Steelers best starting QB not named Ben or Terry?

[VTsteel]

O.K Steeler nation, I am curious who you all think was our best starting QB that played for our beloved Steelers between the Bradshaw era and Roethlisbergers Reign.

I am omitting all the back-up's like Batch, Miller, Kruczek, Graham, Blackledge, Bono, Campbell (etc . . .). Only the #1's . . .

And nothing against Morrall or Layne . . . the game was just too different in their day.

So starting with Bradshaw's last game in '83 and Ben's first start in '04 . . . who was our best starting QB during our 21 years of pain?

The candidates are: (I think the links are screwed?)




Cliff Stoudt (http://www.steelersuniverse.com/wiki/Cliff_Stoudt)
David Woodley (http://www.steelersuniverse.com/wiki/David_Woodley)
Mark Malone (http://www.steelersuniverse.com/wiki/Mark_Malone)
Bubby Brister (http://www.steelersuniverse.com/wiki/Bubby_Brister)
Neil O'Donnell (http://www.steelersuniverse.com/wiki/Neil_O'Donnell)
Mike Tomczak (http://www.steelersuniverse.com/wiki/Mike_Tomczak)
Kordell Stewart (http://www.steelersuniverse.com/wiki/Kordell_Stewart)
Tommy Maddox (http://www.steelersuniverse.com/wiki/Tommy_Maddox)

[86WARD]

O'Donnell took them to a Super Bowl...or was the QB when they went...lol.

[polamalubeast]

The Steelers have only had two good QB in their history....

Maybe Neil O'Donnell

[polamalubeast]

I would have liked to say Dan Marino as the answer!

[steeldevil]

Bobby Layne I guess. Although he did most of his work as a Lion, so not sure that he should count???

[tube517]

O'Donnell had the best overall stats and 1 AFCC from that lousy bunch. He was the most consistent out of all of the other bums. He laid an egg in the Super Bowl so he lived with the goat horns until Kordillio lost 2 AFCC games.

[fansince'76]

O'Donnell by far, but even he was a journeyman QB at best (who played like one in SB XXX). Which goes to show just how bad the absolute piles of suck the Steelers had under center during that time were. That's why I find some of the mostly unwarranted criticism Roethlisberger still gets from a certain percentage of our fanbase (ALWAYS after a loss) so infuriating. They seem to forget all the golden opportunities for championships that were pissed away by truly inept QB play. If Ben would've come along 10-12 years earlier, we'd probably have at least two more Lombardi Trophies and possibly 3.

[Steeldude]

vtsteel, you actually picked kordell? perhaps the worst QB in NFL history.

[polamalubeast]

vtsteel, you actually picked kordell? perhaps the worst QB in NFL history.

Ryan Leaf,Jarmarcus Russell and Curtis Painter is not agree!

[SteelerEmpire]

Joe Gilliam Jr., which is not on the above list (Started in 74, and actually helped set off the Steelers domination in the 70's ) would be my choice.


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oTZ0idRGDjc

[Count Steeler]

From that list, have to go with O'Donnell. Doesn't say much for the list, eh?

[VTsteel]

vtsteel, you actually picked kordell? perhaps the worst QB in NFL history.

Yeah.

I actually liked Kordell in the day. He broke our hearts soooo many times . . . but he was truly brilliant at times too. That '01 loss to the Patsies in the AFCCG I truly believe we would've won if the Cheats were not cheating. And WE not the Patsies would have thumped the Ram's and Korky could've had redemption . . . however, unfortunately, that never happened. But yes, I liked Kordell Stewart more than O'Donnell or Maddox or any of 'em during our 21 years of pain.

[Edman]

O'Donnell is the best of the bums.

But overall, the Steelers have only had two good Quarterbacks in their history. Ben and Terry.

[steeldevil]

O'Donnell is the best of the bums.

But overall, the Steelers have only had two good Quarterbacks in their history. Ben and Terry.

Theres this guy named Bobby Layne. He is in the HOF.

The Steelers existed before 1969 people. Sometimes I feel like people forget that.

[HometownGal]

Ughhhhh. I'd have to go with Neil O'D but the pickins are very slim on that list. :horror:

[VTsteel]

Theres this guy named Bobby Layne. He is in the HOF.

The Steelers existed before 1969 people. Sometimes I feel like people forget that.

Layne was good it's true. But the question was who was the best between Bradshaw's retirement in '83 and Roethlisbergers 1st game in '04 :)

[GoSlash27]

I gotta go with Slash Stewart just by the numbers. #3 behind Terry and Big Ben for all-time most completions.

