Most overrated player in NFL

Who do you think is really overrated in the NFL. For me, I think that Lance Briggs is not as good as he is made out to be. The one most of you will disagree with is Phillip Rivers. He is a quality player but what has he done in the last 7 years in the league that has really meant anything, does he really warrant even being thought of as a top 3 qb in the league which some people argue he is.

Carolina Steve Smith maybe
Randy Moss has to be up their, he's nothing without Brady

I disagree with Rivers (unsurprisingly) he's not won the Super Bowl so he can't be in the top 3 of the league. Why does a ring on his finger suddenly make him better than every one?

Steve Smith I would say I disagree with he's had a large number of 1,000 yard seasons, it could be argued though that he doesn't get enough TD's.

I don't think you can say Randy Moss is nothing without Brady, seeing as he put up his best numbers while playing for the Vikings. What you could say however is he's 34 and too old to be expected to get 1,000 yards.

I'm still thinking on mine. I was going to say Ochocinco, but this wasn't because I feel he is a bad players but more to do with how well known he is. Someone I will say is Kolb, how he's "worth" a 1st round pick is beyond me.

[quote="Derbyblue"]I don't think you can say Randy Moss is nothing without Brady, seeing as he put up his best numbers while playing for the Vikings. What you could say however is he's 34 and too old to be expected to get 1,000 yards.quote]

I only started watching NFL in 2007 when he caught 23 TDs and Randy Moss was the man, I know he was great at Minnesota but he wasn't exactly breaking records at Oakland.

Maybe he needs a certain type of QB, maybe his best years were in Minnesota and 2007 was a one off because since then he has dwindled from the WR he was when I was new to the sport.

Randy Moss was an absolute beast his first few years in the league, but then went downhill at Oakland. 8375 yards and 77 touchdowns in his first 6 seasons with Culpepper as his QB most of the time. He then had a poor 3 years, but at the Patriots he showed again what a talent he was. By the time he left the Pats he was 33 years old, there aren't many receivers who can continue to play at a high level at that age, especially a pure speed receiver like Moss always was.

For me there is no way that Moss is overrated, he will be looked at as one of the best offensive players in NFL history and one of the most exciting to watch when on form. When I first got into watching the NFL I spent hours on Youtube watching highlights and Moss has always been one of my favourite players so I might be biased in my opinion of him

He still managed 1,000 yards at Oakland in his first year, though his performance there didn't merit the price they paid for him, but then he didn't have great quarterbacks while there, although Kerry Collins did a good job he was released to make cap space, and in 2006 he was left with Aaron Brooks who played in just 8 games due to injury throwing 1,105 yards, and then he had the back-ups throwing to him.

It could be that he's dwindled but 2008 and 2009 were still good years with 1,493 and 1,008 yards and 11 and 13 touchdowns respectively. I feel it's just age has caught up with him.

I've said it before and others have disagreed but I'm going to say it again, Tony Romo. It's as though just because he plays QB for 'America's Team' he can do no wrong but in reality he's not achieved anything.

May get some slating for this, but im going for V. Jackson. 6 season with only 2 over 700 yards. Also never managed double digit TDs. He is huge and physical, making him a good redzone WR but thats his strongest suit by a mile.

Fat Al, Crabtree and Reggie Bush for me

Rivers almost beat the 07 Pats on one leg.

Sam Bradford for me.

I'd argue that Fat Al isn't over-rated, simply because I don't think there is anyone with even a passing interest in the NFL that rates him at all anymore.

Now if we were to do a thread of the most over-payed players...

Rothelseberger,

I'm gonna say Jared Allen, people still say he is an elite DE but he was poor last season

Got one here that people will be shocked by. Troy Polamalu i rated him highly until recently when i was listening to Rich Eisens podcast and he said that Pat Kirwin said that Polamalu was one of the most overrated players in the league. Yes he makes a lot of big plays that stick in the mind, but according to Kirwin an analyst that will watch plays from every game the guy gambles too much to be rated as highly as he is.
i guess the same could be said for say an ansante samuels

I heard Eisen's podcast too and I have to agree. He gets smoked by the better QBs and if you've watched the Superbowl Sound FX show you can see that Jennings spots he can't cover the corner route and gets McCarthy and Rodgers to call the play for his second touchdown. A truly great safety shouldn't be read that easily.

