|
This week, everyone has a list of the worst Super Bowl quarterbacks
in history. This probably won't be the first one you've read. The
reason it's worth reading is because I won't be going solely by results
in the Super Bowl itself.
This exercise has been inspired, obviously, by Rex Grossman. He had
a rough season and he hasn't done anything noteworthy in his
professional career. This list ranks Super Bowl quarterbacks on their
careers, their performance during the season they went to the Super
Bowl, and their play in the big game itself — in that order.
Grossman hasn't even played in the Super Bowl yet. His name is part
of this discussion because of his limited NFL accomplishments and his
wildly inconsistent 2006 season. Grossman finished the year with a
lower passer rating than Michael Vick, Alex Smith, and Matt Leinart. He
was more than 10 points behind J.P. Losman, and almost 30 behind Peyton
Manning.
In this column, I'm judging quarterbacks mostly the same way we're
judging Grossman right now: by their accomplishments — or lack thereof
— entering the game. Grossman isn't on the list — let's wait at least a
week or two before passing judgment there — and no one appears more
than once (cough, Craig Morton, cough). I only used starters, so you
won't find Norris Weese or Steve Grogan listed here.
10. Ben Roethlisberger (PIT), XL
Let's start the list with a winner. Big Ben, obviously, is not a bad
quarterback (at least, he wasn't until the motorcycle crash and the
appendectomy). But he's early in his career and doesn't have the
numbers of a Chris Chandler or Drew Bledsoe, and he really stunk it up
in the Super Bowl. Despite coming out a winner, Ben completed fewer
than half of his passes, throwing for two interceptions and just 123
yards.
9. Neil O'Donnell (PIT), XXX
O'Donnell had a pretty decent career — in fact, he holds the NFL
record for lowest interception percentage. And that's the last good
thing you'll read about Neil O'Donnell in this article. As quarterback
of the Steelers, O'Donnell gave away Super Bowl XXX, with four sacks
and three interceptions, of the "what color jersey is that?" variety.
8. Vince Ferragamo (LA Rams), XIV
Forced into action after Pat Haden was injured, Ferragamo led the
Rams to Super Bowl XIV despite throwing twice as many interceptions as
touchdowns. He didn't have a great game — 212 yards, one interception —
but against a Steel Curtain defense, it wasn't terrible, either.
Ferragamo went on to a blah career, throwing for 3,000 yards twice,
ending his career with a negative TD/INT differential, and never making
a Pro Bowl.
7. Stan Humphries (SD), XXIX
Humphries had a decent but unremarkable career, a decent but
unremarkable 1994 season, and a decent but unremarkable Super Bowl. He
threw a touchdown and passed for almost 300 yards, but it took him 49
attempts, and he tossed two picks along the way.
6. Craig Morton (DEN), XII
Morton wasn't a bad quarterback. You don't play 18 years in the NFL
by being a loser. Morton had several fine seasons, and 1979 was one of
them. In Super Bowl XII, though, Morton had probably the worst game of
any player in Super Bowl history, throwing as many interceptions as
completions (4) and compiling a 0.0 passer rating. Morton also played
very badly in Super Bowl V.
5. Joe Kapp (MIN), IV
Kapp played well in 1969, making the Pro Bowl, but it was a brief
flash of glory in an otherwise undistinguished four-year career. Kapp
threw at least seven more interceptions than touchdowns in all but one
season of his career, including a remarkable 3:17 TD:INT ratio in his
final season. That makes Grossman look like Joe Montana.
4. Kerry Collins (NYG), XXXV
Collins has played well enough to stick around in the NFL for a lot
longer than four years, and he's thrown for over 30,000 yards, but he
remains one of the worst quarterbacks ever to make it to the big game,
and his performance against the Ravens was among the worst in SuperBowl history, with four sacks, four interceptions, and a passer rating
of 7.1.
3. Trent Dilfer (BAL), XXXV
Dilfer's Ravens pounded Collins and the Giants in Super Bowl XXXV,
but that was in spite of Dilfer, not because of him. Few quarterbacks
have been consistently mediocre for as long as Dilfer, and not even a
handful have been less impressive in Super Bowl victories. Dilfer
completed under half his passes, threw for only six first downs, and
made several memorably bad throws that missed open receivers.
2. Tony Eason (NE), XX
Eason had a short and mediocre career, a wretched 1985 season, and
the least productive showing from a quarterback in SuperBowl history.
Eason didn't complete a single pass before he was benched for Grogan,
going 0-for-6 with three sacks and a fumble.
1. David Woodley (MIA), XVII
In Woodley's six-season career, he seldom got off the bench long
enough to have much impact, but when he did, it was usually negative:
he retired with a 65.7 passer rating and 30% more interceptions than
touchdowns. In the 1982 Super Bowl season, he threw for just 1,080
yards — that's weak even in a strike season — and threw eight picks
against just five TDs.
In Super Bowl XVII, facing a Washington team known more for its
offense than its defense, Woodley managed only two first downs. He
completed only four of his 14 passes, didn't reach 100 yards, and was
benched for the equally useless Don Strock. No matter what Grossman
does on Sunday, I'm pretty sure Woodley is the worst starting
quarterback in Super Bowl history.
|