Until last year's AFC Championship Game, when the Colts finally beat the Patriots in the playoffs, the mantle belonged to Peyton Manning. Before that, it'd been worn by the likes of John Elway and Steve Young -- great quarterbacks who couldn't win the Big One, until of course they finally did.
With Manning's Super Bowl run last season, he finally shook the tag of big-game choker, something he'd been called since his college days at Tennessee, when the Volunteers could never get past both Florida and Vanderbilt in the same season. As a newly christened winner, Manning left some large shoes to fill, because the media -- in particular, the talk radio retards -- demand that one QB be known as the guy who can't win the big one. Given that, let's look at the candidates to replace Peyton Manning.
Eli Manning: With his name and pedigree, Eli should probably have the inside track on this. Not only does he have a propensity for being dumb at the worst moments, but he's got the humiliated body language of a long-time loser. Until last week's victory over the Buccaneers, the Giants had been one-and-done in the playoffs the last few years. That said, beating the Bucs wouldn't have been "winning the big one." So far Eli has set the bar too low. He needs to soil the sheets in an NFC title game - say, three years in a row, eh Donovan? -- before the rabble can start moaning about his lackluster play when the spotlight's brightest. Eli's safe for now, and if he can lead the Giants over the Cowboys -- on the road, against the NFC's #1 seed this week - he might even get laid.
Donovan McNabb: Perhaps it's unfair to discuss a quarterback whose team didn't even make the playoffs this year, but...wait, no it isn't. McNabb lost three straight NFC title games (which is like losing 3 straight NAIA title games), finally won one in January 2005, and then promptly threw up in the Super Bowl when the chips were down. So, four years, four big game losses: Fran Tarkenton made proud. McNabb should have slid right into Peyton Manning's seat after last season, but wisely chose to suck in the 2007 regular season, no doubt hoping media pundits would forget how often he's come up small in the past. We didn't forget, D-Mac. We're just waiting for you to crumble on stage in your hometown of Chicago next season.
Tony Romo: He's only been quarterbacking the offense in Dallas for a season and a half, yet it seems like Romo has been withering in big spots for years: He fumbled the extra point in last year's wild card game against Seattle, which would have tied it for Dallas, but instead sent Bill Parcells into retirement, then to ESPN, then to Atlanta, back to Bristol, and finally to Miami, where he fired Randy Mueller, Cam Cameron, Ray Finkle and Snowflake the Dolphin. Then, earlier this season, Romo got outplayed by Tom Brady and the Patriots in the supposed Game of the Century; threw 15 interceptions on MNF against the Bills; and now supposedly spent the bye week explaining the difference between chicken and chicken of the sea to girlfriend Jessica Simpson in Mexico. If the #1-seed Cowboys lose at home this week to the Giants, Romo Mexico will be the main contender for Manning's abdicated throne -- a meteoric rise for the Eastern Illinois alum, who never had the opportunity to lose the big one in college, since Eastern Illinois is a geographic region, not an accredited university.
Tim Tebow: In his inaugural season as Florida's starting QB, Tebow became the first sophomore to win the Heisman Trophy. But after leading Florida to 3 regular-season losses -- to Auburn, LSU and Georgia -- AND a loss to Michigan in the Capital One Bowl, it's obvious Tebow can't win the big one. With two seasons left in Gainesville, he has plenty of big games left to pad his resume, and assuming he goes on to a career in the NFL, may just go down in history as the sport's biggest loser.
Dan Marino: Plenty of NFL records (at least until a guy who could win the big one, Brett Favre, took most of them), but only one Super Bowl appearance for Marino in his career, and that was a loss to Joe Montana and the Niners. Unless he comes out of retirement, Marino will never be able to win the big one. "Ace Ventura" helped us to forget that, but only for 2 hours.
Philip Rivers: Great, you beat the vaunted Titans -- minus their two biggest offensive "weapons," Roydell Williams and Bo Scaife -- and you did it in convincing fashion...17-6, after trailing most of the game. Rivers's saving grace is that he plays for the current head coach most known for choking on prom night, Norv Turner, so if the Chargers #### out versus the Colts this Saturday (and they will), Turner will probably take the heat, while Rivers can simply go back to trash-talking the Mexicans who mow his lawn.
Gotta go with Romo, so much is expected from Dallas this year and I don't think they'll do it. Besides, he just spent a couple of days in Mexico with Jessica. Thats way too big of a distraction.
initially i thought Romo, but the other thing to consider is the expectation of a player coming out of college. after Eli Manning and his father's infamous strong arm tactics while he was getting drafted, he set himself up a target for high expectations. tony romo? he just set himself up in a position to date Carrie Underwood and then Jessica Simpson. so, he not only won a big one, but now he's won two big ones.
