It isn't quite fair that we judge players by round numbers, not just in stats (like 1,000 yards) but in years. Players are overhyped because they had the most of something from 2000-09, and under-appreciated if they do the same thing during a different 10-year span. To give fair due to players who hit their peaks mid-decade, we've named a 2005-2014 NFL All-Decade Team. Updating these things every year would probably be overkill, but once every five years seems reasonable to me.
Below, we've named a first- and second-team all-decade player at each position, as well as a couple of honorable mentions. Each section also includes a listing for the most overrated and underrated player at that position. A word on the "overrated" listings: overrated doesn't mean bad. In fact, most of the overrated players listed are actually quite good — they've just been overhyped. We named two defensive tackles and two inside linebackers, since both 3-4 and 4-3 defensive schemes are common. The fullback position is virtually extinct, so we've chosen three wide receivers instead.
If you're interested, you can compare this list to our 2000-09 NFL All-Decade Team.
Quarterback: Peyton Manning (IND/DEN)
Second Team: Tom Brady (NE)
Honorable Mention: Drew Brees (SD/NO), Aaron Rodgers (GB)
Overrated: Eli Manning (NYG)
Underrated: David Garrard (JAC/NYJ)
Choosing the four best quarterbacks of the last 10 years is easy; the only question is how to rank the top three, all of whom are nearly equal. Brees is ahead statistically, because Manning and Brady both missed a year on injured reserve:
There are statistical arguments to be made for any of them: Brees on sheer volume and production, Manning on efficiency, Brady for avoiding turnovers. Each has one Super Bowl victory, and one Super Bowl MVP, in the last decade (Brady's others came prior to '05), so it's hard to find much difference there.
They're all exceptional by the eye test. Manning's probably ahead by a little, but Brady and Brees are plenty impressive. Manning seems to have played with the best offensive teammates, but it's hard to tell, because every receiver he throws to becomes a superstar. His success with both the Colts and Broncos makes it hard to dismiss Peyton as a product of his supporting cast.
Here's how the Associated Press first-team all-pro selections break down from 2005-14: Manning 5, Brady 2, Rodgers 2, Brees 1. My own selections were: Manning 3, Brady 3, Rodgers 2, Brees 1, Philip Rivers 1. Brees may be the most consistent, but Manning and Brady were more exceptional. I also believe that a lot of what Brady and Brees do well never would have happened without Peyton Manning. He changed the way this position is played at the highest level.
Eli Manning played great in the two most important games of his career, but other than that he's barely been above average. His reputation is wildly out of line with what he's produced on the field. In contrast, I don't believe it's a coincidence that the Jaguars got terrible the same time they released Garrard. In 2010, Garrard went 8-6 as Jacksonville's starting QB. He averaged 197 net yards per game, with 28 TDs, 19 turnovers, and a 90.8 passer rating. In 2011, Blaine Gabbert and Luke McCown combined to go 5-11, and averaged 144 net yards per game, with 12 TDs, 21 turnovers, and a 62.2 passer rating. That's a difference of more than 50 yards a game, and 18 TD/TO, with the same blockers and receivers. Garrard never got to play with top talent, and never got the respect he deserved.
Running Back: Adrian Peterson (MIN)
Second Team: LaDainian Tomlinson (SD/NYJ)
Honorable Mention: Frank Gore (SF), Marshawn Lynch (BUF/SEA)
Overrated: Rashard Mendenhall (PIT/ARI)
Underrated: Thomas Jones (CHI/NYJ/KC)
Peterson has established a historical legacy. From his Rookie of the Year season in 2007 through 2013, he rushed for at least 970 yards, a 4.40 average, and double-digit TDs every year. Other than his injured 2011 and suspended 2014, All Day rushed for over 1,250 yards every year. The last full-time running back to average 4.4 or higher seven years in a row was Joe Perry from 1948-58. The only other player in history with seven straight seasons of double-digit rush TDs was LaDainian Tomlinson (2001-09). Peterson was a three-time All-Pro, and NFL MVP in 2009, when he rushed for 2,097 yards and averaged over 6.0 per carry.
Tomlinson scored more TDs (102) over the past 10 years than any other player in the NFL. He's an easy second choice. But the last two spots, the honorable mentions, were awful to choose. I considered Gore, Lynch, Steven Jackson (STL/ATL), Chris Johnson (TEN/NYJ), Jamaal Charles (KC), and Maurice Jones-Drew (JAC/OAK).
Gore and Jackson were the two leading rushers of the decade:
1. Frank Gore, 11,073
2. Steven Jackson, 10,712
3. Adrian Peterson, 10,190
4. Marshawn Lynch, 8,695
5. Chris Johnson, 8,628
But other than maybe Peterson, no runner this decade was more explosive than Chris Johnson and Jamaal Charles. Johnson's 2009 was probably the best season by any RB in the last 10 years, and he had five more 1,000-yard seasons to go with it. Charles, Peterson, and Tomlinson are the only two-time all-pro RBs of the last 10 seasons. Highest yards per carry, 2005-14:
1. Jamaal Charles, 5.49
2. Tiki Barber, 5.15
3. Adrian Peterson, 4.96
Marshawn Lynch is the hardest runner I've seen in 30 years. This guy breaks off a legendary run at least once a season, and dozens of other highlight-worthy plays. If you watched a reel of the 10 best plays by Gore, Jackson, CJ2K, Charles, Jones-Drew, and Lynch, Beast Mode would blow the others away. It's easy to underrate Jones-Drew, because he's been pretty useless the last three years. But before that, he was an effective runner inside and outside, a good receiver, and a touchdown machine — only LT and Peterson had more TDs.
