John Elway is the most OVERRATED quarterback of all time

Terry Bradshaw on the overated list.

Except for his work on Cannonball Run.

Asked ChatGpt:

Is John Elway overrated as one of the best quarterbacks to ever play in the NFL?

ChatGPT said:

John Elway is a polarizing figure when it comes to evaluating his place among the greatest NFL quarterbacks. Here are some key points that often come up in discussions about his legacy:
Strengths:

Physical Tools: Elway had a strong arm, impressive athleticism, and the ability to make plays with his legs. His physical attributes were among the best ever seen in a quarterback.

Clutch Performances: He's renowned for his performances in crucial moments, including numerous game-winning drives and comebacks. His ability to perform under pressure is a significant part of his legacy.

Super Bowl Wins: Elway led the Denver Broncos to back-to-back Super Bowl victories in the late 1990s. His performances in those games were stellar and helped solidify his reputation.

Career Longevity and Stats: Over his career, Elway accumulated impressive statistics and played at a high level well into his late 30s. His career passing yards and touchdowns are among the best of his era.

Criticisms:

Early Career Struggles: Elway's early career was marked by some inconsistency and playoff failures. It took him a while to break through and win Super Bowls, which has led some to view his career with a critical lens.

Comparison with Contemporaries: When compared to contemporaries like Joe Montana or later quarterbacks like Tom Brady, some argue that Elway's record doesn't stack up as favorably. Montana and Brady have more Super Bowl rings and arguably more consistent performances throughout their careers.

Support and Context: The Broncos had strong teams during Elway's Super Bowl wins, and some critics argue that his success was partly due to the quality of his supporting cast and coaching.

In summary, John Elway is often celebrated for his impressive physical attributes, clutch performances, and eventual Super Bowl victories. However, debates about whether he is overrated often revolve around comparisons with other all-time greats and the context of his career achievements.

You said:
Can you give me a straight answer?

ChatGPT said:

John Elway is widely regarded as one of the greatest quarterbacks in NFL history, but whether he is overrated depends on your criteria. He had an impressive career with notable physical skills, clutch performances, and two Super Bowl wins. However, if you compare his career achievements and consistency to other all-time greats like Joe Montana or Tom Brady, some might argue he's slightly overrated. Overall, he's certainly among the elite, but opinions on whether he's overrated can vary.

I've never really encountered anyone claiming Elway was better than Montana or the other goats but he was a great QB. Super Bowl wins and appearances carry a lot of weight and he had 2 wins and what 3 losses?
__PRESENT

Steve must be bored. LOL Personally, I think this is a case where stats dont tell the entire story. The guy led some pretty inferior teams to SBs and won back to back titles when they got better. He isnt a top 5 QB but he certainly isnt the most overrated in my opinion. I would put Joe Namath ahead of him off the top of my head. But, dont care enough to look back at all the stats.

Originally posted by miked1978:
I've never really encountered anyone claiming Elway was better than Montana or the other goats but he was a great QB. Super Bowl wins and appearances carry a lot of weight and he had 2 wins and what 3 losses?
__PRESENT

Ive seen a lot of people say Elway is better then Montana.

Originally posted by Ninerjohn:
Steve must be bored. LOL Personally, I think this is a case where stats dont tell the entire story. The guy led some pretty inferior teams to SBs and won back to back titles when they got better. He isnt a top 5 QB but he certainly isnt the most overrated in my opinion. I would put Joe Namath ahead of him off the top of my head. But, dont care enough to look back at all the stats.

I'm not bored. This is a thread I have wanted to make for a long time.

Originally posted by SteveWallacesHelmet:
Elway won one MVP in 1987, but he absolutely should not have. That season, Elway's stats were:

54.6 completion
3198 Passing Yards
19 TDs
12 INTs
7.8 YPA
83.4 passer rating

Here are Joe Montana's stats in that same season

66.1 completion percentage (12% higher)
3054 passing yards (144 less in 12 less attempts)
7.7 YPA (basically identical)
31 TDs (12 more!)
13 INTs (1 more)
102.1 passer rating (almost 20 points higher!)

You tell me who should have won it that year. If your answer isnt Montana, the only other acceptable answer is Jerry Rice, who had 1078 yards and 22 touchdowns

Rice was the MVP that year. Elway got 36 votes, Rice got 30 & Montana got 18. Rice being a WR hurt him and Montana split the vote allowing Elway to win.

Originally posted by Ninerjohn:
Steve must be bored. LOL Personally, I think this is a case where stats dont tell the entire story. The guy led some pretty inferior teams to SBs and won back to back titles when they got better. He isnt a top 5 QB but he certainly isnt the most overrated in my opinion. I would put Joe Namath ahead of him off the top of my head. But, dont care enough to look back at all the stats.

Steve's making an incredibly weak argument using basic statistics that are heavily influenced by things (players, scheme) outside a QB's control.

49erking.....I will try to breakdown your post.

Physical Tools: Elway had a strong arm, impressive athleticism, and the ability to make plays with his legs. His physical attributes were among the best ever seen in a quarterback.

You know who else this describes? Jamarcus Russell.

