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WHO'S THE BEST TO EVER PLAY IN BIG D? I'll confess: I'm not a Cowboys fan. But that team has had as much success as any NFL franchise. You can't argue with those five Super Bowl rings (matched only by Pittsburgh and the 49ers). As I watched the current Cowboys team down the Giants Sunday night in as close to a must-win as possible and then seeing the postgame "love fest" between Tony Romo, Jason Witten and T.O., I started thinking: just who was the greatest QB in Cowboys history? They've had some really, really good ones. I'd say it's way too early to anoint Romo with that mantle, and "Dandy" Don Meredith never won the big one (he had some guy named Bart Starr standing in his way), so that kind of boils it down to one of two men, both Hall-of-Famers: Roger Staubach and Troy Aikman. Both were great quarterbacks, possessing strong physical skills, toughness and savvy. And they both proved they could win the big games. Let's take a look at both of these superstar signal callers.
ROGER STAUBACH | Roger Staubach: The Navy grad played for the 'Boys from 1969 thru 1979 and led them to a pair of Super Bowl victories (1971 and 1977). He was the Cowboys' starter in eight seasons and went to the Pro Bowl in all but two of them. Staubach's career was shortened by his military service; after being drafted by the Cowboys in 1964, it was five seasons before he got to wear that star-bedecked helmet. He was 27 when he took his first snap in the NFL and 37 when he hung it up after he took the Cowboys to the playoffs for the eighth time. In half of those eight playoffs, Staubach's Cowboys went to the Super Bowl and only the greatest team of the 1970s (the Steelers) prevented him from winning more than those two championships. He led the NFL in passer rating four times, including a stellar 104.8 mark in 1971, which was the fifth-best in NFL history when he retired (and is tied for 14th-best now). He was also the MVP of Super Bowl VI. Career Marks: 85-29 record as a starter during regular season; 11-6 in the postseason. 57% completion rate, 22700 yards, 153 TDs and 109 interceptions and a passer rating of 83.4 in an era when big passing numbers were not the norm. | 
TROY AIKMAN | Troy Aikman: I have a confession to make: during Aikman's career, I was so busy hating on the Cowboys (I'm a 49ers fan) that I didn't appreciate just how great the guy actually was. He started his collegiate career with Oklahoma (where he found that Barry Switzer's offense wasn't a good fit for him), before transferring to UCLA where he put his tremendous skills on display and earned the nod as the top pick of the 1989 NFL Draft. Aikman's career was also cut short - but by injury. It's a testament to Troy's intelligence that he (like Steve Young) knew that trying to continue after suffering from concussions was not a good idea. But while he hung 'em up at just 34, he left behind quite a body of work. Aikman's 'Boys went to three Super Bowls and never lost in the Big Game. Aikman, like Staubach, went to six Pro Bowls and though he never led the NFL in passer rating, his career-high of 99.0 in 1993 measures up pretty well to Staubach's best. He was the MVP of Super Bowl XXVII. Career Marks: 94-71 record in the regular season; 11-4 in the postseason. 61.5% completion rate, 32942 yards, 165 TDs, 141 interceptions and a passer rating of 81.6. |
So, which of these Hall of Fame quarterbacks was better? That's a tough nut to crack. Both were extremely successful and for the core years of their careers (if you discount the first two seasons of Aikman's career when the Cowboys were not a good team), they match up quite nicely. Aikman won three Super Bowls, but Staubach took his team to four and losing twice to that 70s Steelers juggernaut is no cause for shame. Statistically, it's pretty close as well. Really it boils down to personal preference. My preference? Aikman - but not by much and maybe only because I have much clearer memories of him on the field (and I also think he's an outstanding color commentator on Fox's NFL broadcasts). Feel free to chime in - vote in the poll to decide which Cowboys' QB was the best. To make it even more interesting, I've included a few other choices as well. |