Choosing the honorable mention RBs shouldn't be the most time-consuming part of a project like this, so eventually I just went with Gore on longevity and Lynch on the eye test. You could easily go in a different direction.
From 2005-09, Thomas Jones rushed for at least 1,100 yards every year. The only other players with five consecutive 1,000-yard rushing seasons over the last decade were Chris Johnson and Steven Jackson. Jones was the only offensive weapon for the 2006 Bears who went to the Super Bowl and the 2009 Jets who went to the AFC Championship Game. Fred Jackson (BUF) is also really underrated. Selecting Mendenhall as the most overrated RB of the last 10 years might not be entirely fair. But I still remember this exchange from the 2010-11 playoffs:
Jim Nantz: "You said to me this week you thought Mendenhall was one of the top 10 backs in the league."
Phil Simms: "I don't even think that's a question."
Mendenhall wasn't among the top 30 rushers of the past decade, he averaged 3.9 yards per carry, and he wasn't a productive receiver. And contrary to Simms' assertion, he never had a top-10 quality season. It's a shame Mendenhall's career was cut short, but it wasn't headed in the right direction anyway.
Wide Receiver: Calvin Johnson (DET), Andre Johnson (HOU), Reggie Wayne (IND)
Second Team: Larry Fitzgerald (ARI), Steve Smith (CAR/BAL), Anquan Boldin (ARI/BAL/SF)
Honorable Mention: Brandon Marshall (DEN/MIA/CHI), Roddy White (ATL), Wes Welker (MIA/NE/DEN)
Overrated: Terrell Owens (PHI/DAL/BUF/CIN)
Underrated: Boldin
We've named three honorable mentions at this position, because these nine wideouts were far ahead of anyone else. Marques Colston (NO) would rank 10th, but each of these players has at least three seasons better than any of Colston's. Marshall has incredible talent; I still remember the first game I saw him play. You could tell right away he was special. Welker always seems to make a play when his team needs it. He has the most receptions in the NFL over the last 10 years. White had six consecutive seasons of at least 1,150 yards.
Calvin Johnson is a marvel. He's not only broken Jerry Rice's single-season record for receiving yardage, he set the two-year and three-year records, as well. Megatron routinely makes jaw-dropping plays, and he's the most dangerous receiver at least since Randy Moss. Andre Johnson gained the most receiving yards over the past decade, and he had a tremendous peak from 2008-12, including three seasons with over 1,550 yards. Wayne gained more first downs than any other receiver in the past 10 years, and he made a ton of jaw-dropping catches, particularly those that require dragging a foot in bounds — he's the best at that.
Fitzgerald scored 81 receiving TDs over the past 10 seasons, and he was brilliant in the 2008-09 postseason. He rates behind Wayne and the Johnsons because there are no years in which it's apparent that he was the best WR in the NFL. There are 50 all-pro voters, and Fitzgerald has never gotten even 25 votes in a season. In fact, for his whole career, Fitz has garnered 47½ all-pro votes. I name three all-pro wideouts each season, and I've only chosen Fitz once. He's been consistently great, but the first-team players were more outstanding.
Steve Smith just won't go away. He's an incredibly determined playmaker, and he's less self-destructive than Terrell Owens. Anquan Boldin spent three years of his prime in Baltimore, when the Ravens were a running team. So Boldin blocked, and made catches on third down, and was the outstanding offensive player on a team that won the Super Bowl. His numbers aren't huge because of the teams he's played on, but he's such a consistent contributor, in all phases, and he's absolutely a guy you want on your favorite team. Boldin is comparable to Hines Ward.
Tight End: Antonio Gates (SD)
Second Team: Jason Witten (DAL)
Honorable Mention: Tony Gonzalez (KC/ATL), Rob Gronkowski (NE)
Overrated: Jermichael Finley (GB)
Underrated: Chris Cooley (WAS)
This position presents the same problem we had at quarterback: choosing the best tight ends of the last 10 years is easy; the question is how to rank the top three, all of whom are fairly equal. Witten gained the most yards, but Gonzalez picked up the most first downs, and Gates scored the most TDs. Here, look:
Witten hasn't missed a game all decade, and he's the best blocker of the three. Gates was the most explosive, the best play-maker. Gonzalez was incredibly consistent, the go-to receiver on third down, the guy who wouldn't fumble, good for over 850 receiving yards in eight of his last nine seasons. They're really close.
I chose Gates because, at his best, he was the most dangerous player. Witten earns the second-team nod due to his yardage total and blocking. Although it seems like he had fewer impact seasons, Witten had as many 1,000-yard receiving years (4) from 2005-14 as Gates and Gonzalez combined (2 each). I began 2014 with Vernon Davis (SF) penciled in for the second honorable mention, but Gronkowski passed him with a season that earned unanimous all-pro selection. Davis has been up-and-down, and other than maybe Gates, no tight end has played at a higher level than Gronk.
Every August for years, I would hear about Jermichael Finley. I feel like the hype should have been that he would finally stay healthy and/or play up to his potential, but I don't even remember it being acknowledged that he had fallen short in the past. He was a top-five tight end on fantasy draft boards, based on nothing tangible. Something similar is happening now with Kyle Rudolph. Don't draft him in fantasy. Chris Cooley may be best-known for accidentally posting a photo of his wang, but he was a productive receiver and a pretty good blocker. Heath Miller (PIT) is underrated, but he's also kind of famous for being underrated. Cooley, although he's a hero in Washington, is more truly under-appreciated. Witten is also underrated. He's had at least 700 receiving yards for the last 10 seasons in a row. The only other players to do that were Anquan Boldin and Larry Fitzgerald.
