Niner Noise
FanSided

49ers Joe Montana vs. Patriots Tom Brady: Revisiting the GOAT Argument after Super Bowl LI

By Peter Panacy

Feb 5, 2017; Houston, TX, USA; New England Patriots quarterback Tom Brady (12) celebrates with the Vince Lombardi Trophy after beating the Atlanta Falcons during Super Bowl LI at NRG Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Matthew Emmons-USA TODAY Sports
Feb 5, 2017; Houston, TX, USA; New England Patriots quarterback Tom Brady (12) celebrates with the Vince Lombardi Trophy after beating the Atlanta Falcons during Super Bowl LI at NRG Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Matthew Emmons-USA TODAY Sports /
facebooktwitterreddit
Prev
6 of 6
Next
Feb 3, 2016; San Francisco, CA, USA; General view of the Pro Football Hall of Fame bust of Joe Montana at the NFL Experience at the Moscone Center. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports
Feb 3, 2016; San Francisco, CA, USA; General view of the Pro Football Hall of Fame bust of Joe Montana at the NFL Experience at the Moscone Center. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports /

The Verdict

Joe Montana versus Tom Brady. 49ers versus Patriots. It’s a game we only wish we could see.

Both quarterbacks had signature drives. For Montana, it was the game-winning drive against the Cincinnati Bengals in Super Bowl XXIII:

For Brady, the overtime game-winning drive against the Falcons in Super Bowl LI might earn the same nod when we look back at this 20 years from now:

OK, so both quarterbacks have great moments.

But let’s go back to our counter. According to the criteria, Montana still edges out Brady three to two.

Sure, this is going to anger some Patriots fans, and maybe some NFL pundits too. But who cares? They’re both GOATS from different eras.

Quarterbacking GOAT: Joe Montana

If you need a convincer, just ask Brady what he thought of Montana (h/t David Fucillo of Niners Nation):

"Well, I don’t ever see myself like him. He was a so spectacular and I think he’s in a league of his own. … He was a winner. Every time he took the field, it felt like the 49ers were gonna win. And I remember rooting for that team when Joe was playing quarterback, and you always felt like they were going to win, no matter who they were playing, where they were playing at."

More from Niner Noise

Niner Noise might be giving Montana the GOAT, but we’re a 49ers site. Come on, what would you expect?

But the modern NFL era’s GOAT is Brady. No doubting that any longer. And Montana was clearly the GOAT of his time, especially when considering some of the guys he beat in the Super Bowl (John Elway, Dan Marino and Boomer Esiason).

Next: Ranking the 10 Best 49ers Teams in Franchise History

Both made it look easy too, and that’s another reason why we should enjoy what we’re witnessing right now and fondly recollect what fans saw during the 1980s and early 90s.