led a 20 point comeback in his very first playoff game. It was not meant to be, but that game gave the Seahawks a renewed desire to close out games. They would do so, going 13-3 and securing the top seed in the NFC. They would use Marshawn Lynch to bully the Saints in the divisional round and win 23-15, and then in a game considered by many to be the real super bowl of 2013, the Seahawks fought off their mirror image in the San Francisco 49ers and won 23-17 thanks to some 4th quarter heroics from DangerRuss himself, that Colin Kaepernick could not replicate on the other end. The super bowl... well I honestly think I could have won the super bowl playing QB for the Seahawks in 2013, because the Broncos gave up from the very first snap of the game. 2014 had the Seahawks hungry for a repeat, and after ripping off 6 straight wins to end the regular season, the Seahawks were 12-4 and once again on top of the NFC. They would beat the Panthers in the divisional round 31-17, a game sealed by a Newton pick 6, and were set to face the Packers in the conference championship. Things looked bleak early on, as Wilson threw three interceptions in the first half, as the Pack took a 16-0 lead into halftime. The Seahawks were able to get some traction in the third quarter, and score a TD to make it 16-7 thanks to a fake field goal attempt. However Wilson threw his 4th interception in the 4th quarter, and the Packers bled the clock down all the way to 4 minutes after going up 19-7. Of course, Wilson had been making a reputation for 4th quarter heroics at this point, and he pulled one of the greatest horseshoes out of his ass here. Driving down the field, the Seahawks scored a touchdown just ahead of the two minute warning, and made a successful onside kick attempt thanks to one Brandon Bostick of Packers Infamy. The Seahawks made another quick drive down the field, capped off by a Marshawn Lynch TD, and Wilson two point convert to take a 22-19 lead. To the Packers credit, they forced overtime in the last minute, but the Packers failed to win the coin toss, and Wilson bombed it down the field to seal the game 28-22. The Seahawks were set to repeat, looking like a team of destiny, and even playing the New England Patriots in a tight struggle, but when the horseshoe giveth, the horseshoe taketh away. The Seahawks blew a 24-14 lead at the end of the third, and on a two minute drive, needing a touchdown and on the two yard line, the Patriots defense read Wilson's eyes as he threw a pick straight to Malcolm Butler to seal the game. Wilson would get paid in 2015, which would start to mark the end of the great defenses that Wilson had been surrounded with. Wilson would take a greater offensive load as Marshawn Lynch began to miss time with injuries, but the Seahawks would still finish with a 10-6 record. Once again, Wilson would lead an incredible comeback in the frigid -6F weather, pulling a horseshoe out of his butt in a 10-9 win, more famously remembered for Blair Walsh missing a game winning field goal than anything else. The Seahawks would then get the stuffing pounded out of them by the Panthers, but Wilson would once again try to lead a comeback from down 31-0, and came kind of close in a 31-24 defeat. Wilson would again lead the Seahawks to a 10 win season in 2016, but suffered a couple of minor injuries hampering his mobility as he threw for over 500 times for the first time in his career. The Seahawks would beat the stuffing out of the Lions in the wild card round 26-6, but fail to match the Falcons point for point in the Divisional round in a 36-20 loss. 2017 would see most of the legion of boom stripped, his offensive playmakers diminished, and nearly everything put on his shoulders, as he willed the Seahawks to a 9-7 record, leading the league in touchdown passes, but failing to make the playoffs for the first time in his career. That's where the study ends, but Wilson still has a lot of time to craft his narrative in this league, and he's already looking like one of the greats. 2018 saw his WAA actually increase, despite the only marginal 10-7 record. Wilson has leaned upon great defenses for most of his time in the league, and as such, only two quarterbacks on the survey have had it better than him in that regard. Wilson also does his best work when the run and the russ have been firmly established, winning games with efficiency and not volume unlike many other players. I'm looking forward to seeing what he does on the football field in the coming seasons, even if he is utterly sanctimonious off the field.

19. Matt Ryan (Atlanta Falcons 2008-Current) 1st Place Falcons QB Career Record 97-69-0 (58.43%) 31st out of 102 Record in Games with Good Defense 68-16-0 (80.95%) 35th out of 102 Record in Games with Bad Defense 29-53-0 (35.37%) 18th out of 102 Percentage of Games with Good Defense 84/166 (50.60%) 61st out of 102 (+42) Wins above Average in a 16 Game Season (1.464) (1.363 after the 2018 Season) We go from arguably the most dynamic player in NFL history, to a man so generic looking, with such a generic name, that if you had told me Matt Ryan was a 30 something hedge manager who lived in the suburbs with his wife and 1.5 children, I wouldn't have even batted an eye. But Matt Ryan is far more than his generic name and stature would suggest. Ryan was the third overall pick in 2008, to an Atlanta Falcons team that probably did not think they were going to be picking a QB and picking that highly just one year prior. They had traded their backup, Matt Schaub, to the Houston Texans in the 07 offseason, and their starter Michael Vick was indicted for being in a dog fighting ring. That left the QB battery in Atlanta as the first round washout Joey Harrington, the career retread Chris Redman, and the Windup King Byron Leftwich at quarterback. With their hot new college coach skedaddling midway through the season, the Falcons finished 4-12. Luckily for them, neither the Dolphins or Rams picking ahead of them thought they needed to pick a QB early, so Matt Ryan became the immediate face of the franchise in 2008. With a new head coach in Mike Smith, and a workhorse running back with relatively fresh legs added to the team, the Falcons rolled with Ryan at the helm. In his rookie season, they made the playoffs at 11-5, relying on Michael Turner to take a heavy load, but still threw for 3440 yards and 16 TD's while being named Rookie of the Year. However the Falcons flamed out in the wild card round, as Ryan threw a couple of interceptions, took a safety, and had a fumble returned for a touchdown in a 30-24 loss to the Arizona Cardinals. But Atlanta was happy with the rapid improvement from 2007, just proving that a dead bird bounces higher when you throw it with more velocity against the pavement. 