Center: Nick Mangold (NYJ)
Second Team: Jeff Saturday (IND/GB)
Honorable Mention: Nick Hardwick (SD), Brad Meester (JAC)
Overrated: Maurkice Pouncey (PIT)
Underrated: Meester
Mangold and Saturday, I think, are pretty obvious. They made six Pro Bowls each. Saturday was a key for the Colts' offensive dynasty, maybe their most important player outside of Peyton Manning. But Mangold is simply the most dominant center in the league. A nine-year starter, he's quick, a textbook run blocker, and he can handle defensive tackles one-on-one.
I'm not sure Meester was actually underrated, because I think most people know he was a good center. But Meester never made a Pro Bowl. Neither did Dominic Raiola (DET), who started the most games (155) of any center this decade. Meester edged Raiola and Jonathan Goodwin (NO/SF) for the last honorable mention. Maurkice Pouncey is a good center, and he's getting better — 2014 was probably his best season yet — but he's already a two-time all-pro, and he hasn't been that good.
Guard: Logan Mankins (NE/TB), Jahri Evans (NO)
Second Team: Steve Hutchinson (SEA/MIN/TEN), Chris Snee (NYG)
Honorable Mention: Kris Dielman (SD), Josh Sitton (GB)
Overrated: Evans
Underrated: Andy Levitre (BUF/TEN)
Mankins is probably the greatest offensive lineman of the last 10 years, at any position. Apart from his disappointing 2014 with the Buccaneers, Mankins has been excellent whenever he's been on the field — which might be more often than you think. I was surprised to find that Mankins played the second-most games of any offensive lineman of the decade. I'm a little conflicted about rating Evans alongside him on the first team. Certainly Evans has been a fine player, and his arrival in New Orleans (in 2006) coincides with the rise of the Saints as an offensive powerhouse. It's amazing to look back and see everyone the Saints added in '06: Sean Payton, Drew Brees, Marques Colston, and Evans all remain with the team, and all have been terrific. That's before we even get to Reggie Bush and Roman Harper, but staying on topic ... I think Evans has been a little overrated, almost every year. But he's a nine-year starter and four-time All-Pro, and most of his competition didn't play the full decade.
Hutchinson and Snee are an easy 3-4. Hutchinson helped Shaun Alexander and Adrian Peterson become stars, blocking for Chester Taylor during his 1,216-yard season in between. The Seahawks allowed 27 sacks in Hutchinson's last season with the team, compared to 49 in their first year without him. The Giants won two Super Bowls without exceptional skill players: their championship teams were built on the offensive line and defense. Snee was the best player on those great o-lines.
Rounding out the top 10, I've got Dielman, Sitton, Brian Waters (KC/NE/DAL), Justin Blalock (ATL), Carl Nicks (NO), and Alan Faneca (PIT/NYJ/ARI). Dielman played only seven seasons, but he made four consecutive Pro Bowls before head injuries forced an early retirement. Levitre, a second-round pick in 2009, didn't have a great 2014, but has previously shown flashes of becoming one of the top guards in the NFL.
Offensive Tackle: Jason Peters (BUF/PHI), Andrew Whitworth (CIN)
Second Team: Joe Thomas (CLE), Matt Light (NE)
Honorable Mention: Duane Brown (HOU), Michael Roos (TEN)
Overrated: D'Brickashaw Ferguson (NYJ)
Underrated: Light
The 2005-09 seasons were sort of a rebuilding period for offensive tackles. Jonathan Ogden, Walter Jones, Willie Roaf, and Orlando Pace all had their best years behind them, all retiring during that period. The stars who would take their places hadn't fully risen yet, but the renaissance has finally arrived. Peters, when he's healthy, is a marvel. He's big and strong, but also very athletic. Peters and Thomas made the most Pro Bowls — seven and eight, respectively — of any offensive linemen over the last decade. Joe Thomas has made the Pro Bowl every year of his career, and that's careless voting: no one is that consistent. I've never liked Thomas quite as much as everyone else does, but he's been a really consistent high-level performer. He's an excellent pass blocker.
But so is Whitworth. He's been doing it longer than Thomas, and his team has positive results to show for it. Offensive tackles don't win or lose games by themselves, but if Thomas were as good as his reputation, the Browns wouldn't have a bottom-of-the-league offense every year.
Matt Light was the best tackle of the dark years, the guy who protected Tom Brady's blind side during the record-setting 2007 season. Brown's arrival in Houston coincided with the team becoming competitive. He's effective both as a run blocker and pass protector. Roos and Jordan Gross (CAR) are sort of similar: guys who played basically the whole decade, until this past season, when Gross retired and Roos spent most of the year on IR. But they've played well for teams that were successful in different eras and with different styles. Other than maybe Whitworth, Gross was probably the most consistent OT of the decade. He was the starting left tackle for a team that went 12-4 with Jake Delhomme, and for a team that went 12-4 with Cam Newton. Joe Staley (SF) and Gross nearly edged Roos for the final honorable mention.
D'Brickashaw Ferguson was a pretty good player for a few years, but high draft picks at the non-stat positions are almost always overrated. Voters who are unable for any reason to evaluate line play seem to base their votes on name recognition, and those are the guys with name recognition. Nationally, I don't think Matt Light was ever really regarded as an elite tackle. Maybe he just stood out in an era without much competition, but it seems to me he deserved more credit. I'd be shocked if Light is ever taken seriously as a Hall of Fame candidate, for instance.