The new York jets

Braylon Edwards. Hard hands.

Brandon Meriweather is overrated i thin especially on last years form. He has nice plays but is not consistent enough.

gonna have to agree with a poster above, Tony Romo is incredibly overated. Also agree as a Chargers fan V JAx is overated. so much talent but not a lot of production. Cant say Phillip Rivers is overated. Look what he did last year without Gates and Jackson, still managed to be on a winning team

I think Polamalu being overrated could be an interesting discussion in terms of positive and negative impacts and how important he is in the Steelers defense. On the play in the SB where Jennings gets his 2nd touchdown Polamalu guesses post and Jennings runs a corner route, simple. < That's a negative impact of the way he plays.

Meriweathers selection to the Pro Bowl on last years form was a joke IMHO.
http://www.nfl.com/videos/nfl-game-highlights/09000d5d81d0c0f8/Flynn-to-Jones-66-yard-TD
Good 1 Brandon.

What about LB Scott from Jets. Had one good season and got a big contract off Jets for it, his other seasons are just solid.

Not sure if many people rate him anymore but Terrell Owens is very overated

simonhufc wrote:Not sure if many people rate him anymore but Terrell Owens is very overated

Disagree.

Sure, as a team-mate, Owens is a self-centered diva who undermines his colleagues.

But as a receiver, the guy is super-talented. Just look at his stats from last season. He made Ochocinco look stupid and led the Bengals in TDs and yards. He also did the same for the Bills the year before while putting up respectable stats with nobody throwing the ball to him.

Pr4wn wrote:

simonhufc wrote:Not sure if many people rate him anymore but Terrell Owens is very overated

Disagree.

Sure, as a team-mate, Owens is a self-centered diva who undermines his colleagues.

But as a receiver, the guy is super-talented. Just look at his stats from last season. He made Ochocinco look stupid and led the Bengals in TDs and yards. He also did the same for the Bills the year before while putting up respectable stats with nobody throwing the ball to him.

I'm not sure if i disagree you or not so I'll say what I think. He is bad in the locker room when things are going bad, he has so much talent, but is on the decline. In Buffalo he did aswell as could of been expected. I dont think he embaressed Ochocinco at all, but was slightly better.

So I think anyone who beleives he is a top tier WR right now over rates him. He would only be a no. 1 receiver with a team with no clear cut no.1 receiver, so i think he just qualifies as legit no.1 receiver, but only by the skin of his teeth.

Have to agree with Romo as the most overrated. Especially as there don't seem to be many nay sayers in the pro and media ranks. So the guy is a poster boy and pulls good looking women. What has he done on the field?

Bush was most overrated coming out of college, but since his first year in the league, I don't think anyone has rated him that highly.

Definitely have to agree with everyone who said Romo. His 2006 and 2007 seasons were great but then he's been on the decline since. His pocket presence has dwindled and lately has a hard time reading defenses. Kitna played better than him last year.

'Kitna played better than him last year.'

I'm not buying this Romo bashing, he is one of those QBs who sits in the group behind the elite so he is in effect one of the top 8 QBs in football, which I think is about right.
He was in an overhyped team who underachieved, he was done in week 7 but had a passer rating of 95 for his 6 weeks work - I'm not his biggest fan but I've always thought he's a very good QB Sept to Nov, when the weather closes in he has struggled and until he starts putting up some play off wins/numbers he can't be considered better than very good, but lets be honest the Cowgirls were never a play off team last year and it was just the football media creating this Cowboys hype in the year that Jerry secured hosting the game, they were never good enough....

Grizzly wrote:'Kitna played better than him last year.'