[steeldevil]

Layne was good it's true. But the question was who was the best between Bradshaw's retirement in '83 and Roethlisbergers 1st game in '04 :)

I know I saw that in the poll question after my first comment. But Edman's comment said "in their history" which is why I said what I said. :thumbsup:

[SteelerFanInStl]

O'Donnell. He was the only one who was even slightly competent at QB.

[Steeldude]

Ryan Leaf,Jarmarcus Russell and Curtis Painter is not agree!

did any of those QBs benefit from a #1 rushing attack and a #1 defense? kordell is the worst QB in history, IMO.

[st33lersguy]

Let's just be thankful that now we have a franchise QB

[Nadroj 20]

The name Neil O'Donnel is almost as bad as saying the F word in my house :chuckle: but he was probably the best one not named Ben or Terry.

[zulater]

The Steelers didn't have a qb between Terry and Ben.

[43Hitman]

*holds nose* O'Donnell. Korky shouldn't be on that list, he wasn't a QB.

[NJarhead]

O'Donnell based on the SB XXX appearance. Another thing I'd hate to say is Kordell as runner up. He had some bad years, but he probably made us better on offense than we really were a season or two.

[SteelGhost]

If O'Donnell hadn't laid TWO EGGS in SB XXX ... oh my ....

[Godfather]

O'Donnell is the best of that list. Led us to the playoffs each year he was the starter (or at least didn't screw up bad enough to miss the playoffs). Kordell was second, since he made some great highlight reel plays and got us to two conference championship games, even if he choked once he got there.

Disagree that the Pats* cheated in 2001. They didn't need to. They only scored one offensive touchdown in that game and Bad Kordell showed up at the worst possible time.

[ALLD]

None of the above.

[VTsteel]

O'Donnell is the best of that list. Led us to the playoffs each year he was the starter (or at least didn't screw up bad enough to miss the playoffs). Kordell was second, since he made some great highlight reel plays and got us to two conference championship games, even if he choked once he got there.

Disagree that the Pats* cheated in 2001. They didn't need to. They only scored one offensive touchdown in that game and Bad Kordell showed up at the worst possible time.

Oh with all due respect I whole heartedly disagree. Their cheating most certainly influenced our productivity. I remember saying to my father in law during the game that it "was like they know what we are gonna run before we do it". We ran a play at one point that we had never run at all and the Cheats were all over it and I was like WTF??? how could they have been all over that? we ran that the other way ALL YEAR . . . then a few days later Hines Ward said in an interview that "it seemed like the Pats knew what was coming?". And I remember that a few years later the Cheats were exposed as having video evidence from our walk through . . .

Yeah, their cheating had no influence - right :rant:

[Godfather]

Oh with all due respect I whole heartedly disagree. Their cheating most certainly influenced our productivity. I remember saying to my father in law during the game that it "was like they know what we are gonna run before we do it". We ran a play at one point that we had never run at all and the Cheats were all over it and I was like WTF??? how could they have been all over that? we ran that the other way ALL YEAR . . . then a few days later Hines Ward said in an interview that "it seemed like the Pats knew what was coming?". And I remember that a few years later the Cheats were exposed as having video evidence from our walk through . . .

Yeah, their cheating had no influence - right :rant:

Spygate benefited their offense, not their defense. Quarterbacks had the miked up helmets...defenses used hand signals at the time.

The Pats* were known for jamming the other team's signal but they could only pull that off in Foxboro, and the AFCCG was in Pittsburgh. Cheating didn't cause our special teams meltdown. And Kordell choking in a key moment of a big game isn't exactly evidence of a conspiracy.

I can buy the conspiracy theory for 2004 but not for 2001.

[zulater]

In the end I voted for O'Donnell for prettiest fat girl, er I mean for Steelers best non elite qb. If for no other reason than O'Donnell has the good grace not to continue to piss me off after his playing days , as Korkie does on a regular basis with his idiotic blather on ESPN. Somehow Kordell has managed to do the impossible and actually be worse at his post playing job, than he was on the field.

[suitanim]

There is a reason the moniker "The Kordoza Line" exists.

It's O'Donnell, and by a good margin. He completed 58% of his passes, tossed 120 Td's to 68 INT's, and had a career 81.8 rating. Kweerdell completed 56% of his passes, threw more picks (84) then TD's (77), and had a lousy rating of 70.7.

[Butch]

Spygate benefited their offense, not their defense. Quarterbacks had the miked up helmets...defenses used hand signals at the time.