Defensive Tackle: Justin Smith (CIN/SF), Vince Wilfork (NE)
Second Team: Haloti Ngata (BAL), Darnell Dockett (ARI)
Honorable Mention: Ndamukong Suh (DET), Kevin Williams (MIN/SEA)
Overrated: Richard Seymour (NE/OAK)
Underrated: Jonathan Babineaux (ATL)
Selecting a defensive line is tricky, because there are really four or five distinct positions: nose tackle (3-4), defensive tackle (4-3), defensive end (3-4), pass rushing defensive end (4-3), and arguably rush linebacker (3-4), as well. I'm grouping players by what they do, not by their position titles. This section could really be considered Interior Defensive Line.
Justin Smith was a good defensive end with the Bengals, but he found his niche with the 49ers. Smith is the key player on that defense, the one who creates opportunities for the linebacking corps behind him. Those guys are great, but they're able to showcase their abilities because of Smith's work up front. Smith has also continued to generate sacks while working inside and creating opportunities for teammates. Wilfork is a mountain, a disruptive force inside whenever he's healthy.
Ngata has been a good player nearly the whole decade, while Dockett has quietly dominated in Arizona. He's made three Pro Bowls, but not attracted as much acclaim as peers like Ngata and Williams. Suh is a dirty player, of course, but he's a remarkable talent. He breaks through the line, disrupting plays in the backfield, more often than any other DT of this era. Wilfork and Suh are the two guys who, on their best days, are virtually unblockable.
Seymour is a future Hall of Famer, but great players are always overrated near the end of their careers. Seymour's best years came in the early '00s. Babineaux has been the best player on a poor defense for most of the past decade. He's never made a Pro Bowl or an AP all-pro team, but he's a playmaker who creates problems for opponents. Brett Keisel (PIT) has also been badly underrated. He nearly beat Williams for the final honorable mention.
Defensive End: Jared Allen (MIN/KC/CHI), Julius Peppers (CAR/CHI/GB)
Second Team: J.J. Watt (HOU), Robert Mathis (IND)
Honorable Mention: Calais Campbell (ARI), John Abraham (NYJ/ATL/ARI)
Overrated: Dwight Freeney (IND/SD)
Underrated: Campbell
Allen and Peppers are no-brainers. Allen had by far the most sacks of any defensive lineman (125). He had three 15-sack seasons, and two more with 14.5. He's the most dominant pass rusher since Reggie White and Bruce Smith. Peppers had 95.5 sacks, just behind Mathis (97), but Peppers also had eight interceptions and four touchdowns. He's an athletic marvel, well-rounded and — above all — a playmaker.
J.J. Watt has only played four seasons, but he's been all-pro in three of them, Defensive Player of the Year in two, and the only unanimous DPOY in history. Watt is the only player since 1982, when the stat became official, with two 20-sack seasons. And sacks might not even be the strongest aspect of Watt's game. He routinely makes the most tackles of any lineman, he knocks down the most passes, he beats the most double-teams. Watt is on pace to become the most dominant defensive lineman in the history of the sport. Robert Mathis is the undisputed master of the strip-sack, with 39 forced fumbles from 2005-13.
Most sacks by defensive linemen, 2005-14:
1. Allen, 125.0
2. Mathis, 97.0
3. Peppers, 95.5
4. Mario Williams, 91.0
5. Abraham, 90.5
6. Elvis Dumervil, 90.0
7. Trent Cole, 85.5
8. Osi Umenyiora, 77.0
9. Freeney, 71.5
10. Justin Tuck, 65.5
The question, I suppose, is why Abraham and Campbell rate ahead of Mario Williams (HOU/BUF) and Elvis Dumervil (DEN/BAL). Abraham had six 10-sack seasons, plus a seventh with 9.5. Williams is comparably inconsistent, an up-and-down player who can be brilliant, but who has disappeared at times. Dumervil is a great player, but he's behind on longevity and he doesn't make enough big plays that aren't sacks. Campbell's case is hard to explain statistically. He's only played seven seasons, and he's a 3-4 DE, which limits his edge rushing opportunities and his sack totals (43.5). But Campbell has been a key contributor for one of the best defenses in the league. He's produced 6 or more sacks in every season since his rookie year, with high tackle and passes defensed totals. He fits a little better here than at DT, and he's been remarkable.
Freeney was a good player, but he made five Pro Bowls in the last 10 years, most of any defensive lineman besides Julius Peppers. That's implies a higher level and greater consistency of performance than he's demonstrated. For most of the past decade, Mathis was the superior playmaker on that defensive front.
Outside Linebacker: DeMarcus Ware (DAL/DEN), Lance Briggs (CHI)
Second Team: Terrell Suggs (BAL), Karlos Dansby (ARI/MIA/CLE)
Honorable Mention: James Harrison (PIT/CIN), Clay Matthews III (GB)
Overrated: Brian Orakpo (WAS)
Underrated: Chad Greenway (MIN)
In recent years, both the Associated Press and the Pro Bowl voters have focused on pass rush specialists, thus ignoring half the league: the teams that play a 4-3 alignment, in which OLBs are expected to make a lot of tackles and play pass coverage. In a given season, a top pass rusher might make 50 tackles and double-digit sacks, while the best space players make nearly 100 tackles, with a handful of sacks and/or INTs. I don't believe that one is clearly better than the other.
