Steelers 3'rd All Time Best QB Per NFL.COM

[steelhurt]

NFL.com's selection of the Steelers' third-best all-time quarterback was about as accurate as a Neil O'Donnell fourth quarter pass in a Super Bowl.

Well, it might not have been that bad, but it's pretty close. While NFL.com's list of the Steelers' top-three all-time passers hit the mark by selecting Terry Bradshaw No. 1 and Ben Roethlisberger No. 2, Kordell Stewart, not O'Donnell, should have been selected as the third best quarterback in team history.

Yes, O'Donnell did do something Stewart didn't do, which was help Pittsburgh reach a Super Bowl, which the former did on January 14, 1996, helping Pittsburgh defeat the Colts in the AFC title game, 20-16. O'Donnell also helped lead the Steelers to four straight playoff appearances, three division titles, three playoff victories and two AFC title games.

But O'Donnell was merely a glorified game manager, instructed to not make mistakes (he had the best touchdown to interception ratio in NFL history, which seemed ironic after Super Bowl XXX) and to occasionally convert the big third down. He wasn't mobile, wasn't terribly accurate, and didn't play particularly well on the biggest stage. Yes, he converted the fourth and three and the 37-yard bomb to help the Steelers outlast Indy in that epic AFC title game, but he threw high and away two weeks later, leading to Yancy Thigpen, Ernie Mills, and Andre Hastings to have to continuously stretch their bodies in balletic ways (which being exposed to bone-jarring hits) to come down with catches. As good as these receivers were, they couldn't bail O'Donnell out on his two horrendous interceptions to essentially dismantle any chance Pittsburgh had at upsetting Dallas in a Super Bowl in which the Steelers outplayed their heavily favored foe.

O'Donnell also had the luxury of offensive coordinator Ron Erhardt's famed "Five Wide" receiver set, a strong running game and a defense that was the best in the NFL during that span. O'Donnell did some nice things wearing the Black and Gold, but if I could pick between him and Stewart to lead the Steelers to one victory, it's Slash getting the start under center.

Stewart didn't string together the four consecutive solid seasons O'Donnell enjoyed, but Stewart's circumstances were different. Chan Gailey, the offensive coordinator Stewart enjoyed his most success with, left after the 1997 season to become head coach of the Cowboys. He endured another change at offensive coordinator before enjoying a second stretch of his career with Mike Mularkey. Stewart and the Steelers also watched a bevy of talent on both sides of the ball leave Pittsburgh post Super Bowl XXX that included wide receivers Thigpen, Hastings, Mills, and Charles Johnson. Thigpen's departure, the receiver Stewart easily had the best chemistry with, was the biggest blow to Stewart's development. The losses of Chad Brown, Willie Williams, and others also led to less dominant defense during several of Stewart's seasons as the team's starting quarterback.

Despite these challenges, Stewart prevailed to have a very solid tenure as the Steelers starting quarterback, which stretched from 1997-2002. Stewart helped the Steelers reach an AFC championship game, bounce back from mediocrity, then to another AFC title game.

The quarterback formally known as Slash also recorded two of the most electrifying seasons by a quarterback in franchise history. In his first season as starting quarterback, Stewart and the Steelers overcame a 2-3 start to finish 11-5, winning the AFC Central and advancing to the '97 title game. Stewart was devastating as both a passer and rusher, becoming the first quarterback in league history to pass for over 20 touchdowns and rush for over 10 in the season season. He led Pittsburgh to a 3-0 overtime record that season, as his story was the main one in one of the more exciting seasons in team history. Led by Stewart's five touchdowns, Pittsburgh overcame a 21-0 deficit to defeat the Ravens in Baltimore, 42-34. Down 21-7 to Denver, five Stewart scores spearheaded the Steelers' 35-24 comeback victory. Down 14-0 and 21-13 late a week later at New England, a fourth down conversion, two point conversion pass and overtime pass to Courtney Hawkins led to a game-winning field goal by Norm Johnson in a shocking 24-21 overtime triumph.