2009 would see Ryan take a little bit more of the offensive load, but he would miss two games with a turf toe injury and struggle a little with turnovers, and the Falcons would barely miss the playoffs at 9-7 because of it. 2010 would see Ryan explode into the public eye, as he took the Falcons to a 13-3 record, setting his best marks in completion percentage (62.5), touchdowns (28), and yards (3705), along with leading 5 4th quarter comebacks. The Falcons were poised for success, but in the divisional round against the Packers, Ryan killed their momentum, throwing a pick six at the very end of the first half to give the Packers a 28-14 lead in a game they would eventually win 48-21. It was a rough outing, but Ryan came back in 2011 and 2012 improving on his numbers each season, and starting a streak of 4000 yard seasons which hasn't been broken yet. However, the Falcons would again find playoff misery in those years, going 10-6 in 2011 meant a date with the New York Giants, and Matt Ryan could find no offense, losing 24-2 in a game where the Falcons offense didn't even get on the board. 2012 would see the Falcons go 13-3 again, and on the back of Ryan's 4800 yard season, they had a home date with the upstart Seattle Seahawks, who were lead by the rookie Russell Wilson. After fending off a furious comeback from the Seahawks thanks to a 30 second, 41 yard field goal drive, Ryan had finally won his first playoff game 30-28. However, the dream would not last, as the Falcons faced the 49ers in the conference championship game, and when the Falcons needed Ryan the most, he had a couple of costly turnovers, and the 24-14 lead at halftime did not hold. Still, this was enough to get Ryan a big contract extension as he became the richest QB in football for a short while. The Falcons as a result, regressed quite a bit despite Ryan continuing to put up stellar numbers. They went 4-12 as Ryan took 44 sacks and threw 17 interceptions. 2014 would see the Falcons continue to struggle and finish 6-10, but interestingly enough, they were in the hunt for the division title right to the end because the NFC South was just that bad that year. Coach Mike Smith was fired, and Dan Quinn was brought in to replace him. The Falcons would bump up two more wins in 2015, but 8-8 still does not a playoff contender make. The Falcons would make the final turn around the corner in 2016, in Matt Ryan's best year as a quarterback to this date. Leading the team to an 11-5 record, Ryan threw for 38 TD's, only 7 INT's, and completed nearly 70% of his passes, while still getting over 9 yards per pass attempt. Despite his defense giving up 24 or more points in all but 5 games that year, the Falcons were red hot on offense, and that made all the difference. They faced the Seattle Seahawks in the divisional round and put up 36 points on the aging Legion of Boom in an easy 36-20 victory. They faced the Packers in the conference championship, and before the Packers knew it, they were down 31-0 in a game that ended 44-21. They were looking red hot, all the way up to about 8 minutes left in the third quarter of Super Bowl 51. They had stormed out to a 28-3 lead and then... forgot to play football? Like the Patriots did absolutely everything right in that situation to score 25 unanswered, send it into overtime, and then take another 6 after winning the coin toss, but the Falcons did everything wrong, neglecting the clock like it didn't matter, falling apart on defense, and failing to score a single point to put it away for good. In the Falcons second super bowl attempt in franchise history, they would fail once again. 2017 is the last year of this study, and the Falcons were competitive again, Ryan may not have had an MVP type of season, but he still took the team to a 10-6 record and another playoff berth. They would face the Rams in the divisional round, and out grind them 26-13, but when faced against the Eagles and the might of their defense, the Falcons could only fold in a 15-10 defensive struggle, where even though they were able to drive down to the Philadelphia 2 yard line with a minute to go, they simply could not punch it in. 2018 isn't on the study, but despite Ryan having a fabulous year, the Falcons could only go 7-9 as their defense took a major step back thanks to some early injuries to key players. Ryan still has a few years left in the tank, and he's still performing at a very high level. Because of this you can never really count the Falcons out as a threat to contend in the NFC. Ryan has very good splits in both games with good and bad defenses, as he can take over games when he needs to, and convert to a more conservative game plan when he's called upon to do so. Ryan has had the luxury of some real offensive playmakers in his time, but his defenses have been very hit or miss throughout his career, and they have been known to choke remarkably often on the biggest stages. Time will certainly tell what Ryan will do in this league, but it'd be a real shame for 28-3 to be the lasting mark on his legacy.