Tony Romo??? Let's see he did bad against the Patriots, who, by the way, beat EVERYBODY, he muffed a fumble as a holder. His most criticized play wasn't even at the QB position. He beat GB in the battle of the NFC. He beat the 9-0 Colts last year to give them there first lost. He did horrible against the Bills on Monday night football but still managed to rally his team and lead them to a last second victory. When home-field advantage was on the line, he clinched against Carolina. This is only his first season. What other QB is expected to do what he has done before the end of his second season? My vote is for McNabb, but obviously I'm biased.
P.S. who the hell cares what he did in his off-time. THIS IS FOOTBALL. When did we let our sport fall in the hands of Entertainment Tonight. It's like a damn gossip rag. If the bigges knock on the guy is, "he's ####ing starlets", obviously there's a lack of real criticism. Don't forget. Brady's doin the same thing. And remember Mexico from Dallas is like a two hour flight. Most guys took longer trips to visit their families during the break.
My apologies to Mike Holmgren for forgetting to include Matt Hasselbeck. Like most people, I more or less assume that the entire city of Seattle will come up small in big games.
SWeggeman, Brady won a Super Bowl in his first season as starter, Roethlisberger in his second.
Fair or not, people will start railing against Romo if they don't beat the Giants this week, with or without TO.
Roethlisberger didn't go through a coaching staff change, and Brady had BB, who's possibly the greatest coach of our generation. Parcell's is overrated. He won one Super Bowl and set the table for other coaches, But his style allowed games to stay close instead of putting teams away.
Hey, wait a section, Crookd, don't be bad mouthing Seattle, WA. That is my adopted hometown. I go with Romo. The Cowboys are primed to get their a double s kicked and I can't wait to see TO throwing a tempter tantrum on the sideline.
I'm not badmouthing Seattle, Broblog. They play a vital role in our country. Without them, some other city would have to be the red-headed child of the sports world...
Parcells won 2 Super Bowls and pretty much brought the Pats AND Jets back to respectability in the mid-to-late nineties. He also rebuilt the Cowboy organization that Jerry Jones had let decline. So people need to stop saying he was overrated. Having written that, I would say Romo or Eli based on media hype, but McNabb on performance. Won a lot of games but hasn't come through in any of his many opportunities.
Crook: I'm sorry, I think that Hass is a better QB than Romo. Better than Brady, no, probably not. Better than McNabb NOW, yes--better than McNabb a couple of years ago--maybe not so much. But he is better than a lot of the others out there, and I believe he CAN win the big game.
Definitely gotta go with Romo here... and as JQ said, TO is going to flip. All year the media kept saying how good he was this year... and well... duh! That's because they are winning. Lose some and he is back to his old ways.
Otherwise, who else... who else... maybe Campbell... or maybe Vince Young... some others to toss into the mix.
Sleepless, the Seahawks have become more of a passing team since Shaun A got dinged, and watching that Skins game last week, Hasselbeck looked mediocre. He made some decent passes, but he missed a few wide-open TDs too. I'll say this: If he goes into GB and beats the Packers this week, you can't really knock him as someone who can't win the big game. And if the Giants beat Dallas (possible, and I think, likely), then Seattle will be hosting another NFC title game. Hasselbeck is a bit different than the other guys here, because he wasn't drafted high and/or doesn't date Daisy Duke, so the expectations aren't there to the same degree.
KSP: Yeah, I don't know what I was looking forward to more: Goose Gossage going ballistic if he didn't make the Hall or Owens going ballistic if Romo has a sub-par game. I hold out hope that Romo chokes and TO blows his lid, if only because it'll be great theater.
Last edited by crookdnose on January 9th at 2:11 PM.
crookdnose
Choker ?
Well McNabb has played in a Superbowl and according to former teammate, TO, he was su*cking air like a beaten dog.
Romo's mind may not be necessarily on the game all the time. As he's said to be knockin' boots with Jessica Simpson. Sooner or later he'll learn the error of his ways on that score. As of now though he may well be the next one to hold that mantle.
Rivers has got the team around to him to succeed but his temperament now has got to be questioned.
Manning has got to live in the eternal glow of an elder sibling which is never an easy thing to do. Somehow if he can turnover the Cowboys this weekend. Then that 1,000lb go*rilla will be off his shoulders.
See my post titled Eli Got The Job Done But Will It Be Enough ?
Let me know what you think as to the merits of the piece ? I'll look forward to reading your comments. Chimin' out.
tophatal .......
Last edited by tophatal on January 10th at 10:53 AM.
