What happens when a 90s Super Bowl champion goes head-to-head with 10 Gen Z NFL fans? ‘House of Highlights’ on YouTube decided to find out. They brought in Mark Schlereth to chat with fans who are accustomed to watching Patrick Mahomes and other new stars (not Denver Broncos legend John Elway, the quarterback who ruled the game decades ago).

So, when Schlereth said, “John Elway was better than any modern-day quarterback,” fans couldn’t help but follow up with curious questions. “At what?” one of them asked.

Schlereth: “At playing quarterback.”

Fan: “So, he is better than Patrick Mahomes? At what element of football?…What does he do better than Patrick Mahomes?”

Well, Schlereth finally caught on and shared his reasoning. “The game of playing quarterback or the position of quarterback has been made exponentially easier than it was in Elway’s day. One, all the quarterbacks are protected. You’re not allowed to hit them. You’re not allowed to touch them on the head. You’re not allowed to hit him below the knees. You’re not allowed to do anything.

“The other part of the game today is there is so much quick game out on the edges, three-step drops. There are very few, if any, seven-step drops, deep throws in today’s game. It’s completely different.”

Schlereth does have a point. Here is why:

• Rule changes to protect QBs: For years, the league has introduced new rules to protect the QBs from taking unnecessary damage like late hits.
• Offensive systems are more favorable: In recent years, NFL’s OCs have adapted their systems to make use of mobile signal-callers. Hence, they have been adding basic zone-read plays and RPOs to the playbook. The idea is to put their QB in the best position to have impact.
• Letting go of traditional notions: Old school football fans may raise eyebrows when they see, for instance, Lamar Jackson and Josh Allen control the game as runners. However, their success has made the position more dynamic.
• Passing numbers have been increasing: In 1997, passing yards per game sat at 201.8. That number increased to 205.8 by 2001 and 241.5 by 2016. Completion percentage has also been increasing. These climbing stats can be attributed to the fact that teams are passing more often and that offensive schemes and strategies have been evolving.

The fan Schlereth was talking to has a different perspective, though. He believed that Allen wouldn’t need protection had he played in the league decades ago. After all, Allen is huge: 6’5’’, 237lb.

All that said, the fan agreed that the game is now less dangerous than it was back in the day. Yet, he could help but wonder: Would no quarterback who plays under modern-day NFL rules ever surpass John Elway?

Schlereth’s response? “Modern-day rules? Probably not,” he admitted, but he had some exceptions. “I would put [Tom] Brady up there. I would put [Joe] Montana probably ahead of Elway.”

Well, Schlereth and Elway played together for four seasons (1995-1998) in Denver. Teammates always protect their QBs and, metaphorically, Schlereth seems to be doing that even now. But if you think it would end here, you’re wrong. As each fan took turns on the hot seat in front of Schlereth, the 59-year-old was relentless in defending his glory days. One such take was: “My 1998 Denver Broncos team would have beat the brakes off Patrick Mahomes and the Kansas City Chiefs.”

The way the Chiefs have fared this season so far, only a few might argue against that.

However, wit‌h a new fan seated in front of him, Schlereth made his case. He emphasized how his team would have crushed the Chiefs by running the ball aggressively and tiring them out. “We would run them out of the stadium.”

Notably, in ’98, Elway’s team recorded 525 rushes for 2,468 yards gained and 26 touchdowns. 25 years later, in 2022, Patrick Mahomes’ franchise recorded 417 carries for 1,970 yards and 18 touchdowns.

Denver’s offense in 1998 included two 1,000-yard receivers in Rod Smith and Ed McCaffrey. They also had TE Shannon Sharpe, left guard Mark ‘Stink’ Schlereth, center Tom Nalen, offensive tackle Tony Jones and right guard Dan Neil. Though the offensive line was underrated back then, that notion was to change quickly. The offense dominated that season and pushed the team to a 14-2 record. They were good in the regular season but even better in the playoffs. Eventually, they grabbed yet another chance to lift the Lombardi Trophy.

So, when Schlereth says his 1998 Broncos team was that good, you better hear him out.