Henry Ellard spent the first five seasons of his NFL career returning punts and putting up humdrum receiving stats. Young was also a much better rusher who could find the end zone via his arm or by using his legs. But his Rams had a running back named Eric Dickerson and quarterbacks named Dieter Brock and Jeff Kemp. Teams: Washington Redskins, Denver Broncos, Super Bowl championships: Three (1991, 1997, 1998). The only lineman to start all four of those games was a workout warrior and routinely bench-pressed 550 pounds in his prime. Were going to wrap up the Bottom line: All Ken Norton could do was take down ballcarriers and collect Super Bowl rings. In 10 of the 12 seasons in which he started at least half their games, the Seahawks prevailed more times than not. Rote was the first quarterback who regularly beat defenses with his legs as well as his arm. "Hate to say it, but I do believe I should be there (in Canton)," Marshall once said. No matter. The best we can offer is a little bit of credit where a lot is due. Provided by Fadeaway World View the original article to see Bottom line: The 1970s Steelers won four Super Bowls two with a power run game, two with a potent pass attack and who better than Jon Kolb to do the heavy lifting? Debates about the greatest pass-rushers in the history of the NFL will conjure up mentions of players such as Bruce Smith, Michael Strahan, Reggie White and others. 1. "Stanley Steamer" could run every route and was hell on wheels with the ball in his hands. He led the Bengals to a pair of playoff appearances in 1973 and 1975, Joe Montana's high school senior and Notre Dame sophomore seasons. WebTop 10 most underrated NFL players: Justin Tucker, Keenan Allen deserve more recognition. There have been many better quarterbacks than Ryan in NFL history. 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The 2023 wide receiver class is one of the worst in recent memory, but there are some solid options on Day 2 for teams searching for complementary players. Actually, theres a simple explanation. Landeta is widely viewed by experts and fans as one of the best punters in the history of pro football, and the two-time Super Bowl champion was an All-Pro on six occasions. Much of the Saints' offensive success in Evans' prime years is rightfully credited to Brees. 30. So Kenn basically had three careers. If Morgan had played in a pass-happy offense with a Pro Bowl quarterback and hands-off rules, you would find him in Canton right now. This list begins with a quarterback who is preparing to play in the 2015 NFL regular season. Also, the field was often a block of ice. He started for an offensive line that helped Barry Sanders win two of his four rushing titles. He is one of the best receivers in history, and he has the stats to back up such claims. Mills looks like just another local hero linebacker in the encyclopedias, albeit a good one. But don't write him off as some 1960s product of the system. Reidel Anthony, Florida. And almost nobody remembers that, when Edwards caught the ball, he knew what to do it. From a couple of fairly well-known quarterbacks to the linemen who make a quarterback's job easier, we argue these 32 players deserve more recognition. Is Jerry Rice not the greatest wide receiver in history because he played alongside Joe Montana and Steve Young? No one else is even close. David Garrard. Don Hutson played multiple positions during his time, including defense and on special teams. Super Bowl championships: Two (1996, 1999). It doesn't matter: If you are a Broncos defender, you might as well forget about a bust in Canton. He finished his career by doing something almost impossible: signing with the Patriots as a veteran role player during one of the few years they didn't reach the Super Bowl. Maybe Wright wasn't a Blount-level legend, but he deserves better than to be the forgotten man among the Broncos' forgotten men. In Jahri Evans' four All-Pro seasons (2009-12), the Saints ranked first, sixth, first and second in the NFL in total yards. His 2,690 all-purpose yards with the Titans in the 2000 season are second in league history. He also scored 35 touchdowns on the ground in that span. So Anderson cranked out a few 1,000-yard seasons and played in some Pro Bowls, and that was that. 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. Bottom line: For 16 seasons, Henry Ellard wreaked havoc as a pass receiver and punt returner. The career active leader in games started by a defensive lineman is Julius Peppers with 227. Related:Most Overrated NFL Players of All Time. ), Teams: Pittsburgh Steelers, San Diego Chargers, Super Bowl championships: Two (1974, 1975). June 19, 2020 Koby83 Football, Michael Turner, NFL, Running Backs, Sports Underrated. 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. (Bonus point: Schlereth doesnt suck as a broadcaster on ESPN. Butler has never even been a Hall of Fame semifinalist, and it's not going to happen for him soon. Hudson, a two-time NFL MVP, was the dominant receiver in the league at a time when passing attacks were nothing near what they are in the modern game. WebThe highest-rated quarterbacks, wide receivers, edge rushers, running backs, cornerbacks, and defensive linemen were fine, as were the 99 club member additions and overall team Former head coach Jim Mora has referred to Mills as the best player I ever coached. Along with being a talented defensive player, Mills was also respected for being one of the smartest defenders on the field during his career. Hes still a beloved figure in Cincinnati, where he played from 1971 to 1986. Harrison's numbers should