1. Trent Dilfer (2000)
Regular Season Stats: 1,502 yards, 12 TDs-11 INTs
Playoff Stats: 590 yards 3 TDs-1 INT
All the quarterbacks on this list were teamed up with a great defense, but Dilfer maybe had the best. The Ravens D allowed the fewest points in league history and still lost four games. Dilfer was past his prime and just managed the game. He rarely completed many passes despite having a great running game with Jamal Lewis and Priest Holmes. Dilfer only completed 47.9 percent of his passes in the playoffs. However his management did just enough to help the Ravens win a Super Bowl title.
2. Terry Bradshaw (1974)
Regular Season Stats: 785 yards, 7 TDs-8 INTs
Playoff Stats: 394 yards, 3 TDs-1 INT
Although Bradshaw is a Hall of Famer, he wasn’t good at the beginning of his career. This Steelers team was about the defense and running game. During the season Bradshaw was in competition with Joe Gilliam, neither played well. Bradshaw was second-rate and Gilliam was bad, so the Steelers chose the lesser of two evils. He passed for less than 100 yards in the AFC championship and Super Bowl. Bradshaw would eventually become a two-time Super Bowl MVP.
3. Bob Griese (1972)
Regular Season Stats: 638 yards, 4 TDs-4 INTs
Playoff Stats: 158 yards, 1 TDs-1 INT
Griese never put up big numbers in his career, this season was his least productive. Griese’s season was plagued by injury, which cost him his job to Earl Morrall. The Dolphins finsihed undefeated and Super Bowl champions because of their “no-name defense” and running game, not Griese. He was an above average game manager and only needed to complete eight passes in the Super Bowl. Despite Griese’s mediocre career numbers, he is a Hall of Famer and six-time Pro Bowler.
4. Doug Williams (1987)
Regular Season Stats: 1,156 yards, 11 TDs-5 INTs
Playoff Stats: 666 yards, 7 TDs-2 INTs
Williams, the only African American quarterback to a win Super Bowl and a Super Bowl MVP, played very well this season but the rest of his career is uninspiring. Williams’ season was a miracle, in eight games he passed for 18 touchdowns, 7 interceptions and 1,822 yards. If he played the entire season, Williams could have been NFL MVP. He had a monster Super Bowl, passing for four touchdowns and 340 yards. Williams won the starting job going into 1988, but lost it to Mark Rypien and was out of the league soon after.
5. Jeff Hostetler (1990)
Regular Season Stats: 614 yards, 3 TDs-1 INT
Playoff Stats: 510 yards, 3 TDs-0 INTs (1 rushing TD)
When Hostetler stepped in for injured Pro Bowl quarterback Phil Simms, he lead the Giants to five straight victories and a Super Bowl title. He managed the games and let a Bill Belichick led defense take over. In the playoffs, the longtime backup almost completed 60 percent of his passes and didn’t turnover the ball. Hostetler had a fine career after that resulted in one Pro Bowl selection with the Raiders in 1994.
6. Jim McMahon (1985)
Regular Season Stats: 2,392 yards, 15 TDs-11 INTs
Playoff Stats: 636 yards, 3 TDs-0 INTs (3 rushing TDs)
McMahon is one of the most overrated quarterbacks of all-time. Chicago loves “The Punky QB” but he deserves little credit. McMahon is famous because he played on a team with one of the greatest running backs, Walter Payton, and one of the greatest defenses. During McMahon’s career, he never passed for more than 15 touchdowns or 2,500 yards. His career was slowed down by injury, he finished as a backup with many teams, most notably behind Brett Favre in Green Bay. McMahon wasn’t a bad guy, “Rozelle” on the headband was pretty cool.
7. Joe Namath (1968)
Regular Season Stats: 3,147 yards, 15 TDs, 17 INTs
Playoff Stats: 472 yards, 3 TDs-1 INTs
“Broadway Joe” might have predicted a win in Super Bowl III but he didn’t produce it. Namath was wildly inconsistent and inaccurate during his whole career. He passed for more touchdowns than interceptions twice and his career completion percentage is only 50.1 percent. Namath completed 49.2 percent of his passes during the 1968 season and 46.8 percent in the playoffs. He was among the top five in passing yards five times in his career, elected to five Pro Bowls and the Hall of Fame. Joe didn’t do so bad.
8. Ben Roethlisberger (2005)
Regular Season Stats: 2,385 yards, 17 TDs-9 INTs
Playoff Stats: 803 yards, 7 TDs-3 INTs
Roethlisberger,the youngest QB to win a Super Bowl, in just his second year lead the Steelers to a championship.It is understandable for a young quarterback to struggle, but Roethlisberger managed the games very well. He could have passed for 3,000 yards if Roethlisberger wasn’t injured for four games. The former Miami of Ohio grad was fantastic in the playoffs however struggled in the Super Bowl throwing two interceptions and only 123 yards. Big Ben eventually matured, won another Super Bowl and was elected to two Pro Bowls.
9. Phil Simms (1986)
Regular Season Stats: 3,487 yards, 21 TDs-22 INTs
Playoff Stats: 494 yards, 8 TDs-0 INTs
People were very skeptical of Simms coming into the 1986 season. During the years Simms struggled, throwing the fourth most interceptions in the league with 22. Throughout the playoffs Simms quieted his critics. He didn’t pass for a lot of yards nevertheless the Morehead St. alum was passing for touchdowns and protecting the ball. In the Super Bowl, Simms completed 22 of 25 passes en route to a Super Bowl title and MVP. Simms played above average football for the rest of his career, but never played as well as he did in the 1986 playoffs.
10. Eli Manning (2007)
Regular Season Stats: 3,336 yards, 23 TDs-20 INTs
Playoff Stats: 854 yards, 6 TDs-1 INT
Just like Simms, Eli played his best football in the playoffs and cemented himself as an elite quarterback. After two consecutive solid seasons, Manning seemed to digress with his 20 interceptions but he redeemed himself with one throw to David Tyree in the Super Bowl. That play is one of the most famous moments in championship history and it showed that Eli will be a playmaker for years to come. Manning has shown he can make mistakes, but with his second Super Bowl appearance he is now and forever an elite quarterback.
All stats were provided by http://www.pro-football-reference.com/.