After two rebuilding seasons, the Steelers started 0-3 with Stewart on the bench to start the 2000 season. Stewart got the nod to start in Week 4, and quarterbacked the Steelers to a 9-4 record down the stretch to post the team's first winning season since '97. Stewart enjoyed the best passing season of his career the following year, setting a then team record for a single season completion percentage in leading the team to its best regular season record since the 1978 team. Stewart earned a Pro Bowl nod for his sensational season, along with guiding Pittsburgh back to the AFC title game.

While many lament on what Stewart couldn't do, Stewart was able to achieve a bevy of success, especially for a player that spent his first two seasons playing three different positions. Stewart was a sensational athlete that could run and throw, a leader that led the team to some of its best seasons over the past quarter century, and was a electrifying performer that you could never count out. He could beat you in multiple ways, and his teams were never out of the fight, not with No.10 under center.

Looking back, Stewart always seemed to be embraced by his teammates; you could tell that he was very well liked by everyone on the team, especially by running back Jerome Bettis, who enjoyed his finest seasons with Stewart as his quarterback. It's that leadership, that ability to get an entire team to play for you, is what truly puts Stewart over the top in this quarterback comparison.

It's those tangibles and intangibles that warrant Stewart's place among the Steelers' Mount Rushmore of quarterbacks, a spot that shouldn't be relinquished any time soon.

 

[Coach]

I see it

Ben
Terry

Neil

Maddox
Kordell

The Steelers could have won a super bowl with O'Donnell who was a decent passer in his final seasons and not make many mistakes. With a top ground game and defense, this formula has worked before.

 

[Troglodyte]

No, Kordell pretty much sucked as an NFL QB and they stuck with him way too long. Steelers fans complained about his play despite the teams success - that should he wasn't the reason for the success.

Compare O'Donnell's 10 best games to Kordell's and I think you'll see how ridiculous your argument is.

 

[jitter77]

Kordell was a bad Qb. He had like one good season and everyone jumped on his band wagon. I certainly would not put him ahead of O'Donnell. I don't think Kordell would be in my top 5 even.

 

[steelermania]

I see it

Ben
Terry

Neil

Maddox
Kordell

This list is pretty much correct, and shows how tough it is to find a good qb. When Kordell, and Maddox are among your top 5, sheesh!

 

[SteelerFan448]

Where'd the article come from? No way I'd list Kordell ahead of Neil. Not a chance.

 

[deljzc]

We've done the Cowher/Kordell story to death, but we've shown there weren't a lot of other options in the 1990's to find quarterbacks for this team. At the time Kordell was a pretty high investment (2nd round pick) for Cowher and when the decision was made (correctly) to not match the contract offer to Neil O'Donnell, it was Kordell's time.

The real question came in 2000. Donahoe was fired. Colbert promoted. The team was coming off of 7-9 and 6-10 seasons. Kordell started every game in 1997 and 1998 and the first 11 games in 1999 when he was finally benched for Mike Tomczak after going 5 for 11 for 36 yards and 2 INT's in a crucial divisional game vs. Cincinnati (we were 5-5 heading into the game).

All signs pointed to Stewart getting worse: his QB rating went from 75.2 to 62.9 to 64.9 in 1999 before getting pulled.

At that point I thought we should have given up on Stewart and drafted Chad Pennington. I still don't quite understand why they didn't do that. I don't know what Cowher/Colbert still saw in Stewart after the debacle of the 1999 season. Tomczak who went 1-4 as a starter to finish the season but had a respectable 75.8 rating retired (or was released, not quite sure) and wasn't coming back on the roster.

Instead of Pennington, they decided to sign Kent Graham from the Giants as a free agent to be Stewart's competition. Graham won the QB competition in camp and ended up starting the first 3 games that year but was so horrific he got pulled after the team went 0-3.

