The Athletic NFL 100 of all time

[Mango]

Came across this today because I saw a tweet about Reggie White being the no. 5 player all time and thought, “oh cool, Brice must be right around there”. I was wrong.

 

Bruce (20)  and OJ (41)are the only Bills on the list. If Reggie is 5, Bruce deserves to be in the ball park. Or at least closer than 15 spots. I think OJ is under rated here. But he’s also a murderer so I don’t have a complaint. 
 

I think Thurman not making the list at all is disrespectful. 
 

The top 4 aren’t listed yet. Off the top of my head and just scrolling through, I think it’s down to Brady, LT, Jim Brown, and Jerry Rice. 
 

https://theathletic.com/2685622/2021/09/04/the-nfl-100-the-athletics-pursuit-of-the-best-players-in-football-history/?source=user_shared_article

 

[Jay_Fixit]

I know Bills fans love to make it a competition between White and Bruce but White was that good.

 

”oh but he was and LDE and Bruce was a RDE in a 3-4 defense.”

 

Don't care.

 

Bruce at 20th of the all time players is perfectly fine with me. That’s damn impressive.

[Ethan in Cleveland]

My top 4 in order are:

Rice

Brady

LT

Brown

 

Montana, Manning, Reggie White, Deion Sanders,  Munoz, and Ronnie Lott would be my top 10 off the top of my head.  

 

[Mango]

1 minute ago, Ethan in Portland said:

My top 4 in order are:

Rice

Brady

LT

Brown

 

Montana, Manning, Reggie White, Deion Sanders,  Munoz, and Ronnie Lott would be my top 10 off the top of my head.  

 

I know it’s sacrilege but I think mine would go:

 

1. Brady

2. Rice

3.Brown

4. LT

[Kelly the Dog]

4 minutes ago, Jay_Fixit said:

I know Bills fans love to make it a competition between White and Bruce but White was that good.

 

”oh but he was and LDE and Bruce was a RDE in a 3-4 defense.”

 

Don't care.

 

Bruce at 20th of the all time players is perfectly fine with me. That’s damn impressive.

Bruce was a much better player against the run IMO and runs were half the plays in that era. He was as good or better than White all around. 

[MJS]

17 minutes ago, Mango said:

Came across this today because I saw a tweet about Reggie White being the no. 5 player all time and thought, “oh cool, Brice must be right around there”. I was wrong.

 

Bruce (20)  and OJ (41)are the only Bills on the list. If Reggie is 5, Bruce deserves to be in the ball park. Or at least closer than 15 spots. I think OJ is under rated here. But he’s also a murderer so I don’t have a complaint. 
 

I think Thurman not making the list at all is disrespectful. 
 

The top 4 aren’t listed yet. Off the top of my head and just scrolling through, I think it’s down to Brady, LT, Jim Brown, and Jerry Rice. 
 

https://theathletic.com/2685622/2021/09/04/the-nfl-100-the-athletics-pursuit-of-the-best-players-in-football-history/?source=user_shared_article

 

Allegedly

[hondo in seattle]

OJ's ranking is skewing because he's a murderous scumbag.   When I watched him, I felt like I was watching the greatest football player of all time.  His talent was otherworldly.  

 

I supposed Jim Brown fans felt the same way.

 

Most folks call Brady the GOAT and he is masterful.  But how much more masterful is he than some of the other QBs of his generation: Brees, Rodgers, Mahomes...?

 

What sets Brady apart is the rings.  Still, he's not enough better than his peers for me to call him the greatest ever.

 

 

 

Edited September 4, 2021 by hondo in seattle

[hondo in seattle]

38 minutes ago, Jay_Fixit said:

I know Bills fans love to make it a competition between White and Bruce but White was that good.

 

”oh but he was and LDE and Bruce was a RDE in a 3-4 defense.”

 

Don't care.

 

Bruce at 20th of the all time players is perfectly fine with me. That’s damn impressive.

 

I've heard intelligent arguments on both sides of the Bruce/Reggie argument.

But I do think it's fair to bring in the 4-3 versus 3-4 alignments.  As a DE, it just is harder to get sacks in a 3-4.   Yet Bruce got plenty.  

 

I'd rate the two as roughly equal.  

 

 

[ChevyVanMiller]

10 minutes ago, hondo in seattle said:

 

I've heard intelligent arguments on both sides of the Bruce/Reggie argument.

But I do think it's fair to bring in the 4-3 versus 3-4 alignments.  As a DE, it just is harder to get sacks in a 3-4.   Yet Bruce got plenty.  

 

I'd rate the two as roughly equal.  

 

 

Agreed. And if you take away the head  slap, which is now illegal, Bruce was much better.

[Jay_Fixit]

52 minutes ago, hondo in seattle said:

 

I've heard intelligent arguments on both sides of the Bruce/Reggie argument.

But I do think it's fair to bring in the 4-3 versus 3-4 alignments.  As a DE, it just is harder to get sacks in a 3-4.   Yet Bruce got plenty.  

