We tend to think of the Final Four as a basketball thing, but the NFL has a final four, too – the four teams that play in the conference championship games each year. Ever wonder which quarterbacks in the Super Bowl era have played in the most final fours? Well, I’m here to supply you with that information.
I’m doing it, as much as anything, because Tom Brady qualified for his sixth final four Saturday night when he led the Patriots to a 45-10 butchering of the Broncos. As it turns out, only one quarterback since 1966 (the season of the first Super Bowl) has played in more. The Top 10 (and ties):
SEE RELATED:
7 Joe Montana, 49ers (6)/Chiefs (1): 1981*, ‘83, ‘84*, ‘88*, ‘89*, ‘90, ‘93. Record: 4-3.
6 Tom Brady, Patriots: 2001*, ‘03*, ‘04*, ‘06, ‘07, ‘11. Record: 3-2 (with one to play).
6 John Elway, Broncos: 1986, ‘87, ‘89, ‘91, ‘97*, ‘98*. Record: 5-1.
6 Terry Bradshaw, Steelers: 1972, ‘74*, ‘75*, ‘76, ‘78*, ‘79*. Record: 4-2.
6 Roger Staubach, Cowboys: 1971*, ‘72, ‘73, ‘75, ‘77*, ‘78. Record: 4-2.
5 Brett Favre, Packers (4), Vikings (1): 1995, ‘96*, ‘97, ‘07, ‘09. Record: 2-3.
5 Donovan McNabb, Eagles (5): 2001, ‘02, ‘03, ‘04, ‘08. Record: 1-4.
5 Jim Kelly, Bills: 1988, ‘90, ‘91, ‘92, ‘93. Record: 4-1.
5 Ken Stabler, Raiders: 1973, ‘74, ‘75, ‘76, ‘77. Record: 1-4.
4 Ben Roethlisberger, Steelers: 2004, ‘05*, ‘08*, ‘10. Record: 3-1.
4 Steve Young, 49ers: 1992, ‘93, ‘94*, ‘97. Record: 1-3.
4 Troy Aikman, Cowboys: 1992*, ‘93*, ‘94, ‘95*. Record: 3-1.
4 Daryle Lamonica, Raiders: 1967, ‘68, ‘69, ‘70. Record: 1-3.
(Note: What’s listed are the seasons, not the years in which the games were played. The quarterback has to have started the title game; coming off the bench – as Bernie Kosar did for the Cowboys in the ‘93 NFC championship game – doesn’t count. An asterisk means the QB went on to win the Super Bowl.)
It’s almost as interesting who isn’t on the list – Peyton Manning (3) for one. Dan Marino, Fran Tarkenton and Bob Griese (also with 3) for three others. That’s right, Brady has now been to as many conference title games as Manning and Marino combined.
A few more factoids:
● Stabler played in the most consecutive final fours – five. McNabb, Kelly, Aikman and Lamonica played in four in a row. (The first three of Daryle’s were AFL championship games.) Kelly played in five in six years, Bradshaw and Staubach played in six in eight years and Brady played in five in seven years.
● Favre’s five final fours came in a 15-year span (1995-2009), the longest of any of quarterback. He also had the longest gap between two of his final fours – a decade (1997/2007).
● Griese and Kurt Warner (Rams/Cardinals) were 3-0 in conference title games. Jim Plunkett (Raiders) and Len Dawson (Chiefs) were 2-0. (Dawson’s games, like most of Lamonica’s, were AFL championship games.) Elway was 5-1, Kelly 4-1.
● The Raiders went to nine final fours in 11 years with Stabler and Lamonica. (A moment of silence, please, for Al Davis.)
● Aikman and Young faced each other in three straight final fours in the ‘90s (1992-94). Troy won the first two games, Steve the last. Bradshaw and Stabler did likewise in the ‘70s (1974-76) – with the same result. Terry won the first two, Snake the last. And finally, Elway and Kosar (Browns) squared off three times in four seasons in the ‘80s (1986-87, ‘89), with John taking all three games.