I'm not buying this Romo bashing, he is one of those QBs who sits in the group behind the elite so he is in effect one of the top 8 QBs in football, which I think is about right.
He was in an overhyped team who underachieved, he was done in week 7 but had a passer rating of 95 for his 6 weeks work - I'm not his biggest fan but I've always thought he's a very good QB Sept to Nov, when the weather closes in he has struggled and until he starts putting up some play off wins/numbers he can't be considered better than very good, but lets be honest the Cowgirls were never a play off team last year and it was just the football media creating this Cowboys hype in the year that Jerry secured hosting the game, they were never good enough....

I don't know. I didn't think that Cowboys team was that bad last year (when they played). And while there were a couple games the cowboys offense could of won, they didn't and Romo has to be to blame. That team has too many offensive weapons and it clearly showed that they were misused once Kitna took the helm. They went 5-5 with him. I believe Romo won once. But you could be right. Maybe it was just an off year. But you know who I think is clearly overrated? Reggie Bush.

i think people need to look at romo fixtures in those first 6 games, i cant remember them off the top of my head but they were all really tough games. Also the guy has a 95.9 passer rating over his career pretty impressive if you asked me

uber - Romo was 1-5 when he got injured against the Giants (Cowboys held a 13 point lead when he got hurt) but not one of those 5 defeats was by more than one score, and without playing the tapes for each game I don't remember Romo as being the standout reason for any of the losses.
I remember Romo driving them down the field and completing a game winning TD pass against Skins only for offensive holding to call the play back, I remember Roy Williams turning the ball over in the red zone when set for a game tying drive late in the 4th against Bears, I remember the O-line going missing in one game (can't remember who against) leading to 6 (maybe more ?) sacks.
Sometimes the score doesn't give you the whole picture....

Grizzly, had that hold on Rak not been made, he would have sacked Romo before he got that pass of, so its a moot point.

In my opinion Romo is over hyped because he's the poster boy for the Pokes and yet hasn't achieved anything. There are plenty of QB's in NFL history that had great stats and never achieved anything. The difference with Romo is the media love affair with the guy. Don't get me wrong, I don't blame him, I just don't think he lives up to his media image.

I tend not to look at his media image, I just judge him on his performances on the field and for a guy who went undrafted I'd say he's probably overachieved already.
Just my view of course

Troy Polamalu --> Overrated?

Here are some stats on the subject from ESPN contributor KC Joyner of The Football Scientist:

Stat #1: Over the last two seasons the Pittsburgh Steelers are 6-7 in games Polamalu has missed but are 14-4 in games he has participated in over that same period.

Stat #2: In the games Polamalu has missed over the last two season the Steelers defense have given up an average of 22 points per game compared to 15 points per game in the games he played in.

Stat #3: The level of QB play that the Pittsburgh Steelers faced over the two seasons:
2008 – 84.7
2009 – 84.7

Stat #4: In 2009 the Steelers defense gave up an average of 5.39 yards per play in the games Polamalu missed compared to 4.66 yards per play when he was on the field. Similar patterns can be found in rushing yards given up (3.4 YPP with and 4.3 YPP without) and with turnovers (2:1 with: without ratio)

Joyner wrote: “The 2009 Steelers defense should feasibly have been able to post similar numbers even if Polamalu’s backup was only a step or so worse. Now here’s the odd part. The Steelers’ opposing passers in 2008 had an overall passer rating of 84.7 with Polamalu in the lineup. The Steelers opposing passer rating without him in 2009 — you guessed it — 84.7, exactly the same as the year before.”

“Pittsburgh’s competition in those years was such that the Steelers’ defense should have been able to post similar numbers even without Polamalu,”

Joyner concluded that: “This says a ton about his true value, and goes further than the W/L column in explaining his [enormous] impact.”

