There are many great QBs in NFL history, but who has been the luckiest? Brady, Fitzpatrick, Drew Brees, Montana, and others come to mind. Each of these players has had an outstanding career, but who stands out as a lucky or unlucky quarterback? Read on to find out. And don’t forget to share your thoughts in the comments below!
Fitzpatrick
If you’re wondering if Ryan Fitzpatrick is the luckiest quarterback in NFL history, you’re not alone. Brady, Rodgers, Stafford, and Fitzpatrick are the only quarterbacks to have won at least one game against every team. And if the other quarterbacks lose to more than three teams this season, they’re not going to catch Fitzpatrick.
Fitzpatrick, 37, is now tied with John Hadel and Phil Simms for the most career passing yards. He sits at 34th in that list, 503 yards behind both Alex Smith and Tony Romo. In terms of total passing touchdowns, Fitzpatrick is tied with John Brodie for 35th place. He’s 22 touchdowns shy of joining George Blanda, who holds the record with 158.
The Dolphins’ offense is struggling. Miami signed Fitzpatrick to help them win so they could get the first overall pick in the draft. Unfortunately, the Dolphins learned a hard lesson, fitting Fitzpatrick in with the right philosophy. They ended up going 5-10 in his 15 starts. However, he still managed to win a game against the Patriots as a 17-point underdog in Week 17.
In addition to his stellar play, Fitzpatrick is the luckiest quarterback in NFL history. He has started for eight different teams during his 17-year career, and has won the MVP award five times. He has also won a Super Bowl and the Super Bowl, two of which have been played on Monday Night Football. If you’re wondering if Fitzpatrick is the luckiest quarterback in NFL history, consider this: he’ll appear in virtually every game of the season on Amazon Prime Video.
Brady
There is a long-running debate about who the luckiest quarterback in NFL history is. Many argue that Joe Montana is the best. But these arguments ignore Brady’s exceptional performance and circumstances. Despite the debate, Brady is arguably the luckiest QB in NFL history. He has been named MVP five times and has won five Super Bowls. If you look at his statistical success, he is definitely the luckiest quarterback in NFL history.
The 2007 Giants game was the only game in which the Patriots allowed more than 28 points. It took a kickoff return touchdown and a late touchdown to put the Giants in the game. Brady threw an interception with two minutes left and allowed Manning to return the ball for a 17-point 4QC. The 2014 Chiefs game ended in a tie after Brady threw an intercepted touchdown pass to Malcolm Butler.
In addition to having won six Super Bowls, Brady was also the luckiest in one other way. He never lost a game because of a missed field goal. Only one kicker has missed a 50-yard or longer field goal against Brady. And if he did miss the field goal, he’d be out for the rest of his career. And it doesn’t get much luckier than that. In fact, Brady’s luck never slowed down.
Drew Brees
If we take away the success of Tom Brady and Peyton Manning, we’re left with one player: Drew Brees. The Saints have been a defensive mess for years, but Brees has been able to carry the team to championships while displaying his skill as a passer. His 2006 Super Bowl win, for example, benefited the city of New Orleans and those who had suffered through Hurricane Katrina. Then, he added a record to his resume.
While the Saints are favored to win the NFC Championship Game, the Saints were still underdogs in the 2010 Super Bowl. Drew Brees led the Saints to their first-ever league championship, and was named Super Bowl MVP. He also won the AP Male Athlete of the Year and Sport Illustrated Sportsman of the Year awards. His two touchdown passes gave the Saints the win.
While Drew Brees’ early career was not a success, his playoff success continues to impress. In his first year with the Saints, he threw for 354 yards and two touchdowns against the NFL’s #3 defense. This effort kept his team in the game until the fourth quarter. In his second season, Drew Brees led the Saints to a Super Bowl appearance. He threw for 308 yards and a touchdown against the Seattle Seahawks in a thrilling game.
Montana
In a season marked by injuries, Joe Montana could have won a Super Bowl and the MVP award, but an elbow injury sidelined him for two years. He was traded to Kansas City after that and led the Chiefs to their first AFC Championship in over 30 years. While Montana’s career was limited, his success helped him become one of the greatest players in NFL history. Besides his remarkable play, his teammates helped him win more Super Bowls and a ring than any other quarterback.
During the Super Bowl, Montana shared the John Candy story with his teammates. With 3:04 left to play, the 49ers were on their own eight-yard line against the Bengals. They needed a touchdown, but a TV timeout extended the huddle, and Montana and his teammates recalled the moment in an NFL Films documentary about the 1988 Niners. Montana’s touchdown pass to Clark in the back of the end zone sealed their victory.