20. Randall Cunningham (Philadelphia Eagles 1985-1995, Minnesota Vikings 1997-1999, Dallas Cowboys 2000, Baltimore Ravens 2001) 1st Place Eagles and 2nd Place Vikings QB Career Record 81-58-1 (58.21%) 32nd out of 102 Record in Games with Good Defense 52-18-1 (73.94%) 65th out of 102 Record in Games with Bad Defense 29-40-0 (42.03%) 6th out of 102 Percentage of Games with Good Defense 71/140 (50.71%) 60th out of 102 (+40) Wins above Average in a 16 Game Season (1.457) Randall Cunningham, QB Eagles, one of the most beloved players of the Tecmo Bowl Era, and one of the best and most dynamic players to ever step onto a football field. Cunningham was the Eagles second round draft pick in 1985, drafted to replace Ron Jaworski and hopefully guide the Eagles to the promised land. He spent most of his rookie season on the bench behind incumbent Ron Jaworski, and while he made a lot of costly mistakes in his limited time, he also showed a knack for pulling off the impossible, evading pass rushers with the subtlest of moves, like an all time boxer, and then hurdling a would be tackler like a champion high jumper. Cunningham's athletic prowess made him the most dangerous player in football whenever the ball was in his hands. Despite only starting 5 games in 1986, the Eagles offensive line managed to get him sacked 72 times in 1986, an absurd number that I had to actually check to make sure was actually true. In any case, despite all of that, Cunningham was named the full time starter in 1987 under new head coach Buddy Ryan, and that is where the fun truly began for the Eagles. The only problem was, they were in the same division as the Bill Parcells Giants, and Joe Gibbs Redskins. Cunningham still had a lot of success despite often leading the leagues in sacks because of his desire to make the most out of every single play. The Eagles would go 7-5 in 1987 with Cunningham starting, but he missed a few weeks with injury, and the Eagles lost all three of those games. 1988 would mark Randall's first pro bowl, and first playoff appearance as the Eagles would go 10-6, as Randall would throw for 3800 yards, and put another 600 down on the ground. However his first playoff appearance would be the dreaded fog bowl, a game in which the cameras could not even see what was going on in the haze. The Eagles would lose to the Bears in a 20-12 defensive struggle, despite Randall throwing for over 400 yards. 1989 would see the Eagles make the playoffs again at 11-5, Cunningham with 5 game winning drives in the 4th quarter, but when it came to the playoffs, the Eagles were stopped dead in their tracks by the Los Angeles Rams. The Eagles made it three for three in 1990, once again with Randall making incredible plays with his arms and legs on the way to a 10-6 record. he threw for 3466 yards, 30 TDs, 13 INT's and paired that with 942 yards and 5 TD's on the ground. Things were looking really good, until they played the Redskins in the wild-card and lost 20-6 in a game where once again the offense fell completely flat. 1991 was supposed to be the year that changed everything, as the Eagles defense had made moves to secure their legitimacy as one of the best in the league, and with the most dynamic QB in football, it was supposed to be their year. Well Bryce Paup decided to end the Eagles dreams, tearing Cunningham's ACL on a tackle in the first quarter of the first game of the regular season. The Eagles would go 10-6 that season, but narrowly miss the postseason in a stacked NFC. Cunningham would be back in 1992, but he wasn't the same athletic freak he once was, relying on his arm to take the Eagles to an 11-5 record that year. He would put up 29 unanswered points in the wild card round against the Saints to win 36-20 in his very first playoff victory. However, the Dallas Cowboys dynasty made quick work of them in the divisional round, pounding the Eagles 34-10. 93' and 94' would see Cunningham struggle with injuries as the Eagles finished around .500 two years in a row, and eventually saw Cunningham benched for Rodney Peete in 1995. Cunningham would return for the divisional round in the playoffs, only to be fed to the starving Dallas Cowboys in a 30-11 loss. Cunningham announced his retirement at the end of the year, and that was that. Until Dennis Green came a calling in 1997. Anyone with eyes could see that Randall wasn't done with the league just yet. He came in to replace the struggling Brad Johnson, and did just enough to right the ship from an 8-2 start, to keep the Vikings in the playoffs at 9-7. Despite being as cold as he was, he led a furious comeback against the Giants in the wild-card round to win 23-22 and secure the upset victory. However, Cunningham simply couldn't go toe to toe against Steve Young and the 49ers in the divisional round, losing 38-22. Green liked what he saw from the veteran down the stretch and named him the starter for the 1998 season. Along with the drafting of Randy Moss, the Minnesota Vikings became one of the greatest offenses in football. Cunningham had his best season passing, putting up at least 24 points in every single game, throwing for 34 TD's with only 10 INT's, as The Vikings cruised to a 15-1 record (13-1 with Cunningham playing). They put up 41 points on the Cardinals in the divisional round, but in Randall's best shot to win it all, the Vikings fell short against the dirty birds, losing in a game most fondly remembered for Gary Anderson missing a 38 yard field goal when the Vikings were up 27-20 with just over two minutes left on the clock. The Falcons forced overtime, and eventually won it on a Morten Andersen field goal on their second OT possession. So despite the narrative, the Vikings had plenty of opportunities to put the Falcons away in that game once and for all. Cunningham hit his twilight soon after that magical season, throwing a lot of interceptions early in the 1999 season, leading to him being benched for Jeff George of all people. He would go to Dallas in 2000 to back up Troy Aikman, and then to Baltimore in 2001 to backup Elvis Grbac. He officially retired as an Eagle in 2002, and ended his legacy as one of the greatest to ever step on the field. Randall's rate in games with good defense was merely average, as his desire to make the most out of every play early in his career often led to a bad sack, or a fumble, or something costly. However, when both teams were going at it, Randall has one of the best rates for when his defense gives up 21 or more points, going an outstanding 29-40. Only 5 players in the super bowl era have a better winning percentage in those games, and every single one of them is in the top 6 of this list. The rest of the top 10 finish in the top 11 players on this list. Randall's career was downright fascinating to watch and it is a real shame to watch two of his greatest opportunities for glory be snatched away by the whims of fate.

