Super Bowl Super Study Says Patriots, Broncos Built Like Champs

6. The Starting Quarterback’s Playoff Record

As Cold, Hard Football Facts can prove in more ways than a troll can count, the passing game plays the most important role in a football game. Ultimately, that puts the pressure on the two starting quarterbacks to win, even if the rest of the team fails along the way. Just ask players like Jim Kelly and Tony Romo about how the critics handle a heartbreaking playoff loss. Championship-caliber quarterbacks will win playoff games more often than not, and Super Bowl history proves that the “have-nots” normally don’t become champions out of thin air.

The title below examines each Super Bowl quarterback and his playoff record entering that postseason.

Winners					Losers
SB	Team	Quarterback	W-L			SB	Team	Quarterback	W-L
I	66 Packers	Bart Starr	4-1			I	66 Chiefs	Len Dawson	1-0
II	67 Packers	Bart Starr	6-1			II	67 Raiders	Daryle Lamonica	0-0
III	68 Jets	Joe Namath	0-0			III	68 Colts	Earl Morrall	0-0
IV	69 Chiefs	Len Dawson	2-2			IV	69 Vikings	Joe Kapp	0-1
V	70 Colts	Johnny Unitas	2-1			V	70 Cowboys	Craig Morton	0-1
VI	71 Cowboys	Roger Staubach	0-0			VI	71 Dolphins	Bob Griese	0-1
VII	72 Dolphins	Bob Griese	2-2			VII	72 Redskins	Billy Kilmer	0-1
VIII	73 Dolphins	Bob Griese	3-2			VIII	73 Vikings	Fran Tarkenton	0-0
IX	74 Steelers	Terry Bradshaw	1-2			IX	74 Vikings	Fran Tarkenton	2-1
X	75 Steelers	Terry Bradshaw	4-2			X	75 Cowboys	Roger Staubach	4-2
XI	76 Raiders	Ken Stabler	3-3			XI	76 Vikings	Fran Tarkenton	4-3
XII	77 Cowboys	Roger Staubach	6-4			XII	77 Broncos	Craig Morton	3-2
XIII	78 Steelers	Terry Bradshaw	8-4			XIII	78 Cowboys	Roger Staubach	9-4
XIV	79 Steelers	Terry Bradshaw	11-4			XIV	79 Rams	Vince Ferragamo	0-0
XV	80 Raiders	Jim Plunkett	0-0			XV	80 Eagles	Ron Jaworski	2-2
XVI	81 49ers	Joe Montana	0-0			XVI	81 Bengals	Ken Anderson	0-2
XVII	82 Redskins	Joe Theismann	0-0			XVII	82 Dolphins	David Woodley	0-1
XVIII	83 Raiders	Jim Plunkett	5-1			XVIII	83 Redskins	Joe Theismann	4-0
XIX	84 49ers	Joe Montana	4-1			XIX	84 Dolphins	Dan Marino	0-1
XX	85 Bears	Jim McMahon	0-0			XX	85 Patriots	Tony Eason	0-1
XXI	86 Giants	Phil Simms	2-2			XXI	86 Broncos	John Elway	0-1
XXII	87 Redskins	Doug Williams	1-3			XXII	87 Broncos	John Elway	2-2
XXIII	88 49ers	Joe Montana	7-4			XXIII	88 Bengals	Boomer Esiason	0-0
XXIV	89 49ers	Joe Montana	10-4			XXIV	89 Broncos	John Elway	4-3
XXV	90 Giants	Jeff Hostetler	0-0			XXV	90 Bills	Jim Kelly	1-2
XXVI	91 Redskins	Mark Rypien	0-0			XXVI	91 Bills	Jim Kelly	3-3
XXVII	92 Cowboys	Troy Aikman	0-0			XXVII	92 Bills	Jim Kelly	5-4
XXVIII	93 Cowboys	Troy Aikman	3-0			XXVIII	93 Bills	Jim Kelly	6-5
XXIX	94 49ers	Steve Young	2-2			XXIX	94 Chargers	Stan Humphries	1-1
XXX	95 Cowboys	Troy Aikman	7-1			XXX	95 Steelers	Neil O’Donnell	1-3
XXXI	96 Packers	Brett Favre	4-3			XXXI	96 Patriots	Drew Bledsoe	0-1
XXXII	97 Broncos	John Elway	7-7			XXXII	97 Packers	Brett Favre	7-3
XXXIII	98 Broncos	John Elway	11-7			XXXIII	98 Falcons	Chris Chandler	0-0
XXXIV	99 Rams	Kurt Warner	0-0			XXXIV	99 Titans	Steve McNair	0-0
XXXV	00 Ravens	Trent Dilfer	1-1			XXXV	00 Giants	Kerry Collins	1-1
XXXVI	01 Patriots	Tom Brady	0-0			XXXVI	01 Rams	Kurt Warner	3-1
XXXVII	02 Bucs	Brad Johnson	1-3			XXXVII	02 Raiders	Rich Gannon	2-2
XXXVIII	03 Patriots	Tom Brady	3-0			XXXVIII	03 Panthers	Jake Delhomme	0-0
XXXIX	04 Patriots	Tom Brady	6-0			XXXIX	04 Eagles	Donovan McNabb	5-4
XL	05 Steelers	B. Roethlisberger	1-1			XL	05 'Hawks	Matt Hasselbeck	0-2
XLI	06 Colts	Peyton Manning	3-6			XLI	06 Bears	Rex Grossman	0-1
XLII	07 Giants	Eli Manning	0-2			XLII	07 Patriots	Tom Brady	12-2
XLIII	08 Steelers	B. Roethlisberger	5-2			XLIII	08 Cardinals	Kurt Warner	5-2
XLIV	09 Saints	Drew Brees	1-2			XLIV	09 Colts	Peyton Manning	7-8
XLV	10 Packers	Aaron Rodgers	0-1			XLV	10 Steelers	B. Roethlisberger	8-2
XLVI	11 Giants	Eli Manning	4-3			XLVI	11 Patriots	Tom  Brady	14-5