Now although I stats and believe they have a place when it comes to backing up certain points they are not gospel by any means. Obviously they can be manipulated and they don’t always tell the whole story but IMO there is enough here to suggest that Polamalu plays a significant part in the Steelers defense. What the stats can’t tell us is whether it’s his ability to make plays on the field or whether his ability in this respect is overrated and it’s his intangibles and leadership qualities that have the most impact or a bit of both.

Something else that’s interesting is that Polamalu seems to have more of an impact on the Steelers than Roethlisberger as Pittsburgh have a 3-2 record without their starting QB compared to the 6-7 record without Polamalu, but that probably says more about Roethlisberger and the Steelers offense than it does about Polamalu.


What does speak volumes about Polamalu is the respect he gets from teammates and the FO. Kevin Colbert who is the Steelers director of football operations is quoted as saying: “He has unusual physical skills to go along with unnatural instincts,” and “It’s not normal the things he sees and diagnoses… He has corner skill, a safety’s body and a linebacker’s mentality. Put all that together, and you have a special guy.”

Now I would expect the Steelers FO and players to back their guy but that respect is worth noting and I take even more notice when it comes from FO personnel, coaches and pros from other teams.

“The total package he has, there is nobody like him,” “From the run game, to the blitz game, to tackling, he brings dimensions nobody else does. Troy has all the skills --explosiveness, speed, physical strength. Not too many people are made up like him. A lot of people have the height, weight speed, but from the neck up, and with the heart, the level he has is rare. It’s hard to find a guy like that. There are only a few of them that play with that mentality.” (Green Bay Packers director of football operations Reggie McKenzie)

In this quote Eric Mangini notes why he’s so hard to game plan for: “He makes a pretty big difference when he is in there,” “If he is in there, he is hard to deal with in so many different ways, whether it’s the running game, blitzing, disguises or the threat he in terms of being able to create turnovers.”

This quote from Ravens TE Todd Heap praises Polamalu for his playmaking ability and brings us nicely to the next point: “When you see Polamalu out there, he’ll come out of coverage sometimes just to make a play, something that he feels, something that he sees. You think sometimes all of that is undisciplined, but most of the time he’s right.”

Polamalu’s big play ability vs. what happens the rest of the time:
So some of the time you get a big play such as the forced fumble while sacking Joe Flacco late in the Baltimore game which gave Pittsburgh the ball near the goal line and lead to a TD, but are these plays enough to negate the times you get a play like the one in the Super Bowl where Polamalu guessed and lost. In that play Polamalu gambled in order to try and make something happen and when players do that they invariably make mistakes and put their teammates in difficult situations.

Another interesting question is how many of Polamalu’s big plays such as interceptions and forced fumbles are down primarily to his play rather that the play of the Steelers defense? Mike Tanier of Football Outsiders examined each of Polamalu’s interceptions from the 2010 season in the 2nd part of this article: http://www.footballoutsiders.com/walkthrough/2011/walkthrough-skepticism

Sticking with the subject of Polamalu’s big play ability here is a quote from an article written by Khaled Elsayed of Pro Football Focus:

If one defensive back blitz stuck in the memory it was Troy Polamalu against the Ravens as he strip sacked Joe Flacco. Other than that, Polamalu put forth a modest effort, converting 21.21% of his blitzes into pressure – less than his Steelers teammate, William Gay (21.74%.)

Link: http://www.profootballfocus.com/blog/2011/03/19/defensive-backs-bringing-heat/

It seems possible that Polamalu’s ability to energize a defense and make others around him play better with the occasional monster play is the reason behind the impact the stats suggest.

This video from NFL Total Access was just posted on the NFL website: http://www.nfl.com/videos/nfl-network-total-access/09000d5d81ffa3c7/Top-100-Reed-or-Polamalu

It’s interesting to hear Sapp talk about Polamalu’s less than desirable play on the field in certain situations compared to Wake talking about “intangibles and extras” which you can’t see in the stats (maybe you can if you read anything into what Joyner found) and what Polamalu brings to the field in that respect.