Thus started this insane "resurrection" of Kordell Stewart. He ended up getting most of the reps in 2000 looking his typical good and bad, but the team ended up 9-7 and ended 4-1 with a good win against 12-4 Oakland. Stewart ended 2000 with his best rating since 1997 (73.6) and almost 500 yards rushing and 7 TD's.

In 2001, we got rid of Kevin Gilbride as O.C., promoted Mike Mularkey, cut Graham and signed Tommy Maddox.

This time Stewart won the quarterback battle in camp and ended up with his best season: 13-3 record, 81.7 rating, another 500 yards rushing and 5 TD's and the infamous home AFCCG where we almost beat Tom Brady and the Patriots if not for some pretty piss poor special teams play.

Believe me, I was as surprised as anyone at Stewart's 2001 season. I didn't think he had that type of improvement in him (even if the last thing we remembered from the season was his two INT's as he tried to comeback vs. NE). Did that prove Cowher/Colbert correct in their decision in 2000? Not sure. I still think drafting Pennington would have been the correct choice.

In 2002, despite decent numbers, Kordell started 1-3 and the ever quick Cowher made the change to Tommy Maddox and that was that. Once again, the offense/record ignited by the change improved and once again, the team went into the following season (2003) hoping for the same magic but got the bad Tommy Maddox.

Thus we get Roethlisberger and the rest is history.

What does all this mean? I don't really know. I think during the Donahoe era, the team at least had a plan at QB. They drafted Kordell as a plan against losing O'Donnell. They stuck with Kordell during his development for 3 years (which is reasonable). But then Donahoe left, Colbert was promoted and Cowher got more control and things got very short sighted. Cowher didn't want another rookie (Pennington). He wanted veteran Graham (which didn't work). Then he got veteran Maddox. And he rode the hot hand (whoever that was) and was quick to pull any quarterback that wasn't producing.

In hindsight that's a pretty bad way to handle quarterbacks and that started in 2000 (with Colbert's arrival as a yes-man). In fact there is even more evidence that Cowher didn't want a rookie quarterback in 2004 neither and wanted to continue along this same path of veteran FA's and conservative game plans. Luckily that didn't happen.

The real criticism of Cowher and his quarterback moves comes directly from 2000 to 2003 and possibly the evidence he didn't want to draft Roethlisberger in 2004. Before that, Donahoe probably had control of the roster and clearly had plans for the QB roster and who was #1, #2, etc. From 2000-2003 when Cowher ran the roster, it was a shotgun approach of bad free agents and dick-teasing Kordell as a starter with a huge cloud over his head. If you want to be critical of Cowher, that's the time to reference.

In all honesty, none of the quarterbacks from Cowher's era were all that good and his heavy hand at dealing with them and pulling them when things got bad didn't help much. But that was very typical of the era and quarterback play from 1995-2003 wasn't all the good in general.

 

[SteelerSask2]

Its Ben/ Terry. Football is a team game and the 70's teams were so ridiculously talented that I'm thinking almost a 1/3 of the leagues QB's could have won multiple, though probably not 4, championships with them. When you look at the teams of the 90's early 2000's they were also ridiculously talented, but won nothing big. Then came Ben.

 

[Wingman]

I like the ranking of Kordell at position number 3. I remember watching him play and thinking if this kid develops his game a bit more he will really be something. He came very close to doing that but seemed unable to make the next step. Could be all the different coaching changes, the loss of some very good wide outs and getting them replaced with some that were not all that great. The thing with Kordell were his times to flash a really good game with plays that were very well done and then later to throw worm killers as we called them later.

Many of his teammates were solidly behind him and very vocal when defending him from his critics. Hines, and Jerome were two of his supporters. I remember one game that Kordell broke a long run when everyone was covered and scored shortly after we got the ball back. Also the games against the cheatriots were during the years of the Sony game plan and Hines is very vocal about them knowing our plays before they were run.

I consider Kordell a good QB that could not get his consistency in line and make the step to greatness he was very close and brought a running option we have not seen since, and that worried defenses that had to play him.