speak for themselves, and those who would say otherwise are either trying to make a point or are simply ignoring how great Harrison was during his career. Marshall reached just two Pro Bowls. Ron McDole falls into that final category. Not every NFL star gets the love they deserve. Ryan made three Pro Bowls, but All-Pro status was blocked by a couple of guys named Johnny Unitas and Bart Starr. He's rarely mentioned as an all-time great. That is untrue for a variety of reasons. He has been named to eight Pro Bowl squads. There's underrated, underappreciated and overlooked. Mike Kenn began his career playing left tackle for a lumbering 1970s power-running offense. Here, we give you every NFL teams most underrated player. And none of them produce the numbers he generated in less hospitable systems. One of those receivers is Flowers, who totaled over 1,100 yards and 12 touchdowns in 12 games this season for Boston College. One of those receivers is In an ideal world, every NFL playoff game is won or lost strictly by the players. 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. Since Week 13, when he became the starter due to Jimmy Garoppolos broken foot, Purdy has the NFLs best passer rating (112.0), completing 68.3% of his passes for 8.1 yards per attempt, 13 touchdown passes, and just three interceptions. There are certain statistics that one would imagine would immediately pop into the mind of a football fan. But few cornerbacks spent more of their careers in the crosshairs than Allen. It is easy to understand why he would come up when the topic is being addressed, but that he is not respected as one of the best to play the position is difficult to understand. But this list is all about giving overlooked players their due respect. On a walk-through between center and left guard, naturally. Mason had seven seasons of at least 70 pass receptions, 1,000 yards and five touchdowns. Butler was the NFL's most dangerous all-purpose safety for much of the 1990s. The AFL was an eight- to 10-team league, so All-Pro selections were easier to come by. Tom Jackson. Today, most people know Mark Schlereth mostly as an His 42-yarder in the 1990 NFC championship game rates as one of the greatest clutch kicks in league history. He rose to Pro Bowl status playing left tackle for a single-back, Joe Gibbs-style 1980s offense. Most Underappreciated RBs of the 2000s. The Packers believed they were a veteran quarterback away from a playoff run in 1974, so head coach/GM Dan Devine acquired the 34-year-old Rams quarterback by surrendering a ransom of draft picks huge enough to cause even Ryan Pace to do a spit take: two first-rounders, two second-rounders and a third-rounder. Player B was a one-time MVP who played in two Pro Bowl games. When the team inducted Smith into the Pride of the Jaguars ring of honor last year, it was the strange case of a moribund franchise honoring a former receiver still on parole for succumbing to the demons of addiction. WebTaylors 2000s career included him playing with Jacksonville (2000-2008) and New England (2009), and he had some great all-around years as an NFL running back. Why retain an expensive vestige of the last regime, or really the last three regimes? The Lions drafted him as a running back. When the Rams finally earned a Super Bowl berth, Robertson was in Buffalo, playing for another playoff also-ran. Bottom line: If an inquiring mind had asked "Which team will win the Super Bowl?" Those who like to shout "first-ballot Hall of Famer" about Rivers do not know how the Hall of Fame works. 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. Since the NFL has turned He intercepted 25 career regular-season passes and two more in the postseason. Brown earned seven Pro Bowl berths and an All-Pro selection. An undrafted quarterback out of the late Milton College (Wisconsin), Krieg got them to the postseason four times and the AFC championship game once. 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. 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. Here on the All-Time Underrated List, it counts for a lot. And Jackson spent a generation as a pre- and postgame show staple, which puts him in a whole different category. Tomlinson is fifth all-time in rushing yards, and he is third all-time in regular season touchdowns scored for all players and not just for running backs. If you guessed both or neither one, youre wrong. "I dont get it. He won 65 percent of his NFL starts. His .588 win percentage ranks second to Wilson in team history. As a 31-year-old, no less. Lambeau Field was an icy outpost; the Packers still played a handful of home games in Milwaukee back then. Teams kept doing something special to get their hands on Hadl. Allen is trailing by 26 sacks as of the start of the 2015 regular season. On this All-Underrated list, he is in very good company. LeRoy Butler, S, Packers. Try Dave Krieg. That made Hull one of the first centers to make line adjustments on the fly. Born: (2007, 2009, 2012), NFL Special Teams Player of the Year (2009), NFL 2000s All-Decade Team . Player B passed for 31,548 yards and 214 touchdowns and ran for 22 touchdowns with below average-to-good teams. With his career spread evenly across three teams and zero All-Pro selections (a consequence of playing in the same era as Ray Lewis and Brian Urlacher), Fletcher is a Hall of Fame long shot. The lack of respect that Larry Fitzgerald has received from supposed football experts throughout his career boggles the mind. 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. Six All-Pro selections. Lets hear some "un-der-ra-ted!" 