The Worst QB Playoff Performances in NFL History

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It's quite easy to point out some of the NFL's best postseason numbers by a quarterback. However, what about some of the worst ever?

For one, there's a reason they don't get talked about, unless the numbers are so horrendous you can't help but look away. Fortunately for us, the following list provides just that.

So, here are the worst postseason performances by quarterbacks in the history of pro football.

 

Note: Games are listed in reverse chronological order

Joe Flacco: Ravens, 2008-09 AFC Championship

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The only reason why Joe Flacco is allowed any slack for this performance is because 2008 was his rookie season. He became the first rookie quarterback to ever win two postseason games, so Flacco has that to his credit.

Too bad it all came crashing down in Pittsburgh.

Going just 13-of-30 for 141 yards, Flacco also threw three interceptions and finished with a 18.2 rating.

For as bad as Flacco has played in the playoffs throughout his career, this is by far the worst.

Jake Delhomme: Panthers, 2008-09 NFC Divisional

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Earlier in the 2008 NFL season, Carolina QB Jake Delhomme sliced the Arizona Cardinals up for 248 yards and two TDs.

Then the postseason happened, and Delhomme fell from grace. Against the Cards, he threw five picks to just one TD and had a passer rating of 39.1.

Needless to say, Delhomme hasn't recovered.

Donovan McNabb: Eagles, 2003-04 NFC Championship

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In making it to four straight NFC Championships and five in an eight-year span, you would think the Philadelphia Eagles would have made it to more than one Super Bowl.

Unfortunately, that wasn't the case, and the worst of it came in the 2003-04 NFC title game for Donovan McNabb. Completing just 10 passes on 22 attempts for 100 yards, and throwing three picks, McNabb had a rating of 19.3 against Carolina.

No surprise to see the Panthers win 14-3 and claim the NFC title.

Peyton Manning: Colts, 2003-04 AFC Championship

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Despite all of Peyton Manning's accolades, his toughest opponent was always the New England Patriots.

Even in the 2006-07 AFC title game, he started off slow until making a comeback win. But three years prior, the Pats hosted Indy at home in the AFC title game.

There, Manning threw four picks (three to Ty Law), had a Tebow-esque 48.9 completion percentage and a passer rating of 35.5.

Rich Gannon: Raiders, Super Bowl XXXVII

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It was the last time the Oakland Raiders made the playoffs, and it ended horrifically.

Rich Gannon played well in the AFC playoffs, but was torn a part by the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. It's bad enough that Gannon threw five interceptions, however three were returned back for touchdowns.

Gannon finished with a 48.9 passer rating, and the Raiders haven't recovered since.

Brett Favre: Packers, 2001-02 NFC Divisional

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How could a worst QB performance list ever not include Brett Favre?

And this one tops them all for the former Green Bay Packer. In the Divisional Round at St. Louis, Favre threw six interceptions to two TDs, and finished with a 53.5 rating.

It doesn't matter who you are, if six interceptions are thrown, you lose—as Green Bay did, 45-17.

Kerry Collins: Giants, Super Bowl XXXV

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It's Kerry Collins' fault that he threw for just 112 yards and four picks in Super Bowl XXXV. The Baltimore Ravens defense in 2000 is one of the best single-season units of all time.

Collins finished with a passer rating of 7.1 and a 38.5 completion percentage. Again, going against guys like Rod Woodson, Ray Lewis, Rob Burnett and Tony Siragusa, he had no chance.

Craig Morton: Broncos, Super Bowl XII

This may very well be the worst performance by anyone to ever play in a Super Bowl, not just for quarterbacks.

Playing against his former Dallas Cowboys team, Denver Broncos QB Craig Morton was hoping for some revenge.

Needless to say, his 4-of-15 for 39 yards and four picks performance resulted in a rating of zero. Fortunately for Morton, John Elway wore No. 7 in Denver and made most people forget that Super Bowl XII ever happened.

Fran Tarkenton: Vikings, Super Bowl IX

Once again, we see a quarterbacks numbers coming courtesy of the Steel Curtain defense in Pittsburgh.

This one, however, is Vikings QB Fran Tarkenton, from Super Bowl IX. He had a 42.3 completion percentage to go with three picks and a 14.1 rating.

Tarkenton may be a legit Hall of Famer, but his one-TD pass to six-interceptions ratio in three Super Bowls is beyond ugly.

Billy Kilmer: Redskins, Super Bowl VII

He completed just 50 percent of his throws, barely got over 100 yards and was intercepted three times—twice by the eventual MVP Jake Scott—and had a passer rating of under 20.

Yes, Billy Kilmer was completely dominated by the Killer Bees defense, and had it not been for a botched field-goal attempt, Miami would have won 14-0 instead of 14-7.

So, being that Washington was in the game despite losing, much is attributed to Kilmer's awful numbers as to why the 1972 Miami Dolphins were able to finish the season perfect.

 

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Tim Tebow: Broncos, 2012 AFC Divisional

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All Tom Brady did in a 2012 AFC Divisional matchup vs the Denver Broncos was etch his name in the record books.  The Patriots' outstanding QB had five touchdown passes at half—a new NFL record—and finished the game with 363 yards, completing 26-of-34 passes and 6 TDs.

Broncos QB Tim Tebow on the other hand?

Yeah, not quite as impressive.  Not quite in the same solar system, in fact.

In what amounted to a miserable performance, the arguably-overhyped Tebow (okay, it's not really arguable) only finished with 136 yards on nine-for-26 passing.  Tebow did not have a touchdown to his name.

This was the kind of performance that will have John Elway seriously questioning whether or not Tebow will be the Broncos' starting QB in 2012.