 

[Wingman]

Its Ben/ Terry. Football is a team game and the 70's teams were so ridiculously talented that I'm thinking almost a 1/3 of the leagues QB's could have won multiple, though probably not 4, championships with them. When you look at the teams of the 90's early 2000's they were also ridiculously talented, but won nothing big. Then came Ben.

Terry played in a vastly different era. I would rank him above nearly every quarterback. Ben is one of the few QBs from today that could likely play in that era. Terry and his teams won 4 super bowls with out cheating. Yards were down for passing because of bump and run. QBs could get destroyed on the field and like boxers needed to protect themselves at all times. Wide outs could get hit with slobber knockers at any time and it was ok.

There are a few players the steelers had that could likely have gone back to that era and played. Bettis, Hines, Bruner, Miller, Ben, might be a few more but that era would have left many of the present crop of players on the sidelines or out of the game.

 

[Steel G]

When you lose your job to Tommy Maddox, the only list you are qualified for is the **** list.

 

[Coach]

When you lose your job to Tommy Maddox, the only list you are qualified for is the **** list.

Kent stiff Graham beat our Kordell. I think Jim Miller started the opener for the Steelers one year as well.

 

[slashsteel]

slash we miss ya!

 

[Wingman]

Kent stiff Graham beat our Kordell. I think Jim Miller started the opener for the Steelers one year as well.

I think you might be surprised to find that most quarter backs good or not eventually get beat out by someone that sucks at the position. If you think about it it makes sense otherwise teams would replace one franchise QB with another. Kent Graham looked good for a couple of games took a big hit to the hip and then seemed to be done not to much later. Prior to his take over Kordell was becoming famous for worm burners.

 

[steelerscotty]

Kordell was a pro-bowler and mvp candidate when they let him be Kordell. Instead they kept trying to change him into something he would never be. That said, he choked in big games.
Odonnell was a game manager who created the illusion he was more by putting big numbers up on some very talented teams. Every so often he would have a bonehead game where he would have that dumfounded look on his face. Neil also saved his biggest choke for the biggest game.

I give the advantage to Kordell Steward, based on talent alone, but i consider neither the 3rd or the 4th best all time of steeler qb's.

1 .Ben Roethlisberger
2. Terry Bradshaw
3. Bobby Layne
4. Jim Finks
5. Kordell Stewart
6. Neil O'donnell

This article made the lame argument the Layne couldn't be on the steelers list cause he played most of his career (and the best part of it) with the lions. Then the author included PManning on the Broncos and Montana on the Chiefs, disregarding this very same rule. I call BS! Bobby Layne is the Steelers 3rd all-time QB. He put up big numbers here in his 5 years here and came the closest to getting our 1st playoff win before the Noll dynasty was established.

 

[SteelerSask2]

Terry played in a vastly different era. I would rank him above nearly every quarterback. Ben is one of the few QBs from today that could likely play in that era. Terry and his teams won 4 super bowls with out cheating. Yards were down for passing because of bump and run. QBs could get destroyed on the field and like boxers needed to protect themselves at all times. Wide outs could get hit with slobber knockers at any time and it was ok.

There are a few players the steelers had that could likely have gone back to that era and played. Bettis, Hines, Bruner, Miller, Ben, might be a few more but that era would have left many of the present crop of players on the sidelines or out of the game.

I'm not talking about rules here. Ben won his first SB with no name receivers outside of Ward. A really good footnote type running back (Parker), a good line, and a very good defense. He won his second and got to a third with a slightly better receiving corp, a dreadful line and the same very good defense. Terry won his with possibly one of the most legendary and decorated team in all of professional sports. Hell how many are in the hall of fame?

 

[SteelerSask2]

The answer is 8. And that includes a couple that should still be in. Bettis really didn't play with Ben as his career was in its final games. Troy will be in the Hall, Hines will wait, but likely get in. Harrison will be tough, but IMO deserves completely. After that there is no one really of that caliber that I can think of. Lots of really good players like Heath, but he would never be considered HOF. And I love the guy as a player, but even I couldn't reach that far.