In this case, the top two outside linebackers are obvious. DeMarcus Ware leads the NFL in sacks (127) over the past decade, with eight seasons in double-digits, including 19.5 in 2011 and 20.0 in 2008. Ware is already a first-ballot Hall of Famer. Briggs was a 7-time Pro Bowler, an every-year standout on a defense that has often been among the best in football. Briggs distinguished himself both as a run-stopper and in coverage.
I'm tired of Suggs, as much style as substance. He's been a good player throughout his career, but his reputation is based as much upon his dance-for-the-cameras persona as it is upon his performance as a player. You could probably win a bar bet with this: over the last 10 seasons, which NFL player made the most solo tackles? It's Karlos Dansby (825), just barely ahead of London Fletcher (823). Dansby also recorded at least one sack every season, plus 15 interceptions, 4 of them returned for TDs. Suggs had 40 more sacks, but 400 fewer tackles and less than half as many INTs. I know T-Sizzle's a better interview, but was he a better player?
There were three strong candidates for the honorable mentions: Harrison, Matthews, and Greenway. Harrison made 5 Pro Bowls, 2008 Defensive Player of the Year, and a length-of-the-field interception return in Super Bowl XLIII. Matthews made 5 Pro Bowls as well, in just six seasons, and he lost the 2010 DPOY award by two votes. Both Harrison and Matthews are primarily pass rushers, and Harrison (in a full decade) only out-sacked Matthews by 9.5. Greenway is a 2-time Pro Bowler who was a strong candidate several other times. He's never been the best OLB in the league, but he's been in the top 10 almost every year. He's more solid than flashy, and he's been overshadowed by more famous teammates.
Really, all the space players, the guys who aren't pass rush specialists, are underrated. The one pass rusher who hasn't gotten enough recognition is Shaun Phillips (SD/DEN/TEN/IND). Phillips started 152 games, third-most among OLBs, recording 77.5 sacks (fourth-most) and three seasons with double-digit sacks. It's a shame that outside of the AFC West, casual fans probably don't know who Phillips is. The lack of recognition for Phillips is particularly galling given the spotlight for some of his fellow pass rushers. Orakpo only had four healthy seasons, with a career-high of 11 sacks. How he has made three Pro Bowls and an insurance commercial, I don't know.
Inside Linebacker: London Fletcher (BUF/WAS), Patrick Willis (SF)
Second Team: Brian Urlacher (CHI), Derrick Johnson (KC)
Honorable Mention: Jerod Mayo (NE), Jon Beason (CAR/NYG)
Overrated: Ray Lewis (BAL)
Underrated: Daryl Smith (JAC/BAL)
Fletcher led all linebackers in interceptions (17) and passes defensed (71), ranking second in solo tackles (823) and first in assists (435). He famously never made a Pro Bowl, until making four in his last five years. Patrick Willis has officially made seven Pro Bowls, with five first-team all-pro selections. I looked back at my own votes and counted three Pro Bowls with one all-pro year. Perhaps the fairest count is somewhere in between, but I'm sure it's closer to my evaluation. Willis was a first-round draft pick who played well as a rookie, and he benefitted from that reputation for years. In 2013, the media finally caught on that he was the second-best inside linebacker on his own team. Still, he's been a good player nearly the whole decade. During the decade, Willis led the NFL in tackles per game (6.54).
Urlacher retired following the 2012 season, but he was a dynamic playmaker in the late '00s. Mayo has a similar story: didn't play the whole decade, but all over the field when he was out there. Derrick Johnson's career has an odd shape: as a rookie in 2005, he played outside linebacker, and he was excellent. That draft class also included Shawne Merriman, DeMarcus Ware, Lofa Tatupu, LeRoy Hill, and Odell Thurman (64 tackles, 4 FF, 5 INT), which limited Johnson's exposure — in another year, he would have been a Rookie of the Year contender. After a couple of productive seasons, the Chiefs struggled as a team and Johnson's star faded. He re-emerged as a dynamic inside linebacker, and remained so until spending last year on injured reserve.
Beason's promising career has been derailed by injuries. He came in the same year as Willis, and he was all over the field — tackles, interceptions ... after starting every game his first four years, he played only 8 in the next three seasons combined. The Panthers finally cut him, and he played well for the Giants, though again he's had trouble staying healthy. But this is a guy who performed at a really high level, consistently, before the injuries.
The rest of the top 10: Daryl Smith, D'Qwell Jackson (CLE/IND), DeMeco Ryans (HOU/PHI), and Paul Posluszny (BUF/JAC). Smith toiled in obscurity in Jacksonville, and he's overshadowed by famous teammates in Baltimore. He's never made a Pro Bowl. Ray Lewis is an all-time great, but his best years were in the late '90s and early '00s. Over the past decade, he got a lot of credit he didn't deserve, because announcers latched onto him. Several play-by-play men have this infuriating habit of only announcing who made the tackle if it's a big star. As in, "Tackle made by ... guess who, Ray Lewis." The result is that the audience, many of whom are casual fans, believe that the stars are the only ones making plays. The last 10 years, no one got more of that than Troy Polamalu and Lewis.