21. Len Dawson* (Pittsburgh Steelers 1957-1959, Cleveland Browns 1960-1961, Dallas Texans/Kansas City Chiefs 1962-1975) (Misses the first 9 years of career due to era cutoff) 2nd Place Chiefs QB Career Record 70-38-5 (64.16%) 15th out of 102 Record in Games with Good Defense 56-7-3 (87.12%) 10th out of 102 Record in Games with Bad Defense 14-31-2 (31.91%) 32nd out of 102 Percentage of Games with Good Defense 66/113 (58.41%) 25th out of 102 (+4) Wins Above Average in a 16 Game Season (1.451) Ah Len Dawson. Back in the days when one could just drink and smoke on the sideline, Len Dawson is one of the oldest players to qualify for this list, being a competitor in the very first super bowl between the Green Bay Packers and his Kansas City Chiefs. Dawson's path before the super bowl era was one of turmoil and struggle. He was unable to make a dent as an early draft pick for the Steelers, and after they traded for Bobby Layne in his second season, his time there was cut short. He was traded to the Browns soon after that, and once again could not beat out the opposition to get a start. Dawson would get his first real opportunity with the Dallas Texans, headed up by his old college OC, Hank Stram. The reunion was just what he needed, as the Texans won the league championship under Dawson's stewardship as he'd lead the AFL in YPA and TD's on the way to a 12-2 record. The team would move to KC, and struggle until 1966, where the data set actually begins. Dawson would consistently lead the AFL in completion percentage, touchdowns, and YPA, and 1966 was no different as the Chiefs went 11-2-1, and easily beat the Bills in the AFL Championship. However in the very first super bowl, the Chiefs found themselves outmatched against the Lombardi Packers, and suffered a 35-10 defeat. The Chiefs would have a winning record in 67' but fail to make the playoffs against the 13-1 Raiders winning the division. In 1968 the Chiefs would again find their playoff hopes dashed by the Raiders, despite going 12-2 on the season. 1969 would be the crown jewel of Dawson's career, as he battled through a severe knee injury to help the Chiefs to an 11-3 record, good enough for the second seed in the AFL West division, and good enough to sneak into the postseason that year. He'd throw the game winning TD against the New York Jets in the divisional round, and when faced against their nemesis, the Oakland Raiders, he played consistent ball control offense, and in the end the Chiefs turned it over less and won 17-7. In the Super Bowl, the Vikings offense looked completely lost against the Chiefs dynamite defense, and Len Dawson simply played effective ball control offense, bleeding the Vikings in a 23-7 victory. That would be the Chiefs last appearance in the big dance, as the 70's marked an era of upheaval for them. Dawson was never quite the same once he turned 35 years young, but the Chiefs relied on him well until he was 40 years old. Dawson never finished a full season, never lead the merged AFL/NFL in TD's, or YPA like he used to, but he compiled enough starts to qualify for the list. 1971 would mark the Chiefs last playoff appearance with Dawson, as a 10-3-1 record won them the AFC West. However, they could not overcome the Dolphins, who beat them 27-24 in a double overtime showdown. Dawson did his best work when his defenses were on point. He's been known historically as something of a frontrunner, and he would play conservatively once his team had established a healthy lead. However, he was also quite effective in shoot outs, being cool under any sort of pressure imaginable. He falls just short of the top twenty on this list, but he was without a doubt a legendary player in this league, and the fact that he could do it drinking beers and smoking cigarettes on the sideline only adds to his mystique and raw power.

22. Dan Marino (Miami Dolphins 1983-1999) 1st Place Dolphins QB Career Record 154-103-0 (59.92%) 26th out of 102 Record in Games with Good Defense 120-21-0 (85.11%) 18th out of 102 Record in Games with Bad Defense 34-82-0 (29.31%) 44th out of 102 Percentage of Games with Good Defense 141/257 (54.86%) 36th out of 102 (+14) Wins Above Average in a 16 Game Season (1.407) Now that we're heading towards the top 20, pretty much every guy you're going to see here are veritable legends of an era, the most talked about players of their times, if not today. Dan Marino was a thrower unparalleled in his time, and perhaps still without competition. Though the man was a statue, his release was so fast that rushers could never get a bead on him, and his arm strength so superior that nowhere on the field was untouchable for Dan the Man. So how in god's green earth does a talent like that fall all the way to 27 in the 1983 NFL Draft? Teams make mistakes all the time, but the Jets and the Steelers probably regret passing on Marino the most, considering the Jets never had a guy on Namath's level since he retired, and the Steelers spent 21 years waiting for their next true franchise quarterback. In any case, Dan was a beast, and a fact that he retired with nearly every passing record in the book is a testament to his skill and ability, and even 20 years after retirement, is still 5th all time in career wins. Marino's splits are both very good, hitting nearly 30% with bad defenses, and hitting the top 20 for winning percentage with good defenses. Luckily with coach Shula by his side for most of his career, good defenses were practically a given, at least early on. Marino spent the first half of his rookie season learning behind Don Strock and David Woodley, the so called Woodstrock combination that took the Dolphins to a Super Bowl the year prior. He immediately showed exactly what someone of his talent could do, going 7-2 in his 9 starts, throwing only 6 INT's on 296 throws. However he suffered a knee injury against the Falcons in week 14, which led him to sit out the last two weeks of the season, only to come in cold in the postseason against the Seattle Seahawks. Marino threw a couple of interceptions, and the Seahawks won 27-20 in the divisional round. Marino's second year is considered by many to be one of the greatest seasons by a passer in NFL history, and for damn good reason. Sure the passing rules opened up a little after 1978, but they weren't up to the golden age standard we see today where DB's basically aren't allowed to breathe on opposing WR's lest they concede an automatic first down. Marino completed 64% of his pases for 5084 yards, 48 TD's and 17 INT's while only getting sacked 13 times on the way to a 14-2 record. Marino got revenge against the Seahawks in the divisional round winning 31-10, and then took out the Pittsburgh Steelers in the conference championship game 45-28, throwing for 4 TD's and 421 yards. The Dolphins looked unstoppable heading into Super Bowl 19... unfortunate for them, they faced the San Francisco 49ers, led by the toughest defense in the league. The game was close early on, and looked like we might get an offensive shootout, but the 49ers had all of the answers for Dan Marino and stifled him after the first quarter on the way to a 38-16 shellacking. And despite all of Marino's future accolades and prowess in the league, he would never see another super bowl after that magical season. 