This illustrates how hard it is to rate the ‘best of all time’. I think Marino is a bit overrated by Miami fans, but no doubt if he had his own Jerry Rice (there can be only one) he would have a few SuperBowl rings of his own.
No, he needed a defense in order to win. The Niners had good offensive skills but they had good defensive players as well. Ronnie Lott was a monster.