5 Super Bowl QB matchups that measure up to Brady vs. Mahomes

Batman vs. Superman.

Godzilla vs. King Kong.

Old Coke vs. New Coke.

Brady vs. Mahomes.

Has there ever been a better matchup?

Not according to wire service reports and other longtime observers of professional football who have noted that while this is the sixth Super Bowl showdown of former NFL Most Valuable Players and the second of former Super Bowl MVPs, it is the first between players who have earned both awards.

So yes, one could make a strong case for there never having been a quarterback pairing like this one matching Tom Brady and the upstart Tampa Bay Buccaneers against Patrick Mahomes and the reigning Super Bowl champion Kansas City Chiefs.

At the same time, it is also just the latest in a long line of duels that have whipped football fans into a frenzy during the countdown to the big game.

Here’s a look at five others, and how they measured up to the hype that preceded them:

Terry Bradshaw vs. Roger Staubach

■ Super Bowl XIII: This was the second time in three seasons the Hall of Fame quarterbacks hooked up on pro football’s biggest stage. Bradshaw and the Steelers won the first one 21-17, and they won this one 35-31 by surviving a fourth-quarter comeback led by Staubach. Bradshaw’s three first-half TD passes staked Pittsburgh to a comfortable lead before Staubach led the Cowboys on a rally that came up just short.

Joe Montana vs. Dan Marino

■ Super Bowl XIX: After Marino had become the first quarterback in NFL history to pass for more than 5,000 yards during the regular season and Montana had thrown for 28 touchdowns — a lot in those days — Fourth of July fireworks were expected on Super Bowl Sunday. Montana lit up the sky over Stanford Stadium by throwing for three TDs and running for a fourth in San Francisco’s 38-16 rout. Marino mostly fizzled, with two interceptions offsetting 316 passing yards.

Joe Montana vs. John Elway

■ Super Bowl XXIV: This was the second matchup of former NFL MVPs, but it was all Montana once the game started. The 49ers’ legend threw for 297 yards and a Super Bowl-record five touchdowns in San Francisco’s 55-10 blowout. Fellow legend Elway threw two interceptions and was sacked four times.

Tom Brady vs. Eli Manning

■ Super Bowl XLVI: The second postseason pairing of these two followed prolific regular seasons by both — Brady had passed for a career-high 5,235 yards, Manning for 4,933. Only this time, Manning didn’t have to complete a desperation pass to the top of somebody’s helmet to again come up a winner. The former Super Bowl MVPs engaged in another stirring duel as each passed for more than 275 yards and two scores in the Giants’ 21-17 win.

Peyton Manning vs. Cam Newton

■ Super Bowl L: It has been only five seasons since the Broncos defeated the Panthers 24-10 during a game in which the quarterback narrative was very much like this year’s: grizzled veteran in the twilight of his career versus rising young star. Newton passed for 3,897 yards, rushed for 636 and accounted for 45 touchdowns during the regular season but was sacked six times in the Super Bowl; Manning was sacked five times while passing for a pedestrian 141 yards. So much for the quarterback narrative.

Contact Ron Kantowski at rkantowski@reviewjournal.com or 702-383-0352. Follow @ronkantowski on Twitter.