Under 30 yes. Elway got to three Super Bowls in one of the weakest conferences ever. The late 1980's AFC was laughable. There is a reason that the NFC won every Super Bowl from 84-96. The entire AFC was mediocre. Look at some of those teams. Fucking Mark Malone led a team to the AFC Title Game, Bernie Kosar led the Browns to two.
Elway is a top 10 qb, that is true. The #1 talk is ridiculous though.
First 10 years in the NFL, Elway had one more TD than INT. One. He had horrible postseason stats as well.
<table class="sortable stats_table small_text" id="passing"><thead><tr style="" onmouseover="hl(this);" onmouseout="uhl(this);" class=""><th class="sort_default_asc" align="left">Year</th> <th class="sort_default_asc" onmouseover="Tip('Player\'s age on December 31st of that year')" align="center">Age</th> <th class="sort_default_asc show_partial_when_sorting" align="left">Tm</th> <th class="sort_default_asc" onmouseover="Tip('
Position
In player and team season stats,
Capitals indicates primary starter.
Lower-case means part-time starter.')" align="left">Pos</th> <th class="" onmouseover="Tip('Games played')" align="center">G</th> <th class="" onmouseover="Tip('Games started as an offensive or defensive player')" align="center">GS</th> <th class="" onmouseover="Tip('Team record in games started by this QB (regular season)')" align="center">QBrec</th> <th class="" onmouseover="Tip('Passes completed')" align="center">Cmp</th> <th class="" onmouseover="Tip('Passes attempted')" align="center">Att</th> <th class="hide_non_quals" onmouseover="Tip('Percentage of Passes Completed
(minimum 14 attempts per scheduled game to qualify as leader)
(Passes Completed)/(Passes Attempted)')" align="center">Cmp%</th> <th class="" onmouseover="Tip('Yards Gained by Passing
For teams, sack yardage is deducted from this total')" align="center">Yds</th> <th class="" onmouseover="Tip('Passing Touchdowns')" align="center">TD</th> <th class="hide_non_quals" onmouseover="Tip('Percentage of Touchdowns Thrown when Attempting to Pass
(minimum 14 attempts per scheduled game to qualify as leader)
Passing Touchdowns / (Passes Attempted)')" align="center">TD%</th> <th class="" onmouseover="Tip('Interceptions thrown')" align="center">Int</th> <th class="sort_default_asc hide_non_quals" onmouseover="Tip('Percentage of Times Intercepted when Attempting to Pass
(minimum 14 attempts per scheduled game to qualify as leader)
Interceptions / (Passes Attempted)')" align="center">Int%</th> <th class="" onmouseover="Tip('Longest Completed Pass Thrown')" align="center">Lng</th> <th class="hide_non_quals" onmouseover="Tip('Yards gained per pass attempt
(minimum 14 attempts per scheduled games to qualify as leader)
Passing Yards / (Passes Attempted)')" align="center">Y/A</th> <th class="hide_non_quals" onmouseover="Tip('Adjusted Yards gained per pass attempt
(minimum 14 attepts per scheduled game to qualify as leader)
(Passing Yards + 10 * Passing TD - 45 * Interceptions) / (Passes Attempted)')" align="center">AY/A</th> <th class="hide_non_quals" onmouseover="Tip(' Yards gained per pass completion
(minimum 14 attepts per scheduled game to qualify as leader)
(Passing Yards) / (Passes Completed)')" align="center">Y/C</th> <th class="hide_non_quals" onmouseover="Tip(' Yards gained per game played
(minimum half a game played per scheduled game to qualify as leader)
(Passing Yards) / (Games played)')" align="center">Y/G</th> <th class="hide_non_quals" onmouseover="Tip('Quarterback Rating, see glossary for details
Different ratings are used by the NFL and NCAA.')" align="center">Rate</th> <th class="" onmouseover="Tip('Times Sacked (first recorded in 1969)')" align="center">Sk</th> <th class="" onmouseover="Tip('Yards lost due to sacks (first recorded in 1969)')" align="center">Yds</th> <th class="hide_non_quals" onmouseover="Tip('Net Yards gained per pass attempt
(minimum 14 attepts per scheduled game to qualify as leader)
(Passing Yards - Sack Yards) / (Passes Attempted + Times Sacked)')" align="center">NY/A</th> <th class="hide_non_quals" onmouseover="Tip('Adjusted Net Yards gained per pass attempt
(minimum 14 attepts per scheduled game to qualify as leader)
(Passing Yards - Sack Yards + 10 * Passing TD - 45 * Interceptions) / (Passes Attempted + Times Sacked)')" align="center">ANY/A</th> <th class="sort_default_asc hide_non_quals" onmouseover="Tip('Percentage of Time Sacked when Attempting to Pass
