Last week, I looked at which running backs and wide receivers have scored the most game-winning touchdowns. Today, I am reproducing the same analysis but for quarterbacks: who has thrown the most game-winning touchdowns?

As before, a touchdown qualifies as a game-winning touchdown if all of the following four criteria are met:

• It occurs in the 4th quarter or in overtime;
• The scoring team was not winning prior to the touchdown
• The scoring team was winning after the touchdown, including the extra point ^[1]However, if a team was down by 7, scored a touchdown, went for two and converted, that touchdown does not count as a game-winning touchdown. So in this Cowboys/Giants game from 2018, Dallas was down … Continue reading; and
• If the touchdown (plus point after) gave the winning team more points than the losing team scored all game. So if a team is down 21-17 and scores a touchdown to go ahead 24-21, and that team ultimately wins 31-27, that does not count as a game-winning touchdown. But if they win 31-21, it does.

Got it? Great. I looked at all games, regular and postseason, in the NFL, AFL, and AAFC and counted all game-winning touchdowns by this metric. As it was back in 2013, Baltimore Colts legend Johnny Unitas remains the king. He had 23 game-winning touchdown passes and also ran for one more, giving him a record 24 game-winning touchdowns on his resume:

For Unitas, 9 of those touchdown passes went to Jimmy Orr, of course; we profiled him earlier this week. Seven were thrown to Lenny Moore, five to Raymond Berry, four to Tom Matte, two apiece to Alan Ameche and John Mackey, and then one to each of Alex Hawkins, Roy Jefferson, Jim Mutscheller, Jerry Richardson, and Willie Richardson.

The top-five is an interesting list: Unitas, Tom Brady, Eli Manning, Dan Marino, and Vinny Testaverde. It’s also noteworthy that Matthew Stafford is in position to make a run at the top of this list: he’s only had one in each of the last three seasons, but at 32 years old, he has a real shot to challenge Unitas.

Some notable absences: Michael Vick and Doug Flutie each had 3 game-winning rushing touchdowns, but had only 3 and 1, respectively, through the air. Kordell Stewart had 2 and 2 and also 1 receiving game-winning touchdown.

Roman Gabriel (201 passing touchdowns) had just 4 game-winning touchdown passes, making him the most prolific passing scorer to miss the list. Alex Smith (193 passing touchdowns) also only has four game-winning passing touchdowns, along with two GW rushing scores. Bob Griese (192) and Otto Graham (174) were on great teams that didn’t pass often and usually were ahead in the fourth quarter; as a result, neither made this list (Griese had three, Graham four). Jeff George had just two, while none of Frankie Albert’s 117 passing touchdowns were game-winning scores.

Neil O’Donnell threw 10 game-winning touchdown passes despite only having 120 career touchdown tosses; that gives him a higher rate (8.3%) than Unitas (7.9%)! And among players with at least 75 passing touchdowns, Marcus Mariota (7) leads the way with 9% of his touchdown passes being game-winners. ^[2]Obligatory Jameis Winston reference: 5 of his 121 passing touchdowns were game-winners. The only two players with higher rates than Mariota were Jim Finks (6 GWTD passes, 55 passing touchdowns) … Continue reading Derek Carr (7.7%) and Andrew Luck (7.6%) are also within shouting distance of Unitas.