With the evolution of the passing game in football, the tight end position has likewise undergone a revolution from primarily an extra blocker to a versatile pass-catching weapon. In particular, the 21st century NFL has not only seen all-world tight ends like Tony Gonzalez and Rob Gronkowski (arguably two of the best tight ends ever), but also dominant forces like Antonio Gates and Jason Witten – the former is the most prolific scorer in league history at the position, while the latter is the all-time iron man among tight ends and also once held the single-season tight ends receptions record. Both longtime legends announced their retirement in recent years and are most assuredly Hall of Famers, thus bringing up the debate:
As one of the greatest rivalries in sports, the Chicago Bears and the Green Bay Packers have faced off as NFC North rivals more than 200 times dating back to 1921, with the latter holding a slight all-time lead in terms of won-loss record. Moreover, from Gale Sayers and Walter Payton to Jim Taylor and Paul Hornung, both franchises have a long tradition of standout running backs; in recent memory, two Pro Bowl running backs who donned the respective Bears and Packers uniforms during the 21st century were Matt Forte and Ahman Green – each was a consistent workhorse back in his prime with similar all-around versatility both running and catching the ball, thus making for an interesting comparison:
Beginning with the days of the “Steel Curtain” in the 1970s, the Pittsburgh Steelers have always been characterized by a ferocious defense; in particular, from the likes of Greg Lloyd and Kevin Greene to Jason Gildon to T.J. Watt today, a hallmark of their defensive scheme has consistently been elite pass-rushing outside linebackers. Notably, in the 2000s, the Steelers defense was anchored by successive brash pass-rushers, first with Joey Porter and then followed by James Harrison. Both among the top five career sack leaders in team history, each was an intimidating (and perhaps at times, dirty) player who will go down in team lore as a legend, but the question is:
The prototype power running back is an all-around offensive weapon who can carry a team’s offense with his ability to pound the football while also having the ability to catch passes out of the backfield. Over the past 20 years, two of the best power running backs to come around in the NFL have been Steven Jackson and Marshawn Lynch – in their respective primes, each was a true workhorse back known for his punishing running style and consistently producing 1,000-yard seasons year in and year out. With both players having hung up their cleats in recent years, it is perhaps a natural comparison to ask:
Who was better – Steven Jackson or Marshawn Lynch?
Perhaps no position in professional sports is as heavily scrutinized as the quarterback in football – win and you get all the glory, but lose and the burden of blame falls squarely on your shoulders. During the 21st century, perhaps no two quarterbacks have been as heavily criticized during their playing days as Jay Cutler and Tony Romo – though each put up prolific passing numbers in his prime, neither could guide their teams to much postseason success and thus were constantly under the microscope for perceived shortcomings. With both quarterbacks having retired from the NFL as players and made their way into the broadcasting booth, let us look back on the parallel careers of these much-maligned signal-callers and consider:
