Ranking Every Jet QB to Start a Game Since Namath

[Untouchable]

Originally Posted by Traitor Jay & the Woodies

Vinny led comebacks... some of the franchise's best. Chad was great with a lead but when we were down, we were done.

Vinny gets the nod by this fact alone, imo.

Vinny had one really good season with us and then was f*cking awful for the rest of his stint here.

[Traitor Jay & the Woodies]

Originally Posted by Untouchable

Vinny had one really good season with us and then was f*cking awful for the rest of his stint here.

One really good season? It was the best season any Jets QB ever had.

And although he never was that good again, to say he was f*cking awful is not based in any reality.

[Untouchable]

Originally Posted by Traitor Jay & the Woodies

One really good season? It was the best season any Jets QB ever had.

And that's not really saying much.

I give Chad the edge. More playoff appearances and more playoff wins than Vinny. Was a more efficient QB as well. The guy would still be our QB today if the injury bug didn't kick his ass.

[SlickBri481]

The one thing I'll say is that the 6 game stretch Rick Mirer played for us in 1999 was arguably the worst QBing I've ever seen at the NFL level. Add in the fact that he singlehandedly lost the opening game for us by throwing horrible 4th quarter picks after Parcells surprisingly pulled an effective Tom Tupa (true he was the punter, but he threw a couple TDs and did nothing to warrant getting benched for Mirer of all people). Then Parcells stuck with Mirer for 6 games when everyone on the planet could see how awful he is, finally mercifully pulling him for Ray Lucas (who nearly led us to the playoffs).

Granted, the Jets have had some awful QBs (as the list illustrates), but I have a hard time believing any of them ever played the position worse than Mirer did.

[GreenWave]

Originally Posted by Traitor Jay & the Woodies

One really good season? It was the best season any Jets QB ever had.

And although he never was that good again, to say he was f*cking awful is not based in any reality.

Originally Posted by Untouchable

And that's not really saying much.

I give Chad the edge. More playoff appearances and more playoff wins than Vinny. Was a more efficient QB as well. The guy would still be our QB today if the injury bug didn't kick his ass.

Good debate. You can make arguments for both to be #1, but I'll go with Vinny for two reasons: Excitement and play in big games.

Pennington was a much more efficient QB, but after he was exposed in Oakland, the guy was a complete no-show in every big game after that. It's not like he crushed Vinny in playoff wins (2 to 1), and in the losses against Pitt in '04 and NE in '06 he did little to help the cause. From '03 to '07, was there a single game with Pennington as QB that was memorable due to his performance? I can only think of the SD playoff game.

Vinny on the other hand put up the best season by a QB in team history in '98. He was lights out in the 2nd half against Denver in the championship game, but no one could hold the ball (or Terrell Davis) in that game.

After the injury in '99 he led the team on 4 memorable comebacks in '00 to start the season. And despite having the worst starting receiving core in the history of the franchise, the guy put up almost 500 yards against the '00 Ravens defense trying to get the Jets in the playoffs. Yeah, he threw a back-breaking pick-6 in that same game, but 500 yards? Against the best defense of all time? With Dedric Ward & Wayne Chrebet as his starting WRs?

He was also money in the playoff game against the Raiders in '01. Not his fault the team couldn't stop Rice & Brown and that Abraham had a tummy ache. For the better part of three seasons (and in every playoff game), Vinny showed up when it mattered.

All that said...it's pretty sad that those are the two best QBs the franchise has seen in 40 years. Wow.

[mrcoops]

Originally Posted by SlickBri481

The one thing I'll say is that the 6 game stretch Rick Mirer played for us in 1999 was arguably the worst QBing I've ever seen at the NFL level. Add in the fact that he singlehandedly lost the opening game for us by throwing horrible 4th quarter picks after Parcells surprisingly pulled an effective Tom Tupa (true he was the punter, but he threw a couple TDs and did nothing to warrant getting benched for Mirer of all people). Then Parcells stuck with Mirer for 6 games when everyone on the planet could see how awful he is, finally mercifully pulling him for Ray Lucas (who nearly led us to the playoffs).

Granted, the Jets have had some awful QBs (as the list illustrates), but I have a hard time believing any of them ever played the position worse than Mirer did.

Bingo. Mirer should not rank above anyone else. He was hopeless and gutless. Never seen a worse starting QB anywhere, ever, than Mirer on that Jets team.

[SlickBri481]

Originally Posted by GreenWave

Good debate. You can make arguments for both to be #1, but I'll go with Vinny for two reasons: Excitement and play in big games.

Pennington was a much more efficient QB, but after he was exposed in Oakland, the guy was a complete no-show in every big game after that. It's not like he crushed Vinny in playoff wins (2 to 1), and in the losses against Pitt in '04 and NE in '06 he did little to help the cause. From '03 to '07, was there a single game with Pennington as QB that was memorable due to his performance? I can only think of the SD playoff game.

Vinny on the other hand put up the best season by a QB in team history in '98. He was lights out in the 2nd half against Denver in the championship game, but no one could hold the ball (or Terrell Davis) in that game.

After the injury in '99 he led the team on 4 memorable comebacks in '00 to start the season. And despite having the worst starting receiving core in the history of the franchise, the guy put up almost 500 yards against the '00 Ravens defense trying to get the Jets in the playoffs. Yeah, he threw a back-breaking pick-6 in that same game, but 500 yards? Against the best defense of all time? With Dedric Ward & Wayne Chrebet as his starting WRs?

He was also money in the playoff game against the Raiders in '01. Not his fault the team couldn't stop Rice & Brown and that Abraham had a tummy ache. For the better part of three seasons (and in every playoff game), Vinny showed up when it mattered.

All that said...it's pretty sad that those are the two best QBs the franchise has seen in 40 years. Wow.

Memorable Chad game was road game in Green Bay in 06 I believe. We won 38-10. Chad threw for like 300 yards in the 1st half. He completely outplayed and outclassed the legendary Favre that day. I think he followed it up with a really similar performance on the road against the Vikings a few weeks later. He did very similar, close to 300 yards in the 1st half, game was a complete blowout.

I agree though that Chad's resume is generally not filled with a lot of eye-popping performances.

Don't forget though that Vinny was a pretty mediocre QB for us outside of 1998, threw a lot of INTs and really just relied on his big arm to get balls into tight spots instead of reading the D and taking what it would give him. He was more exciting though. Overall, I think Chad was the better player for us.

[GreenWave]

Originally Posted by SlickBri481

Then Parcells stuck with Mirer for 6 games when everyone on the planet could see how awful he is, finally mercifully pulling him for Ray Lucas (who nearly led us to the playoffs).

If that had happened just one game sooner, the Jets might have snuck into the playoffs as the hottest team in the league. I don't think Lucas could have gotten them all the way, but they had the kind of momentum that got the Giants (twice), Packers & Steelers ('05) to the Super Bowl four times in the last 8 years.

[GreenWave]

Originally Posted by SlickBri481

Memorable Chad game was road game in Green Bay in 06 I believe. We won 38-10. Chad threw for like 300 yards in the 1st half. He completely outplayed and outclassed the legendary Favre that day. I think he followed it up with a really similar performance on the road against the Vikings a few weeks later. He did very similar, close to 300 yards in the 1st half, game was a complete blowout.

I agree though that Chad's resume is generally not filled with a lot of eye-popping performances.

Don't forget though that Vinny was a pretty mediocre QB for us outside of 1998, threw a lot of INTs and really just relied on his big arm to get balls into tight spots instead of reading the D and taking what it would give him. He was more exciting though. Overall, I think Chad was the better player for us.

Fair enough. You can definitely go either way with this one, so I can't argue any of this.

And now I do remember that GB game. You're right, that was an annihilation. Too bad it was sandwiched between two awful home losses to Chicago and Buffalo.

[sameoldjets]

it's not like the jets haven't had some decent qbs. obrien, todd, vinnie and even odonnell were pretty good qb's in their own right. and you can look at ray lucas to see what can be done with superior coaching and game planning. it all comes down to desire and wanting to win. imo pat ryan was under appreciated because the guy always tried his best to win. boomer is over appreciated because he was just so washed up as a qb and then had the mouth that didn't help the team.

[SlickBri481]

Originally Posted by mrcoops

Bingo. Mirer should not rank above anyone else. He was hopeless and gutless. Never seen a worse starting QB anywhere, ever, than Mirer on that Jets team.

The way Parcells handled the QB situation after Vinny went down in 99 is probably the biggest black mark on his resume with the team. I don't know if he was pressured into playing Mirer because he was the "bigger name" but that decision threw away our season. Lucas played really well later in the year and even Tupa in only a few series showed far more promise than Mirer ever did. That 99 team would have been dangerous if they had snuck into the playoffs behind Lucas, we were a team that nobody wanted to play by the end of the year.

[SlickBri481]

Originally Posted by GreenWave

If that had happened just one game sooner, the Jets might have snuck into the playoffs as the hottest team in the league. I don't think Lucas could have gotten them all the way, but they had the kind of momentum that got the Giants (twice), Packers & Steelers ('05) to the Super Bowl four times in the last 8 years.

Still bugs me to this day how Parcells screwed that up sticking with Mirer for so long. That 99 team had serious momentum at the end of the season and defeated several teams down the stretch that made the playoffs. Just an all-around cursed season and Parcells did not stick around for the aftermath.

[ChrisChrusher#40]

As much as I usually find Bleacher Report articles as amateurish, fan-boyish and often simple-minded, this list was a bit of an eye opener. Being too young to remember some of them (being born in 1974, my earliest memories as a Jets fan starts when Richard Todd was the starter), it was a good way to recap and bring back faded memories of some. Some of them my mind blocked out... like Bubby Brister, who I seem to remember being worse than even Mirer (Mirer's tenure just hurt more because of the Super Bowl caliber potential around him and how Lucas got hot but fell short due to Mirer's extended poor play while Brister was during the dark Kotite era where everything was bad).

It also goes to show how Jet QBs get run out of town at the slightest bit of adversity. The better ones were given more time, but still got run out of town with the possible exception of Vinny (age caught up) and Penny (injuries and trade).

Originally Posted by PatsFanTX

I wonder if there is any correlation from that list to the Jets performance on the field the last 42 years?

Like the Pats QBs didn't stink before Brady and Bledsoe before him? How's that list looking? Stability at QB is the best way to keep sustained success. Being arrogant about having good fortune at QB is asinine. Pats did no better (in fact, they were worse), before 1993.

[Mardukis]

Originally Posted by SlickBri481

The way Parcells handled the QB situation after Vinny went down in 99 is probably the biggest black mark on his resume with the team. I don't know if he was pressured into playing Mirer because he was the "bigger name" but that decision threw away our season. Lucas played really well later in the year and even Tupa in only a few series showed far more promise than Mirer ever did. That 99 team would have been dangerous if they had snuck into the playoffs behind Lucas, we were a team that nobody wanted to play by the end of the year.

ROMO barely got a shot under Parcells. his one weakness is been evaluating and or grooming young QB talent. Hostettler won IN SPITE of Parcells. they hate each other to this day.

[Mardukis]

Originally Posted by LockeJET

Crazy thing is, I'd take Tom Tupa as my QB ahead of 3/4's of the list.

Just think of all the fake punts.

[Dcat]

Originally Posted by JetFreak89

Since the top 10 was already posted, it only makes sense to post the whole list, so here it is.

24. David Norrie
23. Marty Domres
22. Kyle Mackie
21. Tony Eason
20. Jack Trudeau
19. Bubby Brister
18. Brooks Bollinger
17. Frank Reich
16. Glenn Foley
15. Browning Nagle
14. Rick Mirer
13. Quincy Carter
12. Kellen Clemens
11. Matt Robinson
10. Ray Lucas
09. Neil O'Donnell
08. Pat Ryan
07. Brett Favre
06. Boomer Esiason
05. Mark Sanchez
04. Richard Todd
03. Ken O'Brien
02. Chad Pennington
01. Vinny Testeverde

Kyle Mackie... LOL he was a replacement player during the strike. He hugged a ref after throwing a TD. Have no idea why I remember that

[John_0515]

The question is, are we going by accomplishments as a team, individual play, or both? In the last 20 years, the biggest accomplishments as a team have been by Mark Sanchez, winning 4 playoff games. Sorry, but little else matters other than winning in the playoffs. Vinny's Monday Night Miracle was great, and that gets points, but I'd rather have lost that game and won 2 more in the playoffs in 98.

As good as Pennington played, he couldn't get over the hump of beating an elite team. With Sanchez, we've beaten the Colts, Patriots, Chargers all in the playoffs, on the road. That counts huge.

Now go by individual play. You can easily put Vinny and Chad up there for regular season play, but it's not too far ahead of some other QBs we've had. O'brien had one year which he led the NFL in passer rating, but that was over 25 years ago. Chad did that one year as well. Does it make them good? Depends what categories your rating these guys on.

Namath is on top with the trophy. Was he the best QB out of all of them? Probably not, but he won, and that's all that matters. If he didn't win the Superbowl, no one would talk about him like they do. Sanchez wins the Superbowl, nobody will talk about his interceptions as much as that trophy, and he instantly becomes one of the best.

[SCITSCAT]

Originally Posted by AlwaysGreenAlwaysWhite

10) Lucas
9) O'Donnell
8) Ryan
7) Favre
6) Esiason
5) Sanchez
4) Todd
3) O'Brien
2) Pennington
1) Testaverde

IMO, and I watched all of these guys. Todd is ahead of O'Brien and Chad. He had no team around him (in comparison with the teams Vinnie & Chad had) and still took the team to AFC Championship. He was a true QB, didn't fold under pressure like O'Brien or fall down and do the Ken O'brien sack dance.

[Mohegangreen]

Originally Posted by Traitor Jay & the Woodies

One really good season? It was the best season any Jets QB ever had.

And although he never was that good again, to say he was f*cking awful is not based in any reality.

Groh traded away Meshawn before the 2000 season(really only his 2nd season), that left him with a shortage of receivers, they should have made it work with Key

[RazorJet]

I actually agree with every # on that list. Top 10 anyway