The 11 Most Impressive Performances By A QB In The Super Bowl

It’s pretty hard to win the Super Bowl if you don’t get a solid performance from your quarterback, and there’s a reason 33 of the 58 people who’ve earned Most Valuable Player honors in The Big Game made a name for themselves at that particular position.

There’s no better time for a quarterback to go on an absolute tear than the Super Bowl, and a significant chunk of the teams who’ve managed to secure the Lombardi Trophy can credit a stellar performance from the most important player on the roster.

There have also been more than a few games where two QBs have treated us to a battle for the ages, and more than a few of the people responsible managed to earn a spot on the list of the most impressive individual performances a field general has recorded on the NFL’s biggest stage.

It’s worth noting these aren’t in any particular order, as I’ve simply opted to start with the most recent and go from there.

Tom Brady: Super Bowl LII

Tom Brady set a Super Bowl record by throwing for 505 yards in Super Bowl LII (he’s the only QB to surpass the 500-yard mark) while completing 28 of the 48 passes he threw for an average of 10.8 yards.

Three of those were touchdown receptions (Rob Gronkowski hauled in two while Chris Hogan snagged the other one), and while it was one of the most impressive performances in Super Bowl history, it wasn’t enough to get the Patriots the win thanks to another QB who managed to upstage him—none other than…

Nick Foles: Super Bowl LII

Nick Foles managed to lead the Eagles to the Super Bowl after stepping up in the wake of the injury that knocked Carson Wentz out for the season, but it was fair to wonder how he’d deal with the pressure that comes with being a starting QB in the Super Bowl.

Well, it turned out the answer was “pretty darn well.”

Foles completed the same number of passes as Brady on 43 attempts while recording 373 yards in the air and his own trio of passing touchdowns. Of course, he also caught one in the end zone courtesy of “The Philly Special” that made him the only person in Super Bowl history to throw and catch a one TD.

His performance helped the Eagles secure the 41-33 victory over New England, and he certainly earned the MVP award he got.

Tom Brady: Super Bowl LI

It’s only natural the QB who played in 10 Super Bowls and won seven of them would make multiple appearances on this list, and I think it’s fair to argue Tom Brady’s performance against the Falcons was his most impressive given the circumstances.

Completing 26-of-33 passes for 274 yards and two touchdowns would be a pretty impressive game on its own, but Brady managed to do that in the second half and the overtime he helped force after the Patriots crawled out of the 28-3 hole they ended up in during the third quarter of their showdown with the Falcons.

The QB ultimately went 43-for-62 with 466 yards (the receptions remain a Super Bowl record, while the yardage was one he broke the following year), and while James White had a solid case for the MVP award, it’s hard to be mad about Brady getting it.

Eli Manning: Super Bowl XLII

This is the fourth (and final) entry on this list featuring a game Tom Brady was involved in, and it’s the second where he was ultimately outfoxed by an opposing QB.

The Giants had a tall task ahead of them in their quest to prevent the Patriots from going 19-0, but they stepped up in the clutch.

Eli Manning may have gotten some help from David Tyree when it mattered most, but he still deserves credit for the gutsy performance where he threw for 255 yards and had two passing touchdowns against an incredibly formidable defense that sacked him three times and forced an interception.

Those stats might not jump off the screen compared to some of the others on this list, but his ability to avoid the sack on Tyree’s iconic Helmet Catch was also a crucial moment in New York’s 17-14 victory.

Kurt Warner: Super Bowl XXXIV

Most NFL fans hadn’t heard of Kurt Warner when the season got underway in 1999, but that was not the case by the time it came to an end courtesy of the Cinderella story we were treated to when he earned the starting job for the Rams.

He capped the saga off with a bang in Super Bowl XXXIV with an MVP-worthy performance where he threw for a then-record 414 yards on 24-of-45 passing (an average of 9.2 yards per reception) and two TDs—including his 73-yard connection with Isaac Bruce in the closing minutes of the game that gave the Rams the 23-16 that stood until the clock hit zero (thanks in part to a clutch tackle by Mike Jones on the final play of the game).

