NFLN Top 10 Pass Rushers

[AbeBeta]

Kevin Greene is marked at #6 yet he had 160 career sacks. Thats the most sacks by a linebacker in history.

Kevin Greene was an odd player -- he was great rushing the passer but a total liability against the run

 

[AbeBeta]

Strahan was quick, strong, had several moves, and his motor was a 5 litre 302 Boss that all police Mustang's had equipt back in the day. He didn't suffer durability issues. Strahan is one of the most solid DE in history. You could never go wrong picking him.

What I really like about Strahan is that he plays the run well too - he's a complete player

 

[InmanRoshi]

Strahan! All credibility lost. Solid player. Good against the run, but top 10 pass rusher of all time...
No Way Dude!

He just needs five more sacks to get into the Top 5 all time in career sacks, and he holds the all time single season sack record. Hard to argue with those two bulletpoints.

 

[Stautner]

See while I believe yardage is a QB measuring stick, I don't think it's a major one. This is why there is a QB rating that measures everything. A single stat for a QB just isn't enough to tell the complete story.

OK - what about completions? TD's? Vinny has Troy in those areas too.

Nevertheless, the point is that pure stats rarely tell the entire story regardless of position.

Granted that is probably more true of QB's than other positions, but things like yardage for RB's or WR's, or INT's for CB's don't tell the whole story either.

 

[jterrell]

I am with them through 4 but then its like they gave up.

 

[YosemiteSam]

OK - what about completions? TD's? Vinny has Troy in those areas too.

Nevertheless, the point is that pure stats rarely tell the entire story regardless of position.

Granted that is probably more true of QB's than other positions, but things like yardage for RB's or WR's, or INT's for CB's don't tell the whole story either.

Completions are counted when calculating a qb ratiing.

 

[Stautner]

Completions are counted when calculating a qb ratiing.

completions in relation to attempts are counted when calculating a QB rating ........ completion % in other words.

 

[BourbonBalz]

All I know is Harvey Martin had 23 sacks in ONE season alone (1977). He was a monster pass rusher and he also played the run very well.

 

[dbair1967]

Harvey was awesome...he was unblockable and along with Randy White gave us an incredible 1-2 punch at DE and DT...Martin had 23 sacks in 1977 and almost everyone I've seen talk about it say he could have had 4 or 5 more if it had been an official stat

the yr after he 23 sacks (in a 14 game season) he had 16...Randy White also had 16 that yr

David

 

[jobberone]

OK - what about completions? TD's? Vinny has Troy in those areas too.

Nevertheless, the point is that pure stats rarely tell the entire story regardless of position.

Granted that is probably more true of QB's than other positions, but things like yardage for RB's or WR's, or INT's for CB's don't tell the whole story either.

I agree. On most evaluations you should look at stats as well as using your brain. I know some of you guys dislike subjectivity but its essential.

LT may not have the most sacks of any LB but he could bring it almost on demand. Getting sacks is great for the D but bringing pressure and getting sacks when your team has to have it is more important.

Deacon was the best IMO but he still had his head slap which was just brutal.

Martin and Too Tall were dominating. They don't get the credit they deserve. Same ole story.

Marchetti is nothing compared to today's athletes but at the time he was hard to stop. I can't remember him as well as Deacon. Big Cat was as good as Marchetti IMO.

 

[BourbonBalz]

The Doomsday II front four was nothing short of magnificent. Harvey Martin, Randy White, Jethro Pugh/John Dutton, and Too Tall. Just dominant.

 

[jobberone]

The Doomsday II front four was nothing short of magnificent. Harvey Martin, Randy White, Jethro Pugh/John Dutton, and Too Tall. Just dominant.

Scary weren't they. ?Better than Doomsday I. Better than Minn and Pitt. ?Better than LA-probably but I'm a homer.

 

[jwitten82]

Do ya'll think Bob Lilly and Randy White should of been on this list.

 

[Stautner]

All I know is Harvey Martin had 23 sacks in ONE season alone (1977). He was a monster pass rusher and he also played the run very well.

Unfortunately, havnig a fairly short career hurt Martin - had he stayed in shape and away from cocaoine me may have ended up near the top of this list.

I agree. On most evaluations you should look at stats as well as using your brain. I know some of you guys dislike subjectivity but its essential.

LT may not have the most sacks of any LB but he could bring it almost on demand. Getting sacks is great for the D but bringing pressure and getting sacks when your team has to have it is more important.

Deacon was the best IMO but he still had his head slap which was just brutal.

Martin and Too Tall were dominating. They don't get the credit they deserve. Same ole story.