The Pats* were known for jamming the other team's signal but they could only pull that off in Foxboro, and the AFCCG was in Pittsburgh. Cheating didn't cause our special teams meltdown. And Kordell choking in a key moment of a big game isn't exactly evidence of a conspiracy.

I can buy the conspiracy theory for 2004 but not for 2001.

I agree that the whole spygate thing was 2004 if I'm not mistaken that was when Hines said what he said. That being said the spygate thing helped their Defense as well. As Hines said "It was as if they knew our plays before we ran them."

As for QB's since we can't vote for Lane I would have to go for...O'Dollar. Love the mention of Broadway Joe Gilliam but unfortunately drugs did him in, but I do remember the spark he gave the team.

[86WARD]

Oh if Kordell didn't insist on being a full time QB...he woulda been so dreamy!!!

[cold-hard-steel]

O'Donnell knew how to work the sidelines after the 2 minute warning.

[BlastFurnace]

NOD...and it's not even close.

Neil has gotten a bad rap from Steelers fans. He wasn't great, but he was very solid.

[Polamalu Princess]

O'Donnell, but I will always have a soft spot for Tommy Maddox.

[86WARD]

NOD...and it's not even close.

Neil has gotten a bad rap from Steelers fans. He wasn't great, but he was very solid.

Agree BF.

[Craic]

I'd have to say Kordell.

People forget about O'Donnell's abject failure to put the ball in the endzone in playoff games.

I mean, Kordell isn't any more of a choke artist than this...

In 1992 season,

15
29
163
0
2



No TD's and 2 INTS? Ouch.

1993, he actually had a decent game, but we lost in OT. Now, on to 1994


Neil O'Donnell (http://www.pro-football-reference.com/players/O/ODonNe00.htm)
PIT
32
54
349
1



ONE! One TD for almost 350 yards!

In 1995,

28
49
239
1
3



One TD, THREE INT's in the SB.

So, in all but one of our losses in the playoffs in the NOD years, we got 2 TD's and 5 INTS from our QB. That's choking, IMO.

Now, For Kordell S.

In 1997


18
36
201
1
3
27
3
44
1
33



One td, 3 INTS, but 1 TD rushing as well. So that's 2/3 (It was a 33 yard run by Kordell too, not a 1 yard run, so that's why I'm counting it, because your average QB wouldn't have scored that TD).

In 2001,


24
42
255
0
3




3 INTS, but there are a number of people who feel the Pats* had cheated this game as well, including me. If I remember right, this was also the game that Jerome Bettis got the shot and it hit the nerve and numbed his entire leg, so he was out at the last minute.

Never the less, 0/3 TD/INT

So basically, that's 2/6, with both TD's coming in one game, and going 0/3 in one game. That's choking in a game, not choking across a career. IMO, NOD was the worse Playoff QB.

[BigNastyDefense]

I voted O'Donnell. Yes, Kordell had better playoff stats, but even if the Patriots cheated in 2001 it doesn't make up for the fact that Kordell should have never been more than an emergency QB. He could have been an excellent player as "Slash."

As for people saying "Steelers football did exist before 1969," it did. And during those years, the Steelers barely won. Bobby Layne was a Hall of Fame QB, but he did most of that HoF stuff as a member of the Detroit Lions. In his time as a Steeler he had more losses than wins, more losing seasons than winning, and threw more interceptions than touchdowns. He came to the Steelers to extend his career a few more years, same reason why some guys have gone to teams like the Raiders & Browns in the past decade.

[Dino 6 Rings]

I can't even read the names on the list without throwing up in my own mouth a little...so many painful effing memories brought back to the surface....

[BigNastyDefense]

I can't even read the names on the list without throwing up in my own mouth a little...so many painful effing memories brought back to the surface....

I fucking know Dino.

[Butch]

I voted O'Donnell. Yes, Kordell had better playoff stats, but even if the Patriots cheated in 2001 it doesn't make up for the fact that Kordell should have never been more than an emergency QB. He could have been an excellent player as "Slash."

As for people saying "Steelers football did exist before 1969," it did. And during those years, the Steelers barely won. Bobby Layne was a Hall of Fame QB, but he did most of that HoF stuff as a member of the Detroit Lions. In his time as a Steeler he had more losses than wins, more losing seasons than winning, and threw more interceptions than touchdowns. He came to the Steelers to extend his career a few more years, same reason why some guys have gone to teams like the Raiders & Browns in the past decade.

I believe Bobby was traded to us by the Lions which lead to the Lions Curse, I don't think Bobby had much choice in the matter.