Top 10 Players....
Posted: Fri Jul 8, 2011 5:00 pm
This is my Top 10.
10. Clay Matthews
The best pure pass rusher in football. 13.5 sacks last year, hit a bit of a wall mid-season after a hot start (8.5 sacks first 5 games), but he came on for the Green Bay Super Bowl push (3.5 sacks in playoffs). I know most people like DeMarcus Ware as the best outside rush guy, but I think Clay may actually be faster sideline to sideline. And be more explosive off the edge. Anything between the tackles, I probably air on the side of Ware, but I like the gamble that is Clay Mathews’s game. I could see a record setting sack year for Clay, especially if the rest of the Packers D continues to play at last season’s level.
9. Troy Polamalu
Stat guys like to throw out the stat Wins Over Replacement, and the difference between Troy and the average SS is the largest in football (evidence: my smell test). He is the pivot to the Steelers defense. When they needed him to drop in coverage last year, Troy snagged 7 interceptions. And when Mike Tomlin wants to stuff the run, Polamalu pulls out the leap over the line play to stop goal line drives.
8. Julius Peppers
Jay Cutler is awful. Julius Peppers carried the Bears last year to the NFC Championship game. Facing double teams every single game, Peppers rang up 8.0 sacks, picked off 2 passes, and accumulated 3 forced fumbles. No defender demanded more attention last year, he is near the end of his prime, but converted basketball players, he played at North Carolina, tend to have good extra legs in them. In terms of taking a cornerstone for my defense, for a game tomorrow, I’m taking Julius Peppers.
7. Andre Johnson
The best wide receiver in the history of football. They need to make a Space Jam, with Jerry Rice in Michael Jordan’s road. Then have one of the Monsters steal Andre Johnson’s talent, and the MonSTAR version of Andre would destroy Jerry Rice. At 6’3 225lb. he is two big for most CB’s. And he plays faster than his listed 4.41 40-yd speed, making he uncoverable to LB’s. A wide receiver that every single play deserves a double team is invaluable to teams in the current pass happy NFL.
6. Adrian Peterson
He might fumble more then desired, but ask anyone that has tried to tackle him, Adrian Peterson’s ability to grind down a defense is special. The awful quarterback situation in Viking’s land last season put 9 defenders in the box, just to start the conversation. Give Adrian, Matt Shaub or even Joe Flacco, and you have 1,800 yards rushing a year, easy. I think Chris Johnson is nice for highlights, but when he isn’t playing well you get nothing out of him. But, when AP is off, he is still beating up the opponents defense, thus helping the rest of the offense flourish.
5. Ndamukong Suh
Yup, not since LeBron has a number one pick lived up to and exceeded the obscene expectations. 10 sacks, 1 interception, and a fumble return for a touchdown. He even attempted a kick for the Lions, granted he missed it, but it goes to show the breadth of Suh’s talent. Some how Suh is a nimble 307 pounds. The speed of his hands, makes his brute force only that much more effective. Will be interesting to see how Nick Fairly and Suh work together next year. Together they are going to be a serious problem.
4. Mike Vick
No other player in football can make you throw your hands up, and say “we just can’t stop that” than Mike Vick. 20/28, 333 passing yards, 80 rushing yards, 4 passing touchdowns, 2 rushing touchdowns. That was Vick’s line against the Redskins on Monday Night Football last November. 4 of the TD’s came in the first quarter for a knockout punch for the ages. And don’t forget the Vick led comeback then cumulated with Desean Jackson’s punt return against the Giants. A comeback I have trouble seeing anyone other than Vick making that day.
3. Aaron Rodgers.
The current Triple H King of Kings Champ, and Super Bowl XLV MVP. He threw 28 touchdowns to 11 picks last year. That was before a 4 game Super Bowl winning playoff run where he threw 9 touchdowns, ran for 2 more, and only lost 2 balls to interceptions. He even finished the regular season with a week 16, 404 passing yards, 4 touchdown gem versus the New York Giants. Rodgers is deadly accurate, and has an under appreciated deep ball. Add in a returning from injury Jermichael Finley, and Ryan Grant; King Aaron might be looking at even gaudier numbers next year.
2. Peyton Manning
If he comes back different after this most recent surgery on his neck this summer, then all bets are off. The thing about Peyton is that he is a coach on the field. The level of precision he can apply to offensive reads when audibling in relation to his interpretation of the defense is game-altering. Even in an off year he had 4,700 passing yards, until he breaks down completely Peyton Manning will be #2.
1. Tom Brady
If you remove the year he missed to injury, Giselle’s boy toy’s last 3 years read – 13,104 passing yards, 114 passing touchdowns, 4 rushing touchdowns, and only 10 interceptions. The Patriots do not have a ton of offensive talent, it’s all the Tom Brady effect. 3 Super Bowl Rings, 2 Super Bowl MVP’s, 2 Regular Season MVP’s, 1 undefeated season thrown off track by a guy who shot himself in the leg, and the baddest women in the world makes for the best player in football, Mr. Tom Brady.
