That feeling never really went away.". Sanders was an extremely The Jaguars upset John Elway's Broncos and reached the AFC Championship Game as a second-year expansion team and then went on to three more playoff berths, culminating in a 14-2 season. Thats what Krieg did best win football games. Schlereth started in three Super Bowls with the Redskins and Broncos, all of them victories. "Because when the ball was thrown, I knew I had better ball skills and would go up and get it.". A Super Bowl ring and two AFL championships. 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. 'Nuff said, right? Other than Steve Largent and Kurt Warner, Pro Bowlers were harder to find in the Seahawks offense than a haystack in the Space Needle. Its easy to forget the Seahawks had some pretty good teams way back when, even a few playoff ones. Johnson can line up all over the field and consistently find space in the opposing defense. 1. NFL 100-91). WebTop 20 Most Underrated NFL Players of All Time 20 Drew Brees. Who are the top 20 best left-footed football players as of 2023? It didnt help that he had ordinary quarterbacks named Tony Eason and Steve Grogan to throw him the ball. His .588 win percentage ranks second to Wilson in team history. For years, the team couldn't even harken back to its glory days properly, as Smith's Pride of the Jaguars induction was delayed until he was sober and no longer under house arrest. He then became a staple of trivia questions and All-Time Worst Trades listicles, as the Lawrence Welk trade overshadowed an even more impressive moment in Hadl's transaction history. The Hall of Fame has turned up its nose on all of them. Addiction soon began consuming Smith's career, and then his life. Evans is still playing at a high level; the Packers hope that he can do for Aaron Rodgers what he did for Brees. Waller was a sixth-round draft pick at wide receiver by the Ravens in 2015 and struggled to find targets early in his career in spite of his 66 frame. Fewer yet realize that he made a crucial play in each victory. 1 overall pick, NFL coverage map 2021: TV schedule Week 16, Seattle Seahawks: 3 players who wont be back in 2022. Teams: Washington Redskins, Denver Broncos, Super Bowl championships: Three (1991, 1997, 1998). No one else is even close. If John Hadl is remembered for anything these days, it's for one of the most disastrous trades in NFL history. Top 20 most underrated footballers of all time: who are they? WebOnce called the toughest cornerback in the NFL by Jerry Rice, Lewis would have received much more acclaim in his career if hed played a position that wasnt just following other (Bonus point: Schlereth doesnt suck as a broadcaster on ESPN. 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. But a double whammyplaying center and playing for the Broncoshas kept him miles from Hall of Fame consideration. If Isiah Robertson is famous at all, it's for being "posterized" by Earl Campbell in one of the most famous NFL Films highlights of all time. Robertson is so poorly remembered that it was hard to find a decent photo of him in our archives. He isn't the dynamic threat thatTyreek Hill orDavante Adams are, but Allen is an elite route runner that consistently puts up elite production. But Brown was a unique and underappreciated player for over a decade on a team that nearly revolutionized the way football is played. Anchoring defenses with catchy names like the "Orange Crush?" Without Kenn, there might not be free agency in the NFL, to say nothing of limitations on practice conditions and other initiatives that make pro football less dangerous than it was decades ago. While Kreig didnt possess fleet feet or a bazooka arm, he could read defenses and throw an accurate ball. Super Bowl championships: Four (1966, 1967, 1972, 1973). McDole's Bills defenses held opponents to fewer than 3.1 yards per carry across three consecutive seasons. Twenty years ago, the Jacksonville Jaguars were one of the marquee organizations in professional sports, and Jimmy Smith was one of their brightest stars. If the soft-spoken scatback had been in the right place at the right time, he would have filled his one nagging void a Super Bowl title and the exposure that accompanied it. But the diminutive Brees would not have been able to lead the Saints to a Super Bowl and several seasons as top contenders without a clean pocket, particularly right in front of him. Victory propelled Montana to superstardom, while defeat left the 32-year old Anderson to play out the string as a high-percentage passer for a rapidly disintegrating franchise. If Mel Blount, Mike Haynes and teammate Lemar Parrish hadnt been in the same conference, Riley would have made more a few more Pro Bowl trips. The Rams eventually acquired Jim Everett and opened up their offense, transforming Ellard into one of the NFL's most dangerous deep threats. Lambeau Field was an icy outpost; the Packers still played a handful of home games in Milwaukee back then. He was a six-time Pro Bowler and three-time All-Pro. Young was a devastating interior pass-rusher who recorded 