He was arrested four times after his abrupt retirement. Jones topped the 100 career sack total in week one of 2021, a five-sack day that tied a Cardinals franchise record and set a personal career-best. He was an iron man for a powerhouse franchise that reached four Super Bowls while playing many of their home games in arctic conditions. Derrick Mason recorded four 1,000-yard seasons for Jeff Fisher teams and four more for the Baltimore Ravens. Karl Mecklenburg. But McCree did fumble. McDole was known as "The Dancing Bear" because of his nimble feet, one of the coolest nicknames ever. The linebacker ranks 17th in career solo tackles (1,130) and is the only player to be part of three consecutive Super Bowl champions. Rivers' excellence, longevity and ability to barely dodge immortality make him the John Hadl of his era. Jerry Rice and John Taylor may have been the greatest receiving tandem of that era, but Ellard and Flipper Anderson were the most explosive pair of deep threats. A longtime semifinalist, his case is about to be handed over to the Veterans Committee, which has done a fine job recently of correcting oversights from Kenn's era. Roberston is the guy getting head-butted in the sternum and knocked backward by Campbell before the running back's jersey gets torn off. The best we can offer is a little bit of credit where a lot is due. He reached the playoffs as a rookie backup in 2004 and a 32-year-old backup in 2015, but zero times in the decade in between. He started for an offensive line that helped Barry Sanders win two of his four rushing titles. Along with the legendary Johnny Unitas, Rote probably did more to change the quarterback position than anyone in the pre-merger era even if so few know it. But the run-'n'-shoot took away more than it provided, and the early 1990s Lions kept getting obliterated by better defenses in the playoffs. The admission probably slams the door of the Hall of Fame on Brown forever. More than anything, though, Rote was a leader and winner. Year after year, Chandler Jones is one of the best pure pass rushers in football. It would rank 16th all-time, except that if we allow Marshall's sacks into the record, we would have to make room for Deacon Jones, Mean Joe Greene and others. WebTop 20 Most Underrated Footballers in 2022 1. He's rarely mentioned as an all-time great. McLaurin registered 87 catches in 2020 after 58 during his rookie season in 2019. Truth is, Norton should have been Super Bowl XXVII Most Valuable Player, not Troy Aikman, who was the obligatory quarterback pick. There, he led a relentless Redskins pass rush in their Super Bowl XXVI ambush. Teams: Tennessee Titans, Baltimore Ravens, New York Jets, Houston Texans. Ellard moved on to Washington in 1994 and enjoyed a late-career renaissance, averaging 61 catches and 18.8 yards per reception over a three-year span in his mid-30s. Franklin-Myers has the ability to play anywhere on the defensive line and is off to a strong start in the Jets' new 4-3 defense under head coach Robert Saleh. He was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 1996. Web12. In Jahri Evans' four All-Pro seasons (2009-12), the Saints ranked first, sixth, first and second in the NFL in total yards. Jackson then moved on to Atlanta just after the collapse of the Mike Smith playoff teams but before the rise of the current Dan Quinn contenders. Marshall cant get his name even on the preliminary Hall of Fame ballot. Deion Jones is one interception away from tying the all-time record for pick 6's by a linebacker, and he's done it in a fraction of the games. Teammates Alan Page and Carl Ellar were held in higher regard. Hull was not just a great lineman but a groundbreaking one. If you or someone you know has a gambling problem, call 1-800-GAMBLER. Johnson can line up all over the field and consistently find space in the opposing defense. WebThis list is for those players the ones who were great football players and did not get the credit they deserve. It's hard for a running back to be underrated. ", Teams: St. Louis Cardinals, Houston Oilers, Buffalo Bills, Washington Redskins, Pro Bowl appearances (AFL All-Star Game): Two (1965, 1967). The difference between the great and the all-time great is often a matter of timing and luck. His 23 fourth-quarter comebacks (20th overall) are more than Dan Fouts, Jim Kelly, Sonny Jurgensen and Bart Starr, to name a few Hall of Famers at the position. But few cornerbacks spent more of their careers in the crosshairs than Allen. WebFive players made their "Top 100" debuts -- David Montgomery, Jimmie Ward, CeeDee