How good was Majkowski??

[Merlin]

I loved watching him play. However, he skipped the pro bowl as to not get injured so he could get a huge contract, then got it and promptly got injured in the first game => Enter Bret Favre. The moment all the contract crap started I knew he wasn't going to last long in Green Bay.

[mngolf19]

Majikowski is in the Packers Hall of Fame for what he symbolized. Majik represented a significant turning point in team history, after two decades of nearly uniform futility. Especially for someone my age, the Majikowski years were the first time I was ever interested in the Packers, because growing up in the 80s....well, there wasn't much of a reason to take an interest before the Majik Man.

Sure, in retrospect, the Majik-lead teams didn't accomplish all that much, but weren't we filled with hope and excitement during those years? And luckily, the Favre era carried us to more than a decade of consecutive winning seasons. Add the fact that every time the history of Favre's career is recounted, you can't go without mentioning the Majikowski injury...

Majik is part of Packers lore. Pure and simple.

This is my take as well. Growing up Vikes fan, I barely noticed the Packers on the schedule until he came along. He started a turn for the better and made those Pack/Vikes games more interesting.

[Harlan Huckleby]

Majik could move around and avoid the pass rush. Rather refreshing after years of Lynn Dickey, Randy Wright, etc.

He was pretty good, and as others have pointed out, diminished by injuries.

I think he is a GREAT football analyst, I love his interviews.

[Murphy37]

Majik was an ok QB, but until 89, he was always in a battle for the starting job with another 2nd rate QB, Blair Kiel, or Anthony Dilweg. He had one good year for the Packers, then he held out and then got injured. He couldn't throw the ball over 50 yards, weak armed QBs that throw picks just don't stick in the NFL.

It wasn't quite as Nuts implies either. Majkowski was a rookie in 1987, and played enough in place of Randy Wright to get 127 attempts. Wright of course was in his 4th season at the time and had been the #1 QB exclusively the year before in 1986. Kiel and Dilweg weren't even there. In Majkowski's second year, 1988, he took over as the #1 QB in game 6, played in 13 games and had 336 attempts to Wright's 244. Time wasn't as divided as it looks statistically, because as I said Majkowski became the starter in game 6, but missed a game late in the season, Wright started and had 52 attempts. In Majkowski's third season, 1989, he was the exclusive QB, having 599 attempts to Dilwegs 1 (yes, one attempt). No other QB played in 1989.

So, the only QB Majkowski competed with was Randy Wright, the incumbant starter. It was a fairly rapid transition. He had a lot of playing time as a rookie in 7 games, and became the starter in game 6 of his second year and was the clear #1 after that.

Dilweg, Kiel and Tomczak got playing time in 1990 and 1991 only because Majkowski was injured. Majkowski was the clear #1 QB ever since early in his second season.

Majkowskie didn't have a great arm, but he could make plays with his arm and his legs. A guy doesn't throw for 4,300+ yards in a single season without being a decent passer.

Ha ha, Nutz just got kicked in the nuts. Nobody rips the Majik man and gets away with it.

[HarveyWallbangers]

Majik had one year where he wasn't below average. Everything broke is way, and he had a great year. I think it was a fluke.

In 1989 he completed 58.9%, 4318 yards, 27 TDs, 20 interceptions

The rest of his career:
77 games, 53.7% completion, 8382 yards, 39 TDs, 47 interceptions

Face it. He mostly sucked.

Brent Fullwood made the Pro Bowl that year also. Does that make him a good RB? Hell no! One year wonder.

[RashanGary]

I think Sterling Sharpe had a lot to do with his success.

I was 9 years old or whatever. I had a book. It was "Montana/Rice, Majik/Sharpe.

As a kid, I idolized Sharpe. My impression of him was that he was a dominating force. I didn't feel that way about Majik. That was a 9 year olds view though, so it might not be very insightfull.

[Murphy37]

Brent Fullwood made the probowl that year? Holy shit I don't remember that.
Nobody here is saying Majk was a superstar. But when you look back on the history of the Pack, he was a significant piece of it. His stats alone are questionable career wise, but he gave fans a reason to cheer again, and helped turn around a team that was in the gutter for how long? Fluke, or shoulder problems, who cares. All I know, is that I remember the Packers finally getting some national attention when he played the game.