30 sacks in the three-year span from 1998 through 2000. Then it was off to Carolina, where he earned an All-Pro selection for leading the Panthers to the NFC Championship Game as a second-year expansion team during his age-37 season. His 42-yarder in the 1990 NFC championship game rates as one of the greatest clutch kicks in league history. In their two Super Bowl seasons that followed, Young was a virtual nonfactor in the matchup. Incredibly, McDole started 97 of the next 98 games. Ten of the most underrated footballers of all time The difference between the great and the all-time great is often a matter of timing and luck. Get this: Ten of those seasons were spent with either the Vince Lombardi Packers or Don Shula Dolphins. "When I was there, the thing we were missing was that explosive type of offense, and the new coach brought that in.". With Warfield hurt nearly all of that season, Ryan helped make a Pro Bowler out of receiver/punter Gary Collins. Then again, the fourth-round draft pick had no choice. He was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 1996. No one plays guard expecting fame and accolades, least of all Wisniewski, who is worthy of all the gritty cliches you can sling at him. One look at the logjam forming outside the entrance to Canton tells you Wisniewski isn't moving up the ladder anytime soon. Bottom line: All Ken Norton could do was take down ballcarriers and collect Super Bowl rings. Smith wasnt a no-show on third-and-long, either. Bottom line: Adam Vinatieri was money in the postseason, but Matt Bahr was even better. If he started his career a decade earlier or a decade later, Young would have anchored the defense for one of history's great teams or helped push the Harbaugh 49ers over the top in the Super Bowl. The Top 20 Most Underrated NFL Players - ONE37pm Entering 2021, Moton had allowed only 10 sacks in over 2,000 pass-blocking snaps. 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. Two 10-interception seasons, with 57 career interceptions. Where did Davis score the game-winner late in Super Bowl XXXII? Ron McDole falls into that final category. At 5-foot-10, 190 pounds, he didnt wow anyone physically. Not one of the Jim Harbaugh-era guys. Two names that are familiar to even casual football fans sit atop the mountaintop of underrated NFL players for the 2015 regular season. A beast in coverage, Jones continues to round out his game as one of the top overall linebackers in football. Roberston is the guy getting head-butted in the sternum and knocked backward by Campbell before the running back's jersey gets torn off. Ryan would blitz between five and eight defenders, plus some water boys and maybe a few boo birds from the 700 level of Veterans Stadium. 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. Brown did one thing terribly wrong in 18 NFL seasons, but for his teams to win as often as they did, he must have done an awful lot more right. There is one football player who could score from literally anywhere, and his name is 2. Watch more top videos, highlights, and B/R original content, acquired the 34-year-old Rams quarterback by, Ronald C. Modra/Sports Imagery/Getty Images, Pro Football Reference Similar Players tool, Do Not Sell or Share My Personal Information. Bottom line: Terrell Davis rushed for 2,008 yards in his momentous 1998 season, but look at the game films and you wont see him fake out many defenders or break many tackles. Maybe he wasn't the best defender on the field for any one play, but he stayed on that field for an entire generation. He played left tackle in 1972 and moved to right tackle in 1974. Fleming was a reliable backup tight end/wide receiver who played with four Super Bowl-winners (and one NFL champion) in a dozen seasons. A Colts defender delivered some payback in the all-star game. Peppers will have to play three more seasons to catch Marshall, and Peppers' starts are non-consecutive. He also doesn't play in the shadow of a legend. 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.". The correct answer is Player A (Ken Stabler), and if youre Player B (Brodie), you have to wonder if one Super Bowl should make that much difference. Poor Louis Wright has a hard time even making the Broncos' overcrowded All-Snub Team. Coughlin gave Smith a tryout, then kickoff return duties, and then teamed him with Mark Brunell and Keenan McCardell to create one of the most dangerous passing attacks of the late '90s and early 2000s. He's also among the top 100 in games started (83rd), interception return yardage (89th) and interception return touchdowns (31st). It made the Bills of the early 1990s the greatest team to never win a Super Bowl. Some of the 19 Sad to say, Morgan was woefully miscast in a run-first offense in a less pass-friendly time. Rivers' excellence, longevity and ability to barely dodge immortality make him the John Hadl of his era. 