(minimum 14 attempts + sacks per scheduled game to qualify as leader)
Times Sacked / (Passes Attempted + Times Sacked)')" align="center">Sk%</th> </tr> </thead> <tbody> <tr style="" onmouseover="hl(this);" onmouseout="uhl(this);" class="full_table"> <td align="left">
1983</td> <td align="right">23</td> <td align="left">
DEN</td> <td align="left">QB</td> <td align="right">11</td> <td align="right">10</td> <td csk="0.40000" align="right">
4-6-0</td> <td align="right">123</td> <td align="right">259</td> <td align="right">47.5</td> <td align="right">1663</td> <td align="right">7</td> <td align="right">2.7</td> <td align="right">14</td> <td align="right">5.4</td> <td align="right">49</td> <td align="right">6.4</td> <td align="right">4.3</td> <td align="right">13.5</td> <td align="right">151.2</td> <td align="right">54.9</td> <td align="right">28</td> <td align="right">218</td> <td align="right">5.0</td> <td align="right">3.1</td> <td align="right">9.8</td> </tr> <tr style="" onmouseover="hl(this);" onmouseout="uhl(this);" class="full_table"> <td align="left">
1984</td> <td align="right">24</td> <td align="left">
DEN</td> <td align="left">QB</td> <td align="right">15</td> <td align="right">14</td> <td csk="0.85714" align="right">
12-2-0</td> <td align="right">214</td> <td align="right">380</td> <td align="right">56.3</td> <td align="right">2598</td> <td align="right">18</td> <td align="right">4.7</td> <td align="right">15</td> <td align="right">3.9</td> <td align="right">73</td> <td align="right">6.8</td> <td align="right">5.5</td> <td align="right">12.1</td> <td align="right">173.2</td> <td align="right">76.8</td> <td align="right">24</td> <td align="right">158</td> <td align="right">6.0</td> <td align="right">4.8</td> <td align="right">5.9</td> </tr> <tr style="" onmouseover="hl(this);" onmouseout="uhl(this);" class="full_table"> <td align="left">
1985</td> <td align="right">25</td> <td align="left">
DEN</td> <td align="left">QB</td> <td align="right">16</td> <td align="right">16</td> <td csk="0.68750" align="right">
11-5-0</td> <td align="right">327</td> <td align="right">
605</td> <td align="right">54.0</td> <td align="right">3891</td> <td align="right">22</td> <td align="right">3.6</td> <td align="right">23</td> <td align="right">3.8</td> <td align="right">65</td> <td align="right">6.4</td> <td align="right">5.1</td> <td align="right">11.9</td> <td align="right">243.2</td> <td align="right">70.2</td> <td align="right">38</td> <td align="right">307</td> <td align="right">5.6</td> <td align="right">4.3</td> <td align="right">5.9</td> </tr> <tr style="" onmouseover="hl(this);" onmouseout="uhl(this);" class="full_table"> <td align="left">
1986*</td> <td align="right">26</td> <td align="left">
DEN</td> <td align="left">QB</td> <td align="right">16</td> <td align="right">16</td> <td csk="0.68750" align="right">
11-5-0</td> <td align="right">280</td> <td align="right">504</td> <td align="right">55.6</td> <td align="right">3485</td> <td align="right">19</td> <td align="right">3.8</td> <td align="right">13</td> <td align="right">2.6</td> <td align="right">53</td> <td align="right">6.9</td> <td align="right">6.1</td> <td align="right">12.4</td> <td align="right">217.8</td> <td align="right">79.0</td> <td align="right">32</td> <td align="right">233</td> <td align="right">6.1</td> <td align="right">5.3</td> <td align="right">6.0</td> </tr> <tr style="" onmouseover="hl(this);" onmouseout="uhl(this);" class="full_table"> <td align="left">
1987*</td> <td align="right">27</td> <td align="left">
DEN</td> <td align="left">QB</td> <td align="right">12</td> <td align="right">12</td> <td csk="0.70833" align="right">
8-3-1</td> <td align="right">224</td> <td align="right">410</td> <td align="right">54.6</td> <td align="right">3198</td> <td align="right">19</td> <td align="right">4.6</td> <td align="right">12</td> <td align="right">2.9</td> <td align="right">72</td> <td align="right">7.8</td> <td align="right">6.9</td> <td align="right">14.3</td> <td align="right">266.5</td> <td align="right">83.4</td> <td align="right">20</td> <td align="right">138</td> <td align="right">
7.1</td> <td align="right">6.3</td> <td align="right">4.7</td> </tr> <tr style="" onmouseover="hl(this);" onmouseout="uhl(this);" class="full_table"> <td align="left">
