Quarterback "Storylines"

Brian wolf
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Joined: Wed Nov 27, 2019 12:43 am

Quarterback "Storylines"

Post by Brian wolf »

Teams win championships, not just their quarterbacks.
However with the final four of NFL pro football playing for a SB championship, some very interesting storylines. Other than perhaps Vegas of course, who else could have written a better script than Tom Brady joining the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and taking his team to a SB win in --get this-- Tampa Bay ? Or is it Tompra Bray ?

Either way, Brady has a chance to do something no quarterback has ever done since the 1970 AFL/NFL merger.
Win seven SBs, you say ? That too but become the first QB to win SB games in two seperate conferences, with different teams. Only Van Brocklin and Peyton Manning had won with different teams, though Brocklin did it in different divisions. A loss to either Rodgers and the Pack or the AFC Champion would be his eighth championship game, lost.

Mahomes has his own storyline, very similar to Brady. He could not only lead his Chiefs team to back-to-back SB victories but be the first since Brady did it for NE in 2003/04 and 2004/05. Mahomes can also do, what hasnt been done since Brady as well ... win two SB games, his first four years in the League. Pure speculation of course since he has to pass concussion protocol, then win the AFC Championship game first, his third straight appearance.

Josh Allen is another young pup who can help his Bills team win their first SB but one thing is for certain; a younger QB from the AFC will face an older veteran from the NFC, for the Super Bowl championship ...

The other older veteran is of course Aaron Rodgers, who has his own storyline by trying to join the elite greats of multiple championship winning QBs, if he can take his Packer team all the way. Despite being a future HOF player, he is far more noteworthy for his regular season statistical excellence than winning more than one championship, something Steve Young, Drew Brees and Peyton Manning had to endure for many years, at least until Manning finally got that elusive second championship.

Great storylines ... just how the networks want it. Hopefully the fans will enjoy them by witnessing intense, competitive close games between the best of the best, teams ...
RichardBak
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Re: Quarterback "Storylines"

Post by RichardBak »

I was thinking along these same lines re the QBs. It's shaping up to be a helluva Sunday. Just hope the games aren't lopsided (not that I expect them to be). I'm envisioning a GB-KC Super Bowl, but I have no dog in this fight. Just want to see some good ball played.
7DnBrnc53
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Re: Quarterback "Storylines"

Post by 7DnBrnc53 »

I am rooting for what SB I could have been: Bills-Packers. I hate KC (as a Denver fan), and I don't want to see Tom Brady in a tenth SB.
lastcat3
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Re: Quarterback "Storylines"

Post by lastcat3 »

7DnBrnc53 wrote: I hate KC (as a Denver fan).
It's going to be a tough next decade for ya. And gone are the days where you can build a team overnight through free agency to beat one specific opponent. As teams hold on to their good players these days unless they are headcases.
JuggernautJ
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Location: NinerLand, Ca.

Re: Quarterback "Storylines"

Post by JuggernautJ »

Brian wolf wrote:Only Van Brocklin and Peyton Manning had won with different teams, though Brocklin did it in different divisions....
One of my favorite QB storylines is that of Tobin Rote: joined the '57 Lions and, after Bobby Layne broke his ankle late in the season, led them to the NFL Championship. Then in '63 he led the Chargers to the AFL Championship. That's a championship in two different leagues...

Of course, Otto Graham won championships in two different leagues... but with the same team!
Now that's a storyline and a half...
RichardBak
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Re: Quarterback "Storylines"

Post by RichardBak »

Rote was a beast in the postseason. He's the only guy to QB championship teams in the NFL and AFL, and each time it was a resounding rout (59-14 and 51-10). Prior to that he led what was then an unprecedented postseason comeback by rallying the Lions from a 20-point 3Q deficit to SF in the '57 Western playoff. As a running QB, he was basically the Cam Newton of his day when he was with GB. For me, all that's enough to make him a borderline HOFer.

If Mike Stratton hadn't busted Keith Lincoln's ribs in the '64 title game, Rote might have won back-to-back titles with SD. But that's another story.
Eagles One
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Re: Quarterback "Storylines"

Post by Eagles One »

Only Van Brocklin and Peyton Manning had won with different teams, though Brocklin did it in different divisions.


Earl Morrall was a big part of Super Bowl winners with two different teams. Even though he did not play in the SB with Miami, he started 9 regular season games. He was the top passer after Unitas got hurt in Baltimore's SB win over Dallas.
Brian wolf
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Re: Quarterback "Storylines"

Post by Brian wolf »

Rote definitely has the two championships but was also up and down with teams, though he should have stayed with Detroit. Kapp was a winner too, winning championships in Canada and the last NFL Championship before losing the SB to the AFL champion. Why the Vikings let him go is beyond me. If Brady takes the Bucs to the SB, some people will cry foul but its still a great story ... I believe Rodgers will win it all this year and get the Greatest Regular Season QB moniker, though sarcastic, finally off his back and join the elites led by Brady ...
RichardBak
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Re: Quarterback "Storylines"

Post by RichardBak »

It's still hard to beat Otto Graham taking the Browns to the AAFC/NFL championship game in every one of his 10 seasons, and winning 7 of them. If Brady gets his seventh with the Bucs, the argument can be made in his behalf that he did it in an era where you have to win a minimum of 3 playoff games each time. That said, Otto steered the Browns to a couple of divisional playoff wins (in '49 and '50) so he demonstrated that he could win in a postseason tournament when needed. Overall, Graham was 9-3 in the postseason. A helluva money QB, for sure.
Brian wolf
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Re: Quarterback "Storylines"

Post by Brian wolf »

Another cool storyline was Bill Nelson with the Browns. Though he never won a championship with terrible losses to the Colts and Vikings in 68/69 and losing in John Unitas's last postseason game in 1971, he was tough as nails with bad knees on a bad Steelers team before rejuvenating his career in Cleveland.

Though I might have preferred Ryan more, there was no doubt that Nelson could play well in the Browns offense with his quick release and using a more conservative, tight end friendly, passing offense. Though Ryan preferred Collins, Nelson finally turned Warfield into the go-to, great receiver he was destined to be but ironically, due to Nelson's bad knees, which were worse than Joe Namath's, the Browns dealt Warfield to the Dolphins, for the chance to get a high #1 draft pick QB, which became underachieving Mike Phipps.

Later, saavy Brian Sipe replaced Phipps and had Warfield again at the end of his great career. Sipe had the great 1980 season but critics look at his "Mistake by the lake" interception that ended the Browns season against Oakland in the divisional playoffs, rather than the three dropped TD passes by Logan and Rucker, earlier in the game.
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