Marchetti is nothing compared to today's athletes but at the time he was hard to stop. I can't remember him as well as Deacon. Big Cat was as good as Marchetti IMO.

If you remember Marchetti at all you have a perspective most of us don't. I'm older than most on here probably, but that was before my time.

Do ya'll think Bob Lilly and Randy White should of been on this list.

No. They were very good pass rushers for DT's, but not quite at the level of the elite DE's.

 

[dbair1967]

No. They were very good pass rushers for DT's, but not quite at the level of the elite DE's.

I never saw Lilly play, but White was a tremendous pass rusher...I remember coaches and other teams commenting on how they had to sometimes dedicate THREE people to block White...

he was one of the most dominant DL's I've ever seen, DE or DT

David

 

[Stautner]

I never saw Lilly play, but White was a tremendous pass rusher...I remember coaches and other teams commenting on how they had to sometimes dedicate THREE people to block White...

he was one of the most dominant DL's I've ever seen, DE or DT

David

He was, and the reality is that probably what I said before isn't completely accurate.

It's really difficult to compare DT's and DE's as pass rushers because DE's have the luxury of working with a lot more room whereas DT's have to work in a space that is more confined and more crowded.

And you make a very good point about White. Even though he didn't get to the QB as much as some (though he did quite a lot for a DT), he commanded a lot of attention from blockers - which is a testament to the kind of pass rusher he was, and it also benefitted the team by allowing others to rush the QB without worrying about double teams. Martin and Jones would have been much less effective without White.

 

[ABQCOWBOY]

He was, and the reality is that probably what I said before isn't completely accurate.

It's really difficult to compare DT's and DE's as pass rushers because DE's have the luxury of working with a lot more room whereas DT's have to work in a space that is more confined and more crowded.

And you make a very good point about White. Even though he didn't get to the QB as much as some (though he did quite a lot for a DT), he commanded a lot of attention from blockers - which is a testament to the kind of pass rusher he was, and it also benefitted the team by allowing others to rush the QB without worrying about double teams. Martin and Jones would have been much less effective without White.

The best pass rushing DT I ever saw was probably Warren Sapp. After that, it would be very close between Bob Lilly and Howie Long. Long isn't getting any love but he was a monster that could play DT or DE in his day. He was very good.

 

[Stautner]

The best pass rushing DT I ever saw was probably Warren Sapp. After that, it would be very close between Bob Lilly and Howie Long. Long isn't getting any love but he was a monster that could play DT or DE in his day. He was very good.

Reggie White also played DT some for the Packers and he was just as awsome there as at DE.

Joe Green, Merlin Olsen and Alan Page were outstanding pass rushing DT's as well.

 

[ABQCOWBOY]

Reggie White also played DT some for the Packers and he was just as awsome there as at DE.

Joe Green, Merlin Olsen and Alan Page were outstanding pass rushing DT's as well.

Page and Green got most of there sacks at DE, as I recall. Olsen was great. Reggie White would be the best DT pass rusher, in my book, of all time but I consider him to be a DE so I didn't list him. To me, Reggie White was the greatest defensive player I ever saw. IMO, he was better then LT or anybody. However, Deacon was the best pass rusher I ever saw. Head slap aside, he still had that first step that put you in a trailing position immediatly. The head slap came but he could just as easily of used a swim and been in pretty much the same position in todays games. Deacon was awsome. People don't realize how good he really was. That's unfortunate. That whole group was as good as I've ever seen. Deacon Jones, Merlin Olsen, Rosey Grear and Lamar Lundy. They were unbelievable.

 

[Stautner]

Page and Green got most of there sacks at DE, as I recall. Olsen was great. Reggie White would be the best DT pass rusher, in my book, of all time but I consider him to be a DE so I didn't list him. To me, Reggie White was the greatest defensive player I ever saw. IMO, he was better then LT or anybody. However, Deacon was the best pass rusher I ever saw. Head slap aside, he still had that first step that put you in a trailing position immediatly. The head slap came but he could just as easily of used a swim and been in pretty much the same position in todays games. Deacon was awsome. People don't realize how good he really was. That's unfortunate. That whole group was as good as I've ever seen. Deacon Jones, Merlin Olsen, Rosey Grear and Lamar Lundy. They were unbelievable.

L.C. Greenwood and Dwight White were the DE's for Pittsburgh and they were very good - Green didn't move outside to replace them in passing situations.

Same goes for Carl Eller and Jim Marshall who were the very good DE's for Minnesota when Page played.

Green and Page were DT's