Quote:
Originally Posted by Mile High Mania
This is why I like these debates... there's just so much out there for discussion. I obviously never saw Graham play, but the league had 8 teams when he started, 12 when he finished. I'm also pretty sure it was predominantly white.
But, that's the era he played in and he was fantastic.
It's just impossible to accurately compare these guys on the same foundation. When you're talking the greats, you just have to look at the bodies of work and what they accomplished.
Whether one guy is top 3, top 5, top 10... doesn't matter really. Were they considered to be among the greatest of their time and did they leave a legacy?
Regarding the playoff comment... Elway went to the playoffs 10 times in 16 seasons. (there was an 11 win season where they did not advance, but that's neither here nor there).
Marino advanced 10 times as well in 17 seasons.
Montana advanced 11 times in 15 seasons.
So his playoff appearances were better than Marino and one off from Montana. Think we're splitting hairs there really.
This is an interesting stat line... and Mahomes is on the brink of tearing his way into 2nd place. Just needs 3 more to tie Elway, Bradshaw and Young... another 6 to jump over Montana for #2 and then 25 to supplant Brady at #1. https://www.statmuse.com/nfl/ask/most-qb-playoff-wins |
Yeah…hard to rank players like Graham, especially when none of us have seen more than a few highlights. And like you said, fewer teams, a lot of white players, etc. But that also means a lot less parity, and he dominated his era like no other.
I’m not sure about Marino’s situation, but the Montana comparison isn’t fair. He reached the playoffs every time he played a majority of the season, even when he was past his prime. Elway missed four games in one of his non-playoff years, but also missed several games in some of his playoff years.