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. Passing wasn't really their thing. When the Rams finally earned a Super Bowl berth, Robertson was in Buffalo, playing for another playoff also-ran. Now that's underrated. A new generation of superstar left tackles entered the league as Brown was peaking, and he spent the latter half of his career bouncing from team to team as Tony Boselli, Willie Roaf, Orlando Pace, Jonathan Ogden and Walter Jones turned the blindside protector into an almost glamorous position. Honourable Mentions Hajime Hosogai, Hertha Berlin DM, Age: 27 Dave Meggett -- RB, 1989-1994. Bottom line: OK, kids, lets play Name That Hall of Famer. When Da Bears bean counters refused to pay up two years later, Marshall was the odd man out again. 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. Raphael Guerreiro - Borussia Dortmund. Maybe that victory gives them the psychological edge they need to beat the undefeated Patriots in their 2008 playoff rematch. The best we can offer is a little bit of credit where a lot is due. It was a motivating factor for a number of years in my career. WebLet's face it: An entire All-Underrated Team can be assembled using only Broncos defenders. McDole played 251 professional games as a defensive lineman, a remarkable feat in any era that should not be forgotten. Jeff Saturday had to translate Peyton Manning's spur-of-the-moment audibles into protection schemes a split second before the snap. Bates has still developed into a leader in the Bengals secondary and arguably their best player on defense. But his Rams had a running back named Eric Dickerson and quarterbacks named Dieter Brock and Jeff Kemp. Only a dozen players have more career interception return yards (961), and seven of them are in the Hall of Fame. Its a frigging joke that Taylor isnt in the Hall of Fame discussion. He accounted for all his teams points in a 15-13 white-knuckler that wrecked the 49ers three-peat bid and sent the Giants to Super Bowl XXV. WebFive players made their "Top 100" debuts -- David Montgomery, Jimmie Ward, CeeDee Lamb, Justin Tucker and Kyle Pitts -- in Episode 1 (Nos. Hes on the short list of running back leaders in yards per rush (4.6, 17th), touches (2,824, 25th) and yards from scrimmage (14,079, 35th) in NFL history. Nope, not Charles Haley. 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. Teams: Chicago Bears, Washington Redskins, Houston Oilers, Arizona Cardinals, New York Jets, Pro Bowl appearances: Three (1986, 1987, 1992), Super Bowl championships: Two (1985, 1991). There will never be another player like Marshall. Neal Anderson replaced Walter Payton. He became an All-Pro playing blindside protector in an early 1990s run-'n'-shoot offense. Waller overcame addiction and his suspension to emerge in 2019, catching 90 passes for 1,145 yards and three touchdowns while starting all 16 games for the Raiders. And no Hall of Famers allowed. Ryan made three Pro Bowls, but All-Pro status was blocked by a couple of guys named Johnny Unitas and Bart Starr. 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. But what peak years they were: 14- and 13-win seasons, annual playoff appearances, routine 4,000-yard, 30-touchdown seasons. Allen has much in common with many others on this underrated list. Teams: Los Angeles Rams, Washington Redskins. Super Bowl championships: Two (1996, 1999). McDole was known as "The Dancing Bear" because of his nimble feet, one of the coolest nicknames ever. Efficient? That's a higher sack total than Dwight Freeney or Robert Mathis. That may be unfair to players like Robinson, Jerry Kramer and L.C. Naturally, it also guarantees that some of the best players in the country get overshadowed and forgotten in the sport's warp-speed news cycle. By the time the 49ers are great again, Bowman may be in his early 30s or on another team. Mike Kenn began his career playing left tackle for a lumbering 1970s power-running offense. Raphael Guerreiro of Borussia Dortmund Looks The USFL may not have been the NFL in terms of quality, but being the Luke Kuechly of a league that featured Herschel Walker, Jim Kelly and Steve Young should count for something. So whaddya say, fans? He's rarely mentioned as an all-time great. Frank Ryan led the NFL in passing touchdowns twice. It's not that Ellard, an Olympic-caliber triple-jumper with 4.4 speed, didn't know what he was doing. Jones played for the Cowboys from 1974-78 and 1980-89. Dierdorf started his career with the Cardinals in 1971 as a guard. He was a eight-time Pro Bowler and one-time Super Bowl champion. But things were different in the long-ago 1990s, when the sports universe belonged to teal-emblazoned expansion franchises and a youngish Tom Coughlin received a binder full of press clippings from the mother of a wide receiver ready to call it quits after injuries derailed his Cowboys career. Butler's defensive accomplishments might have brought him to the cusp of immortality, but don't underestimate the power of that Lambeau Leap. Super Bowl championships: Two (2005, 2008). It's hard for a running back to be underrated. Some might say it's a stretch to put Allen on this list after four straight Pro Bowl seasons and 95+ catch seasons. MOST UNDERRATED PLAYERS OF ALL TIME WebMost Underrated NFL Players of All