Lamb, Justin Tucker and Kyle Pitts -- in Episode 1 (Nos. If Anderson had failed, the 49ers may never have lured Walsh away from the Bengals staff. His .588 win percentage ranks second to Wilson in team history. Super Bowl championships: Two (1996, 1999). Mills and Reggie White were the USFL's two greatest defenders ever. Lomas Brown played left tackle for four Lions playoff teams. This list begins with a quarterback who is preparing to play in the 2015 NFL regular season. As good as Ellard was at the time, he almost was never mentioned in debates about the best at his position. Lets not forget they also dominated with cold-blooded efficiency at the other side of the ball, where Keena Turner was rarely out of position at right outside linebacker. He had one sack in four games, all Rams victories. He had to blanket a wide receiver in man coverage with no safety help on every play. It didnt help that he had ordinary quarterbacks named Tony Eason and Steve Grogan to throw him the ball. Let's take a look at the the five most underrated footballers of all time. Maybe not, seeing as Nalen has not had much success. The best teams in the AFL proved to be NFL-caliber, but the bottom of the league was populated with a nearly bankrupt franchise or two, so the best players clumped on the best teams and stood out from the crowd. The only lineman to start all four of those games was a workout warrior and routinely bench-pressed 550 pounds in his prime. It takes more than mere greatness to be considered one of the most underrated players in pro football history. One of the most underrated players in AM Football, Brodie Croyle was drafted into the NFL by the Kansas City Chiefs in 2006 after being a college football standout with the University of Alabama. These men did so much but received so little credit in return. Bahr converted 84 percent of his field-goal attempts (21 of 25), and 98 percent of his extra-point tries (40 of 41) when it counted most. No, what youll see are lots of gaping holes the size of Boulder. Feyenoord v VVV Venlo - Eredivisie. 'Nuff said, right? There would not be another exchange of current Pro Bowlers in the NFL until the Broncos and Redskins exchanged Champ Bailey and Clinton Portis in 2004. His career was cut short by injuries suffered in the first of those three Pro Bowls. Juszczyk has made five Pro Bowl appearances, including each season since joining San Francisco in 2017. Quarterback is the most important position in organized football and maybe in all of sports, so it should be no surprise that men who play QB dominate the top spots of this list. Not bad for a guy who might as well have played in a straight jacket for 14 seasons. He should be remembered as more than a throwback to the era when Lawrence Welk references were topical. Not only was Fleming good enough to stick with great teams, but he also was the luckiest son of a gun on the face of the earth. "Even now I still get pissed off. Butler has never even been a Hall of Fame semifinalist, and it's not going to happen for him soon. Greenwood, but there are dozens of other great old players clamoring for their chance who didn't enjoy the glory of playing for a "team of the decade.". "When I was there, the thing we were missing was that explosive type of offense, and the new coach brought that in.". 1 overall pick, NFL coverage map 2021: TV schedule Week 16, Seattle Seahawks: 3 players who wont be back in 2022. Bottom line: Never mind guys such as Michael Vick and Lamar Jackson. Rich von Biberstein/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images, Cliff Welch/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images, Michael Zagaris/San Francisco 49ers/Getty Images. Build your customFanSided Daily email newsletter with news and analysis onAll NFL and all your favorite sports teams, TV shows, and more. But run defense was king in the era when McDole played, and his 16-year career is littered with big plays: 12 interceptions, 14 fumble recoveries, two touchdowns, three safeties and a pair of sacks in the 1966 AFL Championship Game. 1. But three of his best seasons are not listed in the encyclopedias. WebLet's face it: An entire All-Underrated Team can be assembled using only Broncos defenders. The guy should demand a recount, I tell ya. Once an arbitrary number of players from a historic team get enshrined, the committee moves on in search of underappreciated players from other franchises. But so were teammates like Len Dawson, Willie Lanier, Buck Buchanan, Bobby Bell, Curley Culp and Jan Stenerud, all of whom are in the Hall of Fame. Brown is now best