[AnotherUnixGeek]

As soon as he got rid of Smith, he went to back to back Super Bowls.

Is that really the criterion for being an NFL caliber QB, the ability to get to the Super Bowl two years in a row? Alex Smith was no Pat Mahomes. He wasn't even Colin Kaepernick. He wasn't capable of leading his teams to the Super Bowl - watching him fail to deliver in the 2011 NFC Championship Game made me want to kick my TV in. But he led the 49ers and Chiefs to multiple postseason runs and was a solid NFL starter. To say he's not NFL caliber is silly.

[rxsid]

Agreed. If its takes superbowls to make one an NFL caliber QB...then I guess guys like Marino and Tarkington (among so many others) are not good enough to play in the league (i.e. not NFL caliber).

[nickcarraway]

But he led the 49ers ... to multiple postseason runs and was a solid NFL starter.

He lead the 49ers to exactly one (1) playoff. The only other playoff they made while he was on the 49ers, he was benched during the season. With prejudice.

So, for six seasons he was an anchor around the neck of the organization. And for one season, the 49ers were so good on defense, special teams, and the rest of the offense, that it would overcome his shaky QB play and compulsive need to throw interceptions in the 4th quarter.

If you wanted to sit down and go watch every game of that season, I could point out ow amazing the other 49ers were that season, and how much they made up for Smith.

Smith was so bad, even brilliant offensive coordinators would get fired.

[nickcarraway]

Is that really the criterion for being an NFL caliber QB, the ability to get to the Super Bowl two years in a row?

Read what I said. I did not say that. I said the Chiefs were so good that when they didn't have that anchor (Smith) weighing them down.

By the way, Marino was in one Super Bowl and Tarkenton was in three)

Eli Manning won two Super Bowls and he was mediocre at best. But he had good games when it counted.

[dfwgator]

Even Trent Dilfer won a Super Bowl.