Worst five Super Bowl performances of all-time include... John Elway?

John Elway became a Super Bowl hero, but he didn't always look like a football god among men in the big game, as Yahoo! Sports' Darren Pare points out. In anticipation of this weekend's Packers-Steelers tilt, Pare chose the five worst Super Bowl performances of all time -- and Elway's...

By Michael Roberts

February 4, 2011

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John Elway became a Super Bowl hero, but he didn't always look like a football god among men in the big game, as Yahoo! Sports' Darren Pare points out. In anticipation of this weekend's Packers-Steelers tilt, Pare chose the five worst Super Bowl performances of all time -- and Elway's not the only Broncos QB to make his final cut.

Elway winds up in the fourth position. Here's Pare's reasoning:

I know this will be blasphemy to some, but Elway was terrible in Super Bowl XXIV. His Denver Broncos got crushed by the San Francisco 49ers 55-10. Elway completed just 10 passes for 108 yards. He also has two interceptions and two fumbles. The Broncos were down 24 points at the half. Elway's two interceptions, on the team's first two possessions of the second half, killed any chance the Broncos had at a comeback.

Thanks for reminding me about three of the most painful hours of my life, Darren! And he does the same in the second slot, awarded to onetime Broncos signal-caller (and Ring of Fame inductee) Craig Morton:

Another struggling Broncos quarterback, Morton was shut down by the Cowboys in Super Bowl XII. Denver lost the game 27-10 and the quarterback position was the main reason why. Morton completed 4 of 15 attempts for 39 yards and four interceptions. Morton was eventually pulled from the game and replaced by Norris Weese.

Unfortunately for Morton, this would be his last shot at winning the Super Bowl; he'd previously come up on the short end of Super Bowl V while playing for the Dallas Cowboys. But as we all know, Elway led the Broncos to victory in Super Bowls XXXII and XXXIII, earning MVP honors before riding into a glorious orange sunset.

Sweet redemption! And if he can get the Broncos back to the pigskin promised land as an executive, we'll forget all about Super Bowl XXIV. I hope.

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Michael Roberts began his career with Westword in 1990 as music editor. In 1999, he took on a new role, full-time media reporter, as author of a column called The Message. In 2008, he became the lead writer for Westword's news blog, The Latest Word, a position he held until January 2023. Michael continues to freelance for Westword, covering everything from business to sports and the media; he also contributes to Jazziz, a national music magazine. He holds a bachelor's degree from what is now Colorado Mesa University and master's degrees from the University of California, Los Angeles, and Northwestern University.

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