known as a television personality. MVP-caliber seasons (1,528 yards, 90 receptions, 16 total touchdowns in 2006) early in his career gave way to annual 1,100-1,200 yard, low-touchdown grinds as the Greatest Show Rams retired one by one and the team fell to 2-14 and 1-15. Shanahan uses Juszczyk as a traditional lead blocking back, but he provides plenty of versatility out of the backfield and with the ball in his hands. There's a statue outside of Lambeau Field commemorating the Lambeau Leap, perhaps the most recognizable and beloved (except to Packers opponents) end-zone celebration in the NFL. Wright earned a second-team All-1970s nod from the Pro Football Hall of Fame, even though several of his signature years were in the 1980s. Terry McLaurin has played through one of the more unstable quarterback situations in football with Washington since entering the league but continues to emerge as one of the top wideouts in football. Mason was frequently his team's most valuable offensive player, but he and Steve McNair made their short pitch-and-catch passes look a little too easy. With 4.35 speed, McLaurin can take the top off any defense but has also rounded out the rest of his game since his time at Ohio State. Hadl played quarterback, halfback, defensive back and punter for the University of Kansas. To understand why he is not in the Hall of Fame, you must familiarize yourself with both the era he played in and the vagaries of Hall voting. Robertson's Rams made a habit of reaching the playoffs every year and losing to the Vikings or Cowboys. Wisniewski reached eight Pro Bowls and was named to the Pro Football Hall of Fame All-Decade team for the 1990s, so he's not exactly obscure. Karl Mecklenburg. And he played in one stinking Pro Bowl game. Web#shortsucl#bayernmunich #bayern #barcelona#football#footballedit#footballedits#footballshirts#soccer#socceredit#socceredits#soccershorts Graham has only missed one game since 2012 prior to 2021, and similar to Hughes is a winning culture type of player. While Kreig didnt possess fleet feet or a bazooka arm, he could read defenses and throw an accurate ball. Tom Jackson. More than one scout considered Turner to be too light to play linebacker, too slow to play defensive back. Not Fred Dean. One of the greatest defenders in the history of a storied franchise, Young is just another victim of bad timing when it comes to getting the reputation he deserves. McDole was a starting defensive end for two of history's legendary defenses: the AFL champion Buffalo Bills of 1964 and '65 and Washington's "Over-the-Hill Gang" of the early 1970s. He played for teams that were more interesting than outstanding, from the Ryan and Rich Kotite-era Eagles to the Jim Mora and Mike Ditka Saints to Jon Gruden's Raiders. Beachum has lined up at both left and right tackle but displayed There have been too many players in NFL history to count, so naturally, many of them werent going to get the attention they deserved for their play. On the final play a year later, he picked off a Roger Staubach pass in the end zone that put the Cowboys to rest. Steve Wisniewski played guard on a Raiders team that moved in the middle of his career and was just good enough to remind you it was not in the same class as the great Raiders teams that preceded it. The Lions drafted him as a running back. They're the working stiffs who bust their butts at so-called lesser positions, on teams that are seldom seen on highlights shows, let alone national television. That makes sense: Both started their careers late, played with workhorse running backs, won a championship and had their careers curtailed by vicious hits. Steve Atwater. Hes the only quarterback with AFL and NFL titles on his resume and he darn near pulled it off in the Canadian Football League as well. Nope, not Charles Haley. He was an All-Pro for the Orange Crush defenses of the 1970s, and then he stuck around to play for the 1986 Broncos Super Bowl team. All advice, including picks and predictions, is based on individual commentators opinions and not that of Minute Media or its related brands. WebThe NFL is increasingly becoming a passing league. Along with Devin White, David was all over the field making plays around the ball and was one of the more valuable players in shutting down the Chiefs offense in the Super Bowl. Still, Allen rarely gets respect as a true number one wideout. It made the Bills of the early 1990s the greatest team to never win a Super Bowl. He was a six-time Pro Bowler and three-time All-Pro. A mauler of a right guard, Timmerman also was agile enough to