Comments on: Joe Montana: I never had a season as good as Aaron Rodgers

By: rosietheterrorist

rosietheterrorist — Tue, 27 Dec 2011 15:50:57 +0000

We used to see the 49ers play at 4:00PM on the East Coast, so we had a saying when we were trying to get back some of our gambling losses that we suffered on college games and NFL games at 1:00Pm: “Get it back with Montana”. It didn’t matter if the 49ers were favored by 14 1/2, Montana and Rice usually got us out money back.

By: txnative61

txnative61 — Fri, 23 Dec 2011 09:48:59 +0000

Joe can afford to be generous, his legacy is secure. He knows he will be in the conversation when Greatest QB is mentioned. Nolan Ryan identified why records are never secure. Players can study and benefit from the careers of past masters. Era comparisons are futile.

By: bealeman

bealeman — Wed, 21 Dec 2011 14:17:09 +0000

Y.A.C.

By: bealeman

bealeman — Wed, 21 Dec 2011 14:15:59 +0000

Of all the QBs you stack up against Montana’s ‘intangibles’, I’d still go with Rodgers. He’s like a gazillion and three in the Red Zone and ditto for the 4th quarter, akin to Montana. Furthermore, Montana RARELY got his WRs killed in traffic, akin to Rodgers. Both men put that ball precisely where it needed to be. The ‘Niners Jerry Rice invented the R.A.C. and that is due to Montana’s awesome accuracy. Rodgers possesses that same quality.

By: peelmybatwings

peelmybatwings — Tue, 20 Dec 2011 20:36:00 +0000

minnysoda says:Dec 16, 2011 12:50 PM

Still the greatest QB of all time for championships Bart Starr 5
Now Aaron is the 2nd best
BrINT 3rd because he tried to hurt the Packers because he quit then created all the Drama
what a useless man
Starr still is one of the classiest individuals to play the game

Not true. Otto Graham won 7 championships in ten seasons and has the highest winning percentage of any starting QB in NFL history.

By: yournuts

yournuts — Tue, 20 Dec 2011 00:40:28 +0000

The players of today are bigger, stronger and better. It is not fair to compare different generations. Montana was the best of his generation and Rodgers might be the best of his generation.

By: bringbacktheflex

bringbacktheflex — Sun, 18 Dec 2011 17:25:12 +0000

Montana retired with a rating of 92.3, 9 points higher than Staubach who was a first ballot HoF. That was the change in just 7-9 years of rule changes.

Today, Trent Green , Joe Flacco, Carson Palmer , David Garrard, Donovan McNabb,
Rich Gannon, Shaun Hill, Jay Cutler, Marc Bulger, Jim Kelly, and Mark Brunell ALL have career ratings higher than Staubach. All but the most ardent team fan has to admit that none of those QBs are as good as Staubach, but that is how easy it is to pass these days.

And that doesn’t include this years ratings that haven’t qualified for the career list. I’m just not impressed by QB stats anymore, and really no one should be.

By: cenobiteshan

cenobiteshan — Sun, 18 Dec 2011 16:15:21 +0000

Because Joe Montana said it, I’ll listen with respect, but because I saw nearly every snap of Montana’s career, I’m still laughing. Rodgers is in the same category as Dan Marino, great player, great stats, but the intangibles all go to Montana, and we old guys remember what happened when Montana’s Niners met Marino’s Dolphins in the Super Bowl…blowout!

By: bringbacktheflex

bringbacktheflex — Sat, 17 Dec 2011 17:44:33 +0000

thejuddstir: It’s worse than that. Montana ALSO played under looser passing rules than Unitas or Staubach. And Staubach retired with the best passer rating. Now half the league has a better passer rating than he did because of the rule changes.

The best QB in NFL history is Otto Graham. NO ONE has come close to his record – 10 years, 10 Championship games, 7 Championships.

By: bringbacktheflex

bringbacktheflex — Sat, 17 Dec 2011 17:39:47 +0000

rainponcho87: “You need a great quarterback to win”

I think you are mistaken, and you only have to look at this year to realize that. Rookie QBs are walking onto the field and having an immediate impact and have stats better than the HoFs from just 10 years ago. This tells me that you need even less of a star QB than ever before.

The rules have made it far easier to be a successful QB than ever before.

By: franknunley57

franknunley57 — Sat, 17 Dec 2011 16:59:19 +0000

@anthonyk66:

You can’t compare players from different eras in any sport. Rodgers is one of the greatest of HIS time along with Peyton & Tom. Babe Ruth didn’t play vs blacks & Latinos. Jerry West & Oscar didn’t have a 3 pt. line. Montana didn’t play vs defenses that weren’t permitted to touch receivers.