[Patler]

I think Sterling Sharpe had a lot to do with his success.

I was 9 years old or whatever. I had a book. It was "Montana/Rice, Majik/Sharpe.

As a kid, I idolized Sharpe. My impression of him was that he was a dominating force. I didn't feel that way about Majik. That was a 9 year olds view though, so it might not be very insightfull.

Certainly Sharpe played an important role in 1989, but in 1989 Majkowski completed 263 passes for 2895 yards and 15 TDs to players other than Sharpe, including the likes of Keith Woodside, Perry Kemp, Herman Fontenot, Jeff Query and Ed West, the 2nd-6th leading receivers on the team.

Swann and Stallworth had a lot to do with Bradshaw's suuccess.
Raymond Berry and John Mackey with Unitas'.
Rice with Montana's.
etc., etc.

Brett Favre has had only one season in which he threw for more yards than Majkowski did in 1989. Lynn Dickey only had one season in which he threw for more yards than Majkowski did in 1989. No other Green Bay QB has exceeded Majkowski's yardage in 1989.

[HarveyWallbangers]

One year wonder.

[Patler]

One year wonder.

Naw, more like "One year healthy!"

[HarveyWallbangers]

The guy played 10 years in the league. I'm sure he'd like to blame his 9 below average years on injuries, but I won't. Part of being a great player is durability.

[jack's smirking revenge]

Majik. Oh the memories. I've been a fan of the Pack all of my life, but returned to the United States in 1988 and was able to watch my beloved Pack. Thus, my true "memories" of the early Pack aren't from the horrid 70s/80s, but from this Majikal period where he reingivorated the Packer Nation with his heroics. He wasn't the best QB the Packers have had, but he got the job done with reckless abandon and wild fashion. Does he belong in the Packer HoF? Due to his single season, perhaps. He is one of the most recognizeable names in Packer history. As FavreChild said, he is credited with turning around a franchise that had been horrible for decades. But he didn't do it alone. And his Majik was short-lived.

He was a one-year wonder, but I am thankful that he was. If he didn't get injured, Favre may never have gotten his chance to be one of the best QBs in NFL history.

tyler

[chain_gang]

Brent Fullwood, man those were the days. Fullwood really stuck it to them that year. How about a guy named Clint Didier TE for the packers. I believe he had the first TD reception in the famous 89 replay game. That's about all he did for his career i think. Spagnola was another TE, always liked his name but he sucked. Ed West seemed alright. Wow stroll down memory lane, but my favorite game during that 89 season was the one in Nov. against the 49ers. Majik to Sharpe and Montana to Rice. Great game with the Pack winning. It was the last game the 49ers lost the rest of the way, blowing out Denver 55-10. Only Green bay and the Rams beat the 49ers that year I believe.

[jack's smirking revenge]

Brent Fullwood, man those were the days. Fullwood really stuck it to them that year. How about a guy named Clint Didier TE for the packers. I believe he had the first TD reception in the famous 89 replay game. That's about all he did for his career i think. Spagnola was another TE, always liked his name but he sucked. Ed West seemed alright. Wow stroll down memory lane, but my favorite game during that 89 season was the one in Nov. against the 49ers. Majik to Sharpe and Montana to Rice. Great game with the Pack winning. It was the last game the 49ers lost the rest of the way, blowing out Denver 55-10. Only Green bay and the Rams beat the 49ers that year I believe.

I remember that 49ers game. I remember that we had no business making a game of it, much less winning. It was amazing.

tyler

[Patler]

The guy played 10 years in the league. I'm sure he'd like to blame his 9 below average years on injuries, but I won't. Part of being a great player is durability.

If the other 9 were below average, how is it that he is 4th on the Packers all time list for completions (behind only Favre, Starr and Dickey) and 5th in yardage? Give the guy some credit. His Packer career was realtively brief, but effective when he was in the game.

I agree, durability is a factor. (see my comments on Ferguson) But Majkowski was good in GB whenever he played, unlike ferguson who hasn't delivered even when in the lineup.