escort Marshall Faulk on screens and sweeps. But Brown was a unique and underappreciated player for over a decade on a team that nearly revolutionized the way football is played. There are a ton of names in the conversation for best offensive linemen of all time, but Dierdorf Know who created those wide-open spaces? You mean future Hall of Fame tackle Orlando Pace didnt block four guys all by himself? Robinson is a staple of Hall of Fame Snubs lists, and he certainly has his case. He is now stuck in a rebuilding cycle that may take a few years. Fletcher intercepted 23 passes and recorded 39 sacks as a do-it-all middle linebacker. TGT Play! Odds Deals Podcasts US USA Arizona California Colorado Connecticut Florida Georgia Illinois Indiana Iowa Kansas Louisiana Maryland Michigan New Jersey New York North Carolina Ohio The content on this site is for entertainment and educational purposes only. As a pass blocker, Moton has developed into a steady presence capable of holding his own, and at times even dominating top pass rushers that include Joey Bosa and Cameron Jordan. The former top ten draft pick looks to be on the verge of breaking out. That's its own kind of recognition. Teams: Dallas Cowboys, San Francisco 49ers, Pro Bowl appearances: Three (1993, 1995, 1997), Super Bowl championships: Three (1992, 1993, 1994). Mason also caught 49 postseason passes and was one of the game's best return men for a few years. Allen made a lot of plays. He became an All-Pro playing blindside protector in an early 1990s run-'n'-shoot offense. White: 12 underrated players; White: 12 overrated players; Towers: Generic vs. Name Brand; Prospect hunting . Maybe he wasn't the best defender on the field for any one play, but he stayed on that field for an entire generation. There are a ton of names in the conversation for best offensive linemen of all time, but Dierdorf never seems to have his name mentioned. He had the speed to get to the edge and beat defenders down the sideline, the power to plow through tackles, the elusiveness to make things happen in the open field and receiving chops to rival contemporaries Roger Craig or Thurman Thomas. Bottom line: In his 15th and final season, the 36-year-old Ken Riley had eight interceptions and returned two of them for touchdowns, one of the most incredible performances by an old man ever. Smith wasnt a no-show on third-and-long, either. Butler's defensive accomplishments might have brought him to the cusp of immortality, but don't underestimate the power of that Lambeau Leap. He finally won a Super Bowl ring as a backup for the Buccaneers. He must either play for teams so good that they overshadow his accomplishments, or teams so bad that he had to do it all by himself. The Hall of Fame has turned up its nose on all of them. Ryan made three Pro Bowls, but All-Pro status was blocked by a couple of guys named Johnny Unitas and Bart Starr. Turner was the ultimate plug-and-play guy, one of five 49ers to be part of all eight of their playoff teams in the decade. Fifteen years ago, similar receivers were gimmicky undersized role players. Bottom line: The Greatest Show On Turf boasted so much star power you couldnt tell the other Rams without a program. Hall of Fame receiver Paul Warfield was on the receiving end of many of Ryan's touchdowns. Edouard Mendy of Chelsea celebrates after his sides victory in the Premier League match 2. He covered receivers (38 career interceptions). It's better to be remembered for one of the most painful moments in your career than to not be remembered at all. A Super Bowl ring and two AFL championships. Its hard to think of a player more dominant and less talked about over a long period of time than Chandler Jones. "Hate to say it, but I do believe I should be there (in Canton)," Marshall once said. He was a Pro Bowler in 1974 and 75, and he was an All-Pro selection from 1976-78. Photo by JOHN CAPUTO/AFP via Getty Images, ST. LOUIS, MO CIRCA 1980: Ed Jones #72 of the Dallas Cowboys gets blocked by Dan Dierdorf #72 of the St. Louis Cardinals during an NFL football game circa 1980 at Busch Stadium in St. Louis, Missouri. NaVorro Bowman trade rumors surfaced in early spring, only to be quickly squelched by new 49ers general manager John Lynch. And to think, the guy never played in a Pro Bowl game. An ever-growing backlog of outstanding safeties is queuing up outside Canton, as Troy Polamalu and Ed Reed will soon joinJohn Lynch and Brian Dawkins. Rote was the first quarterback who regularly beat defenses with his legs as well as his arm.

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