SB Nation User Blog: NYCowboy

The Most Underappreciated NFL Stars

NYCowboy — Fri, 10 Oct 2008 22:09:23 -0000

This past Sunday, the 49ers honored Steve Young with a halftime ceremony retiring his number. I always thought that despite his numerous accomplishments, Young was never appreciated as much as he should have been. It got us thinking here at The Fantasy Sports Forum about some excellent NFL players who never quite received the credit they probably should have. Here is our top ten list:

10. Phil Simms, QB, New York Giants: Not the strongest arm or the fastest runner, but an excellent leader who got the job done and had one of the greatest Super Bowl games of any quarterback. Could play for my team anytime.

9. Art Monk, WR, Washington Redskins: Yeah I know he was just elected to the Hall of Fame, but it took about 15 years for him to get there - even though when he retired he was the NFL leader in receptions. Wasn't flashy, didn't call attention to himself, just caught the football and kept the chains moving.

8. Randall Cunningham, QB, Philadelphia Eagles/Minnesota Vikings: He was always one of the most exciting players to watch, since he was a double threat to burn a defense with his incredibly strong arm or super fleet feet. Led some excellent teams, including the 15-1 Vikings who failed to make the Super Bowl because of a missed Gary Anderson field goal try in the NFC Championship game.

7. John Taylor, WR, San Francisco 49ers: Maybe he was able to put up all those numbers because opposing defenses were worried about Jerry Rice, but he was a highlight machine himself, regularly turning five yard slants into 60 yard touchdowns. The perfect complement to Rice in that he didn't need the spotlight to shine on himself.

6. Drew Pearson, WR, Dallas: One of the best receivers of the 70s and a leader of the Cowboys. Best known for the Hail Mary completion against Minnesota in the playoffs. Has very similar numbers to Hall of Famer Lynn Swann and should probably be there himself.

5. Warren Moon, QB, Houston Oilers: Moon was a prolific offensive machine during the Oilers Run and Shoot era. And while he never won a Super Bowl, he was a multiple champion in the CFL, if that counts for anything.

4. Doug Flutie, QB, Buffalo Bills: Yes, Flutie was another quarterback who excelled in the CFL, but was never given a fair chance in the NFL, mostly due to being the anti-prototype size for an NFL quarterback. But anywhere he played, he managed to win. He should never have been passed over in Buffalo for an inferior and subpar talent like Rob Johnson. Wade Phillips would have lasted longer in Buffalo if he had picked the right man to lead his team.

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The Most Underappreciated NFL Stars

NYCowboy — Fri, 10 Oct 2008 22:00:32 -0000

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The Most Underappreciated NFL Stars

NYCowboy — Fri, 10 Oct 2008 21:57:42 -0000

8. Jeff Garcia, QB, San Francisco 49ers: Had the impossible job of making 49er fans forget Joe Montana and Steve Young - good luck. His arm is nothing special, but all he does is win. I'm not sure anyone knows why, but he just has that something special.

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The Most Underappreciated NFL Stars

NYCowboy — Tue, 07 Oct 2008 15:01:04 -0000

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The Most Underappreciated NFL Stars

NYCowboy — Tue, 07 Oct 2008 14:59:12 -0000

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The Most Underappreciated NFL Stars

NYCowboy — Tue, 07 Oct 2008 14:55:16 -0000

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The Most Underappreciated NFL Stars

NYCowboy — Tue, 07 Oct 2008 14:53:00 -0000

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The Most Underappreciated NFL Stars

NYCowboy — Tue, 07 Oct 2008 14:45:40 -0000

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The Most Underappreciated NFL Stars

NYCowboy — Tue, 07 Oct 2008 14:42:38 -0000

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Fantasy Football: Week 3 Matchups To Exploit

NYCowboy — Fri, 19 Sep 2008 14:03:54 -0000

QB
Brett Favre, Jets vs Chargers: The Jets offensive gameplan in the first two weeks has been mostly conservative, not allowing Favre the opportunity to air it out. Look for that to change this week against a Chargers pass defense which has been exposed so far. The Jets may not win, but there will be a lot of points scored and passes thrown.

J.T. O'Sullivan, 49ers vs. Lions: The first sign of life from the 49ers offense was seen last week, as O'Sullivan engineered several long drives, passing for 321 yards for 1 TD and no picks. Expect him to attack the ridiculously soft Lions pass defense, which has been scorched the first two weeks.

RB
Julius Jones, Seahawks vs. Rams: In his first week as the primary ball carrier, Jones rolled for 127 yards on 26 carries. The Seahawks will continue to focus on the run against a Rams defense that is yielding almost 5 yards per rush through the first two weeks.

Michael Turner, Falcons vs. Chiefs: After a torrid first week piling up 220 yards rushing, Turner came back down to earth last week totaling just 42 yards on the ground against a tough Tampa defense. He should have a game closer to his week one results, as he's facing a Chiefs defense which was lit up by the Raiders running backs for 300 rushing yards last week.

WR
Steve Smith, Panthers vs. Vikings: Expect a fresh Smith to make a big impact immediately, now that he's done with his two game suspension. Smith had a 7 catch, 118 yard effort in his opener last season and he'll be facing a vulnerable Vikings pass defense which ranked last in the NFL in passing yards allowed in 2007.

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