1985 would see Marino break 4000 yards passing again, but with 21 interceptions, they only finished 12-4. However they were the only team to successfully beat the Chicago Bears that season, thanks to a 3 TD performance by Marino. They would fall short in the conference championship game, losing to New England's ball control offense 31-14. Marino would have a great 1986 campaign, throwing for 44 TD's, and 4746 yards, but the team around him would start degrading as the Dolphins only finished 8-8 that season. 1987 would see Marino struggle with a dislocated index finger and miss a few games throughout the season because of it, as the team went 8-7. Marino would throw 606 times in 1988 and only get sacked 6 times, on the way to another 4000+ yard season, but the Dolphins only went 6-10, as Marino decided interceptions were the cool thing that season, throwing 23 of them. His efficiency was worse in 1989, but the Dolphins struggled to a .500 record. It'd take until 1990 for the Dolphins to make it back to the postseason, Marino deciding to lay off the interceptions was a big help, but the defense stopped playing like a bottom 5 group as well, only giving up 24 or more points in 3 games that year, on the way to a 12-4 mark. They would beat the Chiefs 17-16 in the divisional round, in a game where Dan Marino threw two touchdowns in the 4th quarter to keep them alive. However, they would face the juggernaut Bills in the conference championship, and despite putting up 34 points, the Bills put up 44, and saw the Dolphins sitting at home for the 1990 super bowl. 1991 was supposed to be better, but the defense once again reverted back to a bottom 5 defense, and the Dolphins struggled to a .500 record, including losing their last two games of the regular season, where a single win would have put them into the playoffs. 1992 would mark the year where Dan Marino willed the team to victories he didn't know they had, as he led 6 4th quarter comebacks, threw for 4000+ yards again, on the way to an 11-5 record and a first round bye. They would dominate the Chargers 31-0 in the divisional round, but when faced up against the Bills in the conference championship, Marino went cold, throwing 2 picks, and losing 29-10. 1993 would not fare much better for the Dolphins, as despite starting 4-1, Marino tore his achilles' tendon in a win against the Cleveland Browns, and the Dolphins would lose their last 5 games of the season to miss the playoffs entirely. Marino would comeback with a vengeance in 1994, participating in one of the greatest shootouts in NFL history against the Patriots, and doing a fake spike in a victory against the New York Jets, as the Fish clawed their way to a 10-6 record. It took 10 years, but Montana finally got his revenge on Joe Montana for super bowl 19, beating the Chiefs 27-17 in the wild card round. However, the dream season would die, as the San Diego Chargers beat the Dolphins 22-21 in the divisional round, after coming back from a 21-6 deficit at halftime. The Dolphins kicker missed a 48 yard shot to take the lead at the end of the game, and the rest was history. 95 would see the Phins make the playoffs again, but after being put in a 27-0 hole by the Bills in the wildcard round, they couldn't muster enough to make a comeback in a 37-22 loss, and Don Shula's last game as the Dolphins head coach. 1996 would see the Phins miss the playoffs at 8-8, but at 9-7, they'd make it as a wild-card team in 1997. However, they stood no chance against the Patriots, who had swept them in the regular season, and Marino looked downright anemic in a 17-3 loss. The Dolphins would make the Playoffs in both the 1998 and 1999 seasons, but in each game they would get choked out in the divisional rounds, losing 38-3 to the super bowl winning Denver Broncos in 1998, and then getting absolutely wrecked 62-7 by the Jacksonville Jaguars in 99' as Marino had the very worst game of his career to cap it all off. The Dolphins refused to bring him back for the 2000 season, and after declining a few offers from other teams due to his concerns about his health, he decided to retire. Marino was a beast of a player early on in his career, but it felt like the longer he played, the more teams had found out exactly what they needed to do to slow him down. Marino developed a reputation as a choker, but honestly outside of his first 4-5 seasons the teams around him just weren't that impressive, and the Dolphins were lucky to get into the postseason, as they would be fed to the more stacked teams in the conference. He had a great career, but never got to finish with a super bowl ring, despite a few really good chances.

Some players just find a way to game the system, find every edge to get themselves a higher spot than they probably deserve. This is the ranking that probably confused me the most, or at least it's in the top 5. This player knew that the best way to do so would be to play at no time but their prime and get just enough starts to qualify. They would stay on the bench to develop in their first few seasons, and then stay as a backup to players who never get injured once the prime hit its ignominious end. Ladies and gentlemen, may I introduce to you Quarterback Number 23... 