Almost a 100 quarterbacks got to start a Super bowl game so far, but only a few were able to take the team on their shoulders, all the way to victory. From Bart Starr to the 49ers legends, who is the best?
The Super Bowl is where every season the two best NFL teams are brought together. Most times the biggest stars in the league are the ones who bring their teams to this prestige game and sometimes, they even provide unforgettable games. Here are the top 5 best quarterbacks’ performances in Super Bowl history.
5. Bart Starr - Super Bowl I
January 15th, 1967: Green Bay - Kansas City 35:10
We’ll begin with the first ever Super Bowl MVP. Those were the days before the NFL as we know it, when the NFL and AFL were separate leagues fitting their respective champions one against the other. Star helped Vince Lombardy win the trophy that will later on be named after him. He finished the game with 16 completions out of 23 tries for 250 yards, two touchdowns and one interception. Green Bay won the game with a dominating 21:0 second half, and will return the next year to give Lombardy his second trophy and Starr his second MVP award.
4. Phil Simms - Super Bowl XXI
January 25th, 1987: New York Giants - Denver 39:20
It was the Giants first appearance in the Super Bowl and they won the title at the Rose Bowl stadium thanks to an almost perfect game by Simms, who had the same amount of touchdown passes as incompletions (Highest completion percentage in Super Bowl history). While the defense was led by the great Lawrence Taylor and halted John Elway, Simms finished with 268 passing yards and almost zero mistakes. He threw a touchdown in the first quarter, a touchdown in the drive that opened the second half and a touchdown that gave the Giants a 33:10 lead in the beginning of the final quarter and basically ended the game.
3. Tom Brady - Super Bowl XXXVIII
February 1st, 2004: New England – Carolina 32:29
Two years after his first championship and with more experience, Brady won the title again. He overcame a great performance by the Panthers quarterback, Jake Delhomme, who threw for 323 yards and 3 touchdowns. The Patriots young QB had 32 completions for 354 yards, three touchdown passes and he was intercepted once. It took him some time to get the right rhythm, but a wonderful last drive by him set Adam Vinatieri’s game winning field goal and gave him a second ring.
2. Joe Montana - Super Bowl XXIV
January 28th, 1990: San Francisco – Denver 55:10
The 49ers came into this matchup with John Elway’s Broncos as clear favorites and they certainly justified it, getting a great game from the league’s MVP Montana. “Joe Cool” broke a Super Bowl record with five touchdown passes. He had 22 completions out of 29 tries and finished the game with 297 yards. The 49ers crushed Denver as Jerry Rice enjoyed Montana’s show and caught a Super Bowl record of his own with three TD receptions. In the final minutes of the game, Montana was replaced by San Francisco’s backup quarterback, Steve Young…
1. Steve Young - Super Bowl XXIX
January 29th, 1995: San Francisco – San Diego 49:26
Five years and a day after that legendary performance by Montana came Young, now the first QB for the 49ers, broke Montana’s record and put on the best quarterback performance in Super Bowl history. If anyone still had doubts about Young’s talent and ability to lead San Francisco to the title, they ended after this game, where he threw for SIX touchdowns and demolished the Chargers. Young found Jerry Rice for a 44 yard TD and Ricky Watters for a 51 yard TD in the opening quarter of the game and never looked back. He finished the game with 325 passing yards, 24 completions, six TD passes and zero interceptions and if that’s not enough, he was also the leading rusher of San Francisco with 49 yards. A game to remember.
http://www.nfl.com/videos/nfl-videos/0ap2000000341001/Super-Bowl-moments-Steve-Young
