TOP 20 QUARTERBACK PERFORMANCES IN SUPER BOWL HISTORY

When you think of the Super Bowl, you think of brilliant quarterback play. Here’s a look at some of the best showings from quarterbacks in the history of the big game.

The Super Bowl is where legends are made. Putting up a dominant performance in the big game ensures you become a legend. Coming up small reduces even the best to mere footnotes in history.

This is especially true of the quarterback position. More than any other position in sports, quarterbacks are often defined by how many championships they deliver. There’s a reason Joe Montana and Tom Brady draw more praise than Dan Marino and Jim Kelly.

With Super Bowl LIII set to kick off on Sunday, let’s take a look back at 20 of the most dominant performances from quarterbacks in Super Bowl history. Spoiler alert, expect to see plenty of Brady and Montana in here.

The countdown begins, naturally, with a Super Bowl 1 performance from Packers legend and Hall of Famer, Bart Starr.

20. BART STARR, SUPER BOWL I

You can’t have a list of the top 20 quarterback performances in Super Bowl history without including the guy who did it first. That would be Hall of Famer Bart Starr, who won the first two Super Bowls for the Green Bay Packers.

Starr’s performance against the Kansas City Chiefs in Super Bowl I may not look great by today’s standards, but it is important to remember the NFL was more of a running league then.

The Chiefs had no answer for Starr and the Packers’ passing offense that day as Starr helped the Packers pull away from the feisty AFL champs. Starr completed 16 of 23 passes for 250 yards with two touchdowns (both to Max McGee, who caught 7 passes for 138 yards while dealing with a nasty hangover) and one interception.

Starr was named the MVP of Super Bowl I, setting a precedent that the winning quarterback is a heavy favorite to become the Super Bowl MVP.

19. JIM PLUNKETT, SUPER BOWL XV

Super Bowl XV featured a matchup of two dominant teams, the Philadelphia Eagles and Oakland Raiders. Many assumed the dominant quarterback in the game would be Ron Jaworski, who threw for over 3,500 yards and 27 touchdowns during the regular season.

Jaws went on to have a decent game, throwing for 291 yards and a touchdown but was doomed by three costly interceptions. The best quarterback on the field that day was Oakland’s Jim Plunkett, who had looked shaky with the football during the regular season, throwing 16 interceptions against just 18 touchdowns.

Plunkett was on fire in the Super Bowl, completing 13 of 21 passes for 261 yards and three touchdowns, including an 80-yard bomb to Kenny King in the first quarter to give the Raiders a 14-0 lead. The Raiders extended that lead on the first drive of the second half when Plunkett led a 76-yard scoring drive capped by his third touchdown pass of the day, a 29-yard strike to Cliff Branch.

Plunkett’s heroics helped the Raiders lift their second Lombardi trophy and he earned MVP honors in the process. The Raiders’ quarterback recorded a 145 passer rating in the contest, the third highest passer rating in Super Bowl history.

18. PHIL SIMMS, SUPER BOWL XXI

The New York Giants waited a long time to reach the Super Bowl, but once they got there they emerged victoriously. In a battle of top-flight quarterbacks, John Elway had a good day for the Denver Broncos, throwing for 304 yards and a touchdown, but he was outclassed by Phil Simms.

Simms was nearly perfect on the day, completing 22 of 25 passes for 268 yards and three touchdowns. The fact that Simms had as many touchdowns (3) as incompletions (3) was simply remarkable.

Like Starr and Plunkett before him, Simms took home MVP honors for his excellent performance. Simms had a passer rating of 150.9 in the game, which is still the highest passer rating in Super Bowl history to this day.

The fact that Simms is down here at 18 simply speaks to how incredibly challenging it is to stand out in the Super Bowl.

17. DREW BREES, SUPER BOWL XLIV

Super Bowl XLIV is most remembered as the game where Saints’ coach Sean Payton went with a surprise onside kick to start the second half, but New Orleans wouldn’t have won its first title without a stellar performance from Drew Brees. He had a dominant regular season, throwing for over 4,300 yards with 34 touchdowns and 11 interceptions, but he stepped up when the Saints needed him most.

The onside kick came at a crucial point in the contest, with the Saints trailing 10-6 at the start of the second half. Brees took the ball after the Saints recovered and drove them 58 yards for the go-ahead score, a 16-yard touchdown toss to Pierre Thomas.