Clutch Performances: He's renowned for his performances in crucial moments, including numerous game-winning drives and comebacks. His ability to perform under pressure is a significant part of his legacy.

This has to do with reputation. Reality didnt match this narrative nearly as much as people want to say. I will give him so much credit for "the Drive." It was brilliant. Elway had a game winning drive on 27% of his team's wins. Sounds super impressive huh? Well, Jay Shroeder had a game winning drive on 27% of his teams wins also. Bernie Kosar had a game winning drive on 30% of his team's wins. Boomer Esiason had a game winning drive on 32% of his teams wins. The perception and the reputation of Elway always clouds people's minds.

Super Bowl Wins: Elway led the Denver Broncos to back-to-back Super Bowl victories in the late 1990s. His performances in those games were stellar and helped solidify his reputation.

Stellar? LOL. In the 1998 Superbowl against the Packers, he had 0 TDs, 1 INT and threw for less yards than Terrell Davis Ran for (157 to 123 LOL). He played much better in the 1999 Superbowl. Threw for a ton of yards and didnt have more interceptions than touchdown passes this time.

Also, you cant just mention his wins. What about his 3 losses? He was absolutely abysmal in those 3 Superbowls.

Career Longevity and Stats: Over his career, Elway accumulated impressive statistics and played at a high level well into his late 30s. His career passing yards and touchdowns are among the best of his era.

Addressed this already. Counting stats arent impressive. He played for a long time. Its like how Omar Vizquel has almost 3000 hits but was never a very good hitter.

Early Career Struggles: Elway's early career was marked by some inconsistency and playoff failures. It took him a while to break through and win Super Bowls, which has led some to view his career with a critical lens.

Comparison with Contemporaries: When compared to contemporaries like Joe Montana or later quarterbacks like Tom Brady, some argue that Elway's record doesn't stack up as favorably. Montana and Brady have more Super Bowl rings and arguably more consistent performances throughout their careers.

It took him no longer being the focal point of the team for him to start winning Superbowls. Its not a coincidence that he started winning Superbowls when he had an MVP running back that he could lean on. If not for the 2 Superbowls at the end of his career, his reputation would be vastly different. He would be viewed as a loveable loser, and not a clutch winner like many view him as. And I wont compare Elway to QBs in other eras. Its not fair to Elway (or anyone from previous eras). But compared to his OWN peers, his statistics dont hold up. Look at one of my original posts. He didnt compare favorably to QBs who werent even considered good QBs.

Support and Context: The Broncos had strong teams during Elway's Super Bowl wins, and some critics argue that his success was partly due to the quality of his supporting cast and coaching.

His supporting cast on the first 3 Superbowls werent nearly as bad as people want to make them out to be either. In two of the three years, his defense was top 10 in both points allowed and yards allowed (one of which was ranked 1st and 3rd respectively). In the third year, his team was 15th and 9th respectively. Yet again, the perception is he dragged bad teams to the Superbowl. Having top defenses surely make teams better than "bad" to me.

Good talk.

these best i've seen no particular order: Elway, Montana, P Manning, Brady, Favre, Vick on MNF vs WAS, Brees, Mahomes
honorable mention to Steve, Rodgers, Ben, Troy, Marino

i may be forgetting a few,

Originally posted by SmokeyJoe:
Steve's making an incredibly weak argument using basic statistics that are heavily influenced by things (players, scheme) outside a QB's control.

How is it weak though? Because you dont like the conclusion of what the stats are saying? I compared Elway to his peers. I compared Elway to other QBs in the exact same system. I compared him to his backups. None of those comparisons look favorable to Elway. Its not just comparing him to the Marinos and Montanas of the world. And I have NEVER compared him statistically across eras.

I don't like to rate QBs since htey're only as good as their OC an dthe plyers around them. The only thing i can say about Elway is I saw him make the greatest throw I've ever seen when he was at Stanford. He was back peddling under a heavy rush and he threw a pass 70 yards in the air over Ronnie Lott into the end zone for a TD.

Originally posted by CatchMaster80:
I don't like to rate QBs since htey're only as good as their OC an dthe plyers around them. The only thing i can say about Elway is I saw him make the greatest throw I've ever seen when he was at Stanford. He was back peddling under a heavy rush and he threw a pass 70 yards in the air over Ronnie Lott into the end zone for a TD.

yeah he was probably the greatest prospect in the history of football

size, most rocket arm in league history, and athletic, clutch, leader, durable, could have done it in any era of football

Joe Namath is the most overrated by far. I don't think he should be in the HOF. Even his Super Bowl was just ok.

Originally posted by 49erFaithful6:

Originally posted by CatchMaster80:
I don't like to rate QBs since htey're only as good as their OC an dthe plyers around them. The only thing i can say about Elway is I saw him make the greatest throw I've ever seen when he was at Stanford. He was back peddling under a heavy rush and he threw a pass 70 yards in the air over Ronnie Lott into the end zone for a TD.

yeah he was probably the greatest prospect in the history of football

size, most rocket arm in league history, and athletic, clutch, leader, durable, could have done it in any era of football

You can argue Steve Young was a better QB prospect then Elway.