How does Brett Favre stack up?
12/21/2007
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My buddy JC (who is not coincidentally a huge Vikings fan) wondered aloud the other night about how well Brett Favre stacks up against the greats at his position on a per game basis. His argument is that since Favre has been so durable, then his per game numbers probably aren’t as good as those of Dan Marino, John Elway, Joe Montana or even younger players like Tom Brady and Peyton Manning.
While he may have brought this point up to distract me from all the problems that the Vikings are having at QB, his question struck me as an interesting research topic.
Here are the per game stats of each QB in the Big Eight (I included Johnny Unitas and Fran Tarkenton for argument’s sake):
| Player Name | GP | Cmp% | Pass Yds/G | Tot Yds/G | TD/G | INT/G |
| Favre | 253 | 61.4 | 242.7 | 249.6 | 1.79 | 1.12 |
| Marino | 242 | 59.4 | 253.6 | 254.0 | 1.77 | 1.04 |
| Elway | 234 | 56.9 | 220.0 | 234.6 | 1.42 | 0.97 |
| Montana | 192 | 63.2 | 211.2 | 219.9 | 1.53 | 0.72 |
| Manning | 158 | 64.0 | 260.9 | 265.2 | 2.02 | 0.97 |
| Brady | 110 | 62.9 | 234.5 | 239.3 | 1.79 | 0.76 |
| Unitas | 211 | 54.6 | 190.7 | 199.1 | 1.44 | 1.20 |
| Tarkenton | 246 | 57.0 | 191.0 | 205.9 | 1.52 | 1.08 |
Interestingly, on a per game basis, Manning leads all QBs in this group in three major categories -- completion percentage, average passing yards and average TD. He has the benefit of playing more than half of his regular-season games indoors while the rest of the guys on the list played a vast majority of their games outside. Marino and Montana enjoyed typically good weather playing in Miami and San Francisco, while Favre, Elway, Brady, Unitas and Tarkenton were all cold weather QBs. One thing’s for sure -- if Manning can stay relatively healthy and decides to play into his late 30s, he’ll probably break all the records that Favre is setting now. Is it fair that he played a majority of his games in perfect weather? Probably not, but how do we account for that? (That sounds like a good topic for a future column.)
Back to Favre -- how does he stack up? His longevity is without question as he holds the consecutive games streak and has the most games played of any QB on this list. His completion percentage trails Manning, Montana and Brady, though in the West Coast system (which utilizes short, high percentage passes) he has a bit of an advantage over QBs who play in other systems. His total yards per game (which includes rushing yards, something I thought I should include for the John Elway fans out there) trails only Manning and Marino. His TD rate (which includes rushing TD) is tied for second with Brady behind Manning. His interception rate has always been his Achilles heel, but even so, Johnny Unitas threw picks at a higher rate and Tarkenton and Marino weren’t far behind. Montana and Brady are head and shoulders above the rest at avoiding the pick.
The debate about who is the best quarterback to ever play the game comes down to the definition of the word “best.” Does it mean the QB who won the most Super Bowls? In that case, Joe Montana has to be considered the best while Terry Bradshaw and Troy Aikman suddenly join the conversation despite career stats that don’t live up to the company they keep. Does “best” mean the QB with the gaudiest numbers? In that case, by the time he’s ready to hang ‘em up, Favre will have set most of the career passing records and Manning will be hot on his trail. Or is it some combination of the two? In that case, Brady looks like he can stake his claim if he continues to put up numbers like he did this season and the Pats continue to win Super Bowls. (Of course, we’ll always wonder how much he benefited from the Patriots’ decision to videotape opponents’ sidelines. It can’t be too hard to find the open guy if you know what defensive scheme your opponent is using.) If Manning is able to win another Super Bowl or two before his career is over, there will certainly be a strong argument that he’s the best QB to ever play the game.
For me, to be the “best ever,” a quarterback must have both regular season and postseason success, he must put up great numbers, and he must be the star that drives his team. Watching Favre on Sundays has been a ritual of mine since he made his first start for the Packers back in 1992, so it’s fair to say that I’m a little biased. To me, Favre is the best ever, but not just because of his success, his numbers or the fact that he’s a superstar. He has something that sets him apart from his peers – pure watchability. When the game is on the line and he goes back to pass, he’s not going to throw the ball away to avoid a pick. He’s going to try to make a play. Sometimes it will work, sometimes it won’t. Either way, it’ll be exciting.
By the time Favre’s career is over, Montana and Brady will have won more Super Bowls, and a few years down the line, Manning will probably break most of his records. But, in my book, Favre will still be the best ever.
Send questions and comments to jpaulsen@bullz-eye.com.