Time These men did so much but received so little credit in return. It's better to be remembered for one of the most painful moments in your career than to not be remembered at all. Many of those catches occurred down the field, with Anderson serving as a de facto possession receiver. That "something" was throwing for more than 29,000 yards and going to four AFL All-Star Games and a Pro Bowl with the Chargers and then leading the Rams to a 12-2 record in 1973. Far from it. Mostly Schlereth and sidekick Tom Nalen, who were masters of zone-blocking schemes, a major reason why Davis is in the Hall of Fame today. The fullback has become a non-factor in many of todays NFL offenses, but Juszczyk remains an integral part of how the San Francisco 49ers run their offense. Wouldnt you know it? His career was cut short by injuries suffered in the first of those three Pro Bowls. 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. Player A was a one-time Most Valuable Player who took part in four Pro Bowl games. Antoine Griezmann is known for his excellent left foot and can score and create goals with it; hence, he is one of the best left-footed midfielders. Henry Ellard spent the first five seasons of his NFL career returning punts and putting up humdrum receiving stats. The Jaguars, meanwhile, slowly descended to their current status as the NFL's punching bag. This list begins with a quarterback who is preparing to play in the 2015 NFL regular season. Rote was the first quarterback who regularly beat defenses with his legs as well as his arm. Norton made the key play of the game in the second period, when he stood up Buffalo Bills back Kenneth Davis mere inches from the goal line. Steve Atwater. He was one of the first true slot receivers of 21st-century NFL offenses. Mike Williams is an elite deep threat at wide receiver and has maintained an average YPC of over 15 every year since 2018. By being overshadowed by Brown, achieving his greatest success just before the dawn of the Super Bowl era and getting stuck behind the Tom Brady and Peyton Manning of your grandfather's generation, Ryan earned the title of the NFL's All-Time Most Underrated Player. Truth is, Norton should have been Super Bowl XXVII Most Valuable Player, not Troy Aikman, who was the obligatory quarterback pick. Overshadowed on a bad team for much of his early career, Bates also came from a draft that featured top safeties Minkah Fitzpatrick and Derwin James. But no one remembers the Greatest Show on Turf for its defense, and Fletcher spent the prime of his career playing for mediocre Bills teams. Bates is a ball-hawking safety in coverage with excellent range, intelligence, and athleticism. While under the radar, Bates has emerged as one of the better all-around safeties in football. Fletcher followed Gregg Williams from coaching stop to coaching stop, serving as the sometimes controversial, always effective defensive mastermind's field marshal. The linebacker ranks 17th in career solo tackles (1,130) and is the only player to be part of three consecutive Super Bowl champions. The Pro Football Reference Similar Players tool compares Ryan's five-year peak to that of Joe Theismann. New England Patriots wide receiver Stanley Morgan, right, battles for Butler has never even been a Hall of Fame semifinalist, and it's not going to happen for him soon. Edouard Mendy of Chelsea celebrates after his sides victory in the Premier League match 2. Brown earned seven Pro Bowl berths and an All-Pro selection. And few were better at making opposing quarterbacks pay for mistakes. At only 510, Johnson lacks the ideal size. But three of his best seasons are not listed in the encyclopedias. Marshall cant get his name even on the preliminary Hall of Fame ballot. Hence, the Campbell video. His 4.53 40-yard dash at the NFL Combine was far from elite level speed either, but none of that has not stopped Johnson from playing fast and producing at a high level for the Steelers. Krieg was a career overachiever who survived 19 seasons on modest talent with defense-driven teams. That makes sense: Both started their careers late, played with workhorse running backs, won a championship and had their careers curtailed by vicious hits. 2023 Minute Media - All Rights Reserved. Bottom line: Quick, name the winningest Seahawks quarterback before the Russell Wilson era. Player B was a one-time MVP who played in two Pro Bowl games. Both players were Pro Bowlers the previous year. The Packers were a team with more history than identity when Butler arrived. Bottom line: Never mind guys such as Michael Vick and Lamar Jackson. Time has been hard on both of them. But his Hall of Fame candidacy has been stuck in semifinalist limbo. Taylor rushed for 1,000-plus yards in seven seasons. Let's hope the fame doesn't go to his head. Bottom line: For 16 seasons, Henry Ellard wreaked havoc as a pass receiver and punt returner. Ogbah improved against the run while putting up a career-high in both sacks (9) and QB hits (21). Sutton hauled in 72 catches for 1,112 yards during his second season in the league before