The Colts quickly retook the lead, with Peyton Manning leading Indianapolis right down the field for a touchdown drive to grab a 17-13 lead. The Saints got a field goal to cut the deficit to one before Brees took the lead again in the fourth quarter, capping a 59-yard drive with a two-yard TD to Jeremy Shockey (and he converted the two-pointer to Lance Moore for good measure).

Brees’ numbers were excellent in the game as he completed 32 of 39 passes for 288 yards and two touchdowns. Those numbers, combined with his brilliant performance in the second half, earned Brees the Super Bowl MVP award.

16. AARON RODGERS, SUPER BOWL XLV

Like our previous entrant on the list, one of the best quarterbacks in NFL history has only been to one Super Bowl. Aaron Rodgers, like Brees, has made his one trip (to date) to the big game count with a victory.

Facing a stout Pittsburgh Steelers’ defense, Rodgers went to work early and often. Rodgers helped the Packers build a 21-3 lead on the strength of two first-half touchdowns, one each to Jordy Nelson and Greg Jennings.

Jennings was on the receiving end of Rodgers’ third touchdown pass of the night as well, a 28-yarder in the fourth quarter to extend the Green Bay lead to 28-17. The Steelers tried making a late push, cutting the lead to three with just over seven and a half minutes left, but Rodgers bled over five minutes off the clock to help put the game away.

Rodgers’ overall numbers (24/39, 304 yards, 3 TDs) were outstanding as usual, helping him earn MVP honors in Dallas.

15. TOM BRADY, SUPER BOWL XLIX

This is the first of several appearances on this countdown for Brady. We begin our journey with a trip back to 2015 when things looked a bit different for the GOAT’s legacy.

The Patriots had returned to the Super Bowl for the first time since 2011, but they had lost two consecutive Super Bowls (both to the Giants). A loss to the Seattle Seahawks, who were then considered to be the next dynasty in the making, would drop Brady’s record in Super Bowls to 3-3.

This game will be forever remembered for Pete Carroll’s infamous decision to pass on the goal line instead of handing the ball to Marshawn Lynch, but the Seahawks’ last-minute drive wouldn’t have been necessary without some heroics from Tom Terrific.

The Patriots trailed 24-14 entering the fourth quarter before Brady led two touchdown drives to give New England a 28-24 lead. Malcolm Butler’s pick at the goal line sealed the victory for New England and a third Super Bowl MVP award for Brady.

Brady put up eye-popping numbers against the Seahawks’ Legion of Boom, going 37 of 50 for 328 yards and four touchdown passes against Seattle’s stout secondary. The Seahawks did get two picks off of Brady, but those were forgotten when Wilson’s pick cost them a second straight championship.

14. TOM BRADY, SUPER BOWL XXXVIII

Next up is our second appearance from the GOAT. This time we flashback to Brady’s second appearance in the Super Bowl, when the Patriots took on the Carolina Panthers in Houston.

The legend of Brady was still in its infancy after the Patriots returned to the Super Bowl after missing the playoffs in the 2002 season. That New England team was loaded, putting up a 14-2 record in the regular season, but it was Brady stood tall against a very tough Panthers’ squad.

The Patriots’ defense had tremendous difficulty stopping the Carolina passing game as Jake Delhomme threw for 323 yards and three touchdowns to keep the Panthers in the game. Brady was more than up to the task of winning a shootout, delivering one of his more memorable Super Bowl performances.

The Panthers couldn’t handle the New England passing game as Brady completed 32 of 48 passes for 354 yards and three touchdowns against just one interception. Brady also delivered late in the game, just like he did against the St. Louis Rams two years earlier, driving the Pats 37 yards in 59 seconds to set up Adam Vinatieri’s game-winning field goal.

That drive, along with Brady’s great counting stats, helped Tom Terrific earn his second Super Bowl MVP award.

13. ELI MANNING, SUPER BOWL XLII

If you look purely at numbers, this performance wouldn’t belong on the list. Eli Manning had a good game for the New York Giants in Super Bowl XLII, completing 19 of 34 passes for 255 yards with two touchdowns and one interception.

Those numbers are like Starr’s in Super Bowl I, which we ranked, 20th on the list. What the stats don’t provide, however, is context. Context is king in explaining why Manning’s effort in Super Bowl XLII is historic.