As playoff history shows, quarterbacks normally need to get a playoff win out of system, unless they are making a playoff run in their first try. In the 2012 postseason, six quarterbacks will make their playoff debut: Robert Griffin III, Colin Kaepernick, Andrew Luck, Christian Ponder, Matt Schaub and Russell Wilson. Note that despite 19 first-time playoff quarterbacks making the Super Bowl run, only two Super Bowl match-ups featured multiple green-thumb quarterbacks. Don’t two of that kind to show up in February.

The one quarterback that sticks out has to be Matt Ryan, who owns a 0-3 playoff record. As highlighted in red, only two Super Bowl champion quarterbacks owned a winless record (with previous playoff starting experience) that preceded their title run. These winless quarterbacks own a 2-12 record in the Super Bowl. Furthermore, only two quarterbacks who lost in the Super Bowl held a winless record with two playoff starts. No quarterback followed the 0-3 start with a Super Bowl appearance.

In fact, the list of starting quarterbacks who began 0-3 in the playoffs include:

• Peyton Manning: made AFC Championship Game in 2003; currently 9-10
• Randall Cunningham: won a Wild Card game in 1992; finished 3-6
• Jack Kemp (AFL): won the 1964 AFL Championship; finished 2-4
• Y.A. Tittle: lost his fourth and final playoff start; finished 0-4
• Bert Jones, Bobby Hebert and Steve Grogan: finished 0-3

Matt Ryan could join Y.A. Tittle in the infamous playoff annals with a playoff loss in the Divisional Round. Perhaps the Falcons should just settle with a playoff win. Also, keep an eye on Andy Dalton’s 0-1 playoff record.

 

 

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Read more: Adam Dobrowolski, Atlanta Falcons, Baltimore Ravens, Bill Belichick, Cincinnati Bengals, Denver Broncos, Eli Manning, Green Bay Packers, Houston Texans, Indianapolis, Indianapolis Colts, Minnesota Vikings, New England Patriots, NFL, Patriots, Peyton Manning, San Francisco 49ers, Seattle Seahawks, Super Bowl, Super Bowl XLVII, TBA, Tom Brady, Tom Coughlin, Washington Redskins