The top ten best offensive players. All of them are in the HOF or soon to be. Some of them revolutionized their positions, but all of them were winners. Here's the best ever.
1. Brett Favre, Green Bay Packers, QB- This pick comes easily. Favre, throughout eighteen years, has led the league in touchdowns four times (and picks twice), yards twice and completions three times. He's the all time record holder in career passing touchdowns--and picks, exemplifying his gun-slinging style of play. A nine time Pro Bowler, 3 time MVP and 3 time first team All-Pro, Favre is one of the best ever.
2. Jerry Rice, San Francisco 49ers', WR;- Rice had a long career for such a demanding and athletic position. The 1998 Super Bowl MVP, a 13 time Pro Bowler and a 10 time first team All-Pro. He owns career records in nearly every possible statistical category for a wide receiver: yards from scrimmage, receiving touchdowns, total touchdowns, receiving yards a game, playoff appearances and all-purpose yards.
3. John Elway, Denver Broncos, QB- A 9 time Pro Bowler, Elway's career stats are nothing to write home about--especially his QB rating. For the first half of his career he was Jake Plummer, for the second he was Fran Tarkenton. Possibly the most clutch player ever, he led a floundering Broncos team to two Super Bowl wins, one of them he won almost single-handedly with passing touchdowns and a body-sacrificing dive into the endzone. Against the Falcons he was the 1998 Super Bowl MVP, and he's a hell of a guy on top of being a hell of a signal caller.
4. Tom Brady New England Patriots- Brady is my generation's version of Joe Montana. Like Elway the guy is a winner, especially when it counts. He took a lousy team, headed by a half-wit quarterback, Drew Bledsoe, and turned them into the best dynasty since the Steel Curtain. He holds the record for touch down passes in a season, but outside of 2007 he was never too flashy. Until Moss and Welker, his receiving core was the worst in the league-- headed by Deion Branch , Troy Brown and David Givens--some of the slowest receivers ever to get a starting job. He made his money with his smarts, toughness and dedication.
5. Barry Sanders, Detroit Lions- Sanders' career came to a very early halt, too early for me. In my opinion, and I know I'm not alone, he was the best player ever. Longevity is his only knock, but that guy was the heart and sole of the Lions, and since his retirement they haven't been a decent team. In the ten years that he played he made the Pro Bowl 10 times! He was a 6 time First Team All Pro and is third in career rushing yards--impressive for a guy that played a lot less than Smith or Faulk.
6. Dan Marino- Unfortunately for Danny, all of his records were broken by Brett Favre, Peyton Manning and Tom Brady but he's still second in pass yards, pass attempts, passing touchdowns and passing completions. He's an incredible competitor and it was heartbreaking that he couldn't come home with a Super Bowl win, even with a perfect record in 1984.
7. Shannon Sharpe, TE, Denver Broncos- The guy with the biggest mouth in the business--so big he'd be a star in gay porn--Shannon Sharpe revolutionized the Tight End position and made it a position that holds legitimate down field threats. A superb athlete, he was unfortunately linked to Romanowski's steroid days, but even so, he's a 4 time first team All-Pro and an eight time Pro Bowler. He's incredible and a Super Bowl winner.
8. Emitt Smith, HB, Dallas Cowboys- Emmitt James Smith II was never a favorite of mine, and his fullback Daryl Johnston should probably be here more than Smith. Still, even though he was never a flashy runner like Sanders he too knew how to win with the flashy Cowboys. A Super Bowl winner and part of one of the best dynasties ever, led by Troy Aikman, Michael Irvin, Deon Sanders, Darren Woodson, he and Johnston. Before he retired he stole the rushing yards and rushing touchdowns records and seems to have a solid hold on them.
9. Peyton Manning, QB, Indianapolis Colts- It seems just yesterday that Peyton was the kid out of Tennessee. Like Favre, Manning is a flashy quarterback and like Brady, he took a team of misfits and losers and turned them into a dynasty and Super Bowl winners. With one of the strongest arms ever, he's already fourth on the career TD pass list, and he's still only 32. He's an 8 time Pro Bowler and 4 time First Team All-Pro, and he's far from done.
10. Steve Young, QB, San Francisco 49'ers- After Montana left, the gayest city next to Provincetown was in tears. Luckily they got a fast and athletic QB out of Brigham Young (his ancestry founded the school). Originally drafted by the Bucs, Young was a Michael Vick before Michael Vick--making most of his value on the run. Then he met Jerry Rice in San Fran. That partnership made him an unstoppable force and the best QB to WR duo ever (Peyton to Marvin is pretty good too). A Super Bowl winner and a cool dude, he had to retire early because of his clock getting cleaned regularly.
10. Mike Alstott, FB, Tampa Bay Buccaneers- Alstott is tied with Young because he was by far the best FB ever. The only Full Back that could bust through tacklers and stomp them like cardboard boxes, Alstott was the heart and soul of the Bucks in the late 1990's through the early 2000's. His 58 touchdowns is unheard of among fullbacks and his career yardage is the best for the position ever. He was a 6 time Pro Bowler and a two time First Team All-Pro, but like Johnston, the truck had to leave due to constant neck injuries.
Just Missed- Willy Roaf, T, New Orleans Saints and a damn good one. Roaf spent most of his career with the Saints and he and Tony Boselli of the Jaguars were regular Pro Bowlers throughout the 90's. An 11 time Pro Bowler, Roaf is one of the best if not THE BEST, lineman ever.
No comments:
Post a Comment