In the Super Bowl, Montana almost threw an interception while trailing by 13 points. The Bengals’ Lewis Billups dropped the ball in his own end zone. However, Montana made the most of his second chance, hitting Ray Rice for a game-tying touchdown pass on his fourth play. That was the best Super Bowl performance by a quarterback in NFL history. But he has to be deemed the luckiest QB in NFL history.
Namath
Joe Namath’s career is often misunderstood. Not only was he an elite passer, but he avoided sacks better than any other quarterback in NFL history. Namath’s career arc was especially remarkable because he played in the worst era of NFL passing stats. But despite his debilitating knee problems, Namath’s career was still notable.
In his college career, Namath led a senior-dominated team to a 10-1 record. In his senior season, he completed 76 of 146 passes for 1,192 yards and 12 touchdowns. He broke a curfew and only made one attempt in the Rams’ half-field during the season. Despite the setback, Namath played on for three more seasons, putting up miserable numbers.
Another notable feat for Namath is the six Super Bowl championships he won. With four wins in 1976, he became the first player to do it in a 14-game season. He went on to win the Super Bowl and earn MVP honors, cementing his place as one of the greats of the game. A game against the Colts ranks among the most exciting upsets in sport history, and Namath won MVP honors, sealing his place among the greats of the game. In the game’s most famous Super Bowls, he was surrounded by legendary quarterbacks.
Taylor
In 2004, Taylor was the third overall pick by the Miami Dolphins, beating out Sam Huff, Frank Gifford, Michael Strahan, and even Aaron Rodgers. In 2004, Taylor threw just seven passes, but he dropped ten of them, and his only pick was a touchdown that should have been caught by his receiver. But this season, Taylor has been the luckiest QB in NFL history.
After an undrafted season at Nebraska, Taylor was signed by the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, but cut after the preseason. He then landed in Canada, joining the Winnipeg Blue Bombers as a fourth-string quarterback. He did not play a single game in the CFL, and did not return to play in the 2008 season. After his stint as a player, Taylor began his transition into coaching. He was named MVP of the 2007 CFL season and married Sarah Sherman, the daughter of legendary Green Bay Packers head coach Mike Sherman. The couple have four children together, and Taylor is still working on his career.
In 2006, the Buccaneers’ head coach, Matt LaFleur, made a crucial mistake. After giving up a touchdown, he committed an obvious holding penalty. This could have gotten the Buccaneers off the field with a field goal in the final seconds. In the same year, the Buccaneers were down by eight with two minutes left to play. However, they were forced to settle for a field goal, which they could have made even more of a comeback.
There are many NFL records pertaining to the most perfect game by a quarterback, but only a few have held the record. Tannehill holds the record for the highest completion rate, going 18 of 19 for 94.7% in the perfect game of 2015. Chris Chandler’s perfect game came in 1995, when he went 23 of 26 for an 88% completion rate. Which of these quarterbacks holds the record for the most perfect games?
Aaron Rodgers
A perfect game can only be achieved by a few quarterbacks, but Aaron Rodgers is no exception. Last Sunday, he threw a perfect game for the first time in his career. He completed 126 of 183 passes for 1,593 yards and 13 touchdowns, with just one interception. In addition to the perfect game, Rodgers was the Packers’ top running threat, as he rushed for a career-high 431 yards.
The Packers had the entire field to use, and Aaron Rodgers looked off of safetyties and delivered accurate passes all over the field. The Raiders had very little pressure on Rodgers, and their only blitz came from linebacker Paul Guenther. Rodgers made several sound throws, including a perfect pass to Davante Adams down the seam. However, the pass was over his shoulder, and Adams went out of bounds.
The Green Bay Packers were a bit more fortunate. The Packers’ quarterback Aaron Rodgers was back to vintage form in a game against the Oakland Raiders. The Packers won 42-24, with a healthy Rodgers and a balanced offense that included Jake Kumerow, Allen Lazard, and Danny Vitale. This was a big win for Rodgers and the Packers, who are currently on a three-game winning streak. The Packers will try to extend that streak next week when they face a lackluster Kansas City Chiefs team.
The 49ers had a great game as well. Rodgers did not have to take many risks in order to win, but he did when it was needed. On the ground, the 49ers dominated the Packers with an average of seven yards per carry. The Packers’ defense gave up the second-most yards to an individual runner in a playoff game, Raheem Mostert rushed for 220 yards.
On Sunday, Aaron Rodgers had a perfect game. His performance against the Oakland Raiders has helped the Packers improve to 6-1. In addition to a season-high 429 passing yards, he threw five touchdown passes to different receivers. A perfect game has only been accomplished once in Rodgers’ career. The Packers have a new record for quarterbacks.
Marino
Dan Marino had a long NFL career as a quarterback and was considered one of the best in the league. In his prime, Marino led the Miami Dolphins to the playoffs ten times, winning the first two, and going as far as the Super Bowl XIX. Though he never won the Super Bowl, many consider him one of the greatest players to not win the title. He holds the record for most career victories of quarterbacks without a Super Bowl title.
Marino’s perfect game happened to be the first one in the NFL. The Dolphins hired Marino to be their quarterback in the 1984 season, and the season was a tremendous success. Marino went on to win 17 games and the Sugar Bowl in the same season, and was named the NFL’s MVP. The Dolphins finished the season 12-4, and Marino threw four touchdowns for a perfect score.
During his career, Marino had 47 game-winning drives, the most memorable of which was a late-season drive against the Seattle Seahawks. Although many expected Marino to spike the ball and stop the clock, he hit Mark Ingram for a touchdown pass to cap the comeback after being down by 24 points. Marino finished the game with 359 yards on 31 of 44 attempts and three touchdown passes.
Marino has also made a significant impact on the world by supporting autism charities. The Marino Foundation was established in 1992 and has distributed more than $22 million to various charities that help children with autism and other neurodevelopmental disorders. The Dan Marino Center, along with Miami Children’s Hospital, opened in 1995. Its mission is to diagnose and treat children at risk of developing psychological or developmental problems. Last year, the Center treated over 48,000 children. The Foundation has teamed up with other celebrities to raise awareness of autism spectrum disorders.
Aside from being a legendary quarterback, Marino was a popular player in the Miami Dolphins. In his rookie season, he threw for a perfect game against the Denver Broncos. The Dolphins won the game 38-21, earning the AFC East division title. This made him the first quarterback in NFL history to reach 60,000 career yards. It is not easy to reach a perfect game.
Wilson
Russell Wilson throws a perfect game in the National Football League: What makes this rare feat so rare? In his first five games, the Seattle Seahawks quarterback threw nine interceptions. That includes four picks in a ten-pass stretch against the Patriots. But after that, the Seahawks quarterback has gone two full games without throwing an interception. That’s 81 passes without an interception. And he only came close to throwing an interception against the Dolphins defense on one of his 81 passes.
While it’s unlikely that Wilson will ever lead the NFL in touchdowns or passing yards, he’s already serving his team’s offense better than any other quarterback in recent memory. In fact, Seahawks coach Pete Carroll called Wilson’s performance “the perfect football game.”
Another example: Against the Lions, Wilson targeted Moore against Tabor. The Lions were in Cover 1 Robber while the Seahawks were in a shotgun formation. Moore was in block position, so Wilson spotted the one-on-one match-up on Moore’s back shoulder. Moore caught the pass and dragged his feet before coming down with it. The pass to Moore was the perfect throw, and he was able to escape a sack.
With that being said, the Jets game plan is reasonable against the Dolphins. Even without the start left tackle or the top two wide receivers, it’s easy to see why. And one of the biggest questions facing Wilson in his second half is whether he’ll be able to stretch the field with his arm. While that’s still a question, the Jets will want to see the quarterback perform well in the final three games.
The Jets’ second possession was the only non-scoring one under Wilson, going 20 yards on five plays with only two completions by Wilson. Wilson then ran for no gain on third-and-one, and the Jets stalled. At that point, Wilson’s perfect game was over. That’s not to say Wilson isn’t capable of throwing a perfect game, but he should be praised for it nonetheless.
Rodgers
There’s no record of a perfect game in the NFL, but we do know that Aaron Rodgers had a near-perfect day during Week 7 of the 2014 season. The Packers quarterback completed 81% of his passes and averaged 13.8 yards per attempt. He also threw five touchdown passes in 31 attempts. But while the statistical records of perfect games aren’t exactly perfect, there are some glaring flaws in the NFL’s stats.
Only five quarterbacks in NFL history have achieved the perfect game – Andy Lyons and Tom Brady, with four and three each. Of course, it’s highly unlikely that a quarterback will ever reach the 158.3 passer rating. The NFL quarterbacks who have achieved that mark are rarer than those in college football. This is a rare feat and is a highlight of a quarterback’s career.
In 2011, Drew brees became the first NFL quarterback to throw a perfect game, but that achievement was short lived. There are only two other NFL quarterbacks who have thrown a perfect game – Ben Roethlisberger and Tom Brady. However, these two quarterbacks had similar stats in different years. In addition to the perfect game, Rodgers also has the most touchdown passes in the NFL, as well as the highest completion percentage – 70.7% of his throws.
Rodgers is the undisputed leader in the QB Tiers. His perfect games were a result of superior weaponry and his ability to elevate his teammates. His ability to outsmart opponents and make explosive plays has been one of his greatest traits. Among quarterbacks, Rodgers is the only player in the league with no obvious holes. The quarterback polls that include he and Rodgers have the most Tier 1 votes, with Aaron Rodgers leading the polls with 401 of them.