Ranking the best HC-QB duos in the NFL
A quarterback cannot flourish without the right coach. That is why HC-QB duos are so valuable for the stability and growth of an organization. We have umpteen examples of quarterbacks who could have been successful if they had received the right coaching. Even this season in the NFL, a quarterback like Justin Fields might have taken off if he had received support from the right head coach.
There have been several iconic HC-QB duos in the NFL. It is often impossible to think of one getting the kind of success they have got without the other. Such HC-QB duos form a tandem that works almost on a telepathic scale. Each knows where the other is coming from.
Here we try to give our opinion on who the most legendary HC-QB duos are in the NFL.
HC-QB duos that revolutionized NFL offenses
#5 - Sean Payton and Drew Brees, New Orleans Saints
In terms of Super Bowls won, this HC-QB duo does not come close to the top, having won just one (Super Bowl XLIV). But in terms of sheer numbers, it is hard to find anyone who comes close. During the fifteen seasons that Drew Brees played in New Orleans, he made the Pro Bowl 13 times.
But it was in terms of passing numbers where it is difficult to find a better HC-QB duo. Drew Brees was the season's passing leader for a record seven times and passing touchdowns leader for a record four times. He also led the league in completion percentages six times. As part of the HC-QB duo of the New Orleans Saints, he threw for a total of 68,010 yards, with an astonishing average of 4,534 yards per season, and averaged 32.73 touchdown passes a season.
The Saints finished 2017 ranked No. 2 in total offense (391.2 yards per game). Here’s where the Saints have ranked offensively in the 12 years of Sean Payton-Drew Brees era:
2017: 2
2016: 1
2015: 2
2014: 1
2013: 4
2012: 2
2011: 1
2010: 6
2009: 1
2008: 1
2007: 4
2006: 1
To give you an idea of just how good those numbers are, let us consider Tom Brady and Peyton Manning's careers; the two other quarterbacks with the most passing yards. Tom Brady, excluding his rookie backup year and current season in progress, has a seasonal average of 3,959.9 yards and 29.05 touchdowns. Peyton Manning, excluding 2011 when he missed the entire season due to injury, has 4231.8 yards and 31.7 touchdowns a season.
#4 - Bill Walsh and Joe Montana, San Francisco 49ers
While Chuck Noll and Terry Bradshaw were also at the forefront of our consideration, in terms of impact on the NFL, few HC-QB duos can surpass Bill Walsh and Joe Montana. An entire concept, called the West Coast Offense, was perfected by this HC-QB duo.
To be fair, the first version of this offensive concept did not originate on the West Coast, but in Cincinnati with Virgil Carter and Ken Anderson playing quarterback roles under Bill Walsh. But the reason it got named so is because it reached its zenith in San Francisco.
#49ers head coach Bill Walsh and Hall-of-Fame QB Joe Montana won 3 Super Bowls together (1982, 1985 & 1989) in San Francisco. #NFL #80s https://t.co/TDBdNarxsb
Together, Walsh and Montana won three Super Bowl championships and helped transition the NFL into the pass-happy league that it is today, where more yards could be gained on short horizontal routes after a catch than by running.