 

[wig]

Kordell Stewart is an interesting guy to pigeonhole.

As "Slash" he was easily one of the most loved players ever to wear the uniform. That translated well his first year as QB. So well in fact that he essentially revived the mobile quarterback position that had given way to the pocket passer driven offenses that were dominating the league due to the talented QBs who succeeded so well in those offenses. (Dan Marino, who could barely run to save his life, Jim Kelly who made tree-sap look like lightning, and actually the most mobile of all of them, John Elway, who STILL was absolutely a pocket passer. Then you had the up-and-coming Peyton Manning who barely takes 50 steps in a game, let alone utilizes much in the way of mobility.)

Kordell Stewart changed all that. He reminded people of classic mobile quarterbacks like Randall Cunningham, in the late stages of his career. He opened the door for other athletes like Donovan McNabb and later Michael Vick who would bring back the running quarterback position. At one point Kordell Stewart was the most feared offensive player in the entire league. Defensive coordinators were completely baffled as to how to contain him. That is until Pete Caroll, then head coach of the (Non Cheating) Patriots figured out Stewarts critical weakness. Once he broke pocket and began to run, he rarely ever passed, and if he did, his accuracy, spotty anyway, was completely suspect.

The Patriots employed a simple spy defense against the Steelers in a playoff game and held Pittsburgh to a mere 7 points. (The Pats only scored 6, but the damage was done. The book was out on Stewart.)

After that a stream of offensive coordinators came and tried to change Stewart's game, to make him a more successful pocket-passer, to help him read defenses better, to help him diagnose plays and make faster reads. None of that was very successful and to the end of his career, Stewart's best work remained when he created something instinctively, borne of his pure physical talent.

So, what do you do with a player that broke an NFL record for combined TDs in a season (rushing and passing?) and then within just a year or two seems to have regressed tremendously? Where do you rank a player that was rated by one defensive scout as one of the most dangerous running backs in the league, an extremely capable wide receiver and an average quarterback? How do you reconcile the fact that Kordell Stewart, for all his negative press and fan ire, went on to post one of the best completion percentage records in Steeler QB history one of those years he was "terrible"?

Stewart probably doesn't deserve to be considered among Pittsburgh's top three QB's. However he also doesn't deserve the derision and hatred he's gotten from fans over the years. The truth is, poor decisions on his part, his agent's part and the coaching staff's part played a part in changing Stewart from one of the most loved Steelers ever (literally on the scale of Hines Ward...) into one of the most controversial and derided.

In the end, he was never as good as he could have been and he was never as bad as people remember him.

 

[Vader]

Kordell was never a good enough QB. He wasn't the first QB to "revolutionize" the QB position and won't be the last. Which is all coach speak for an athletic QB that can't throw the football. There was a reason why I coined the term "Worm burners" on the old, old, old, old, board. His accuracy was atrocious. He isn't a top 5 Steeler QB.

I'll put Terry above Ben only because Ben sucked in 2 out of 3 SBs. He was actually worse than O'Donnell in the Seachicken SB. He had others bail him out. Terry had a great defense but so has Ben. That 08' defense is one of the best and if not for Harrison's 100 yard run they probably lose that one.

 

[SteelerSask2]

When you are talking all time people start to confuse "my lifetime". Kordell couldn't even be traded. He was released. You name me one top five qb of a franchise who was healthy, without off field issues that that would apply to.

 

[Ron Burgundy]

Kordell was a pro-bowler and mvp candidate when they let him be Kordell. Instead they kept trying to change him into something he would never be. That said, he choked in big games.
Odonnell was a game manager who created the illusion he was more by putting big numbers up on some very talented teams. Every so often he would have a bonehead game where he would have that dumfounded look on his face. Neil also saved his biggest choke for the biggest game.

I give the advantage to Kordell Steward, based on talent alone, but i consider neither the 3rd or the 4th best all time of steeler qb's.

