#25
Len Dawson (Kansas City Chiefs, Super Bowl IV, 1970)
Dawson was among the most accurate quarterbacks of his day, and he kept that up in Super Bowl IV. He completed 12 of his 17 passes (70.6 percent) with 8.4 yards per attempt. While he threw an interception, that would be his only turnover of the game. He threw a touchdown and had a passer rating of 90.8. Even though the Vikings defense sacked him three times, they couldn't stop Dawson or the Chiefs from scoring, despite limiting their yards. The Chiefs won 23-7 in the final game before the NFL-AFL merger, and Dawson was named Super Bowl MVP.
#24
Ben Roethlisberger (Pittsburgh Steelers, Super Bowl XLIII, 2009)
Avenging his piss-poor performance from three years prior, Roethlisberger played significantly better in his second go around in the Super Bowl. While Santonio Holmes was named Super Bowl MVP (thanks, in no small part, to doing this), Roethlisberger did a good job of spreading the ball around. He targeted eight receivers in the game and completed 70 percent of his passes for 256 yards (8.5 yards per attempt). That touchdown by Holmes would be Roethlisberger's only one of the game (he also threw a pick and was sacked three times), but he still netted himself a passer rating of 93.2 and, you know, a Super Bowl ring.
#23
Ken Stabler (Oakland Raiders, Super Bowl XI, 1977)
It took Ken Stabler 26 years to get into the Hall of Fame, and he didn't live to see it happen, but it was performances like the one he had in Super Bowl XI that made his candidacy possible in the first place. After leading the NFL in the regular season with 27 touchdowns and a 66.7 completion percentage, Stabler kept his pace up in the Big Game. He completed 63.2 percent of his passes for 180 yards (9.5 yards per attempt), throwing one touchdown and no picks and being sacked just one time. Stabler's passer rating of 111.7 is in the top-20 all-time among starting quarterbacks in the Super Bowl. Pretty good showing for his one appearance.
#22
Colin Kaepernick (San Francisco 49ers, Super Bowl XLVII, 2013)
The first instance on this list of a quarterback on the losing team. Kaepernick was in his first season as a starter, usurping Alex Smith while the latter was injured with a concussion. Kaepernick had a good season, accounting for 15 total touchdowns (10 passing, five rushing) and just three picks while holding the starting job.
In the Super Bowl, Kaepernick would go 16-of-28 passing (57.1 percent) for 302 yards (10.8 yards per attempt), one touchdown and an interception. He also made hay on the ground, rushing seven times for a touchdown and 62 yards (8.9 yards per attempt), just two yards shy of Steve McNair's Super Bowl record for rushing yards by a QB. Kaepernick was brought down three times by the Ravens defense (he had been sacked twice in the 49ers previous two playoff games), but he still played well in the loss, accumulating a passer rating of 91.7.
#21
Eli Manning (New York Giants, Super Bowl XLVI, 2012)
Unlike his Super Bowl XLII performance, which was a microcosm of his career (where played brilliantly and terribly practically at the same time), Manning's Super Bowl XLVI was exceptional from start to finish. He completed 75 percent of his passes on 40 attempts, threw for 296 yards (7.4 yards per attempt) and a touchdown. He also had zero turnovers in the game despite being sacked three times. To cap everything off, Manning had a passer rating of 103.8 in the game and was named Super Bowl MVP for the second time. This is the best performance by a Manning in the Super Bowl (barring tonight of course, since it hasn't been played yet).
#20
Ken Anderson (Cincinnati Bengals, Super Bowl XVI, 1982)
Another strong outing for the losing QB. Anderson was coming off his finest season as a pro, being named MVP and 1st Team All-Pro while throwing for career-highs in yards (3,754), touchdowns (29) and passer rating (98.4) on a 62.6 percent completion rate and just 10 interceptions. In the Super Bowl, Anderson threw two interceptions (his only turnovers of the playoffs) and was sacked five times. He still went 25-for-34 passing (73.5 percent) for a clean 300 yards (8.8 yards per attempt) and threw two touchdowns while accounting for a third one rushing. Anderson's passer rating was 95.2 and the Bengals lost to the 49ers by only five points.