Steve Young: Super Bowl XXIX

Steve Young had already won two Super Bowl rings as a backup to Joe Montana on the 49ers, but he was looking for his first as the team’s starting QB when San Francisco met the Chargers in The Big Game in 1995.

He managed to check that box in emphatic fashion with what is almost certainly the greatest performance a QB has had in the Super Bowl, as Young tallied six passing TDs (a record that still stands) while completing 24 of 26 passes for 345 yards.

As you can probably guess, he was the MVP for what he did while leading his team to the win in a 49-26 rout.

Joe Montana: Super Bowl XXIII

Young had some very big shoes to fill after he stepped up to replace Joe Montana, as his predecessor knew a thing or two about monster performances in the Super Bowl.

Montana had already come up clutch in a game I’ll get to in a moment, and he delivered yet again when the 49ers faced off against the Bengals in 1989.

Jerry Rice was the star of the show (and MVP) with 11 receptions for 215 yards and a touchdown, but he obviously got some help from a QB who threw for 357 yards while completing 23 of his 36 passes and tossing another TD to John Taylor during San Francisco’s 20-16 win.

Doug Williams: Super Bowl XXII

Steve Young is probably responsible for the greatest game in Super Bowl history, and Brady has a claim to the most impressive half with his aforementioned performance against the Falcons.

However, no player has had a better quarter than the one Washington QB Doug Williams treated us to in Super Bowl XXII.

The Broncos were up 10-0 heading into the second quarter, but by the time halftime rolled around, Washington had a 35-10 lead after Williams threw for 228 yards on 9-of-11 passing while throwing four of the five touchdowns they tallied during that absurd frame.

He ultimately racked up 340 yards and finished at 18-for-29, which was more than enough for the MVP award.

Phil Simms: Super Bowl XXI

Phil Simms won the MVP while throwing for 268 yards and three touchdowns to lead the Giants to a 39-20 victory over the Broncos in what was John Elway’s first appearance in The Big Game.

However, there’s one stat that really jumps out from the rest: Simms completed 22 of the 25 passes he attempted, which was good for the 88% rate that set the record for a QB that’s attempted at least two of them in the Super Bowl (Drew Brees was 32 of 39—82.9%—during his MVP performance in 2010, and while he passed for 288 yards, he only had a couple of touchdowns).

He was also the first athlete to utter a variation of the “I’m going to Disney World!” catchphrase in the wake of a big win, and while I didn’t necessarily take into consideration when it came to his inclusion, it certainly doesn’t hurt his candidacy.

Joe Montana: Super Bowl XIX

Super Bowl XIX promised to be a fantastic showdown when you consider it featured the 15-1 49ers and Montana going head-to-head with the 14-2 Dolphins and Dan Marino in a game where the first QB made quite the statement.

Montana went 24-for-35 and racked up 331 yards and three passing TDs while rushing for 59 on the ground and punching the ball into the end zone on his own on a single occasion.

Marino also fared pretty well by passing for 318 yards on 29-of-50 passing, but he only threw one TD to the two picks he gave up as the 49ers cruised to a 38-16 win.

Terry Bradshaw: Super Bowl XIII

Terry Bradshaw helped the Steelers win four Super Bowls as an instrumental part of the dynasty that unfolded in the 1970s, but none of his performances topped the one the world witnessed against the Cowboys in Super Bowl XIII.

The two teams had met the previous year, and the Steelers were able to successfully defend their crown with a 35-31 win where Bradshaw set the record for most passing yards in the Super Bowl (318), passing touchdowns (4), and assisted on what was tied for the longest reception (a 75-yard TD pass to John Stallworth).

All of those marks would end up being surpassed, but it was still quite a showing.