It might be worth taking a closer look at exactly what Polamalu's role is in the Steelers defense because often you see him put in difficult situations (in the Super Bowl for example) and it would be interesting to see if it's because of the LeBeau defense and what the scheme asks of him. Some people call him a "rover" but often in the Lebeau defense he's asked to play deep half coverage which, as Sapp points out, doesn't appear to be his strength.

Polamalu has regressed in coverage for me. Still a top 2 safety, but not as good as some would have you think.

Polamalu has never been a pure coverage safety and there are a few occasions he's been shown up as too aggressive - good OC's have found particular plays to use against him.

But I don't think I'd class him as over rated. He is inspirational, always a presence on the field even if not 100%, and gives any offense coming up against the Steelers pause for thought.

Polamalu 2 years ago was probably the best defensive player in the league but he is dropping off now in my eyes, and to the original poster Lance Briggs being overrated i think is daft, 5 straight pro bowls and countless big plays, he is probably better than Urlacher who is starting slow imo

Don't think you can really call Polamalu overrated, he is a great player and will continue to be so for a few more years yet.

Yeh he is a great player, but he isn't as good as he was imo

Lance is a great player but i still feel he is overated,i was just looking at his career stats. Is 10.5 sacks in 9 years really that impressive for an olb. Urlacher made more plays last year Imo. He definately shouldnt be in the top 100 list. I think briggs has slowed down, how a dominant rusher like him has only 2 sacks last year is beyond me when guys like matthews and hali have more than that in one game

Wes Welker?

Briggs isn't a pass rushing olb like a clay matthews, demarcus ware, etc. He plays in the tampa 2 for the bears in which he plays more as an MLB with Urlacher, i would say he probably deserves to be in the top 100 around about where he is currently. Like when Rodgers said who he was most worried about before the Packers played the Bears he said Lance Briggs!

http://bleacherreport.com/articles/725752-top-25-most-overrated-nfl-players-heading-into-2011

The list will be as controversial as most of the choices on here but looking at number 8 I'm glad to see both B/R and the players agree with me.

Thanks for that GB, interesting read.
Cowgirls get a rough time.....

I don't understand why they shouldn't get a rough time. They were 6-10 last season and the stats don't lie.

The article had some interesting picks, and some absolutely rediculous ones. Who rates Burress right now? who?

Young receivers like Bryant and Crabtree have not had time to develop, and i get what the author says they have talent but lack work ethic, and Harvin is stll young and learning and who should of got that award? who apart from crazy home team fans think they are good to great receivers at moment?

Anyone rate Vince Young? Everyone knows that if their team pick him up its a risk, and probably wont start for first year, and will only start if he is mentally ready.

Sanders would of been true if this was a few years ago. But every one knows hes a broken player.

Tebow? are you kidding me? Most i have read are un sold on him and adopt the fence sitting, waiting to see what he does.

Also don't think any one rates TO as an elite receiver any more.

Bush, read any fan site, they say they want him, but at no where near his contract, and used as third down back/slit receiver//return man.

Liked eli, Mario Williams, Meriweather and Edwards.

Ad - what's a slit receiver? On second thoughts, I don't want to know...

Don't know if the guy used a ranking system, or just used random order when compiling the list, but no way is Hall the 4th most overrated player in the NFL. I was surprised as anyone to see him make the Pro Bowl (yes it is a popularity contest and should go back to the old days of peer and coach voting), but without him our season would have been horrible last year, instead of bad. Agree on McNabb too. His weaknesses got hidden in Philly and will show again wherever he ends up playing this year.

skins4ever wrote:Ad - what's a slit receiver? On second thoughts, I don't want to know...

Don't know if the guy used a ranking system, or just used random order when compiling the list, but no way is Hall the 4th most overrated player in the NFL. I was surprised as anyone to see him make the Pro Bowl (yes it is a popularity contest and should go back to the old days of peer and coach voting), but without him our season would have been horrible last year, instead of bad. Agree on McNabb too. His weaknesses got hidden in Philly and will show again wherever he ends up playing this year.

Agreed, some things are better left un explained