Manning and the Giants were a wild card team in 2007, winning three road playoff games just to get to the Super Bowl. Standing on the other side of the field were Brady and Belichick, who had gone 3-0 in Super Bowls to this point, and the 18-0 New England Patriots.

The Giants entered this game as 12.5 point underdogs, and they stayed in it thanks to their defense, giving Manning a chance to pull out a win. Manning put the Giants ahead early in the fourth but had to watch on the sideline as Brady drove the Pats down to take the lead with 2:42 to go.

What happened next went down in the history books. Manning led the Giants on a remarkable drive, complete with David Tyree’s helmet catch (the unforgettable moment of the game) and the go-ahead touchdown to Plaxico Burress with 35 seconds to go. That one Giant upset made Manning’s legacy, earning him Super Bowl MVP honors and putting New York in the history books.

12. TOM BRADY, SUPER BOWL LII

Brady’s third appearance on this list is one he probably won’t be happy to reflect on. Like Warner before him, Brady’s appearance here is one of two from a losing quarterback to make the cut.

In order to be among the top 20 Super Bowl performances in a losing effort, you have to do something historic. Brady did just that last year, setting a Super Bowl record with 505 passing yards in the Patriots’ loss to the Philadelphia Eagles.

Brady was a prolific passer in the contest, completing 28 of 48 attempts and adding three touchdowns for good measure. The Patriots never punted the ball in the game, a sign of how truly dominant the Patriots’ offense was that day.

Brady shouldn’t receive blame for the fact that the Patriots’ defense couldn’t stop the Eagles at all in the game. The one mistake that Brady made in the game was losing a fumble on a strip sack in the fourth quarter, and that shouldn’t disqualify this outing from a deserving top 10 slot.

11. TROY AIKMAN, SUPER BOWL XXVII

The Dallas Cowboys’ dynasty in the 1990s was a marvel to behold, and the list of top quarterback performances in Super Bowl history wouldn’t be complete without the signal caller with a star on his helmet. Troy Aikman led the Cowboys to three titles, but we’ll call special attention to his work against the Buffalo Bills in Super Bowl XXVII.

This game was the Cowboys’ first trip to the Super Bowl since 1979, and they were facing a desperate Bills’ team coming off consecutive Super Bowl losses. America’s Team delivered a third straight los to the Bills thanks to a star turn from their future Hall of Famer.

Aikman efficiently carved up the Buffalo secondary in Pasadena, completing 22 of 30 passes for 273 yards and four touchdowns. The game was actually close early on, but Aikman led the Cowboys’ offense on five scoring drives after the first quarter, turning a 14-10 game into a laugher.

The day was very memorable for Aikman, who put up a 140.7 passer rating to take home MVP honors.

10. KURT WARNER, SUPER BOWL XLIII

Yes, I can hear the outcry coming already. How does Kurt Warner’s third Super Bowl belong on this list since he, you know, lost?

The Arizona Cardinals did lose Super Bowl XLIII, but it wasn’t due to a poor showing from Warner. Warner, who had already been to two Super Bowls with the Rams, revived his career in the desert and brought the Cardinals to their first Super Bowl in 2008 and nearly won it in the process.

Despite entering the contest as 6.5 point underdogs, the Cardinals gave Pittsburgh all they could handle. Warner’s brilliance was a big key to that as the veteran completed 31 of 43 passes for 377 yards with three touchdowns, including the 54-yard go-ahead score to Larry Fitzgerald with 2:35 left on the clock.

The Cardinals’ defense couldn’t make that lead stand, however, as Pittsburgh drove down the field to go back in front on an all-time great catch from Santonio Holmes. His tight rope toe tap in the end zone broke the Cardinals’ hearts, but it can’t take away from an all-time great performance out of Warner.

9. TOM BRADY, SUPER BOWL LI

Brady’s fourth appearance on our countdown is without a doubt his finest hour on the biggest stage in sports.

To recap, the Patriots appeared to be dead and buried in Super Bowl LI. The Atlanta Falcons had built a 28-3 lead with just over eight and a half minutes left in the third quarter. The immortal Brady had already thrown a pick-six in the game, and to that point in Super Bowl history no team had ever thrown a pick-six and gone on to win the game.