Top, I actually think McNabb does more with less than just about any great QB in recent memory. He's a bit whiny, but he's still a great QB. And dry-heaving in the fourth quarter? That ain't nerves. That's exhaustion.
I'll def check out your post. All my buddies - most of them Giants fans - think Eli has turned a corner. We'll see. Big game for him and Romo on Sunday.
its gotta be mcnabb, along with the 3 nfc championship loses and the superbowl loss, he probably had a better team around him than your other choices, and his collapse in the 4th quarter of the superbowl was monumental.
Well, they certainly have a better chance than my Steelers.
Archie Manning should be siring children 24 hours a day. If his wife's not up for it, he should become a Big Love Mormon. The most important consideration should always be the children. Namely, scores of children who can become NFL QBs.
I have problems with this because football is really a true team sport. There have been many great quarterbacks in history who have not won the big one, but I can hardly blame them. I don't think of Marino as a choker, but no ring. Dan Fouts was also and incredible quarterback but never won the big game. He didn't have a defense that could keep the other team from rolling up the score. Losing 41-38, or something like that is not the QB's fault. So, to answer your question....I'll have to say McNabb. He most likely won't have another chance anyway and he did fall apart in the fourth quarter of the SB.
Dan Marino is the best QB in NFL history, which is hard for me to admit since I hated the Dolphins for many years while he played for them. The fact is, Marino's records pretty much were "unbreakable" until Favre came along and broke them-but only because he's played 15 more games and counting than Marino. And Marino did it with FAR LESS talent around him. Marino only once in his career had a 1000 yard rusher behind him and the only reason any of his WRs ever made the Pro Bowl was because he made them better. Favre's had some really good WRs and TEs to throw to, plus better blockers to protect him. I wrote about this in July 2006 "Individuals Don't Win Championships, Teams Do" if you're interested in reading more.
My top 5 QBs of all time are:
1) Dan Marino
2) John Elway
3) Brett Favre
4) Peyton Manning
5) Tom Brady
By the time Brady and Manning both retire I suspect Manning will be #1 and Brady in the top 3.
Last edited by JCScheffres on January 9th at 6:25 PM.
The problem is that there isnt a QB out there right now who can even be compared to Peyton, Marino, Elway in the sense that they are/were so great they were expected to win the big one. It wouldve been a tragedy if Peyton had never won a Superbowl.
But I cant say that there is a QB out there right now who deserves that honor. There are some good QB'a but not great.
Romo has a lot of growing up to do. He is too worried about being a celebrity rather than being a champ.
McNabb-what a joke! Started out promising but seems to be as fragile as a post menopausal woman.
JC-I like your top 5
Last edited by SandraDee on January 9th at 6:48 PM.
Crook,
Hey imagine if both Owens and Moss lose on the same day... they can fight over the headlines of who went more ballistic... now that would be quality theater.
First has got to be Mcnabb. Nine seasons in. Although he could be remembered more as fragile than choker.
If Romo doesnt get his first playoff win under his belt soon he jumps up to 1 with that teams talent. Fifth yr, second as starter, had better do something at least in first round.
JCS, I don't necessarily agree that Marino has had less talent around him than Favre, and I certainly don't think he had a worse line. Marino took snaps from Hall of Famer and 5-time Pro Bowler Dwight Stephenson during the prime of his career, and was also protected by 4-time Pro Bowler Ed Newman at right guard. Marino could sort his mail before making throws to Clayton and Duper and, later, Keith Jackson. They had to give him great protection. He couldn't run well.
The Packers line, while solid, has never had anyone of that caliber. I think the amount of offensive weapons are comparable. Antonio Freeman, Robert Brooks, Donald Driver, Bubba Franks, versus Clayton, Duper, Keith Byars. Certainly Favre has had slightly better backs in Ahman Green and Dorsey Levens, but Marino had Andra Franklin...
crookdnose
If an upset should happen as such. I can see it coming in the game between the Packers and Seahawks.
Other than Favre not many on that team have a great deal of postseason experience. And at this juncture I do believe that it'll count for a lot. McCarthy has to implor e Favre to play mistake free football should they fall behind early.
THERES NO DOUBT ABOUT IT !!!!! AND THE WINNER IS IN A LANDSLIDE !!! SUPERSTAR IN HIS OWN MIND ! GREATEST CHOKER IN THE PLAYOFFS!!! AND HAS HAD THE BEST TEAM AROUND HIM BY FAR OVER THE REST !!! MCCHOKER HIM SELF DONNIE MAC!!!!
Cameron Martin. Finalist in Fox Sports Next Great Sportswriter contest. I cover the Red Sox for Comcast SportsNet New England and Major League Baseball for
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