Those years were two of the best–perhaps THE best–quarterback drafts in NFL history. Which was better?
The 1983 NFL Draft has been evaluated as the greatest quarterback class of all time. That year, six quarterbacks were taken in the first round. John Elway was the first overall pick, followed by Jim Kelly (14th) and Dan Marino (27th). High expectations were also bestowed on three other QBs who were drafted on Day 1: Todd Blackledge, Ken O’Brien, and Tony Eason. They, of course, didn’t have stellar careers as did those taken earlier in the day.
But when it comes to quarterbacks selected, a serious argument can be made that the 2004 NFL Draft is every bit as good–perhaps even better–than that ’83 Draft. Eli Manning went first overall that year. Phillip Rivers was the 4th pick. Ben Roethlisberger was right behind at #11.
When you line up Marino, Elway, and Kelly in front of Eli, Rivers, and Big Ben, the 1983 class seems to be head-and-shoulders better. But let’s take a closer look to see if that’s a valid assessment.
Courtesy: Sun-Sentinel
Let’s start with Dan Marino. He never won a Super Bowl and only appeared in one of the big games (during his sophomore season). Jim Kelly led the Bills to four straight title games, but his team lost all four. In the ’80s, the Broncos followed suit, losing three Super Bowls–and in embarrassing fashion, too. Of course, Elway got redemption when his Broncos won back-to-back championships in the ’90s.
Among those three Hall of Fame quarterbacks, the final totals are 10 Super Bowls with two wins (both by Elway). How does that compare to the 2004 class? That group won 4 out of 5 on Super Bowl Sunday.
Eli Manning went to two Super Bowls and won both. Big Ben Roethlisberger led his Steelers to glory twice in three attempts, and he won his first title in his second year with Pittsburgh. A few years later, Pittsburgh defeated the Arizona Cardinals in Super Bowl XLIII when Big Ben hit Santonio Holmes for a legendary touchdown to take home the trophy. But Aaron Rodgers over overshadowed Ben in Roethlisberger’s third attempt. Of the three from ’04, only Rivers hasn’t been to the big game, although he has come close a few times.
What’s better? Is it going to a bunch of championship games and losing the majority of them? Or is it going to the title game fewer times but winning more often? If you ask Jim Kelly, I’ll bet he’d take one Super Bowl win over not winning in multiple games.
And, then, there’s the issue of a great quarterback does not make a great team. Take the case of Dan Marino. He never had a great running back to partner with, and he also didn’t have a top-level defense. Marino had all the arm talent you could ask for in a quarterback. In fact, he’s arguably the best pure passing quarterback of all time. But his ability, alone, wasn’t enough. Football is a team game, after all.
Courtesy: Mark Leffingwell/Getty Images and USAToday)
To me, John Elway is one of the most underrated players in NFL history. This man did everything you could ask–and then some. He dragged three teams to ‘The Big Game’ but got blown out each time. Much like Marino, Elway didn’t have a running game to rely on or defense that could make critical stops. Want proof? In the three losing Super Bowls, the Broncos defense gave up (in order) 39, 42, and 55 points. Yowza! As great as Elway was, he (like Marino) couldn’t do it by himself.
In the 2004 group, on the other hand, Eli Manning had an excellent defense to back him up, and he also had good receivers to throw to, including Plaxico, Cruz, Toomer, and Shockey. Bottom line: Eli had a solid defense and a bunch of playmakers.
Ben’s biggest knock is that he holds the ball too long. But he can also hold it and, then, make a spectacular play! He’s also hard to bring down. But Roethlisberger also takes too many chances and gets injured, too. Yes, Big Ben is a gamer, but–with him–you just have to take the good with the bad.
Philip Rivers (photo, Zimbio)
What about Rivers? After LaDanian Tomlinson retired and Antonio Gates started missing time due to injury, Rivers began a slow decline. He played well last season–just as I predicted on these pages, I might add–but look at him now? Getting near the end of the pigskin road, Rivers is thinking Super Bowl or retirement.
So, if you had to choose, which QB draft class would you rather have–1983 or 2004? It’s not all about stats and trophies. It’s mostly about overall performance.
I’ll answer my question! Here’s how’d I rank the QBs–from top to bottom.
Elway (’83 class)
Marino (’83 class)
Roethlisberger (’04 class)
Kelly (’83 class)
Rivers (’04 class)
E. Manning (’04 class).
Even though the 83’ QB’s only won two titles, I’ll still go with that group. The ‘Big Three’ from 1983 are all enshrined in the NFL Hall of Fame, and the question now is how many of the 2004 ‘Big Three’ will get there? I think at least one, and possibly two, will make it Canton. Here’s why.
Rivers has the numbers, but not the hardware. Big Ben has a solid resume and certainly is among the league’s best QBs over the last decade. Eli is a bit tricky! Yes, he won two titles (both over the big, bad Patriots), but the NYG’s rarely made the playoffs with Eli at the helm. The G-Men relied on defense and its run game, and just hoped that Eli wouldn’t turn over the ball. There’s no doubt that Eli had several solid seasons but, overall, I don’t believe he’s a Gold Jacket guy.
Before I go, how about digesting this interesting fact. When it comes to the NFL’s all-time passing leaders, here’s how the ’83 and ’04 groups rank: Marino (5th), Rivers (6th), E. Manning (7th), Roethlisberger (8th), Elway (9th), and Jim Kelly (27th). How’s that for being on a balanced scale!
What do you think? Comments, please!
