Real Football - Which Team Has the Worst Quarterbacks Ever?

There is nothing on the damn radio. Ever. Sure we've got the new Ipod which is incredibly cool but you have to pace yourself with a thing like that since you can only hear even your most favoritists of songs so many times.  So, due to the whole radio sucking thing, we're pretty much forced to listen to ESPN radio and their flagship morning show - Mike and Mike. 

The more we listen, the more we HATE Mike and Mike or as it's more commonly known "4 Hours of Overproduced, Uncreative Drivel."  They rarely make a point beyond the most obvious of things and the "He's a slobby football player" - "He's a metrosexual" (we all know what that's code for) shtick is so goddamn old at this point.  Maybe someday we'll draft up a 5,000 screed on their uselessness, but for now, we digress. 

Much to our suprise, when cringing through another segment on Monday, we actually heard a conversation that sparked our imagination.  In the wake of Aaron Rodgers ascension, the Mikes were discussing which franchises in the modern era (after 1960) could boast the best 3 quarterbacks.  The consensus they reached was that the competition came down to the Packers (Bart Starr, The Dongslinger and Rodgers), the 49ers (Joe Montana, Steve Young and Y.A. Tittle - though they could have gone with Jeff Garcia, who was better then ol' Y.A. during his San Fran career) and the Colts (Johnny Unitas, Peyton Manning and Bert Jones).  We don't recall them coming to a definitive conclusion but we'd probably lean towards the Colts since they have 2 of the Top 5ish QBs of All-Time plus Jones, a little known guy to our generation who won an MVP in 1976.  That's tough to beat. 

But what actually intrigued us more was the throw-away suggestion that if you wanted to me "mean" they could come up with the list of the teams with the worst quarterbacks of all-time.  Well, that sounds like a job for the Project.  We just hope we don't hurt Vinny Testaverde's feelings.

So, who has the Worst Best 3?  We came up with 3 contenders - 2 are the usual suspects and 1 was a big big surprise.  We tried to stick with the most important guys from each team, generally from their top 5 all-time passers.  We also looked for guys who started 45 or more games (or about 3 seasons) because if you entrust your team to a guy for that many games, you deserve what you get.   

The Usual Suspects

Tampa Bay Bucaneers

Vinny Testaverde (87-92) - Franchise All-Time Passing Leader - Record: 24-48 - 52% completion - TD/INT: 77/122 - QB Rate: 64.4.  Notable Accomplishments (or unaccomlisments as the case may be): 35 INTs in 1988 (lead league 2x) - Top 10 in times sacked every year in Tampa Bay - Never more TDs than INTs - Better after Tampa.

Trent Dilfer (94-99) - Franchise 2nd All-Time Passing Leader - Record: 38-38 - 54% completion - TD/INT: 70/80 - QB Rate: 69.4.  Notable Accomplishments (or unaccomlisments as the case may be): 1 Pro-Bowl - .500+ QB Record (2x) - 21 TDs (2x) - Super Bowl winner with Ravens.


Brad Johnson (87-92) - Franchise 4th All-Time Passing Leader - Record: 26-23 - 61% completion - TD/INT: 64/41 - QB Rate: 83.2 (highest eligible for team).  Notable Accomplishments (or unsaccomlisments as the case may be): 1 Pro Bowl (22 TDs/6 INTs) - Super Bowl Winner.

Honorable Mention:  Doug Williams (78-82) - 3rd All-Time Passing Leader -  33-33 - 47% - 73-73 - 66.2 - 9-7 season - more TDs than INTs (2x) - Super Bowl MVP with Redskins.

Detroit Lions

Scott Mitchell (94-98) - Franchise 2nd All-Time Passing Leader - Record: 27-30 - 56.7% completion - TD/INT: 79/57 - QB Rate: 79.2. Notable Accomplishments (or unaccomlisments as the case may be): Playoffs (2x) - 1995: 10-6, 32 TDs, 12 INTs, QB Rate: 92.3 - Top 10 TDs (3x), Top 10 QB Rate (2x).



Greg Landry (68-78) - Franchise 3rd All-Time Passing Leader - Record: 40-41 - 54.8% completion - TD/INT: 80/81 - QB Rate: 73.4. Notable Accomplishments (or unaccomlisments as the case may be): 1 Pro Bowl - Comeback Player of the Year - Top 10 Passing Yards/TDs (3x) - .500+ QB Record (2x). 


Gary Danielson (77-84) - Franchise 4th All-Time Passing Leader - Record: 23-28 - 56.5% completion - TD/INT: 69/71 - QB Rate: 74.4. Notable Accomplishments (or unaccomlisments as the case may be): Top 10 TDs (1x) - Top 10 QB Rating (3x)  - .500+ QB Record (2x) - More TDs than INTs (3x).




Omits Bobby Layne (played entire career before 1960 - All-Time Leading Passer - HOF - 1st Team All-Pro (2x) - Pro Bowl (6x).)

The Surprise

Chicago Bears

Jim Harbaugh (87-93) - Franchise 2nd All-Time Passing Leader - Record: 35-30 - 58.2% completion - TD/INT: 50/56 - QB Rate: 74.2. Notable Accomplishments (or unaccomlisments as the case may be): 10 wins (2x) - 35 INTs in 1988 (lead league 2x) - Top 10 Passing Yards/TDs/Rating (1x).


Jim McMahon (82-88) - Franchise 3rd All-Time Passing Leader - Record: 46-15 - 57.8% completion - TD/INT: 67/56 - QB Rate: 80.4. Notable Accomplishments (or unaccomlisments as the case may be): 1 Pro Bowl - Super Bowl - Started 10+ games only 2x - .500+ QB Record (6x) - Top 10 Raring (2x).


Billy Wade (61-66) - Franchise 5th All-Time Passing Leader - Record: 27-20 - 54% completion - TD/INT: 68/60 - QB Rate: 73.6. Notable Accomplishments (or unaccomlisments as the case may be): 1 Pro Bowl - .500+ QB record (3x) - Top 10 Passing Yards (3x), TDs/Rating (4x) - Lead League in Passer Rating (1x). 


Omits Sid Luckman (Played from 39-50 - Franchise All-Time Passing Leader - HOF - 1st Team All-Pro (5x) - Pro Bowl (3x)

Who's Worst?

It's a tight race but we give the edge to the Lions in the awful derby. 

The Bears QBs numbers are uninspiring but for the most the guys won a lot of games.  Sure, they had excellent defenses carrying  them but QB is the most important position on the field so winning has to count for something.  It just amazed us that a team with as much history and mystique as Chicago could have such consistently mediocre to bad quarterback play.  Good thing their current guy makes Chuck Norris look like a puss.

Tampa's quarterbacks, particularly Testaverde, actually might have worst numbers of the 3 teams, but we gave them credit for having success away from Tampa.  Vinny was much more productive with both Baltimore and the Jets and Dilfer won a Super Bowl.  Have to chalk some of their struggles up to the Tampa Bay stink.  Add in Johnson winning a Super Bowl and they slide by.

Detroit's history, on the other hand, is just littered with unaccomlishment.  If Scott Mitchell is the best QB in your modern era - your team really really sucks.  It's also worth noting some of the other terrible guys who they trotted out under center who didn't make the cut - Joey Harrington, Andre Ware, Rodney Peete, Jon Kitna, Charlie Batch and on and on.  The Lions are the '27 Yankees of bad QBing. 

So congratulations, Detroit.  You suck worst of all.

What do you guys think? Agree or Disagree?  Want to throw a franchise under the bus?  Let us know.