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. The Jaguars, meanwhile, slowly descended to their current status as the NFL's punching bag. News on all your favorite celebs, reality TV, and movies. Peppers will have to play three more seasons to catch Marshall, and Peppers' starts are non-consecutive. 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. In Jacksonville, Still, even his long resume undersells his He finally won a Super Bowl ring as a backup for the Buccaneers. The Colts accused Ryan of running up the score in the 27-0 championship rout of 1964. Jackson probably helped you win a fantasy title or two, but he would be remembered for so much more if he wasn't always on the wrong team at the wrong time. 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. Anderson was named to four Pro Bowl squads during his career, ad he led the Cincinnati Bengals to a Super Bowl appearance that did not go Cincinnati's way because of Joe Montana and the San Francisco 49ers. Cunningham is widely regarded as one of the best running QBs in the history of the NFL, but his ability to make plays with his arm should not be ignored. To make our list, a player must contribute to a winning effort while putting up bad stats, misunderstood stats or no stats. Bruce found the end zone over 90 times in regular season play during his career, and he is one of five players in the history of the NFL to go for over 15,000 total receiving yards. Not bad for a guy who might as well have played in a straight jacket for 14 seasons. It takes bad timing and bad luck. The Hall of Fame has turned up its nose on all of them. "When I was there, the thing we were missing was that explosive type of offense, and the new coach brought that in.". Anderson does not get the credit he deserves for reasons that cannot be explained. Sad to say, Morgan was woefully miscast in a run-first offense in a less pass-friendly time. McDole played 251 professional games as a defensive lineman, a remarkable feat in any era that should not be forgotten. Those accomplishments may soon finally land Kenn in the Hall of Fame. The 49ers are installing a new system and reshaping their roster. Anderson's 1,000-yard seasons came in a primitive offense with a rudimentary passing game. A fresh take on sports: the biggest news and most entertaining lists. If McCree doesn't cough up that fourth-quarter pick, the Chargers beat the Patriots, and perhaps Philip Rivers leads a team that went 14-2 in the regular season to the Super Bowl. Deebo Samuel broke the game open for San Francisco with his 74-yard By the time Rivers is retired for five years, the "San Diego Chargers" will be as relevant as the Dayton Triangles, and Hall voters will be too busy rubber-stamping Tom Brady and Drew Brees to get to a guy from a lost city who couldn't win the big one. Twenty years ago, the Jacksonville Jaguars were one of the marquee organizations in professional sports, and Jimmy Smith was one of their brightest stars. 4,409 Rushing Attempts. WebUnderrated 2000s players that don't get the respect they deserve today. Quick: Name the 49ers' all-time sack leader. 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. His career was cut short by injuries suffered in the first of those three Pro Bowls. He played in the run-'n'-shoot offense, which means he was on an island against the NFL's best pass-rushers on every snap for a half-decadeno tight end flanking him, no blocking back behind him. Know who created those wide-open spaces? July 24, 2020July 24, 2020 Koby83 Carson Palmer, Football, Matt Schaub, NFL, Quarterbacks Underrated. Frank Ryan, QB, Browns. 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. Hull started his professional career with the USFL's New Jersey Generals, where he helped Herschel Walker rush for 2,411 yards in one 18-game season. Tom Nalen protected John Elway in a pair of Super Bowl victories and helped trigger a zone-blocking revolution as part of Alex Gibbs' influential offensive lines. Dunn finished his career with 15,655 all-purpose yards, 25th in league history, one of the best players never to be a champion. Drew Brees endured an average of just 24 sacks per season in Evans' All-Pro seasons, despite typically dropping back to pass over 650 times per year. Even so, Smith was pretty much a well-kept secret outside Pittsburgh despite meeting or approaching Pro Bowl standards for almost a decade. He was drafted by the Falcons with the eighth overall pick in the 2004 NFL Draft, and he was an instant Roberston is the guy getting head-butted in the sternum and knocked backward by Campbell before the running back's jersey gets torn off. Those who have knowledge of National Football League history are well aware of the more famous individuals who made their names and fame playing pro football. The list of players who are in that club includes Ray Lewis, Rodney Harrison, Brian Dawkins, LeRoy Butler and Ronde Barber. 