Cornerback: Darrelle Revis (NYJ/TB/NE), Charles Woodson (GB/OAK)
Second Team: Charles Tillman (CHI), Asante Samuel (NE/PHI)
Honorable Mention: Ronde Barber (TB), Antonio Cromartie (SD/NYJ/ARI)
Overrated: Champ Bailey (DEN)
Underrated: Leon Hall (CIN)
Revis is a four-time all-pro, the most dominant shutdown corner since Deion Sanders. Woodson, who spent the last couple years at safety, followed a different model: ballhawk. He had almost twice as many INTs (44) as Revis (23), he was one of only four CBs with over 600 INT return yards, and he led the NFL in INT return TDs (9). Woodson also forced 19 fumbles from 2005-14, tied with Brian Dawkins for second-most of any defensive back. The leader in that category was Tillman ... with 39. Tillman also led all CBs in tackles (629) and ranked second in INT return yards (648) and TDs (8).
I think people forget about Asante Samuel. He's a four-time Pro Bowler, and he led the NFL in interceptions (48) and PDs (142) this decade. Barber is obviously listed for what he did in the earlier part of the decade, but even in his final season, he recorded 71 solo tackles, a sack, and 4 INTs, with 160 return yards and a touchdown. Not bad for an old man.
The top five at this position are clear, but the last spot was a toss-up, with Cromartie edging Bailey, DeAngelo Hall (ATL/OAK/WAS), Johnathan Joseph (CIN/HOU), Rashean Mathis (JAC/DET), Terence Newman (DAL/CIN), and Ike Taylor (PIT). What separates Cromartie is the combination of big years, seasons when he was one of the top CBs in the league, and consistency; once he got playing time, he never really had a down season or an injury year. Hall might be seventh on my list, purely on the strength of his stats: 41 INT, 129 PD, 9 FF, 14 FR, 1,099 return yards, 8 return TDs. Hall is a gambler, which facilitates all those big plays, but holy cow, he's made a lot of them. Richard Sherman (SEA) has only played four seasons, but he's a virtual lock for 2010-19. It wouldn't be crazy to sneak him into that last honorable mention.
Champ Bailey was a very good player from 1999-2006, maybe even a great player. But at the end of his career, his Hall of Fame reputation wildly exceeded his performance. He gave up too many plays, and he didn't make enough positive ones. Leon Hall has never made a Pro Bowl, even in his 6-INT '09 season.
Free Safety: Ed Reed (BAL/HOU/NYJ)
Second Team: Eric Weddle (SD)
Honorable Mention: Ryan Clark (WAS/PIT), Darren Sharper (MIN/NO)
Overrated: Earl Thomas (SEA)
Underrated: Clark
Ed Reed is the one of the greatest defensive playmakers in history. He's a 7-time Pro Bowler, the decade leader in INT return yardage, and an obvious choice. Weddle seems to be the second-best free safety every year, but that adds up. He's well-rounded: a sound tackler, an effective ballhawk, and dangerous with the ball in his hands. Such players are sometimes underrated, but Weddle is so good that his reputation is actually pretty strong, especially among AP voters, who named him first-team all-pro in 2011 and 2014.
Clark just might be the most consistent safety of the past decade. Well, that's probably Weddle, but Clark second. He was a standout starter on the greatest defensive dynasty of the decade, and never complained that Troy Polamalu got all the attention. In both '05 and '09, Sharper had nine INTs, over 250 return yards, and multiple return TDs. He may be a bad person, but he was a great player. Brian Dawkins (PHI/DEN) had his best seasons in the early 2000s, but he's probably fifth, behind Sharper.
Earl Thomas is a very good player, but he doesn't make a lot of plays at the line of scrimmage, and he's not a real ballhawk in the secondary. Thomas averages three INTs a year, which is fine, but not spectacular. To some extent, I think he's ridden a halo effect from the Legion of Boom.
Strong Safety: Troy Polamalu (PIT)
Second Team: Adrian Wilson (ARI)
Honorable Mention: Quintin Mikell (PHI/STL/CAR), Antoine Bethea (IND/SF)
Overrated: LaRon Landry (WAS/NYJ/IND)
Underrated: Chris Hope (PIT/TEN/ATL)
Honestly, Polamalu is more overrated than Landry. He was genuinely outstanding from 2005-10, and he's had a Hall of Fame career, but announcers go to comical lengths to cover up his mistakes and give him credit. Polamalu's playing style is easy to appreciate: frenetic, anticipatory, geared towards the highlight play. But it's not a style that ages well, so Polamalu has spent the last few seasons struggling to stay healthy, and barely missing on a lot of plays he would have made earlier in his career. I remember a particular game in which Dan Dierdorf, announcing for CBS, kept making up scenarios in which Polamalu would have made fantastic plays. It's not healthy to deify players like that.
Wilson made five Pro Bowls, and he was first-team all-pro in 2009. Wilson was a very smart player, good at everything, but especially dangerous on blitzes: he made 22.5 sacks this decade, most of any defensive back. Mikell, in his best seasons, was always around the ball, making tackles and knocking down passes. Bethea's numbers were a little warped playing in Indianapolis, with opponents passing a lot in comeback attempts, but this year in San Francisco, he proved himself a true standout, taking control of the Niners' secondary.
Hope started 16 games for Pittsburgh in the '05 Super Bowl season, but spent his prime years out of the spotlight in Tennessee. He had two seasons with over 80 solo tackles, and he intercepted more passes than most strong safeties.
Kicker: Sebastian Janikowski (OAK)
Second Team: Phil Dawson (CLE/SF)
Honorable Mention: Stephen Gostkowski (NE), Robbie Gould (CHI)
Overrated: David Akers (PHI/SF/DET)
Underrated: Rob Bironas (TEN)
When I began this project, I had Janikowski first-team, Gould second-team, with the honorable mentions going to Dawson and Adam Vinatieri (NE/IND). Going back to look at their records, I shifted some of that around.