23. Matt Schaub (Atlanta Falcons 2004-2006, 2016-Current, Houston Texans 2007-2013, Oakland Raiders 2014, Baltimore Ravens 2015) 1st Place Texans QB Career Record 49-44-0 (52.69%) 50th out of 102 Record in Games with Good Defense 35-4-0 (89.74%) 4th out of 102 Record in Games with Bad Defense 14-40-0 (25.93%) 60th out of 102 Percentage of Games with Good Defense 39/93 (41.94%) 86th (T) out of 102 (+63) Wins Above Average in a 16 Game Season (1.266) ADJUSTED FOR MS&JM BS: (0.591) That's right. Matt Schaub finishes higher than Ringless Rivers, Eli Manning, and several other QB's who have had legitimate hall of fame careers. Matt Schaub went 1-3 in his first three seasons as a backup to Michael Vick, but he impressed enough in that span to go to another team and start. The funny thing is, if Atlanta had anticipated Michael Vick going to jail, they probably would have held onto Schaub, and missed out on Matt Ryan. In any case, Schaub developed under new coach Gary Kubiak, but the Texans were still woefully inadequate on defense, leaving the team to struggle a lot of losses in 2007 and 2008, as the Texans new franchise QB missed about half of those seasons with injuries. They still managed to finish with .500 records in those seasons and their fortunes changed in 2009, where with Schaub surviving the entire season without injury brought the Texans to a 9-7 record, their first winning record in franchise history. Schaub had nearly 4800 yards on the seasons, with 29 TD's to 15 INT's, and the season ended on a 4 game winning streak. Schaub would continue to put on a passing clinic in 2010, but his defense regressed from being middle of the pack, to being bottom 5, and the Texans went 6-10 as a result, the defense giving up 24 or more points in all but 2 games that year. The Defense took a massive step forward in 2011 however, thanks to the introduction of rookie JJ Watt, and the development of other pieces around him. Things were looking great, as the Texans got off to a 7-3 start with Matt Schaub at the helm, but he suffered a season ending Lisfranc injury just before their bye week. While the Texans were able to limp into the postseason under the QB battery of T.J. Yates, Jake Delhomme and Matt Leinart, and even win their first playoff game thanks to a strong defensive performance against the Bengals, that battery of QB's stood no chance against the vaunted Ravens Defense. All things were pointing towards 2012 being the Texans season. Matt Schaub was healthy the entire year, the defense was improving at a fast pace, and he was surrounded by weapons like Arian Foster and Andre Johnson. Schaub put up another 4000 yard season as the Texans went 12-4, and won the AFC South for their second year in a row. The Bengals proved no obstacle the second time around, as the Texans won 19-13 in Schaub's first playoff start. However it was clear that the team simply could not go toe to toe with the New England Patriots in the divisional round, and lost 41-28 despite the offense's best effort to play catch up. And just as abruptly as the dream came to fruition for Schaub and the Texans, it died. 2013 would see Schaub hit a wall so fast you had to wonder if it wasn't intentional that he threw four pick-sixes in four straight weeks. He found himself benched for Case Keenum, only finishing out the season because Keenum could not. The Texans went 2-6 with Schaub starting, and 2-14 on the season as Gary Kubiak was fired early in December. Schaub has been floating around the league as a backup ever since, only starting a couple of games for the Ravens while Joe Flacco was out in 2015. Schaub is still an active QB in this league, and there is still time for his WAA to change, but this is probably the biggest outlier on the list. Schaub's prime was very good as he helped bring an expansion team into relevance with his arm, but the real kicker is just how well he played when his defenses were doing their job. Only three quarterbacks managed a better record when their defenses were playing well, and all three of them are either in the hall of fame on the first ballot or will be first ballot hall of famers when their time comes. His rate when his defenses played poorly were just a shade above average, and unfortunately for Schaub that was a lot of his games, as the Texans really didn't get their defense together until 2011. Because Matt Schaub's career is so wrong, and he spends so many years as a backup after establishing himself on this list, I made an adjustment that reflects his real wins above average. He spent 4 years as a backup, and averaged about 13 starts a season. Giving a backup a win rate of -0.5 games per season, Schaub's numbers drop to 0.591, just between Donovan McNabb and Andy Dalton at 48th place.

24. Rich Gannon (Minnesota Vikings 1987-1992, Washington Redskins 1993-1994, Kansas City Chiefs 1995-1998, Oakland Raiders 1999-2004) 3rd Place Vikings, 3rd Place Chiefs and 3rd Place Raiders QB Career Record 77-59-0 (56.62%) 39th out of 102 Record in Games with Good Defense 52-17-0 (75.36%) 60th out of 102 Record in Games with Bad Defense 25-42-0 (37.31%) 15th out of 102 Percentage of Games with Good Defense 69/136 (50.74%) 59th out of 102 (+35) Wins Above Average in a 16 Game Season (1.234) Man, remember when the Raiders were good? Remember when Jon Gruden was an offensive guru? Rich Gannon remembers. Rich Gannon remembers carrying a Raiders team on his back and watching them crumble to nothing just as quickly. Gannon's story is a long one, but an interesting one nonetheless. Gannon was drafted in 1987 by the New England Patriots, who had the great idea to turn him into a runningback. That wasn't gonna fly, and he was traded to Minnesota not long after that. He then proceeded to spend three year as the third string quarterback, learning the ropes behind Tommy Kramer and Wade Wilson. It took until 1990 for Gannon to finally get a chance starting, and he took a while to get going, but once he did, the Vikings had won 5 straight going into the end of the season. Too bad they sucked beforehand, but still. Despite playing well in relief of Wade Wilson in 1990, he was demoted back to third string in 1991 by coach Jerry Burns, and once again had to prove he was worthy of starting. He got his opportunity in week 5, relieving Wilson after he had thrown 3 interceptions against the Broncos. Gannon didn't screw up in relief, so he got to start the next week... and the week after that until the end of the season. Taking the Vikings to a .500 record, Gannon improved on his numbers from 90, getting sacked less and throwing less interceptions. Gannon beat out Sean Salisbury for the starting job in 92' and took the Vikings to an 8-3 record. However after suffering a knee injury a few weeks prior, his diminished play forced Dennis Green to play Salisbury for the rest of the season. The Vikings would finish the season 11-5, but fail to win the wild card round against the Washington Redskins. And so, Rich Gannon pulled a Kevin Durant and joined the team that beat him. Gannon once again found himself on the third string behind Mark Rypien and Cary Conklin, but still managed to start a few games because Rypien got hurt, and Cary Conklin was hot garbage. He went 1-3 in his starts, and was replaced by the ailing Rypien in his 4th game against the Jets, one in which they lost 3-0. Gannon looked awful, and he didn't even see the field in 1994 because he had to undergo shoulder surgery. The Redskins released him, and he found his way to Kansas City. He spent 95' and 96' backing up Steve Bono, starting a few games here and there, but started a QB controversy in 1997, as the Chiefs went 5-1 in Elvis Grbac's absence. However, Coach Schottenheimer elected to go with Grbac during the playoffs, and the Chiefs lost their wildcard game to the red hot Denver Broncos. 