One stat matters--Super Bowl Rings--and it's at 1-0 in favor of Favre. If Rodgers can bring home two, he's the better QB.
"get_louder_at_lambeau" wrote:
That's a team stat, not a QB stat. Otherwise Trent Dilfer is a better QB than Dan Marino.
"djcubez" wrote:
I agree with you there. I was more or less talking in terms of the article. It had pretty much been agreed upon that Rodgers probably won't have the longevity of Favre and so he won't be able to compete with his overall statistics. So what's left to decide it?
What if Rodgers continues the way he does and brings home greater records and more trophies than Favre. In the eyes of the fans who would leave behind a greater legacy? Who would be the better quarterback?
It doesn't matter if you're a great a player--if you're on a losing team the stigma follows you regardless of whether or not it's your fault. In addition, quarterbacks are most often linked to their team's overall success so records and championships mean more about their play than other positions.
As you pointed out there are always players who tend not to be as gifted passers that end up on winning teams, but it doesn't mean they weren't important. A QB still has to be a leader; still has to call plays; still has to make reads. They're essentially the offensive coordinator on the field. Dilfer may not have aired it out a lot when he played for the Ravens but it doesn't mean having him as their quarterback wasn't paramount to their season's success.
It also depends what we're arguing: who will be seen as the better player in the eyes of the public after their careers are over or who, given the same opportunities, be the better player? One is a question of public reception and the other of actual ability.
It's also important to note that their never can be a solid answer because of the difference situations both players have, and will, be in. Favre was a part of a Mike Holmgren team who had over 5 members of his coaching staff go on to be head coaches for other teams. He also played under Ray Rhodes and Mike Sherman. He played with great players on his offense and poor players on his offense. Rodgers has had a relatively stable slate of offensive players through his short career, many of them with a lot of talent. Favre has benefited a lot from having a great line through most of his tenure in Green Bay (Winters, Flanagan, Tauscher, Clifton, Rivera, Wahle) while Rodgers has yet to experience that consistency.
Unless Rodgers produces ungodly or terrifyingly poor numbers this debate will never be solved. That's why, ultimately, I agree with CDN. I feel lucky to have had Favre and Rodgers as my two QB's for the time that I've been on this earth.