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Mirror image: Montana & Brady
Cold, Hard Football Facts for February 1, 2006
The "pundits" have been incredulous, but no less an authority than Bill Walsh,
who coached Montana through three Super Bowl victories in San Francisco, confirms that the comparisons are more than valid.
The Cold, Hard Football Facts agree, at least if we look at their performances through their first three Super Bowl appearances. In fact, the numbers between the two mirror each other so closely that it's almost hard to believe:
- Both were named the MVP of their first two Super Bowls.
- Both threw to receivers (Jerry Rice, Deion Branch) who were named MVPs in the quarterbacks' third Super Bowls.
- Both won their first Super Bowl in games in which the opposing offense gained more yards.
- Both threw for 1 TD and 0 INT, and passed for less than 200 yards, in
 their first Super Bowl.
- Both threw for 3 TDs and passed for more than 300 yards in their second Super Bowl.
- Both threw for 2 TDs and 0 INT in their third Super Bowl.
- Montana completed 65.6 percent of his passes in his first three Super Bowls.
- Brady completed 65.7 percent of his passes in his first three Super Bowls.
Montana posted a higher passer rating than Brady through three Super Bowls, primarily because of his far superior average per attempt (9.1 YPA to 6.8 YPA).
Montana truly separated himself from the rest of the pack of Super Bowl quarterbacks with his MVP performance in his fourth championship game. Montana completed 22 of 29 passes for 297 yards and 5 TDs (147.6 passer rating) in Super Bowl XXIV, a 55-10 win over Denver.
MONTANA (through three Super Bowls)
|
Super Bowl |
Comp. |
Att. |
Pct. |
Yards |
TDs |
INTs |
Rating |
|
|
XVI |
14 |
22 |
63.6 |
157 |
1 |
0 |
100.0 |
W 26-21 |
|
XIX |
24 |
35 |
68.6 |
331 |
3 |
0 |
127.2 |
W 38-16 |
|
XXIII |
23 |
36 |
63.9 |
357 |
2 |
0 |
115.2 |
W 20-16 |
|
TOTALS |
61 |
93 |
65.6 |
845 |
6 |
0 |
116.1 |
3-0 |
BRADY (through three Super Bowls)
|
Super Bowl |
Comp. |
Att. |
Pct. |
Yards |
TDs |
INTs |
Rating |
|
|
XXXVI |
16 |
27 |
59.3 |
145 |
1 |
0 |
86.2 |
W 20-17 |
|
XXXVIII |
32 |
48 |
66.7 |
354 |
3 |
1 |
100.5 |
W 32-29 |
|
XXXIX |
23 |
33 |
69.7 |
236 |
2 |
0 |
110.2 |
W 24-21 |
|
TOTALS |
71 |
108 |
65.7 |
735 |
6 |
1 |
99.9 |
3-0 |
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