By: nyyankeedave

nyyankeedave — Sat, 17 Dec 2011 15:43:01 +0000

According to ESPN, Tim Tebow is the GREATEST of a all time. And according to Michael Irvin, Tony Romo is – so, yeah.

By: chaothao

chaothao — Sat, 17 Dec 2011 11:03:50 +0000

First of all Aaron didn’t say he was better than Joe. Second of all Joe said Rodgers is having a great season a season Joe never had before. Third of all if the rule change of this era helped the passing game than couldn’t we say the same thing about the running game back then as well? Fourth of all what make a QB good is accuracy and intelligence. It’s not about the fastest QB, strongest, or even the biggest. Aaron was just fortunate enough to have a little bit of everything maybe except the size being around 6’2 and 220 maybe a bit less.

By: rainponcho87

rainponcho87 — Sat, 17 Dec 2011 08:18:11 +0000

This may be off the topic, but I think the rule changes favoring the passing offense are good for player safety, but have made the game less multidimensional. You need a great quarterback to win. Every other position is diminished. It hasn’t been since 1998 that a running back was the superbowl MVP. A star receiver like Calvin Johnson or a star RB like Adrian Peterson are not worth nearly as much as a star quarterback. I would say the two most important positions today are quarterback and coach. If you have greatness in those two areas, you can fill in the pieces with good but not great players and win a lot of games.

By: anthonyk66

anthonyk66 — Sat, 17 Dec 2011 05:58:56 +0000

I loved watching Joe Montana play, even against the Packers back in the day, he was awesome. That said, you fellow football fans that want to compare teams or players to history are not watching the game today, or did not watch it back then. Our football today, I won’t talk about steriods, is bigger, faster, harder and bader than back in the day of Montana, I do not remember all the helmet to helmet, launch myself like a missile, hits like today. I do not recall all the guards and tackels over 300Lbs. and a defensive line the same. Nitschke was awesome, however, he never went against a guy like Sitton or Clifton. In the 60′s and 70′s tackles were made at the legs, today it’s the big hit for ESPN, sacks on the quarterback are still there just like when Joe and Bart played. The rules to protect the quarterback from helmet to helmet are really justified, it’s not a tackle or a sack it’s only being done to injure a player. Maybe, you should ask Colt McCoy what he thinks about the new rules after last week, or any number of quarterbacks lost this year. I may be older than most of you, however, I really do not believe you need dirty hits to make a good football game. If I played today I want their best players playing against our best players and may the best team win. Not knock out the quarterback, running back or star reciever. Just the best players vs the best players makes a good football game. And as far as Aaron Rodgers is concerened, in my 60 years, he is one of the best I have ever seen.

By: franknunley57

franknunley57 — Sat, 17 Dec 2011 04:47:18 +0000

@hml1988

1. S.F. 49ers 5-0 1.000 winning % in the Super Bowl.
2. Packers (4-1)
3. Steelers (6-2)
4. Giants (3-1)
5. Cowboys (5-3)

*teams with more than 1 super bowl appearance

By: franknunley57

franknunley57 — Sat, 17 Dec 2011 04:33:08 +0000

You would have Joe, playing with the defensive rules of today. Thank$ for the memorie$.

By: thejuddstir

thejuddstir — Sat, 17 Dec 2011 04:08:06 +0000

What a waste of an article/interview. Anyone with even a passing interest in football could tell you that no other QB has had a season like Rodgers, Brady or Brees because no QB has played under the rules that these guys do. Playing QB today is comparable to what a QB of the past did while at practice during the week. As far as I am concerned, the Pats, Packers and Saints should start a new league…..call it the “Arena League Football”, oh wait, there’s already a league like that. Tired of hearing about all the “records” these QB’s are chasing, it’s day n night, black n white…there is no comparison with the sissy rules now in place.

By: bringbacktheflex

bringbacktheflex — Sat, 17 Dec 2011 01:26:43 +0000

I think we should change the rules some more for next year. Let’s make it so you can’t rush the QB at all, and you can’t touch the receivers until they get within 5 yards of the endzone.

I bet there’ll be even better stats then.

By: cuda1234

cuda1234 — Fri, 16 Dec 2011 22:41:29 +0000

But did Montana ever have a season as good as Tim Tebow? After all, Tebow has qb’d the Broncos to 7 wins and does average more than 100 yards passing per game. From what I read/see/hear in the media he’s the greatest player of all time. So the real question is how does Montata compared to the Great Tim Tebow?