98' would see Gannon split time with Grbac, and he would go 5-5 to Grbac's 2-4 as the Chiefs regressed from being a 13 win team. Gannon spent a lot of time bouncing around, but Oakland just happened to be the perfect storm for the man. He was signed by the Raiders as a free agent, and became the immediate starter. No controversy, no struggling from the third string to get reps, just here's the ball, now go. Gannon would finally show the league what he could do, 13 seasons into his career. He'd throw for 3840 yards, 24 TD's and 14 INT's as he worked the West Coast Offense to perfection on the way to an 8-8 record. He'd only continue to improve with age, as the year 2000 had him go for 3430 yards, 28 TDs to only 12 INT's, and the Raiders would finish 12-4, giving Gannon his first real taste of postseason play, that wasn't just coming in to get slaughtered in garbage time. They'd stomp the Miami Dolphins, who had just seen Dan Marino retire the season prior, but fall in the conference championship to the mighty Ravens defense. Gannon would again take the Raiders to the postseason with his offensive prowess, going 10-6, completing 65.8% of his passes, and having a 3:1 TD:INT ratio. He'd put up a clinic against the New York Jets in the wild-card round, throwing for 3 TDs in a 38-24 victory. However the Raiders came up against the New England Patriots, and despite being in a tight defensive struggle, the Raiders defense made the most important play of the game, stripping the ball from the young sophomore QB, Tom Brady. Except that never happened, because it was an incomplete pass. Instead of being able to run out the clock up 13-10, the Raiders watched helplessly as Brady drove the Patriots into field goal range, watched Vinatieri kick a 45 yarder in the snow, and then lost the coin flip and watched the Patriots offense methodically drive the ball through their defense chunk by chunk and kick a 22 yard game winner in overtime. And so came 2002, Gannon's greatest year yet. Even though Jon Gruden had left for Tampa, Bill Callahan had left the offense pretty much the same as always and put the game on the shoulder of Gannon. He decided to go 418/618 for 4689 yards, throw 26 TDs to only 10 INT's and take the Raiders to an 11-5 record. Gannon would leave nothing to doubt in the AFC side of the playoffs, toasting the Jets in the Divisional Round 30-10, then pounding the Titans 41-24 in the conference championship. The only problem was, Gannon ended up face to face against his former coach... who had all of the Raider playcalls committed to memory. Gannon was thrown into the Gruden grinder, and threw 5 interceptions in the super bowl, including three pick sixes, the most in NFL history to this day, as the Raiders got beaten up 48-21. Gannon would hit his twilight soon after that, suffering a shoulder injury half way through the 2003 season, and then having his career officially ended by the Buccaneers on a helmet to helmet collision in 2004. Gannon brought his A Game with the Raiders, often getting into offensive shootouts with the opposing teams, and being the gunslinger to come out on top. Though he spent so much of his early career going from place to place, just trying to get playing time and respect as a quarterback, he took a long road to end up a Raider, where for a brief 4 year period, he may have been the best QB in the game. However his career tends to get forgotten, falling in between the legendary heydays of the Aikman/Young/Elway/Favre/Kelly bonanza, and the Manning/Brady golden age that happened right as Gannon was trailing off into the sunset.

25. Sonny Jurgensen* (Philadelphia Eagles 1957-1963, Washington Redskins 1964-1974) (Misses the first 9 years of career due to era cutoff) 1st Place Redskins QB Career Record 39-37-5 (51.23%) 60th out of 102 Record in Games with Good Defense 22-7-1 (75.00%) 61st out of 102 Record in Games with Bad Defense 17-30-4 (37.25%) 13th out of 102 Percentage of Games with Good Defense 30/81 (37.04%) 98th out of 102 (+73) Wins Above Average in a 16 Game Season (1.219) Let's kick off the top 25 with the oldest player on this list, Christian Adolph Jurgensen, better known as Sonny was a gunslinging quarterback for both the Eagles and Redskins. His time with the Eagles wasn't considered for this list however, as he was traded to Washington in 1964 for Norm Snead and Claude Crabb. Jurgensen barely made this list on starts, owing entirely to the 80 starts in the dead ball era caveat, but it turned out for the best, as when compared to his relative defensive strength, Sonny ends up being the highest overachiever on this list, willing some woeful Redskins teams to wins they probably wouldn't have mustered otherwise. He would often lead the league in attempts in the 60's, as his teams would struggle to muster below .500 records. The Redskins had their best season under coach Vince Lombardi in 1969 as they went 7-5-2, and Jurgensen would have a great season with 3102 passing yards, a 62% completion percentage and 22 TD's. This was actually modest by Jurgensen's standards as he had the best career passer rating pre 1978 with an 82.6, and would often have seasons throwing for 30 TD's in the 60's. Unfortunately for Jurgensen, coach Lombardi would pass away before the 1970 season, and 1970 would also mark the last season Jurgensen would start full time. The Redskins would again go 6-8 in 1970, but their fortunes would change when coach George Allen would take over the team. However, Sonny was mired in a QB controversy with the slightly younger Billy Kilmer (37 to 32), and would only start a few games here and there, until he finally retired in 1974 at the age of 40. Jurgensen may not have had many opportunities to perform on the biggest stage, but he was an NFL champion as a backup to Norm Van Brocklin in 1960. The Redskins went through coaches like a desperate man in a wal-mart bathroom goes through one ply toilet paper. No matter what change occurred to the Redskins, Jurgensen was the stable and consistent factor that held them together. He struggled through a lot of adversity, and his splits show a player who was always willing to take a risk if it meant a shot at winning. Sometimes it would pan out, and sometimes it wouldn't, but when your team is held together by motor oil and duct tape, you need to do everything you can to stay competitive. Vince Lombardi famously said that if Jurgensen had played for the Packers, they would have never lost a game. I can almost believe it, coming from the great one himself.