#19
Terry Bradshaw (Pittsburgh Steelers, Super Bowl XIII, 1979)
Bradshaw went to four Super Bowls and generally played well in them. His third trip to the Big Game was his finest, though— coming off an MVP season, Bradshaw went 17-of-30 passing (56.7 percent) for 318 yards (he was the first quarterback to have a 300-yard game in the Super Bowl). Bradshaw threw four touchdowns in the game (the most ever in the Super Bowl to that point), which made up for his three turnovers (one interception and two lost fumbles).
The Cowboys' defense made Bradshaw's life difficult in general, as they sacked him four times. Still, Bradshaw managed to get the Steelers to a squeaker 35-31 victory with a passer rating 119.2 (which was the second-highest in Super Bowl history at the time, behind Bradshaw's earlier 122.5 rating in Super Bowl X). He was named Super Bowl MVP.
#18
Jake Delhomme (Carolina Panthers, Super Bowl XXXVIII, 2004)
Delhomme was a steady hand for the Panthers for much of his career, rarely being anything but decent. But his Super Bowl XXXVIII performance was one for the ages. Delhomme went toe-to-toe with Tom Brady, throwing three touchdowns and 323 yards despite completing just 48.5 percent of his passes and getting sacked four times. Delhomme lost a fumble, but that was his one turnover of the game. He had a passer rating of 113.6 in the game, which is one of the 20 best ever posted in the Super Bowl and the highest of any losing starting quarterback in history.
#17
Kurt Warner (Arizona Cardinals, Super Bowl XLIII, 2009)
The greatest effort by a losing quarterback in Super Bowl history. Warner had already done yeoman's work getting the 9-7 Cardinals to the Super Bowl (with a helpful assist from Larry Fitzgerald, who had one of the greatest postseasons in history that year), and proceeded to play out of his mind by going 31-for-43 passing (72.1 percent) for 377 yards (the second-most ever behind Warner's own 414 yard game from Super Bowl XXXIV). While he turned the ball over twice (on one interception and one lost fumble out of two total), Warner still accounted for three passing touchdowns. His passer rating of 112.3 was the highest of his three Super Bowl appearances and a scoatch lower than Delhomme's.
#16
Roger Staubach (Dallas Cowboys, Super Bowl VI, 1972)
Staubach played in four of the Cowboys' five Super Bowls in the 70s and largely played well in them, with his only truly bad game coming Super Bowl X (he was sacked a Super Bowl record seven times and coughed up three interceptions). But his winning effort in Super Bowl VI was his best. Staubach went 12-of-19 passing (63.2 percent) with two touchdowns and no turnovers. His passer rating was 115.9, the best in his four Super Bowl appearances and the fourteenth-highest ever recorded in the Big Game. For his efforts, he was named Super Bowl MVP.
#15
Russell Wilson (Seattle Seahawks, Super Bowl XLVIII, 2014)
Wilson was very much the third option on a great Seahawks team, with their defense and run game playing exceptionally en route to a 13-3 record and cruising to the Super Bowl (he still had a great season, but the defense and run game were just more important to the team's identity). But once in the Big Game, Wilson ingratiated himself well. He completed 72 percent of his passes for 206 yards (8.2 yards per attempt) with two touchdowns and no turnovers. He also ran three times for 26 yards (8.7 yards per attempt) and wasn't sacked once. Wilson's passer rating in the game was 123.1, the ninth-best in history.
#14
Jim McMahon (Chicago Bears, Super Bowl XX, 1986)
Obviously, the first thing you think about when it comes to the Bears in Super Bowl XX would be their ferocious defense. But Jim McMahon still had a pretty good game. He completed 60 percent of his passes for 256 yards (12.8 yards per attempt, the second-highest mark in Super Bowl history). While he didn't throw any touchdowns, McMahon ran two in (he was the only Bear to score multiple touchdowns in the game) and committed zero turnovers. A single sack was the only blemish on his stat line. His passer rating was 104.2.
#13
Drew Brees (New Orleans Saints, Super Bowl XLIV, 2010)
In a year where he led the Saints to 13-straight victories and led the NFL in completion percentage (70.6) and passing touchdowns (34), Drew Brees had a Super Bowl to be proud of. He went 32-for-39 passing for a completion percentage of 82.1, the third-highest among starting quarterbacks in Super Bowl history (and even then, Bob Griese only threw seven passes in Super Bowl VIII when he completed 85.7 percent of his passes). Brees also threw for 288 yards and two touchdowns without turning the ball over, accumulating a passer rating of 114.5. He was named Super Bowl MVP as the Saints claimed their first-ever championship.