 

I'd rate the two as roughly equal.  

 

 

.85 sacks per game for White

.71 for Smith.

 

And I do agree that Smith was better against the run, and more athletic. But White doesn’t get appreciated on this board like he should.

 

As my original post stated. There’s a reason why White is 5 and Bruce is 20.

 

 

 

 

45 minutes ago, ChevyVanMiller said:

Agreed. And if you take away the head  slap, which is now illegal, Bruce was much better.

Based on?

[Over 29 years of fanhood]

1 hour ago, Jay_Fixit said:

I know Bills fans love to make it a competition between White and Bruce but White was that good.

 

”oh but he was and LDE and Bruce was a RDE in a 3-4 defense.”

 

Don't care.

 

Bruce at 20th of the all time players is perfectly fine with me. That’s damn impressive.

I’ve not heard that much for other players but as a look down the list, there are a number of guys i think played in 3-4 on the sack list.. mostly linebackers like the spot Bennett played. 

 

didn’t LT?

Suggs did

Kevin Greene 

Derrick Thomas

 

[JY422]

1 hour ago, hondo in seattle said:

OJ's ranking is skewing because he's a murderous scumbag.   When I watched him, I felt like I was watching the greatest football player of all time.  His talent was otherworldly.  

 

I supposed Jim Brown fans felt the same way.

 

Most folks call Brady the GOAT and he is masterful.  But how much more masterful is he than some of the other QBs of his generation: Brees, Rodgers, Mahomes...?

 

What sets Brady apart is the rings.  Still, he's not enough better than his peers for me to call him the greatest ever.

 

 

 

TIME! Time is what sets Brady apart. He’s still a top 2 or 3 player, playing the most difficult position, in the most intense team sport in the world - at age 44!
Time is what clearly sets him apart from every other player wHo ever played. (QB or Non-QB). 
The only other player even close in this discussion is Rice but even he declined pretty dramatically in his last year or two. 
Brown played 9 seasons. He shouldn’t even be mentioned in the top 25.

Taylor was a coke head who played 9 seasons as a difference maker and then declined a ton. 
Brady has done it the right way his entire career. No drama. Always taking discounts to keep his teams intact. The dude is the greatest winner in team sports since Bill Russell. 
As a lifelong Bills fan I have hated Brady as a player for most of the past 20 years but man do I admire what he has done and, in all honesty, I’m just glad I’ll get to tell my grandkids one day that I watched the GOAT play in person a few times. 

[Mango]

5 minutes ago, JY422 said:

TIME! Time is what sets Brady apart. He’s still a top 2 or 3 player, playing the most difficult position, in the most intense team sport in the world - at age 44!
Time is what clearly sets him apart from every other player wHo ever played. (QB or Non-QB). 
The only other player even close in this discussion is Rice but even he declined pretty dramatically in his last year or two. 
Brown played 9 seasons. He shouldn’t even be mentioned in the top 25.

Taylor was a coke head who played 9 seasons as a difference maker and then declined a ton. 
Brady has done it the right way his entire career. No drama. Always taking discounts to keep his teams intact. The dude is the greatest winner in team sports since Bill Russell. 
As a lifelong Bills fan I have hated Brady as a player for most of the past 20 years but man do I admire what he has done and, in all honesty, I’m just glad I’ll get to tell my grandkids one day that I watched the GOAT play in person a few times. 

Yeah, I couldn’t swallow that sentence while he was with NE. Out of conference, it is easier to say. He’s hands down the best player in NFL history and it’s not close. 
 

Everything about Brady is a good Buffalo story…if he played here. On and off starter in college. 6th round pick. Tells the owner on day one he’s going to be the best decision he ever made. Unseats Bledsoe. Wins a Super Bowl. Takes team friendly deals on the regular. 
 

Buffalo hates Brady because he tortured us for a decade. But the boogyman is gone now guys. We don’t have to be scarred. 

[Kelly the Dog]

19 minutes ago, Mango said:

Yeah, I couldn’t swallow that sentence while he was with NE. Out of conference, it is easier to say. He’s hands down the best player in NFL history and it’s not close. 
 

Everything about Brady is a good Buffalo story…if he played here. On and off starter in college. 6th round pick. Tells the owner on day one he’s going to be the best decision he ever made. Unseats Bledsoe. Wins a Super Bowl. Takes team friendly deals on the regular. 
 

Buffalo hates Brady because he tortured us for a decade. But the boogyman is gone now guys. We don’t have to be scarred. 

Buffalo hates Brady because he tortured us, he cheats, and he's a huge whiner and crybaby who always gets his way and still ***** about not getting his way. 

[BADOLBILZ]

As the old schoolers who don't care about perspective die off..........Bruce will continue to gain ground on Reggie White in terms of notoriety.

 

The old-timers don't care about the difference between rushing against Jumbo Elliott/Jim Lachey/Mark Tuinei in the SB versus lining up across from the pathetic Max Lane.