1988</td> <td align="right">28</td> <td align="left">
DEN</td> <td align="left">QB</td> <td align="right">15</td> <td align="right">15</td> <td csk="0.53333" align="right">
8-7-0</td> <td align="right">274</td> <td align="right">496</td> <td align="right">55.2</td> <td align="right">3309</td> <td align="right">17</td> <td align="right">3.4</td> <td align="right">19</td> <td align="right">3.8</td> <td align="right">86</td> <td align="right">6.7</td> <td align="right">5.3</td> <td align="right">12.1</td> <td align="right">220.6</td> <td align="right">71.4</td> <td align="right">30</td> <td align="right">237</td> <td align="right">5.8</td> <td align="right">4.5</td> <td align="right">5.7</td> </tr> <tr style="" onmouseover="hl(this);" onmouseout="uhl(this);" class="full_table"> <td align="left">
1989*</td> <td align="right">29</td> <td align="left">
DEN</td> <td align="left">QB</td> <td align="right">15</td> <td align="right">15</td> <td csk="0.66667" align="right">
10-5-0</td> <td align="right">223</td> <td align="right">416</td> <td align="right">53.6</td> <td align="right">3051</td> <td align="right">18</td> <td align="right">4.3</td> <td align="right">18</td> <td align="right">4.3</td> <td align="right">69</td> <td align="right">7.3</td> <td align="right">5.8</td> <td align="right">13.7</td> <td align="right">203.4</td> <td align="right">73.7</td> <td align="right">35</td> <td align="right">298</td> <td align="right">6.1</td> <td align="right">4.7</td> <td align="right">7.8</td> </tr> <tr style="" onmouseover="hl(this);" onmouseout="uhl(this);" class="full_table"> <td align="left">
1990</td> <td align="right">30</td> <td align="left">
DEN</td> <td align="left">QB</td> <td align="right">16</td> <td align="right">16</td> <td csk="0.31250" align="right">
5-11-0</td> <td align="right">294</td> <td align="right">502</td> <td align="right">58.6</td> <td align="right">3526</td> <td align="right">15</td> <td align="right">3.0</td> <td align="right">14</td> <td align="right">2.8</td> <td align="right">66</td> <td align="right">7.0</td> <td align="right">6.1</td> <td align="right">12.0</td> <td align="right">220.4</td> <td align="right">78.5</td> <td align="right">43</td> <td align="right">311</td> <td align="right">5.9</td> <td align="right">5.0</td> <td align="right">7.9</td> </tr> <tr style="" onmouseover="hl(this);" onmouseout="uhl(this);" class="full_table"> <td align="left">
1991*</td> <td align="right">31</td> <td align="left">
DEN</td> <td align="left">QB</td> <td align="right">16</td> <td align="right">16</td> <td csk="0.75000" align="right">
12-4-0</td> <td align="right">242</td> <td align="right">451</td> <td align="right">53.7</td> <td align="right">3253</td> <td align="right">13</td> <td align="right">2.9</td> <td align="right">12</td> <td align="right">2.7</td> <td align="right">71</td> <td align="right">7.2</td> <td align="right">6.3</td> <td align="right">13.4</td> <td align="right">203.3</td> <td align="right">75.4</td> <td align="right">45</td> <td align="right">305</td> <td align="right">5.9</td> <td align="right">5.1</td> <td align="right">9.1</td> </tr> <tr style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 204);" onmouseover="hl(this);" onmouseout="uhl(this);" class="full_table"> <td align="left">
1992</td> <td align="right">32</td> <td align="left">
DEN</td> <td align="left">QB</td> <td align="right">12</td> <td align="right">12</td> <td csk="0.66667" align="right">
8-4-0</td> <td align="right">174</td> <td align="right">316</td> <td align="right">55.1</td> <td align="right">2242</td> <td align="right">10</td> <td align="right">3.2</td> <td align="right">17</td> <td align="right">5.4</td> <td align="right">80</td> <td align="right">7.1</td> <td align="right">5.0</td> <td align="right">12.9</td> <td align="right">186.8</td> <td align="right">65.7</td> <td align="right">36</td> <td align="right">272</td> <td align="right">5.6</td> <td align="right">3.7</td> <td align="right">10.2</td></tr></tbody></table>
One year, he had a QB rating over 80. One. Now QB rating isn't the be all/end all but it is important.
One more thing, Elway threw a motherfucking ton of INTs. Check out his INT ratio and compare it to other QB's from those years. Always had one of the higher numbers.