Matt Ryan and Tom Brady finished the season ranked 1st and 2nd in the NFL in Adjusted Net Yard per Attempt. How unusual is that?

• In 1966, Bart Starr led the NFL in ANY/A and was the NFL MVP. Len Dawson led the AFL in ANY/A, and was the AFL’s first-team All-Pro selection at quarterback (running back Jim Nance was the MVP). The Packers and Chiefs met in the Super Bowl, of course, making it one of just two times that the Super Bowl featured two first-team All-Pro choices at quarterback. The other? Super Bowl III, featuring Earl Morrall and Joe Namath).

• In 1971, Roger Staubach had a historically great season, producing a remarkable 7.81 ANY/A. The runner-up that year was Bob Griese, at 6.35, and no other passer was over 6.00. Those 1971 seasons from Staubach and Griese both ranked in the top 50 in my era-adjusted passer rating seasons, too. Alan Page was the AP MVP choice that year, Staubach won the Bert Bell Award for Player of the Year, and Griese won the third MVP, given by the NEA. So when the Cowboys and Dolphins met in the Super Bowl, it featured two MVP quarterbacks, a feat that could be matched this year. The PFWA has already named Ryan as its MVP, but the AP or the Bert Bell Award could choose Brady, which would give us another set of dueling MVPs.

• In 1984 Dan Marino was a unanimous MVP (AP, NEA, PFWA, Bert Bell) on the back of a groundbreaking performance. His raw numbers (48 TDs, 5,084 yards) were remarkable, but so was his 8.94 ANY/A average. Joe Montana had a darn good year, too: his 49ers went 15-1 and his 7.93 ANY/A was 1.24 ANY/A better than any quarterback not named Marino. From an ANY/A dominance standpoint, it’s very similar to what Ryan and Brady have done this year.

And… that’s it.  The chart below shows the ANY/A rankings for the two quarterbacks that started each Super Bowl. In the Super Bowls following the 1969, 1972, 1974, 1979, 1987, 1990, and 2012 Super Bowls, one starter didn’t have enough regular season attempts to qualify for the ANY/A crown, so I have put them on the 40 line.  And Dawson/Starr are on top of each other in 1966, since both ranked 1st in their league.

This year’s Super Bowl certainly seems worthy of joining the Starr/Dawson, Staubach/Griese, and Montana/Marino Super Bowls. If you want a top 5, let’s give a noteworthy nod to Bradshaw/Staubach from ’78. Staubach led the NFL in ANY/A at 6.18, with Dan Fouts second at 6.08, and Terry Bradshaw just behind at 6.05. That was about half a yard of ANY/A above the rest of the league. Staubach and Bradshaw also ranked 1st-2nd in passer rating, and while Staubach led the league in passer rating and ANY/A, it was Bradshaw who won the AP MVP and Bert Bell MVP awards. Staubach did take home the NFC Player of the Year award from the KC101 Club and was the NFC Player of the Year based on the Players’ Association vote.