#12
Bart Starr (Green Bay Packers, Super Bowl I, 1967)
Even with the game nearly a half-century old as of this writing, Bart Starr still had one of the best games a quarterback ever had in the Super Bowl. After having an MVP season, Starr went 16-for-23 passing for a completion percentage of 69.6 in the first-ever tilt between the NFL and AFL. Starr threw for 250 yards (10.9 yards per attempt, still ninth-best ever). While the Chiefs defense picked him off once and sacked him three times, Starr threw two touchdowns and had a passer rating of 116.2, still the thirteenth-best mark in Super Bowl history. Unsurprisingly, after the 35-10 drubbing in Green Bay's favor, Starr was named the first-ever Super Bowl MVP.
#11
John Elway (Denver Broncos, Super Bowl XXXIII, 1999)
I already chronicled Elway's poor play in the Super Bowl, but at least he rode off into the sunset with his best-ever Super Bowl game in his back pocket. Elway went 18-for-29 passing (62.1 percent) and threw for 336 yards, which was the third-most ever thrown in the Super Bowl to that point (his 11.6 yards per pass attempt is still seventh-best ever). While he threw an interception, Elway also threw a touchdown and ran a second one in. His passer rating of 99.2 was the highest mark he ever had in the Super Bowl, and he was named Super Bowl MVP upon securing his second-straight championship.
#10
Tom Brady (New England Patriots, Super Bowl XLIX, 2015)
It's tough deciding on which game to choose for a person who's started six Super Bowls at QB. While Brady had plenty of good games (most notably in Super Bowls XXXVIII and XXXIX), I decided on his Super Bowl performance from last year, since he faced the best defense he ever went against in the Super Bowl and still had a great game.
Brady was held to 6.6 yards per pass attempt, despite completing 74 percent of his passes and setting a Super Bowl record for completions (37). The Seahawks also picked him off twice in the game and sacked him once. But Brady still threw four touchdown passes and over 300 yards on a team which led the NFL in points allowed per game (15.88), total yards allowed per game (267.13) and passing yards allowed per game (185.63). His passer rating of 101.1 was his second-best mark in the Super Bowl, and he was named Super Bowl MVP for the third time in his career, tying Joe Montana for the most ever.
#9
Brett Favre (Green Bay Packers, Super Bowl XXXI, 1997)
After his second-straight of what would be three-straight MVP seasons, the newly-minted Hall of Famer won the only championship of his career. While Favre completed just 14 of his 27 passes, he still threw for 246 yards (9.1 yards per attempt) and didn't turn the ball over once. He threw two touchdowns and ran in a third— despite the fact that he was sacked five times in the game, the most sacks ever taken by a winning quarterback. Favre's passer rating of 107.9 is the 25th-best in history.
#8
Aaron Rodgers (Green Bay Packers, Super Bowl XLV, 2011)
Favre's successor had a pretty good Super Bowl himself. Rodgers went 24-for-39 passing (61.5 percent) and threw for 304 yards. Despite getting sacked three times and being held to minus-two rushing yards, Rodgers threw three touchdowns and accumulated a passer rating of 111.5. He was named Super Bowl MVP, something Brett Favre never accomplished in his stellar career.
#7
Doug Williams (Washington Redskins, Super Bowl XXII, 1988)
Williams made history by becoming the first black quarterback to start and win the Super Bowl, but he played out of his mind as well. He went 18-for-29 passing (62.1 percent) and threw for a then-record 340 yards with 11.7 yards per pass attempt. Williams also threw four touchdown passes, tying Terry Bradshaw's Super Bowl record (and which has only been equaled or surpassed four times since). Even with a sack and an interception, Williams accumulated a passer rating of 127.9, the second-highest one at the time and still sixth-best ever. Shockingly, he was named Super Bowl MVP.
#6
Jim Plunkett (Oakland Raiders, Super Bowl XV, 1981)
Plunkett went from being a number-one-overall draft bust in the 70s to revitalizing his career with the Raiders in the 80s. Plunkett shredded the Eagles on 13-for-21 passing (61.9 percent), 261 yards (12.4 yards per attempt, the third-best mark ever), three touchdowns and no turnovers in the Super Bowl. His passer rating was 145.0, the best-ever at the time and still the third-highest ever, and he was named Super Bowl MVP. Now that's what we call a successful rebound.
