Ranking the Best Super Bowl QB Matchups

Posted on by

In 5 days, people around the world will sit down to take in one of the greatest annual spectacles in history, the Super Bowl. Even those who don’t consider themselves Football fans find ways to get involved in the consumption of this game.

Whether it is the famous and highly thought-out advertising brought to us in the form of expensive commercials, where the world’s largest organizations pay top dollar for an opportunity to promote their brand in unique and often entertaining ways.

Or the brilliant half-time performance of top-tier artists, bands, and entertainers. The likes of Madonna, Justin Timberlake, Shakira, and Beyonce are just a few of those who inspired millions and immortalized themselves in just over 15 minutes’ time.

Perhaps the most important of all, the quality of talent playing on the field and the witnessing of stories being told, moments being created, and history being written. The sporting cinematics that this game provides is unlike any other we will ever see, this game makes blockbuster documentaries and films.

This Sunday at Raymond James Field in Tampa, Florida; we may just be set up for the most historic of them all, perhaps the greatest Super Bowl gift the Football gods have sent us.

Patrick Mahomes is somewhat comparable to LeBron James in a way. They both have that mantra and aura about them that make them so special and important to their respective Sports.

Tom Brady and the great Michael Jordan also share an awful lot of daring similarities, that of unmatched work ethic, attention to detail and leadership, the kind of leadership that makes ‘hundred million dollar organizations’ – ‘BILLION DOLLAR ORGANIZATIONS.’

On the field this Sunday, the game being played is a sign of torch-passing. What Tom Brady has accomplished as a player over 21 full NFL seasons may not ever be compared again, it is truly astonishing. Yet, there may be one person who will be able to do it or even get close for that matter.

And he’ll be wearing jersey number 15 on Kansas City.

What Brady has done in his career is just as mesmerizing as what Patrick Mahomes has been able to accomplish in his first three NFL seasons. Three for three getting to AFC title games, with a Super Bowl to show for it and in hot pursuit of another one to go with it. It seems almost as if the Chiefs got the job done last year, we blinked, and here we are again, ready to perhaps see them do it again.

This will be a game for the ages, and it sparked a question in my Sports fanatic brain… What were the biggest headline matchups between Quarterbacks in Super Bowl history?

A disclaimer: These are just the most magnified matchups, not the quality of Football or performance that was put on. Just the most anticipated matchups there have ever been comparable to this Sunday’s GOAT vs Baby Goat showdown.

4) Ben Roethlisberger vs Aaron Rodgers – Super Bowl 45

Ten years ago.. Can’t believe it has been that long! Coming off a controversial offseason and a suspension to start the year, Steelers QB Ben Roethlisberger already had two Super Bowl rings in his semi-young career. The Steelers were the most model franchise in the NFL and they were the gold standard on how to win.

For Aaron Rodgers, it was just the beginning of what was to come. A career that brought excitement and anticipation to NFL fans due to being so slept on in the draft, as well as being the heir to the throne that Packers legend Brett Favre occupied for the longest time.

Rodgers ended up securing his first and only Super Bowl title. As for Big Ben, this wasn’t the end at all, but looking back, it might’ve been the beginning of it. Ben hasn’t been to the big game since, and as he gets prepared to hang up the cleats in the near future, we glance back at history to what was one great matchup between the hall of fame QBs.

3) Drew Brees vs Peyton Manning – Super Bowl 44

Just one year prior to that great matchup, we were gifted another. Drew Brees and Peyton Manning both exceeded expectations in this specific season, as both were the number one seeds in their conferences, as well as debatable MVP winners.

This was such an important game for the legacies of both men, but especially for Brees. The state of Louisiana was in a state of recovery following Hurricane Katrina in 2005. This marked the first time the state or the city of New Orleans had seen any relative success in sports, and it was used to rebuild and recharge the vibrations of a community.

With that narrative and Peyton Manning being named league MVP over Brees the night before, it made this matchup have so many different avenues and viewpoints to grasp. As I have expressed before in my work, this game was what ‘drew’ (pun intended) me into the NFL and art of American Football.

2) John Elway vs Brett Favre – Super Bowl 32

The timing of this supreme matchup is well ahead of my expertise in Football history, but in no way could I downplay the storylines this game provided.

John Elway had been to the Super Bowl three times before and had come up short in all of them. By this time, he was only a shadow of his former self, which by no means was a bad player, just not what he used to be.

For Favre, it was the opposite. Being in the absolute prime of his career and winning a third straight MVP award, there was a lot more to lose on Elway’s side of the ball and for the Denver Broncos’ legendary signal-caller.

If Elway never obtained this victory and secured his first Super Bowl victory, many people questioned if he would ever get that opportunity again, especially with Denver.

https://twitter.com/NFL/status/1249540311291809794?s=20

This matchup was one of many narratives, but most of all it was about the one with nothing to lose versus the one who may lose it all.

1) Joe Montana vs Dan Marino – Super Bowl 19

Okay, so this one is much ahead of my time. I do my best to educate myself on the past cornerstones of the game and open my mind to what some of the sports greatest players brought to the table.

Watching the press coverage of this game on YouTube, (see below) I see so many comparisons to what we are going to see this weekend.

Joe Montana was the younger Brady, who had won Super Bowls and MVP awards, while Marino was the Mahomes, breaking records in his early seasons and making the big game for a franchise that needed a spark of new energy.

Although the game didn’t go as we should expect SB 55 to go, the headlines and matchup that many think will be the greatest ever, are the same that were seen during this era, and for a whole other generation of Football lovers.

 

 

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *