It's amazing how that 1983 comeback against the Colts has slipped under the radar in NFL history. Down by 19 points with 10 minutes left against the team that you refused to play for, and you go on and lead that comeback as a rookie. Incredible stuff
@@CharlesUrban It was largely because of the organizational structure being toxic, and HC Frank Kush being a particularly disliked coach by Jack Elway, his father.
Hey could have led any comeback he didn't care what the situation was he was about scoring no matter what I go back to the DRIVE against Cleveland Bernie kosar had that game until Ernest bynaer gave them another chance he had a gun on him
I'm 40 years old and what I will always remember about Elway was his cannon! In some way, he was the precursor guy that could scramble out of the pocket and throw a 50-yard bomb on point similar to what many QB's like Mahomes or Watson are doing today.
No doubt John was a Super Star & he breathed new life into the Broncos along w/back to back Super Bowls which meant so much to him & his family, Mr. Bowlen & family & the FANS!! I cried for days when he stopped playing but understood why. He's a class act to be remembered by so many fans. No one has ever had more heart stopping moments in the NFL than John, the fans, & our beloved Broncos!!
Because if you confess with your mouth that Jesus is lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. Romans 10:9 ❤
Because if you confess with your mouth that Jesus is lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. Romans 10:9 ❤
He was a pitcher in HS. You can tell by his throwing motion and power in his throws. Alot of QBs now have baseball backgrounds. Zach Wilson, Russell Wilson, Mahomes, Stafford, etc.
@@dewanewelch1744 even those guys you just named don’t have the speed releasing the football that elway had. He broke peoples fingers on a regular basis in practice, routinely threw the ball over 60mph all game long. There’s never been a qb like him
Because if you confess with your mouth that Jesus is lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. Romans 10:9 ❤
John Elway is why I fell in love with football. He was my hero as a kid! Im still a Bronco fan and will be til I die! I cried like a chic when we finally won the superbowl. I imagine all true Elway and Bronco fans did!! I miss him and MJ so much. #proud #notashamed
U got that right!!! He got all the fans to start jumping & screaming & crying, hugging, & laughing all in one game!!! He's been my Hero & my dreams came true when I was finally able to see John & the Broncos live & in action many times.. I love what he brought to the Broncos b/c every one was SO HAPPY when the Broncos FINALLY got to see what a great team they became w/John & Mr. Bowlen leading the way. I loved every second of their games!! RIP Mr. Bowlen. U R missed & so loved by so many.
@@GORILLA_PIMP what's so funny? I agree with him I love nfl history and if they did that it would be awesome, nfl throwback helps me go to sleep listening to old classics
Because if you confess with your mouth that Jesus is lord, and believe in your heart that God raises him from the dead, you will be saved. Romans 10:9 ❤
Lifelong Browns fans here, Elway broke our hearts so many times while growing up but I got to admit I was rooting for him when he won thoes 2 superbowls and I'm going to give credit where it's due, he was the best Q.B I ever saw and that's covering a lot of ground.
I was really happy when he took home 2 Super Bowl titles with Terrell Davis at the tail end of his career. Truly one of the greatest quarterbacks of all time
@@mcadamshub7351 No AFC team won the Super Bowl during that Era, and the first one to do so after over a decade of AFC teams losing was, The Broncos. So, bug off.
@Hector Rodriguez I know that. That was my point when someone said Elway lost more than he won. My point was, so did every other AFC team, and they lost big. That was my point.
It's such a different era that Elway was playing in. In the contemporary game favoring quarterbacks, he'd have a 5,500-yard passing season, maybe multiple. In his prime, he was everything we see in Mahomes. Incomparable talent. Even at 38 in that final game, he launches a rocket 50 yards through the air on a rope to Rod Smith. Wouldn't have rather grown up in any other era of football, cheering for any other player. Broncos football will never be more exciting than it was with #7.
People like Pat Mahomes grew up watching this man’s highlights. Ahead of his time this man was. I got to see him crush New England in 98 as the first and only football game I went to. I’ll never forget it
@@cameleyez yep, 0-4 in Orange, 1-0 in Navy blue, and 2-1 in white. And all four of the orange clad games were total destruction lol. The Jags debacle ended the Orange D uniforms, and I hate the Jags to this day 😆
Always heard of Elway, but his ability to escape and complete passes like that has to be before it's time. We act as if elusive QB's that can pass outside of the pocket accurately is something new. Has to be the most versatile QB of all time
No matter what people say John Elway has the most talent any NFL QB has ever had the way he could throw the ball across the field the way he did maybe one or 2 other quarterbacks in history can do that. He is hands down the most talented QB to ever play the game. #ElwayNumber1
I remember how effortless Elway threw the football 70+ yards he was definitely a special QB to watch I’m glad at the end he was able to win 2 Super Bowls. On another note it’s pretty cool seeing him throwing TD’s to Shannon Sharpe. 😃
I’ve seen a lot of lists of top QB’s to ever play. I never agree with too many of them. This man is one of the best, most determined athletes to ever play in pro sports. He is the reason I became a Broncos fan. He’s number one on my list.
You just tend to forget how much traffic seemed to always be in the pocket and how that pocket always seemed to be closing around him in those early years. It wasn't the distance of his passes that blew me away the first time I watched him live... It was the velocity of those passes. They seemed to still be whistling 40-50 yards down the field.
LOL. And don't forget the accuracy too! His receivers were great too. I miss all of them. His body took a LOT of bad hits too. No doubt he loved the Broncos & he loved playing in Denver. I could watch his vids all day long every day! He was so exciting!
John Elway is my third favorite all-time great quarterback ever he was the reason for the Drive and my favorite play is in the Super Bowl he ran to get the first to get a first and goal
3:12 he took a mini skip and launch that thang 60 yards with velocity. Most quarterbacks would have to wind up with 3 steps. That arm was special even till this day it holds up.
John will never get the respect on how good of a quarterback he actually was.. I'm proud to say that he won more games when he retired 148 by the time that was an NFL record.
Very very few QBs from the 80s 90s that could play and dominate in any era. Not too many QBs ever with the complete package of arm strength the size and mobility deep down field accuracy. John Elway passes the eye test you can’t say that to QBs with bloated stats! Five time SB appearances Two time Champ 14-7 Playoffs 148-82 career top 5 ever!
AGREED! When Elway retired he was the winningest QB in regular season history and had the most QB starts in Super Bowl history. Not to mention the two SB rings and SB MVP in his final game. As of now, Elway is Still the only QB to take two different head coaches to two or moRe SB appearances- though Brady has a shot at matching that for as long as he sticks around haha. But Elway was a badass. There is just no question.
That first throw to Sharpe is one of the top 5 throws I have ever seen. This guy had the strongest arm ever. He probably could throw the ball through a 5 feet feet thick wall
Elway is one of the old school stars who would dominate in today’s game more than he did back when he played. He had all the tools and a great competitive drive.
I’m a huge Raiders fan but I have to tip my hat to the legend that is John Elway. What a superstar quarterback he was in every way and that arm of his was an absolute cannon. Enjoy your retirement sir.
Honestly, if Elway isn’t in your top five then you need to re-evaluate your list. The man had arguably the best arm in the game and carried the Broncos for years.
You look at this and you can truly realise how much the quarterback position has changed. His game numbers, until later in his career, today would barely reach a highlight reel. His MVP year he wouldn’t even have been an honourable mention today but back then it was amazing.
Prime Elway in today's league with these soft rules throws for 60 touchdowns and 6000 yds, it's apples to oranges trying to compare a qb in this pass happy Era with the entire rule book designed to give these qbs ridiculous numbers. Throw any of these modern "elite" qbs in that Era and you get 16 touchdowns and 18 picks and 2376 yds passing, maybe.
Went to my first home game back when Deberg was under center. Born and and raised Orange and Blue. Seeing this was very cool. Alot of memories in the old Mile High. It also reminds me of how many other Broncos are so deserving of the HOF.
This was the best, most engaging career compilation I've seen for John. I also really appreciate the avoidance of any discussion of who he was off the field.
I'm a packers fan and he is the main reason I don't get more mad about losing that 97 super bowl and went from my packers going back to back to him beating us and the falcons the next year to achieve himself 2 super bowls.... much respect 🙏
I’m not a Broncos fan but I always remember John becoming a helicopter in that 97 Super Bowl. It wasn’t even for a TD but it shifted the momentum. You can tell he really wanted that chip.
So many great things about The Duke. One thing not mentioned much but was the best I ever saw was his pocket presence. He could be standing there, than move forward or side to side or backward in a split second avoiding a sack or tackle, like he had eyes in the back, side and front of his head! He won back to back Super Bowls at 37-38, retiring as the Super Bowl MVP. My friends say he only won because he had great talent around him and great coaching. So replace Montana, Brady, Bradshaw, and any other quarterback that won because they had great talent and coaching around them with Elway, in their primes. He’d have won 10 championships. Take any of those Legends and put them on the teams Elway dragged to the Super Bowl with little talent and coaching, and they would have never even been in a Super Bowl. Elway best ever, the eyes and stats tell you that. Bill Walsh wanted to trade Joe Montana for Elway, after Montana, in his early prime won a Super Bowl. He was licking his chops thinking what he could do with a talent like Elway. Montana was great, but Elway? Next level. Watching Elway was a religious experience, and indeed it was. Proof? Ask the many that experienced first hand the Elway cross.
@@ericpackers1700 Spot on Eric! Even at 37 he still was nimble enough and had very good pocket presence and sneaky running ability to get 1st downs or avoid big sacks.
Notice how his best statistical seasons happened at the tail end of his career, when he had Sharpe, Smith, and McCaffrey to throw the ball to. Imagine if he had them during the late '80s and early '90s. He'd be putting up Aaron Rodgers-type of numbers.
Probably not considering the era. Average qbs these days are putting up more efficient numbers simply because of the way football is played now. It's why numbers and stats are never really a good way to indicate who is better in different pointe in history.
3200 to 3500 yes a season back then was tops in league. Offense was still built around running the ball and defense, only team like today's offense was Miami maybe San Diego and both defenses got shredded every week because they were on field so much.
In terms of athleticism and insane arm talent, Elway was essentially Mahomes before Mahomes. The man had a howitzer attached to his right shoulder. They got smashed in those first three Super Bowls, but Elway carried those teams there. As number 1 overall pick quarterbacks go, I'd argue only Peyton Manning was more accomplished.
@@starboyseven752 I honestly forget that Aikman was a first overall pick. In terms of championship success, I'll give you the three Super Bowl wins and it probably would've been five if Jerry Jones didn't fire Jimmy Johnson. I'd still argue Elway and Manning did more.
@@melvinshine9841 yeah ur right. I think Elway was better, and then Manning (only bc with his supporting cast he should have won more superbowls), then Aikman.
The comeback king, I watched him, being a Chiefs fan, and he would really chap the Chief's & Raider's hide, big time in the 4th quarters. I seen him do it too many times. :D
That's not an arm that's a gun...John Elway was ahead of his time. His playing style with the mobility and strong arm deep downfield accuracy holds well into today. Just look at all the QBs with his playing style that came after him like Farve, Rodgers, Mahomes maybe even Josh Allen. Those days with the very Tall and no mobility standing QBs are over. Defenses are just getting way too fast.
If Elway had been traded to 49ers in 85 like it was rumored Elway on that 49er team his entire career Elway would have like 8 to 10 superbowls don't tell me he wouldn't the biggest problem with Montana those days was his durability Elway was as tough as they come never missed a big game
I always carried the entire team and got to three Super Bowls, but it takes more than one player to win. Once he got some help around him and some better coaching for the entire team, then it was Super Bowl time. I'm glad he got a couple of them.
Here is the case for John Elway being the greatest QB in NFL history: If you played Denver in the 1980s to 1995, you were playing the Denver Elways, and their coach, Dan "Three Yards and a Cloud of Dust" Reeves. And he still got them three AFC Championships. If you were playing Tom Brady you were playing a great team and a HOF QB, coached by a true legend. Montana happened to have the greatest position player and offensive coach in NFL history. Elway seemed to win in spite of the pieces around him. Once he got a little help, his last three years speak for themselves: 39-9, 6-1 in playoffs, 2x Super Bowls, Super Bowl MVP. Marino, Brady, Favre, Manning, Montana were all great QBs. But they each have some deficiency somewhere. Montana was great, but he was also incredible fragile. Marino never won a Super Bowl, Brady has actually been pretty bad in the playoffs. Manning was great except in playoff games outside against a team that cheated fair and square. Rogers is great, but he can't seem to put it all together into one great season. John Elway was the greatest or the second greatest QB to ever play the game in virtually every category you come up with. Brady may be the most accomplished, but John also played in 5 Super Bowls, won two. Marino was #1 when he retired, Elway was still close as #2 in virtually every statistical category (and when you add his rushing total to the mix, he is even closer to Marino). He retired as the winningest QB in history despite being the most sacked. And he finally showed why he was the greatest prospect in NFL history, and the embodiment of the perfect lab creation QB in his last three years. He has the numbers AND the post season success, AND No one else in history combines those PLUS the durability PLUS the fourth quarter magic PLUS playoff success PLUS the toughness to do it all in an era before ruled allowed QBs to avoid any contact. And oh, he was either #1 or 1A all time in fourth quarter comebacks. If I had to have one *QB for a career: Tom Brady *QB for one regular season game: Peyton Manning *QB for one post season game: Joe Montana *QB for one play: Aaron Rogers *QB for one season: Dan Marino (1984) *QB for one 4th quarter: Roger Staubach *QB who changed the game: Johnny Unitas *Best Dual-Threat: Michael Vick *Best Arm Strength: Rogers/Favre/Elway *Best Deep Ball: Terry Bradshaw *Best Pure Ball Player: Sammy Baugh *Best Longevity: Brett Favre Number 2 on every one on my lists? John Elway. He is the most complete QB in history, and he is what every team looks for when they draft a QB.
It’s crazy to me because when the greatest qbs ever get brought up people sleep on John elway but before Brady and mahomes existed in the modern day John was the best and honestly still might be . No one did more with less and his arm was absolutely ridiculous. This was awesome to watch
Elway was so good he took the broncos to the superbowl multiple times when they had no business even being there and it showed, they were just destroyed in his first 3 super bowls. Elway willed his team to the big game on skill and grit alone but they didn’t have the total team talent to win until they got him a lot of help on defense and offense. Especially when Terrell Davis just showed up and was basically a Demi god playing as a running back and having John Elway as his quarterback was an amazing 1-2 punch. I love the Denver broncos and Elway, Davis, sharpe, Rod Smith, Ed Mccaffery, Jason Elam and Steve Atwater just to name a few. Gooo Broncos!!!
I’m a broncos fan I was born in 02. Watching these highlights got me thinking that Patrick mahomes is really John Elway 2.0. The resemblance is crazy watching Elway scramble in the pocket and make throws across his body
I still remember the Vortex commercials he did when I was a kid and he was probably biggest reason I got into NFL football. I love CFB, but the NFL back then was special, too.
I find it more impressive than anything, I mean Marino only made it to one in the early 80s and ain’t sniff it since that, meanwhile Elway made it in two different decades (Although Elway was very fortunate for his help for the back-half of his career)
Put Elway in San Francisco and they still win their super bowls. Put Montana in Denver and Montana lasts two seasons and eats his meals out of a straw. Elway is the GREATEST QUARTERBACK EVER
