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The Super Bowl is a showcase of the best football teams in the NFL. While football is a team sport, the Super Bowl quarterback does the heavy lifting and is expected to handle the heat. Patrick Mahomes and Jalen Hurts will experience this unique cauldron in Super Bowl LVII. Although a lot of players succumb to the pressure that comes with the bright lights of the Super Bowl, there are a handful of quarterbacks who thrived under pressure. For this piece, let’s take a look at the 10 best quarterback performances in Super Bowl history.
10. Aaron Rodgers: Super Bowl XLV
In Super Bowl XLV, despite being pitted against two elite defenders in James Harrison and Troy Polamalu, Aaron Rodgers earned a passer rating of 111.49 by completing 24 passes for 304 yards and three touchdowns versus the Piitsburgh Steelers. Rodgers led the Packers to a 31-25 victory to take home Super Bowl MVP honors.
9. Terry Bradshaw: Super Bowl XIII
Terry Bradshaw of the Pittsburgh Steelers is one of the great Super Bowl quarterbacks of all time. In Super Bowl XIII, facing the Dallas Cowboys’ signature Doomsday defense, Bradshaw was part of a tight affair. In the game, Bradshaw completed 17 of 30 passes for 318 yards with four touchdowns and one interception. This included a game-winning play to Lynn Swann that sealed the victory for the Steelers.
8. Joe Namath: Super Bowl III
At first, the disparity between the NFL and AFL teams seemed to be great, especially given how the Green Bay Packers won the first two Super Bowls in dominant fashion, by 19 or more points against the Chiefs (SB I) and Raiders (SB II). However, Joe Namath and the New York Jets made history by defeating the powerful Baltimore Colts, 16-7, in Super Bowl III. The Colts were 18-point favorites, but Namath — who guaranteed a win before the game — forged one of the most seminal achievements in pro football history by shocking the world. Named Super Bowl MVP, Namath completed 17 passes in 28 attempts for 206 yards and led a ball-control offense which did not make any big mistakes. Namath stamped himself as a Super Bowl quarterback who could back up big talk. This is what confidence truly looks like.
7. Doug Williams: Super Bowl XXII
In one of the most lopsided Super Bowls in history, Doug Williams was simply dominant. The Washington Redskins annihilated the Denver Broncos, 42-10. Williams tallied 18 completions in 29 attempts for a record-breaking 340 yards. Among those 18 completed passes, Williams made nine in the second quarter that led to four touchdowns. Williams became the first Super Bowl quarterback to throw four TDs in one quarter — and one half — at the Super Bowl. Patrick Mahomes and Jalen Hurts would dream of doing this in Super Bowl LVII.
6. Nick Foles: Super Bowl LII
Going up against Tom Brady and the New England Patriots, Nick Foles and the Philadelphia Eagles faced a major roadblock at Super Bowl LII. Despite the mismatch against Brady, Foles remained undaunted. He remained steady in the clutch, finishing with 28 completed passes for 373 yards and three touchdowns with one interception. He also delivered a touchdown catch on the Philly Special trick play to become the first player in a Super Bowl to throw for a touchdown and to accomplish a TD catch in the same game. As the Super Bowl MVP, Foles led the Eagles to their first Super Bowl victory. Jalen Hurts will pursue title number two in Super Bowl LVII.
5. Joe Montana: Super Bowl XXIV
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Joe Montana and the San Francisco 49ers were hungry to add another piece of hardware to their dynasty. At the expense of the Denver Broncos, Joe Montana led the 49ers to a 55-10 victory, the biggest winning margin in Super Bowl history. Montana finished by hitting 22 passes in 29 attempts for 297 yards and five touchdowns. With the Super Bowl win, Montana gained a 4-0 win-loss record on the grandest football stage. He also won his third Super Bowl MVP award.
4. Steve Young: Super Bowl XXIX
When you set the Super Bowl record for the most touchdown passes, you should definitely rank in the top five in all-time Super Bowl quarterback performances. Young tallied a record-breaking six touchdown passes en route to a 49-26 victory over the San Diego Chargers. Young was named Super Bowl MVP.
3. Eli Manning: Super Bowl XLII
Winning in the Super Bowl is a herculean task as it is. However, going against an undefeated New England Patriots team was a different animal. Nevertheless, Eli Manning led the Giants to one of the biggest upsets in Super Bowl history. New York defeated the Patriots, 17-14. In the clutch, Manning made a 32-yard connection with David Tyree in what would become the iconic Helmet Catch to keep the Giants in the game. Manning then made a perfect pass to Plaxico Burress for the winning touchdown moments later.
2. Kurt Warner: Super Bowl XXXIV
The St. Louis Rams entered Super Bowl XXXIV in search of their first Lombardi Trophy, and they needed everything to pull off the victory. Kurt Warner led the Rams by hitting 28 out of 44 attempts for 365 yards with one touchdown and two interceptions. No Warner pass was more important than finding Isaac Bruce for the game-winning 73-yard touchdown late in regulation.
1.Tom Brady: Super Bowl LI
Despite facing a 28-3 deficit in the second half against the Atlanta Falcons, Tom Brady managed to pull off the impossible at Super Bowl LI by rallying the Patriots. Brady led New England to the biggest Super Bowl comeback in history with 31 unanswered points in a 34-28 overtime win. He finished the game by completing 43 out of 62 passes for 466 yards with two touchdowns and one interception to take MVP honors.