That didn’t matter to Brady, who led the Patriots on four straight scoring drives, tying the game with 57 seconds to go on a James White touchdown run (and converting the necessary two-point attempt to Danny Amendola). The game went to overtime, where the Patriots won the coin toss and went right down the field again to score the winning touchdown.

At the end of the day, Brady had set Super Bowl records for attempts (62) and completions (43) with four touchdown passes against just two interceptions. Tom Terrific earned his fourth MVP award in a game that went down in the history books for the biggest comeback in Super Bowl history.

8. JOE MONTANA, SUPER BOWL XIX

You can’t have a list of great Super Bowl performances without Montana, and this is his first appearance on our rankings. We’ll start with Montana’s second Super Bowl, which resulted in the second championship for the 49ers.

This game is also memorable for being Marino’s lone trip to the Super Bowl, and he threw for 318 yards with a touchdown in the game, but also tossed two big interceptions. Montana was simply the smoother operator, completing 24 of 35 attempts for 331 yards and three touchdowns.

The 49ers put together six scoring drives under Montana’s watch, including three straight touchdowns in the second quarter to turn a 10-7 deficit into a 28-10 lead. The game was virtually over after that, but Montana led the 49ers to 10 more points in the third for good measure.

Montana’s virtuoso effort earned him his second Super Bowl MVP, and it wouldn’t be the last time that he would shine on the biggest stage in sports.

7. DOUG WILLIAMS, SUPER BOWL XXII

Perhaps the most unheralded guy on this list is Doug Williams. He took a circuitous path to Washington, spending five years being under-appreciated in Tampa Bay and three more in the USFL before signing on to back up Jay Schroeder in 1987.

Schroeder had his issues with injury in 1987, so Williams started seven games, going 5-2 in those games. Redskins’ coach Joe Gibbs turned to Williams in the playoffs, and he was solid in two playoff victories to get Washington to the Super Bowl.

What happened next was truly historic. Williams torched the Denver Broncos’ defense, completing 18 of 29 passes for 340 yards and four touchdowns against just one interception.

The Redskins went on to rout the Broncos 42-10, with Williams earning MVP honors. Williams also made history as the first African-American quarterback to start and win a Super Bowl, let alone win Super Bowl MVP.

6. JOE MONTANA, SUPER BOWL XXIII

Montana’s second appearance on our countdown is a notable one. In fact, Montana’s effort against the Cincinnati Bengals in Super Bowl XXIII is the only one from a winning quarterback on our list not to earn MVP honors.

The MVP of that game was future Hall of Famer Jerry Rice, who caught 11 passes for 215 yards and a touchdown. Montana was no slouch against the Bengals either, completing 23 of 36 attempts for 357 yards and two touchdowns.

This performance belongs this high because of the 49ers’ legendary final drive. To recap, the Bengals grabbed a 16-13 lead with 3:44 to go and pinned the 49ers on their 8-yard line after the kickoff.

This situation could make even the most confident man nervous, but Joe Montana was the coolest customer alive. Montana entered the huddle and pointed out where actor John Candy was sitting in the stands, settling the nerves of his teammates.

What happened next was a 92-yard drive, capped by a 10-yard touchdown to John Taylor with 34 seconds to go to grab the lead for good. Montana may not have been the MVP of this game, but his performance at the end was simply legendary.

5. KURT WARNER, SUPER BOWL XXXIV

Super Bowl XXXIV featured a matchup of two teams who rarely took center stage in the NFL, the St Louis Rams and Tennessee Titans. The Rams were led by Warner, whose path to that stage was certainly unusual.

Warner had played in the Arena league and NFL Europe before landing with the Rams as a backup only to get pressed into service when starter Trent Green tore his ACL in the preseason. Green’s injury opened the door for Warner to start, and he went on to win the MVP award as the Grand Marshal of the “Greatest Show on Turf.”

Warner brought the Rams’ traveling road show to Atlanta, where he delivered a maestro like performance against the Titans, completing 24 of 45 passes for 414 yards and two touchdowns. The contest nearly went to overtime after Steve McNair led the Titans down the field in the final minutes only to have Rams’ linebacker Mike Jones tackle Kevin Dyson one yard short of the end zone as time expired.

Jones’ tackle secured the MVP award for Warner, whose rags to riches story was complete with a trip to Disney World.