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. Teams: Green Bay Packers, Detroit Lions, San Diego Chargers, Experience: 13 years (1950-59, 1963-64, 1966), AFL All-Star Game appearances: One (1963). As for being so underrated he's overrated, wellthat's extremely underrated, which justifies Anderson's ranking here. Marshall cant get his name even on the preliminary Hall of Fame ballot. Unless you live in Cleveland or are over 50, you probably have never heard of him. Both players were Pro Bowlers the previous year. He was one of the first true slot receivers of 21st-century NFL offenses. The Hall of Fame eluded Ellard for several reasons: comparisons to Rice, the Rams' move to St. Louis (it takes hometown writers and buzz to mount a campaign) and those five early seasons in a ground-and-pound offense. Fitzgerald has played on some lackluster offenses. He may not have been as good as Jerry Rice or Randy Moss, but there is a solid argument to be made that Lofton is one of the ten best wide receivers in the history of pro football. The Pro Football Reference Similar Players tool compares Ryan's five-year peak to that of Joe Theismann. Teammates Alan Page and Carl Ellar were held in higher regard. But Wright never posted massive interception totals, and his teams ended up on the receiving end of a pair of Super Bowl beatings. Fletcher followed Gregg Williams from coaching stop to coaching stop, serving as the sometimes controversial, always effective defensive mastermind's field marshal. For some reason, however, the community has somewhat forgotten that Paul Krause had held the record for most interceptions in NFL history for decades. 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. 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 McCree did fumble. Running backs suffer none of the "didn't win the big game" biases that color our perception of quarterbacks. Success came early for Fletcher, recognition late. Freelancer for multiple websites. He is, however, most remembered, for being a wide receiver who was decades ahead of his time. He's also among the top 100 in games started (83rd), interception return yardage (89th) and interception return touchdowns (31st). 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. Allen has much in common with many others on this underrated list. 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. Super Bowl championships: Four (1981, 1984, 1988, 1989). That voter meant every fanbase has a beloved old defender, renowned for his toughness and leadership, that they swear belongs in the Hall of Fame. "It was tough, but I was happy for those guys," Dunn told the Atlanta Journal-Constitution. Slot specialists such as Julian Edelman and Victor Cruz are now considered valuable components to the modern passing game. The Steelers rushed for a then-record 249 yards and did not allow a sack. Sometimes it's because they played next to even bigger stars and sometimes it's Even pesky third-down backs and gritty fullbacks may seem underrated until you realize how many of them become local heroes. It was the era of great defensive lines with catchy namesthe Rams had the Fearsome Foursome, the Cowboys the Doomsday Defense, the Steelers later added the Steel Curtain, and so forthand Marshall was the Ringo Starr of the Purple People Eaters, the guy who once ran the wrong way for a touchdown and was happy just to be in the band. He helped the Packers win a Super Bowl. Guards don't make the Hall of Fame unless they win multiple Super Bowls or play forever. He is now stuck in a rebuilding cycle that may take a few years. "It pissed me off," Fletcher replied. Boomer Esiason was a fine player who remains seen on national television throughout the year, but it is Anderson who is, to this day, the greatest quarterback in the history of the Bengals. The weekend opened with the San Francisco 49ers and the Seattle Seahawks. Defensive Player of the Year awards? WebMay 12, 2022. WebAll-Time Most Underrated NFL Players by Position. Arguably the greatest quarterback in the history of the Philadelphia Eagles, Cunningham rightfully so makes it into this list. 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. It's better to be remembered for one of the most painful moments in your career than to not be remembered at all. Mason's 95-catch, 1,200-yard seasons translate to 115-catch monsters in more pass-oriented schemes. WebThe 2023 wide receiver class is one of the worst in recent memory, but there are some solid options on Day 2 for teams searching for complementary players. chants for the best players who didnt get their just dues over the years. And few were better at making opposing quarterbacks pay for mistakes. What Mason did have was a keen attention to detail and fanatical drive to succeed. Ryan needed surgery and was in constant pain for the rest of his career. It's not that Ellard, an Olympic-caliber triple-jumper with 4.4 speed, didn't know what he was doing. He talked the talk and he walked the walk, and Reed should be recognized for being an all-time great receiver by all fans and journalists. Both of those seasons came, ironically enough, after Allen and Buddy were separated. These are the most unsung NFL quarterbacks of all time. Many of those catches occurred down the field, with Anderson serving as a de facto possession receiver. During that time, he led the league in passer rating four times and passing yards twice. Bottom line: Never mind guys such as Michael Vick and Lamar Jackson. The time when Landeta will no longer make such lists will arrive when he is inducted into the Hall of Fame, a day that cannot come soon enough. But Brown was a unique and underappreciated player for over a decade on a team that nearly revolutionized the way football is played. Bowman is a four-time All-Pro and tremendous all-purpose linebacker who emerged as a stalwart leader for teams that otherwise might have packed it in before Labor Day. The linebacker ranks 17th in career solo tackles (1,130) and is the only player to be part of three consecutive Super Bowl champions. Incredibly, McDole started 97 of the next 98 games. 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. He then went on to start at left tackle for the playoff-bound Cardinals and 2000 NFC champion Giants.

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