In this era, kickers don't miss a lot. Extra point percentage is about 99%, and field goal percentage is in the low 80s. A good kicker makes all the short stuff, but really distinguishes himself by connecting on long field goals. If the team can count on someone to hit a 55-yarder, that's the guy you want.
And that guy is probably Sebastian Janikowski, who made more 50+ field goals (41) than anyone else this decade. It's not even particularly close; Dawson is next (29). For what it's worth, the highest mark in the '00s was Jason Hanson, with 27. Janikowski's efficiency on long kicks doesn't look impressive (55.4%), but that's largely a function of how many really long kicks he attempted. Coaches would let him kick from 60. If you look at the season-by-season long for each kicker, Janikowski blows away the pack.
Dawson, who made the most field goals of the decade (254), was a very close second. Gostkowski and Gould both made 243 field goals, despite playing in tough weather conditions. Gostkowski led the NFL in scoring (1,179) and field goal percentage (86.8), but he did not attempt a lot of long field goals (13/17). I'm all for efficiency, and maybe Gostkowski's limited by coaching strategy — the Patriots seldom need to attempt long field goals — but ultimately, he hasn't done what Janikowski and Dawson did. Gould had 10 field goals blocked this decade, which I believe was the most of any kicker. But he was efficient and productive every year until 2014.
Gould barely edged Matt Bryant (TB/ATL), Bironas, and Vinatieri. Bironas and Vinatieri excelled at mid-range field goals. Bironas made the most 40-49-yard kicks (70) of the decade, and Vinatieri had the best FG% in that range (81.7%). Vinatieri slipped because he made the fewest field goals of the players I considered, he didn't make many long kicks, and he didn't kick off. David Akers was a great kicker last decade. Toward the end of his career, he began to miss too often.
Punter: Mike Scifres (SD)
Second Team: Dustin Colquitt (KC)
Honorable Mention: Sam Koch (BAL), Brett Kern (DEN/TEN)
Overrated: Shane Lechler (OAK/HOU)
Underrated: Koch
Let's get this out of the way: Scifres led the NFL in blocked punts over the last decade. I tend to put most of the blame for that on his teammates and coaching staff. Scifres had a good net average (39.2), but he distinguished himself more with precision than with distance. Scifres is among the best punters in history at pinning opponents near the goal line. Over the past 10 seasons, he had nearly five times as many punts down inside the 20 (249) as touchbacks (51). He also generates a lot of fair catches, and he's very good at directional kicking and putting the ball out of bounds without sacrificing distance.
Colquitt is cut from the same cloth, and he plays in tougher weather conditions. I prefer Scifres mostly for his excellence pinning opponents deep. Something the two players share is that they've overcome short fields. Punt from your own 20-yard line, and you can bomb the ball as far as possible. But punt from somewhere near midfield, and you have to make sure you don't kick a touchback. Among players with at least 250 punts, no one faced more short fields than Scifres, with Colquitt close behind. Both saw nearly half their kicks down inside the 20 or touched back in the end zone.
Koch has no weaknesses. He's quietly been among the best punters in the NFL for years. Kern, another master at pinning opponents deep, edged a pair of newcomers for the final honorable mention. They didn't make the cut this time, but Matt Bosher (ATL) or Tim Masthay (GB) is going to be the All-Decade punter of the '10s.
Lechler is the most celebrated punter of the last 30 years, maybe ever. From 2005-14, 16 NFL players punted at least 570 times. Probably that seems like an odd cutoff, 570, but no one else is close (Mat McBriar is next, 527). Basically, there were 16 really active punters over the last decade. They're listed below, ranked by their ratio of punts down inside the 20-yard line (I-20) to touchbacks (TB).
Lechler is an extreme outlier, more than a full standard deviation below the next-worst. Lechler also ranked worst of the 16 in percentage of punts returned or touched back (64.1) and in return average allowed (10.7). He's spent a decade and a half bombing kicks downfield, without regard for directional kicking, the location of the coverage team, or even the end zone. I never thought I would say this about a special teamer, but Lechler is one of the most overrated players in the history of football.
Return Specialist: Devin Hester (CHI/ATL)
Second Team: Joshua Cribbs (CLE/NYJ/IND)
Honorable Mention: Leon Washington (NYJ/SEA/NE/TEN), Adam Jones (TEN/DAL/CIN)
Overrated: Jacoby Jones (HOU/BAL)
Underrated: Cribbs
Hester has set the NFL record for return TDs. He's probably the greatest punt returner of all time. A bit more on him below.
Cribbs is an obvious selection, likely the greatest kickoff returner of this era. His 2007 season might be the best-ever overall performance by a return specialist. Cribbs returned 59 kickoffs for 1,809 yards (30.7 avg) and 2 TDs, with 30 punt returns for 405 yards (13.5) and another TD. Compared to that year's league averages (22.6 KR, 9.1 PR), Cribbs gave the Browns an extra 474 yards of field position on kickoff returns and 132 yards on punt returns. That's 606 yards, the highest single-season total for any returner in history. From 2005-09, Cribbs had a KR TD every season, and his 11,113 career KR yards rank third in history. Until recently, it wasn't obvious whether Hester or Cribbs would have the better returning career.
Cribbs and Washington are tied for the career record for KR TDs (8). Jones edged Darren Sproles (SD/NO/PHI) and Leodis McKelvin (BUF) for the final HM. Sproles has the most return yardage, the most TDs, and the lowest fumble percentage. McKelvin has the best averages but the fewest returns. Jones, the artist formerly known as Pac-Man, is one of the best punt returners in history. He has a great average (10.4) despite that he almost never fair catches.