4. JOE MONTANA, SUPER BOWL XXIV

Montana’s third appearance on our list comes in his final Super Bowl, and he did save his best for last. The 49ers faced off with John Elway and the Denver Broncos, and the contest turned into a 55-10 laugher.

The lion’s share of the credit for the blowout goes to Montana, who lit up the Broncos’ defense in an all-time dominant performance. Montana completed 22 of 29 passes for 297 yards and five touchdowns, a remarkable display of efficiency.

As a result, the 49ers recorded their second straight title and fourth championship in nine years. Montana deservedly took home MVP honors after his performance, which included a ridiculous 147.6 passer rating.

That rating trails only Simms’ 150.9 mark for the Giants in Super Bowl XXI for the best in Super Bowl history.

3. STEVE YOUNG, SUPER BOWL XXIX

It’s fitting that our countdown would be topped by a Hall of Fame quarterback for the 49ers, but it isn’t Montana. The best performance in Super Bowl history belongs to his successor, Steve Young.

Young’s history in San Francisco was checkered, to say the least at that point. 49ers’ coach Bill Walsh acquired Young in 1987 believing that Montana was nearing the end, but Montana’s resurgence led to the most infamous quarterback competition of all time.

The 49ers ended the timeshare for good in 1992, trading Montana to the Kansas City Chiefs and handing the starting job too Young for good. Young guided the 49ers to tremendous regular season success in each of his first two years at the helm only to fall to the Dallas Cowboys in the NFC Championship game.

The pressure was on for Young and the 49ers in 1994, who went 13-3 in the regular season before facing the Cowboys for a third straight NFC title game. The 49ers finally prevailed, beating Dallas 38-28 to get back to the Super Bowl.

Young and the 49ers were heavily favored against the San Diego Chargers, and they easily covered the 19-point spread in a 49-26 laugher. The star of the day was Young, who went 24 of 36 for 325 yards with a Super Bowl record six touchdowns.

Young took home MVP honors and jokingly had one of his teammates pull the giant monkey off his back since he finally had a championship of his own. The pressure of that moment, combined with Young’s brilliant play, makes it the best performance from a quarterback in Super Bowl history.

2. NICK FOLES, SUPER BOWL LII

Last year’s Super Bowl is the only one to have both quarterbacks make the list, so it’s fitting that the winner is ranked higher. The Nick Foles story is truly remarkable and it’s still hard to believe what we witnessed a year ago.

Foles and the Eagles entered the game as underdogs like they had been in every playoff game since losing Carson Wentz, but the lack of respect didn’t faze them. The Eagles were ready to roll against the mighty Patriots, and Foles was front and center for Philadelphia.

Foles put on a clinic against Belichick’s defense, going 28 of 43 for 373 yards with three touchdowns and one interception. Besides completing a ton of high risk throws against the Patriots, Foles made the highlight reel by catching a touchdown pass from tight end Trey Burton as part of the “Philly Special”.

Foles’ tremendous performance earned him MVP honors, a truly remarkable turn of events for a guy who nearly retired a few years ago. In a game where unlikely heroes have risen to the occasion numerous times in the past, Foles’ dominant effort ranks as one of the biggest surprises in Super Bowl history.

1. TERRY BRADSHAW, SUPER BOWL XIII

At the beginning of the Super Bowl era, the forward pass was not the focus of offense in the NFL. Teams relied on the running game, and some quarterbacks actually won the Super Bowl MVP without throwing a touchdown pass (shout out to Joe Namath in Super Bowl III).

That changed in Super Bowl XIII when Terry Bradshaw put on a clinic for the Pittsburgh Steelers. The Steelers had won two Super Bowls entering their matchup with the Dallas Cowboys, and Bradshaw had put up solid but unspectacular numbers in the wins.

Bradshaw took center stage against the Cowboys, completing 17 of 30 passes for 318 yards with, four touchdowns and one interception. The highlight of the day came in the second quarter when Bradshaw completed a 75-yard bomb to John Stallworth to tie the game at 14.

Bradshaw helped the Steelers outlast the Cowboys 35-31 in a shootout, helping put together the highest scoring Super Bowl ever seen at that point in history. The game also saw Bradshaw become the first quarterback to ever pass for 300 yards in a Super Bowl, a mark that has been regularly eclipsed by today’s passers.