 

But today we know and highlight the difference between rushing against an Eric Fisher or a Mike Remmers..........it is massive and can decide Super Bowls.

 

Bruce Smith has been slowly gaining that respect over time.

 

It's the Joe DiMaggio/Ted Williams dynamic.............in 1965 DiMaggio was considered the greater player by a lot........no contest.

 

60 years later Ted Williams is often cited as the best left handed hitter of all the time......and DiMaggio is really only brought up when someone has a hitting streak.

 

The reason is because Ted Williams had the numbers advantage.........Bruce has that......he is the all-time leading sacker......getting to 200 mattered in the long run..........you can't talk about pass rushing greatness without Bruce........his sack total is the focal point for all great pass rushers and with the game being much more about passing now........the viewed importance of pass rush is heightened.

 

[Ethan in Cleveland]

3 hours ago, hondo in seattle said:

OJ's ranking is skewing because he's a murderous scumbag.   When I watched him, I felt like I was watching the greatest football player of all time.  His talent was otherworldly.  

 

I supposed Jim Brown fans felt the same way.

 

Most folks call Brady the GOAT and he is masterful.  But how much more masterful is he than some of the other QBs of his generation: Brees, Rodgers, Mahomes...?

 

What sets Brady apart is the rings.  Still, he's not enough better than his peers for me to call him the greatest ever.

 

 

 

That is why I list Jerry Rice first. He is so much better than any other WR to ever play. As for Brady I was in the Montana as GOAT camp up until the last few years. 

 

1 hour ago, BADOLBILZ said:

As the old schoolers who don't care about perspective die off..........Bruce will continue to gain ground on Reggie White in terms of notoriety.

 

The old-timers don't care about the difference between rushing against Jumbo Elliott/Jim Lachey/Mark Tuinei in the SB versus lining up across from the pathetic Max Lane.

 

But today we know and highlight the difference between rushing against an Eric Fisher or a Mike Remmers..........it is massive and can decide Super Bowls.

 

Bruce Smith has been slowly gaining that respect over time.

 

It's the Joe DiMaggio/Ted Williams dynamic.............in 1965 DiMaggio was considered the greater player by a lot........no contest.

 

60 years later Ted Williams is often cited as the best left handed hitter of all the time......and DiMaggio is really only brought up when someone has a hitting streak.

 

The reason is because Ted Williams had the numbers advantage.........Bruce has that......he is the all-time leading sacker......getting to 200 mattered in the long run..........you can't talk about pass rushing greatness without Bruce........his sack total is the focal point for all great pass rushers and with the game being much more about passing now........the viewed importance of pass rush is heightened.

 

Bruce had two games a year against Marino. But in general the quality of the NFC was much better than the AFC, so I would not discount the opponents White had to rush against every week.

[RyanC883]

4 hours ago, Mango said:

Came across this today because I saw a tweet about Reggie White being the no. 5 player all time and thought, “oh cool, Brice must be right around there”. I was wrong.

 

Bruce (20)  and OJ (41)are the only Bills on the list. If Reggie is 5, Bruce deserves to be in the ball park. Or at least closer than 15 spots. I think OJ is under rated here. But he’s also a murderer so I don’t have a complaint. 
 

I think Thurman not making the list at all is disrespectful. 
 

The top 4 aren’t listed yet. Off the top of my head and just scrolling through, I think it’s down to Brady, LT, Jim Brown, and Jerry Rice. 
 

https://theathletic.com/2685622/2021/09/04/the-nfl-100-the-athletics-pursuit-of-the-best-players-in-football-history/?source=user_shared_article

 

 

Thanks for this.  I agree, a list with Bruce and OJ that far down is ridiculous.  If you want to leave OJ off because he’s a murder, fine.  But 40, and the NFL sack leader at 20?   Joke.  White is fine there, but I agree with you that Bruce should be right around there 

[Mango]

2 minutes ago, RyanC883 said:

 

Thanks for this.  I agree, a list with Bruce and OJ that far down is ridiculous.  If you want to leave OJ off because he’s a murder, fine.  But 40, and the NFL sack leader at 20?   Joke.  White is fine there, but I agree with you that Bruce should be right around there 

I just don’t think I can whine about OJ on the list, off the list, at 100, whatever. 
 

I think it’s pretty well understood that the top 3 pass rushers of all time are LT, White, and Bruce. All in different orders between who you talk to. To have LT and White so far ahead of Bruce is wild. 
 

I still think Thurman deserves a place on the list. I am not sure where yet. When I am not on my phone I’ll take a deeper dive at the list. But Bruce and Thurman were hands down the two best players on those Bills rosters, and as far as I am concerned it’s not close. Lofton, Kelly, and Reed were not on that level. A full standard deviation back. And those guys had HOF careers. That’s how good Thurman was.  

[JY422]

1 hour ago, BUFFALOBART said:

If Brady came out in 1983, the conversation about him would have nothing to do with GOAT status.

What in the world does that even mean??

[GoBills808]

Top 10 w no Barry Sanders lol