He is the highest-rated quarterback in the N.F.L.

But there is a correlation between quarterback numbers and team success; last year, six of the seven highest-rated quarterbacks led their teams to the playoffs.

He is the highest-rated quarterback of all time, and he did that in St. Louis.

In fact, if Joe Montana's strike game were thrown out, DeBerg would be the conference's highest-rated quarterback.

And now, in his fifth season, Esiason is the N.F.L.'s most valuable player and highest-rated quarterback, the only one to average more than 9 yards an attempt.

"They are a dominant team, but they are beatable," said Brad Johnson, the N.F.C.'s highest-rated quarterback.

He spent five seasons in San Francisco behind Montana and Steve Young, both of whom only happen to be two of the highest-rated quarterbacks of all time.

He is the league's highest-rated quarterback with a 156.6 rating, a 78.3 completion average and 12.09 average per-play gain.

The 49ers played most of the game without Steve Young, the league's highest-rated quarterback.

Under the National Football League's statistical ranking system, he is the highest-rated quarterback in history.