If Jones would just fair catch when there's a defender nearby, he might average 15 yards per punt return. Instead, he always tries to gain yardage. He also has a great average on kickoff returns (26.5).
Jacoby Jones drives me crazy. He's a very talented return man, but he just refuses to down kickoffs in the end zone, and it costs his team 100 yards every season. Hester is overrated, too. He's a home run hitter, but he also strikes out too much. I believe he's the second-best kick returner in history, but his reputation is as the undisputed leader. It's at least worth having a discussion about this.
Special Teamer: Kassim Osgood (SD/JAC/DET/SF)
Second Team: Matthew Slater (NE)
Honorable Mention: Eric Weems (ATL/CHI), Corey Graham (CHI/BAL/BUF)
Overrated: nobody
Underrated: everybody
Osgood is the greatest special teams ace since Steve Tasker. And the "since Steve Tasker" qualification is starting to look like a close call.
Slater has only played seven seasons, but he could be even better than Osgood. He is always around the ball on kickoff and punt returns. Beyond that, this is a tough position to rate, because many of the best special teamers get promoted off of special teams. Graham, for instance, parlayed his special teams excellence in Chicago into a nickel back role with the Ravens and Bills.
Offensive Player of the Decade: Peyton Manning (IND/DEN)
Runner-Up: Tom Brady (NE)
Honorable Mention: Drew Brees (SD/NO), Adrian Peterson (MIN)
Peterson was the most outstanding at his position, but after a decade defined by the passing game, in which almost every passing record has been broken — including the career, single-season, and rookie records for attempts, completions, yards, touchdowns, and passer rating — I have to go with quarterbacks.
Defensive Player of the Decade: DeMarcus Ware (DAL/DEN)
Runner-Up: Jared Allen (MIN/KC/CHI)
Honorable Mention: Julius Peppers (CAR/CHI/GB), Ed Reed (BAL/HOU/NYJ)
After complaining about over-glorification of pass rushers, now I've chosen Ware, Allen, and Peppers as the top three defensive players of the decade. Ware and Allen played the whole decade at a high level. They averaged over 12 sacks per season. Peppers' contributions were more varied, but no less significant. Reed tops Darrelle Revis and Charles Woodson as the greatest defensive back of the decade. Among non-rush LBs, I'd take Lance Briggs over any of the inside linebackers.
Coach of the Decade: Bill Belichick (NE)
Runner-Up: John Harbaugh (BAL)
Honorable Mention: Sean Payton (NO), Marvin Lewis (CIN)
Belichick led the Patriots to three Super Bowl appearances, including a 16-0 season, and a victory in Super Bowl XLIX. The Pats replaced assistants, turned over their whole roster besides Tom Brady and Vince Wilfork, and posted a winning record every season.
After Belichick, it's close, and there are different directions you could go. The closest misses were Andy Reid (PHI/KC) and Tom Coughlin (NYG). Reid joins Jim Caldwell, John Fox, and perhaps Bruce Arians (depending on your definition) as the only head coaches to lead two different teams to the playoffs.
I did not choose Coughlin because my mom would never forgive me. She can't stand Tom Coughlin. Coughlin is the only head coach to win multiple Super Bowls in the last 10 years, but his teams have had too many down seasons in between. The playoff runs were impressive, but I feel like a truly great coach should reach the playoffs more frequently. Belichick was 9-for-10, and the year he missed, New England went 11-5. Harbaugh's Ravens are 6-of-7, Payton's Saints are 5-of-8, and Lewis 6-of-10. The Giants have made the playoffs only once in the last six years. Lewis took over a Cincinnati team that hadn't made the playoffs in over a decade, that was routinely the worst in the NFL, that was being run into the ground by ownership, and that hadn't made back-to-back playoffs in two decades. He led them to the postseason in '05, '09, and every season from 2011-2014.
Lewis is one of only seven head coaches with four consecutive playoff berths in the last decade: Belichick, Coughlin, Harbaugh, Lewis, Fox, Tony Dungy, and Mike McCarthy.
Sports Central NFL All-Decade Team
QB Peyton Manning
RB Adrian Peterson
WR Calvin Johnson
WR Reggie Wayne
WR Andre Johnson
TE Antonio Gates
C Nick Mangold
G Logan Mankins
G Jahri Evans
OT Jason Peters
OT Andrew Whitworth
DT Justin Smith
DT Vince Wilfork
DE Jared Allen
DE Julius Peppers
OLB DeMarcus Ware
OLB Lance Briggs
ILB London Fletcher
ILB Patrick Willis
CB Darrelle Revis
CB Charles Woodson
FS Ed Reed
SS Troy Polamalu
K Sebastian Janikowski
P Mike Scifres
KR Devin Hester
ST Kassim Osgood
Second Team
QB Tom Brady, RB LaDainian Tomlinson, WR Larry Fitzgerald, WR Steve Smith, WR Anquan Boldin, TE Jason Witten, C Jeff Saturday, G Steve Hutchinson, G Chris Snee, OT Joe Thomas, OT Matt Light, DT Haloti Ngata, DT Darnell Dockett, DE J.J. Watt, DE Robert Mathis, OLB Terrell Suggs, OLB Karlos Dansby, ILB Brian Urlacher, ILB Derrick Johnson, CB Charles Tillman, CB Asante Samuel, FS Eric Weddle, SS Adrian Wilson, K Phil Dawson, P Dustin Colquitt, KR Josh Cribbs, ST Matt Slater
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