I also hate Joe Flacco being this high on the list, but I've got one or two more players who feel absolutely egregious, like they gamed my system... I'll get to them later of course. 26. Terry Bradshaw (Pittsburgh Steelers 1970-1983) 2nd Place Steelers QB Career Record 120-55-0 (68.57%) 7th out of 102 Record in Games with Good Defense 104-22-0 (82.54%) 29th out of 102 Record in Games with Bad Defense 16-33-0 (32.65%) 29th out of 102 Percentage of Games with Good Defense 126/175 (72.00%) 1st out of 102 (-25) Wins Above Average in a 16 Game Season (1.186) It feels like Terry Bradshaw has been a crotchety old man all of his life. Of course I wasn't alive when the steel curtain dawned upon the NFL, but judging by the playing images, you can't tell me Terry Bradshaw hasn't been at least 50 years old for his entire life. As you would expect from the quarterback behind the Steel Curtain, he has the best defenses out of everyone in this study, with his teams holding opposing offenses to 20 or less points in 72% of his outings. However, it's far too easy to look at the great defense and say that's the reason why Scary Terry won four super bowls with them, but the evidence shows that his splits are actually really good as well, landing in the top 30 for both games with good and bad defense. The Steelers were talented all over, but Terry earned his spot on the team, and earned those four super bowl rings. Bradshaw was taken first overall by the Steelers in 1970, in an attempt to turn around a team whose entire role was to dwell in the basement of the NFL, and never taste a modicum of success. Chuck Noll was trying to build a dynasty, but those take time and patience to build. In his rookie season splitting time with Terry Hanratty, he threw 24 interceptions in just 8 starts, but the Steelers improved on their 1-13 record from the year prior, so Bradshaw took the reins in his sophomore season. The interceptions still flew like pigeons, but 1971 saw Bradshaw complete more passes, throw more touchdowns, and bring the team to a 6-8 record. 1972 would mark the year that the Steelers finally arrived, and following a more conservative gameplan, they went 11-3 and found themselves in the playoffs. They were able to beat the Oakland Raiders 13-7 thanks to the immaculate reception, and cemented themselves into NFL Lore, even if they lost to the undefeated Miami Dolphins in the conference championship. The tide was rising for the Steelers as most of their defensive studs were 26 or younger, and they continued to ride. However 1973 would see Terry Bradshaw suffer a seperated shoulder midway through the season, and for an injury that would end seasons today, Bradshaw only missed a few weeks, but the Steelers limped into the playoffs at 10-4, and found themselves outmatched against the Oakland Raiders in the rematch in 1973, as Bradshaw threw three interceptions in a 33-14 loss. The controversy at quarterback would continue as in 1974, Bradshaw lost his job to Joe Gilliam for a few weeks, but the Steelers were doing something incredible, and Gilliam looked flat despite the team going 4-1-1 with him, which prompted the change to Bradshaw. The Steelers closed out the season 6-2, and found themselves atop the AFC Central. despite Bradshaw having one of his worst seasons at the position. He got his shit together in the postseason though, as they crushed the Bills 32-14 in the divisional round, then took revenge on the Raiders in the AFC championship, scoring 21 points in the fourth quarter as both Harris and Rocky Bleier nearly rushed for 100 yards. Then the defense brought the pain to Fran Tarkenton, winning 16-6. The Steelers relied on their running game to get most of the yards, but Terry stayed steady and didn't give the ball up in the victory, and drove the dagger in when the Vikings made it 9-6. Terry would improve as a quarterback after that season, almost like a spark was lit in him, and he was probably at his best in 1975, completing 57.7% of his passes for 18 TDs and only 9 interceptions on the way to a 12-2 record and another Central division title. He'd save his turnovers for the postseason, but his defense would match in creating them as they beat up the Colts in the divisional round after taking out their starting quarterback 28-10. Then they set their sights on the Oakland Raiders and won 16-10 in a game where Bradshaw threw three picks, and his team fumbled four more times. Of course the Raiders also gave the ball up 5 times in a Steelers victory. Gotta love Dead Ball football, right? In any case, the Super Bowl against the high flying Dallas Cowboys was a battle of the bombs as Staubach and Bradshaw fought for control. In the end, Bradshaw's 2 TD's and 209 yards trumped Staubachs 2 TD's, 204 yards with 3 turnovers that were very nearly 6. 1976 held hopes for a Steelers three peat, but Bradshaw suffered injuries to his neck and wrist that caused him to miss about half the season, and when he came back for the playoffs, Franco Harris and Rocky Bleier were lost to injury in the divisional round against the Colts. The Steelers still beat them 40-14, but they had no gas against the Black Hole, and lost 24-7. So in a season where they spent 8 of the last 9 weeks holding teams to less than 7 points ended just short of glory. 1977 would see the Steelers sneak into a central division title at 9-5, but the steel curtain was misaligned all season, and they couldn't stop Craig Morton and the Denver Broncos in the divisional round, losing 34-21 in the mile high air. The rule changes of 1978 would come into effect, largely in an attempt to stop the Steel Curtain's dominance. All it really did was introduce the world to what a mad bomber could do when you took him out of prison. The Steelers offense would set the league alight, with Bradshaw throwing 28 TD's, completing 56% of his passes and nearly throwing for 3000 yards on the way to a 14-2 record, tops in the league that season. They got payback against the Broncos, beating them 33-10 in Three Rivers. then they took out Earl Campbell and the Houston Oilers 34-5 in the conference championship. Which brought them to another Super Bowl date with the Dallas Cowboys. One of their linebackers insulted Terry's intelligence, and Terry went ham and cheese on the Dallas defense, going 17/30 for 318 yards and four touchdown passes in a 35-31 offensively driven shootout. This should have been the game that ended the 'just a game manager' talk... but people's memories are short. The Steelers would ride Terry's arm in 1979 going a more modest 12-4 as Terry found a few more interceptions to throw that season. Still, they walked through the AFC, handily beating the Dolphins and the Oilers in the playoffs, and outmatching the surprise Los Angeles Rams in the Super Bowl, thanks to a few Terry Bradshaw bombs in the 4th quarter to end the game. The Steelers would win 4 super bowls in 6 years, but all good things come to an end. The Steelers struggled with injury and close losses in the 1980 season, going 9-7 and missing the playoffs entirely. Bradshaw would get hurt in december in 1981, and the Steelers would lose their last three on their way to a .500 record. 1982 would mark the last time Terry Bradshaw would see the playoffs, and struggling through a nagging elbow injury the Steelers went 6-3, but when faced against the Air Coryell offense, the Steel Curtain simply was out of time and out of place in a 31-28 loss. 1983 would be Terry's last season, one in which he only played a single game before his elbow popped and he had to leave. His retirement was sudden to some, but the writing was on the wall for a player struggling with pain throughout the 80's. The Steelers actually had a golden opportunity to select Dan Marino to continue the Steelers legacy, but refused because they believed Dan Marino needed an opportunity to grow outside of Pittsburgh. This is now widely regarded as a dumb move, as it should have been in 1983, but hindsight is everything these days. Bradshaw was one hell of a winner though, and worthy of the top 30 spot he finds himself in.