[PAChiefsGuy]

Originally Posted by frozenchief

Brady has the numbers, but Brady also has a huge question mark: would he have done as well without Bellicheck? Manning did well in Indy and Denver. Montana played under Walsh and Young and then Marty. Favre played in GB, NY and Minnesota. I also think that comparing QBs in the pre-SB era to the post-SB era is quite difficult mainly because the game was so different. The poll has Otto Graham and Johnny U from pre-SB days but you should also consider Sid Luckman.

I would answer the question by asking, “If the game were on the line and you needed a QB who could pick up the team and win, who would it be?” And I have a hard time deciding between some of the QBs. Montana, Elway, Favre and Marino all are legitimate answers to that question. I may think HorseFace is an arrogant SOB but he deserves to be in that discussion.

Considering how well he did under various coaches and in different teams, I think the answer would be Montana, although Favre would be a close second. This is as it stands right now. If PMII plays as he has for the next 10+ years (which he should, barring injury*), he will absolutely be in this discussion if not leading it.

Brady? Undoubtedly a great QB but I always get the sense Brady should have an asterisk labeled ‘Bellicheck’ next to his name. Hate him all you want, there is not a better game coach in the league today. Andy Reid is a great offensive coach but I do not think AR can respond to changes in the game as well as Bellicheck can.

Brees? Based on numbers, he deserves to be in this discussion. He benefited from Peyton and he did well in SD before going to NO. Maybe he doesn’t get his due because he was largely overshadowed by the Brady/Manning battle and I would be thrilled if he were guiding my team if the game were on the line. But while I would be thrilled, there are others higher on my list.

The one other QB currently in the league that I think is intriguing and has potential is Baker Mayfield. He has the tools and the mindset. I don’t know whether Cleveland can pull its head out of its ass to fully capitalize on his talents. If Mayfield were on the Patriots, that would be truly scary. And I think PMII has better talent and will be a better QB. But Mayfield has been impressive, particularly considering what a dumpster fire Cleveland has been.

All of that to say that right now, I’d say Montana. In 10 years, I believe Mahomes will be challenging him for that crown.

* to those who do not want to face this, sorry. It’s a part of the game. I’m cold-bloodedly rational. The bad news is that injuries have wrecked promising QB careers (RGIII) and are serious drags on other QB careers (Luck). The good news is that the rules have changed so that QBs are hit less and are not injured as often. PMII’s odds of suffering such an injury are less than they would have been 20 years ago.

Every HOF QB has played with a lot of talent or good to great HCs. No one can do it by themselves. So I don't really hold having BB as a HC against Brady. What has BB done without Brady? He was shit in Cleveland as a HC.

Objectively speaking, which is going to hard to do on this board cause lets face it Pats are a bit of a rival of ours --- Brady has the most credentials. He has got the rings, he's got the stats, he's clutch, he takes less money for the betterment of the team, he rarely gets injured and he takes such good care of himself he is still playing well into his 40s. He doesn't need a lot of talent at WR to be effective either.

No other QB in NFL history can stack up to his resume blow for blow. You can create arguments for other QBs but when you look at everything Brady beats them all.