’83 Lynn Dickey VS ’89 Don Majkowski

[74_75_78_79_]

The two best Packer QBs of that long, dark post-Starr/pre-Favre period. Not comparing the careers of each, but simply pitting each’s best (and only Pro Bowl) season against each another. Is it Dickey’s campaign - with the help of Lofton - highlighted by that classic MNF track meet over Theisman’s defending-Champ Redskins? Or is it Majik Man’s moment in the sun - with the help of Sterling - leading his Pack to 10-6 along with a win at Candlestick? Both pretty great QB performances!

[JohnH19]

So why do we pointlessly want to say which was better?

[JKelly]

Make it stop please

[Shipley]

Nobody cares. What's the next comparison going to be, 1963 Ed Brown vs. 1967 Kent Nix?

[L.C. Greenwood]

The two best Packer QBs of that long, dark post-Starr/pre-Favre period. Not comparing the careers of each, but simply pitting each’s best (and only Pro Bowl) season against each another. Is it Dickey’s campaign - with the help of Lofton - highlighted by that classic MNF track meet over Theisman’s defending-Champ Redskins? Or is it Majik Man’s moment in the sun - with the help of Sterling - leading his Pack to 10-6 along with a win at Candlestick? Both pretty great QB performances!

Tough call on those specific seasons. Dickey was a statue in the pocket, but had a better career than Majkowski. The former Virginia Cavalier QB had the mobility before injuries ruined his career. I do recall Majkowski in a recent interview saying he made the big mistake in coming back too soon from a leg injury.

[74_75_78_79_]

The two best Packer QBs of that long, dark post-Starr/pre-Favre period. Not comparing the careers of each, but simply pitting each’s best (and only Pro Bowl) season against each another. Is it Dickey’s campaign - with the help of Lofton - highlighted by that classic MNF track meet over Theisman’s defending-Champ Redskins? Or is it Majik Man’s moment in the sun - with the help of Sterling - leading his Pack to 10-6 along with a win at Candlestick? Both pretty great QB performances!

Tough call on those specific seasons. Dickey was a statue in the pocket, but had a better career than Majkowski. The former Virginia Cavalier QB had the mobility before injuries ruined his career. I do recall Majkowski in a recent interview saying he made the big mistake in coming back too soon from a leg injury.

Maj could indeed run the ball as a QB. Twelve rushing TDs in his injury-plagued shortened career, 5 of those in ‘89 itself - 2 of those in that victory at SF (along with a TD-toss to Sharpe). Dickey though, although not much a running QB as you stated LC, he actually did rush for 9 career TDs, three of those being in ’83 itself, and another three of those the following (his penultimate) season. Lynn’s career could have not started in a worse place, being a part of those historically dismal early-’70s Oilers. I assume he was out for all of ’72, correct? Just as he (now in GB) was out for all of that almost-playoffs ’78 campaign (which I keep forgetting that he was) along with most of ’79.

As for ’83 LD vs ’89 DM, it is pretty close. Lynn threw for 32 TDs to Don’s 27, but threw 29 INTs to Don’s 20. Lynn passed for 4,458 yards with a cmp% of 59.7 to Don’s 4,318/58.9. But then you throw in Majik Man’s 75 rushes for 358 yards compared to Dickey’s 21 for 12 (albeit, again, 3 rushing TDs) and that might (might) just give Maj the nod. Still very tough to call just the same and very worthy of a comparison post between two Pro Bowl performances.

Of course Lynn had the better overall career. Don has only ‘89 to hang his hat on whereas Lynn has a few others to mention, ’84 not bad at 3,195; 25 TDs, 19 INTs. In his 1980 full comeback year, he passed for 3,500+ albeit 25 INTs. ’82, however, may very well have been even better than ’83 if season not cut to (2,593, 17 TDs in) nine games. Nice article on him here...(and Lofton’s favorite QB is...)...http://www.espn.com/blog/green-bay-pack ... alented-qb

Also a glum one on how injuries still effected Majkowski’s health as recent as 2013. You hope he’s improved some since...http://m.thepostgame.com/blog/throwback ... treme-pain

[Bryan]

Nobody cares. What's the next comparison going to be, 1963 Ed Brown vs. 1967 Kent Nix?

Ed Brown!


As for the original question, Majkowski's 1989 season was unbelievable. He threw a lot of passes for a lot of yards...he was somewhat efficient (82.9 rating)...he had 20 INTs and 15 fumbles...but his timing for making big plays was incredible and overshadowed his deficiencies. So many plays went Green Bay's way in the 4th quarter that year. Bears game with the instant replay...Saints game with a very questionable replay of a Jeff Query catch...questionable penalty against TB to setup Chris Jacke 48-yd FG with no time left...questionable Mark Murphy INT against DET to setup FG in OT. I'm not sure how good Majkowski was, but everything worked out for him in 1989.

You can probably say this about every QB, but I think Lynn Dickey would have been much better with a better team. He was kind of like Kerry Collins in that if you gave him protection, he could pick apart even the best defenses. But if he was pressured, he'd start throwing interceptions. In terms of aesthetics, I thought Lynn Dickey (along with Steve Bartkowski) threw the best-looking passes.

[sheajets]

Never a fan of Dickeys. Always seemed to be too much of a gambler and careless with the football

I really thought Majkowski would have a solid career after the 1989 season. Just seemed like he had "it" for that brief fleeting moment and never found it again. The torn rotator cuff didn't help either. He wasn't the biggest QB either. Under 200 lbs (listed as 197) I thought he looked a bit skinnier than that. Perhaps not built for the NFL grind.

[Jay Z]

The Broncos should have traded for Dickey in 1976. It was dumb to go with Steve Ramsey.

I will give Majik the nod because he didn't miss any time. Dickey missed the second half of a game against Detroit, and the Packers wound up losing when David Whitehurst played poorly. It's really close, and that is my tiebreaker.

[Citizen]

If we're going by just the single season, I also have to go with Majkowski. He put the team on his back in a way Dickey never could. Lord knows he tried to in '83, but their defense was so abysmal that seven times they held leads of 17 or more points, and they gave up all but one of those leads. And as mentioned, his leaving the Detroit game in the hands of Whitehurst all but doomed Green Bay for the year.

Majkowski brought a spark to the quarterback position that simply didn't exist between Starr and the fellow who eventually replaced Majkowski.