#5
Joe Flacco (Baltimore Ravens, Super Bowl XLVII, 2013)
Flacco had a postseason for the ages after the 2012 season, equaling Joe Montana's 1990 postseason with 11 touchdowns with no interceptions (he accomplished this feat while playing in one more game than Montana). Three of those 11 touchdowns came in the Super Bowl, while he also completed two-thirds of his passes and threw for 287 yards (8.7 yards per pass attempt). Flacco's passer rating of 124.2 is eighth-best in Super Bowl history and he was named Super Bowl MVP.
#4
Troy Aikman (Dallas Cowboys, Super Bowl XXVII, 1993)
With four Roger Staubach Super Bowl performances already in their history, Troy Aikman played the best Super Bowl game of any Cowboys quarterback ever, and one of the best Super Bowl games period. He completed 73.3 percent of his passes for 9.1 yards per pass attempt while also adding another 28 yards on the ground (good for 9.3 yards per rush). Aikman threw four touchdown passes without an interception, the most recent quarterback to throw that many TDs without a turnover in a Super Bowl, and just the third ever (spoiler alert— we'll be talking about the other two further down). His passer rating was 140.7, still the fourth-best in history, and he was named Super Bowl MVP.
#3
Phil Simms (New York Giants, Super Bowl XXI, 1987)
Despite a fine career, you wouldn't peg Phil Simms to have one of the best games in Super Bowl history. And yet, that's exactly what he did. Simms completed 22 of his 25 passes, which equates to a completion percentage of 88, the highest mark in Super Bowl history. Simms also threw for 268 yards (10.7 per pass attempt), ran for 25 yards on three attempts, and threw three touchdowns without turning the ball over. His passer rating was 150.9, also a Super Bowl record (and just 7.4 points shy of a perfect rating). Shockingly, he was named Super Bowl MVP.
#2
Joe Montana (San Francisco 49ers, Super Bowl XXIV, 1990)
There has never been a Super Bowl quarterback better than Joe Montana, in terms of overall body of work. What he accomplished is frankly absurd— in four Super Bowls, all victories for the 49ers, he completed 68 percent of his passes, threw for 1,142 yards (9.4 yards per pass attempt) and threw 11 touchdowns without an interception. He also rushed for 105 yards on 17 attempts (6.2 yards per rush) and picked up another two touchdowns. His only blemishes were a fumble in Super Bowl XXIII (which he recovered) and seven sacks across the four title games. That's it!
But this is a list predicated on individual Super Bowl performances. Montana, obviously, never really had a bad game, with his Super Bowls XIX and XXIII being classics in their own rights. But it's just as obvious what his best Super Bowl game was— Super Bowl XXIV.
Montana went 22-of-29 passing, good for a completion percentage of 75.9, still the fourth-highest mark for a starting quarterback in Super Bowl history. Montana also threw for 297 yards (10.2 yards per pass attempt), while picking up an extra 15 yards on the ground on just two rushing attempts. But the real kicker was in his touchdowns— he threw five of them! He was the first quarterback to ever throw that many in a single Super Bowl, and only one other quarterback has repeated that since.
This all happened without Montana losing the ball once, either through an interception or a fumble. His passer rating of 147.6 is still the second-highest mark in history. Why, yes, he was named Super Bowl MVP for the record third time.
So this was a great performance, and, overall, Montana is the greatest quarterback in Super Bowl history. So who could've possibly played a better game in the Super Bowl? How about Joe Montana's backup?
#1
Steve Young (San Francisco 49ers, Super Bowl XXIX, 1995)
Yup. After backing up Joe Montana in two Super Bowls, Steve Young assumed the starting job in 1991 and got to make his own Super Bowl magic three years later. And what magic it was! Young completed two-thirds of his passes for 325 yards (nine yards per pass attempt) while throwing a Super Bowl record SIX touchdowns. He also got to show off some of his trademark mobility by rushing for 49 yards on five attempts (9.8 yards per run). Young committed zero turnovers and had a passer rating of 134.8, the fifth-highest mark in Super Bowl history, and accounted for all but one of the 49ers' touchdowns in the game. He was named Super Bowl MVP to go along with all the other cool shit he accomplished that season.
All stats and accomplishments found on pro-football-reference.com.
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