1 .Ben Roethlisberger
2. Terry Bradshaw
3. Bobby Layne
4. Jim Finks
5. Kordell Stewart
6. Neil O'donnell

Good catch with Jim Finks although I'd leave him out since he played both ways and his QB rating isn't all that high. Just wasn't an era where you threw the ball very much.

1. Ben.
2. Terry a very close second. Remember he wasn't the bona fide starter until AFTER he won his first SB. Joe Gilliam was the starting QB at the beginning of the '74 season.
3. Bobby Layne, no question. Won more games hung over or still drunk than a lot of guys did sober,
4. Neil, stats-wise it's hard to keep him out.
5. Tommy Maddox, for two years he was pretty damn good.
6. Bubby.

 

[wig]

Ah Vader, we meet again!

I did not say he "revolutionized" the mobile quarterback position. I said he revitalized it. I also pointed out that Stewart was one of the most loved Steelers from 94 through 97 and easily a top playmaker at every position, including quarterback in 97 (his first year as a full time QB.)

However, QB was NOT his natural position. It was his weakest skill position and I will not argue against the fact that he, his agent and the coaches should have all kept him in the "Slash" role. He was a much more dangerous player as a multi-tiered threat. Particularly when it became clear that he was tremendously inaccurate downfield especially under pressure. His best QB seasons were in 97 when coordinators didn't know what to do with him and later when some offensive coordinator (Probably Chan,) decided to limit his throws to Tom Brady range so he wouldn't be taxed with much in the way of accuracy requirements or defensive scheme reading. That resulted in his highest career completion percentage and up to that point a team record (which later was broken - a sign of both the improving nature of offenses and how extraordinary Chan was as a coordinator.)

Anyway, I liked Stewart. I don't deny it. He wasn't a great Quarterback. In fact he was mediocre. But the team wasn't built around him, it was built around Bettis. Stewart's job was to hand the ball of to Jerome and occasionally provide some semblance of a passing threat. He did that. (in fact, ironically Stewart may still hold the record for the longest pass in team history, 92 yards, I believe.) Was he the 3rd best QB in team history? Geez, I'm not THAT old.

However. I admit I have dodged the question.

Where would I rank the QB's?

1) Ben Roethlisberger (Terry got 4 rings it's true, but he had that defense... Dear GOD that defense...)
2) Terry Bradshaw
3) Neil O'Donnel
4) Kordell Stewart

I put Neil over Stewart for a couple reasons and I had to give it some real thought. It came down to Barry Foster / Bam Morris vs Jerome Bettis. Neil had a pretty solid offensive line and some decent running backs behind him and he had an amazing defense to work with as well when you consider that he shared Carnell Lake, Rod Woodson, Levon Kirkland and perhaps a bit of Greg Lloyd. (Neil had Kevin Greene too, which is nice...) Stewart had Porter and Gildon Ike Taylor in his prime as well as Casey Hampton. He also had Hines "I'll work my *** off for you" Ward in his early years.

So, there you have it. I put Neil, who still makes me a little sick, over Stewart in the greater scheme of things. However I'll always remember Stewart as "Slash" and admittedly that subjectifies my opinion quite a bit. He should never have become a full time QB. He would have been a much more loved Steeler had he remained a WR / utility player.

 

[Turd Ferguson]

I would take Bubby Brister over Kordell anyday...I used to get physically sick watching Slash behind center knowing full well he couldn't read a defense and pass for ****.

 

[Ron Burgundy]

I would take Bubby Brister over Kordell anyday...I used to get physically sick watching Slash behind center knowing full well he couldn't read a defense and pass for ****.

Bubby won a ring before Cowher did, while starting about six games for an injured Elway that year so it's not like he was along for the ride.

 

[Wingman]

I would take Bubby Brister over Kordell anyday...I used to get physically sick watching Slash behind center knowing full well he couldn't read a defense and pass for ****.

I thought he was a better player than O dummel and was sorry we made the change, neil looked like flacco on retard pills