a knee injury cut short his 2020campaign after 1 game. Shenault is dynamic after the catch and plays like a running back with the ball in his hands. On the field, it is Diontae Johnson that has emerged as a favorite target of Big Ben. No, what youll see are lots of gaping holes the size of Boulder. He recorded four consecutive 1,000-yard receiving seasons from 1988 through 1991, a rare feat at the time. Yet he still led his team to the playoffs three more times. But here's the thing: Gradishar, Mecklenberg and Atwater are famous for being snubbed. Waller upped his game in 2020 and hauled in 107 passes and nine touchdowns to earn his first Pro Bowl nod. McLaurin registered 87 catches in 2020 after 58 during his rookie season in 2019. So Kenn basically had three careers. When London Fletcher retired after the 2014 season, Robert Klemko of The MMQBasked him if he was motivated by feeling underappreciated for most of his career. David entered the league as a terrific coverage linebacker and has continued to grow into an all-around complete linebacker and playmaker. The start to his career is Hall of Fame worthy and includes a Super Bowl championship while with the New England Patriots. Evans is a long shot to do either, which is a shame. Numbers better than majority of RBs in history. Robinson is a staple of Hall of Fame Snubs lists, and he certainly has his case. As some players continue to grow their stardom and gain league-wide recognition, others are less talked about, often flying under the radar for several seasons or even entire careers without proper acknowledgment. But there is no player; fans themselves get to "leap" into the statue for photo ops. At age 25, Franklin-Myers seems to be just scratching the surface of his potential and should benefit from some additional pieces being added to a young rebuilding Jets defense. He routinely beat defenders with quickness out of his breaks and clever change-of-pace moves, qualities that also served him well as a punt returner. Anderson was not Payton, and the later-era Mike Ditka Bears could never approach the heights reached by the 1985 Bears. One of the most well-traveled quarterbacks in NFL history, Vinny Testaverde hung around long enough to register the seventh-most passing yards ever in his 20-year career. Mason also caught 49 postseason passes and was one of the game's best return men for a few years. At 67 Buckner also has a wide arsenal of pass rush moves to pressure the quarterback. Mills was a USFL All-Star in all three seasons of the league's existence, and he led the Philadelphia and Baltimore Stars' Doghouse Defense (coached by Jim Mora) to a pair of league titles. He blitzed (20.5 sacks). So it takes a remarkable streak of hard luck for a running back to make this list. Bottom line: In the Steelers' 3-4 scheme, defensive ends were akin to smaller, more agile tackles run-stoppers first, pass-rushers second. While Graham's sack numbers have never hit double digits, he remains a complete player and Super Bowl champion. Fifteen years ago, similar receivers were gimmicky undersized role players. He was a Pro Bowler in 1974 and 75, and he was an All-Pro selection from 1976-78. In addition to the most underrated and overrated Raiders of all time, Adam Rank goes on a mini-tirade about a criminally underrated coach. Derrick Mason recorded four 1,000-yard seasons for Jeff Fisher teams and four more for the Baltimore Ravens. 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. Teams: Pittsburgh Steelers, San Francisco 49ers, Cleveland Browns, New York Giants, Philadelphia Eagles, New England Patriots, Super Bowl championships: Two (1979, 1990). WebDespite being just 20-years-old, Pedri has become a key player for Barcelona The midfielder names his former teammate Lionel Messi as the 'best' ever He hopes to He also scored 35 touchdowns on the ground in that span. They didnt allow a sack in 84 pass attempts. They would rank first in the NFL in yardage four other times while Evans was a starter. 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. Seven times, he surpassed 1,000 yards on pass receptions, most of them on slants and corner routes. Brett Favre may be the player most responsible for bringing spectacle and success back to Titletown, but Butler brought back celebration. Pittsburgh Steelers: All-time underrated, overrated players - NFL.com He started for the Rams in their Super Bowl seasons at the beginning of his career and then earned Pro Bowl berths for Washington from 2009 through 2012 when he was in his mid-30s. Giants: All-time underrated, overrated players Young started his career as the NFC Defensive Rookie of the Year and ended it as a four-time winner of the Len Eshmont Award, the 49ers' team award for character and leadership. He's the Rams' all-time leading rusher with almost 3,000 more yards for the franchise than Marshall Faulk or Eric Dickerson. Mills followed Mora to New Orleans and led the Dome Patrol linebacking corps, which brought the Saints franchise its first playoff appearances.
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