10. Clay Matthews
The best pure pass rusher in football. 13.5 sacks last year, hit a bit of a wall mid-season after a hot start (8.5 sacks first 5 games), but he came on for the Green Bay Super Bowl push (3.5 sacks in playoffs). I know most people like DeMarcus Ware as the best outside rush guy, but I think Clay may actually be faster sideline to sideline. And be more explosive off the edge. Anything between the tackles, I probably air on the side of Ware, but I like the gamble that is Clay Mathews’s game. I could see a record setting sack year for Clay, especially if the rest of the Packers D continues to play at last season’s level.
9. Troy Polamalu
Stat guys like to throw out the stat Wins Over Replacement, and the difference between Troy and the average SS is the largest in football (evidence: my smell test). He is the pivot to the Steelers defense. When they needed him to drop in coverage last year, Troy snagged 7 interceptions. And when Mike Tomlin wants to stuff the run, Polamalu pulls out the leap over the line play to stop goal line drives.
8. Julius Peppers
Jay Cutler is awful. Julius Peppers carried the Bears last year to the NFC Championship game. Facing double teams every single game, Peppers rang up 8.0 sacks, picked off 2 passes, and accumulated 3 forced fumbles. No defender demanded more attention last year, he is near the end of his prime, but converted basketball players, he played at North Carolina, tend to have good extra legs in them. In terms of taking a cornerstone for my defense, for a game tomorrow, I’m taking Julius Peppers.
7. Andre Johnson
The best wide receiver in the history of football. They need to make a Space Jam, with Jerry Rice in Michael Jordan’s road. Then have one of the Monsters steal Andre Johnson’s talent, and the MonSTAR version of Andre would destroy Jerry Rice. At 6’3 225lb. he is two big for most CB’s. And he plays faster than his listed 4.41 40-yd speed, making he uncoverable to LB’s. A wide receiver that every single play deserves a double team is invaluable to teams in the current pass happy NFL.
6. Adrian Peterson
He might fumble more then desired, but ask anyone that has tried to tackle him, Adrian Peterson’s ability to grind down a defense is special. The awful quarterback situation in Viking’s land last season put 9 defenders in the box, just to start the conversation. Give Adrian, Matt Shaub or even Joe Flacco, and you have 1,800 yards rushing a year, easy. I think Chris Johnson is nice for highlights, but when he isn’t playing well you get nothing out of him. But, when AP is off, he is still beating up the opponents defense, thus helping the rest of the offense flourish.
5. Ndamukong Suh
Yup, not since LeBron has a number one pick lived up to and exceeded the obscene expectations. 10 sacks, 1 interception, and a fumble return for a touchdown. He even attempted a kick for the Lions, granted he missed it, but it goes to show the breadth of Suh’s talent. Some how Suh is a nimble 307 pounds. The speed of his hands, makes his brute force only that much more effective. Will be interesting to see how Nick Fairly and Suh work together next year. Together they are going to be a serious problem.
4. Mike Vick
No other player in football can make you throw your hands up, and say “we just can’t stop that” than Mike Vick. 20/28, 333 passing yards, 80 rushing yards, 4 passing touchdowns, 2 rushing touchdowns. That was Vick’s line against the Redskins on Monday Night Football last November. 4 of the TD’s came in the first quarter for a knockout punch for the ages. And don’t forget the Vick led comeback then cumulated with Desean Jackson’s punt return against the Giants. A comeback I have trouble seeing anyone other than Vick making that day.
3. Aaron Rodgers.
The current Triple H King of Kings Champ, and Super Bowl XLV MVP. He threw 28 touchdowns to 11 picks last year. That was before a 4 game Super Bowl winning playoff run where he threw 9 touchdowns, ran for 2 more, and only lost 2 balls to interceptions. He even finished the regular season with a week 16, 404 passing yards, 4 touchdown gem versus the New York Giants. Rodgers is deadly accurate, and has an under appreciated deep ball. Add in a returning from injury Jermichael Finley, and Ryan Grant; King Aaron might be looking at even gaudier numbers next year.
2. Peyton Manning
If he comes back different after this most recent surgery on his neck this summer, then all bets are off. The thing about Peyton is that he is a coach on the field. The level of precision he can apply to offensive reads when audibling in relation to his interpretation of the defense is game-altering. Even in an off year he had 4,700 passing yards, until he breaks down completely Peyton Manning will be #2.
1. Tom Brady
If you remove the year he missed to injury, Giselle’s boy toy’s last 3 years read – 13,104 passing yards, 114 passing touchdowns, 4 rushing touchdowns, and only 10 interceptions. The Patriots do not have a ton of offensive talent, it’s all the Tom Brady effect. 3 Super Bowl Rings, 2 Super Bowl MVP’s, 2 Regular Season MVP’s, 1 undefeated season thrown off track by a guy who shot himself in the leg, and the baddest women in the world makes for the best player in football, Mr. Tom Brady.