By: souldogdave

souldogdave — Fri, 16 Dec 2011 22:17:42 +0000

I like the fact that Rodgers is highly religious, a man of strong faith who even funded a Christian record label, but he hides his light. Doesn’t preach at you, or brag about his good deeds. You won’t see him on camera gushing about Jesus giving him the power to visit children in the hospital and all that look at me stuff. And he is the best in football.

By: ninerfanrich

ninerfanrich — Fri, 16 Dec 2011 22:09:43 +0000

@childressrulz

“Sorry no dice. Montana was only great because of Bill Walsh and most importantly defenses were ill prepared to face the west coast offense. Montana would be average today at best.”

Whatever you’re smoking…pass it this way!

By: ninerfanrich

ninerfanrich — Fri, 16 Dec 2011 21:55:25 +0000

@dough21

The way the game is played is different now. Look at all the rules that make it a pass happy league these days. I heard Mike Periera(sp?) on the radio recently in San Francisco and he was saying the league wants high scoring games, upwards of 40 points. So do you find it coincidental that 4 QBs can break Marino’s single season yardage record? I don’t.

By: dough21

dough21 — Fri, 16 Dec 2011 21:07:47 +0000

With all due respect to Joe Montana if Aaron Rodgers was playing in that Jerry Rice offense he would have done just as good or better than Joe. It goes both ways boys!

By: childressrulz

childressrulz — Fri, 16 Dec 2011 21:05:55 +0000

mrplow3 says: Dec 16, 2011 12:29 PM

If Joe Montana’s 49ers were all in their prime playing in today’s NFL, Montana would be having a better season.

With all due respect to Rodgers, the rules are so different today.

I’ve never in my life seen an offense as dominant as that Rice / Montana offense in their prime.

It was amazing to watch.
________________________
Sorry no dice. Montana was only great because of Bill Walsh and most importantly defenses were ill prepared to face the west coast offense. Montana would be average today at best.

By: granadafan

granadafan — Fri, 16 Dec 2011 21:00:04 +0000

Some of you can’t read. Joe Montana (IMO, the best QB ever) was talking about one season, not a career like some of you are comparing. Thanks for the great memories, Joe! Modern talent evaluators only need to look at a guy like Joe Montana and realize you don’t have to have a cannon arm, be the (idiotic) prototypical size, or have the “measurables” to be successful. Joe had a weak arm and his best receiver had a terrible 40 time. In today’s numbers driven league, Montana and Rice would have been picked in the 4th round.

By: discosucs2005

discosucs2005 — Fri, 16 Dec 2011 20:54:19 +0000

The way the game has changed in the last 10 years, it’s way easier to throw the ball. This in no way diminishes what Rodgers is doing, as he’s still doing it better than everyone else, but comparing Montana’s regular season numbers to Rodgers is not really an accurate comparison.

The obvious response is “how do you compare them then?” You don’t.

It’s too difficult to compare QBs from different generations. It’s fun, don’t misunderstand me, but it’s impossible to know how good Montana would be now, or Rodgers would be then. Outside of Jerry Rice, who’s records are so absurd that they are all but uncatchable, I believe most offensive records will be shattered within the next ten years. The game has changed dramatically to favor the offense. I’m not stating my opinion on that fact, I’m just saying that’s the reality.

By: intedwetrust

intedwetrust — Fri, 16 Dec 2011 20:51:08 +0000

Rodgers has a chance to really be something special if he keeps up his pace. Look at his record in the playoffs, he’s 4-1 with the only loss coming in that 51-45 loss to Arizona where he put up 3 td’s in the 4th quarter only to have his D leak points like a Pinto leaks oil. In the post season he has a 13/3 TD/INT ratio, a QB rating of 113 and completed nearly 68% of his passes. It’s not like he takes a dip in the post season folks, he has a chance to push guys like Montana and Bradshaw for most rings in a career if he stays healthy.

By: boron101

boron101 — Fri, 16 Dec 2011 20:47:02 +0000

As I recall, the 49ers had the top pick of that year when both Smith and Rodgers were available….The 49ers may have picked the wrong QB. However, with Farve as the hot QB then, Rogers had the opportunity to gradually absorb their system. The 49ers drafted the QB to quickly learn the 49er system and be the starter….then year after year of coach/system turnovers didn’t help Smith to develope ……Rogers could have suffered the same fate if he had been drafted by San Francisco….

By: jrmbadger

jrmbadger — Fri, 16 Dec 2011 20:46:56 +0000

eh….

Aaron Rodgers’ legacy has yet to be written. Both in terms of this season and his career. The time to debate this is when he hangs up his cleats (hopefully in Canton).

It’s nice to have him mentioned in that group of quarterbacks, especially coming from Joe himself.