Category Archives: Football

H2H 130: Maurice Jones-Drew vs. Brian Westbrook – Who was Better?

In the NFL, bigger is usually better, but running back is one position where players of all shapes and sizes can succeed.  In fact, a number of small and shifty running backs with versatile skills and low centers of gravity have had great success throughout the years – standing at 5’10” or below and weighing in around 200+ pounds apiece, Maurice Jones-Drew and Brian Westbrook were each among the best dual-threat backs (and first-round fantasy draft picks) for a number of years during the mid-to-late 2000s before injuries and age took their toll.  Looking back on the stellar careers of these two mighty mites, the question is:

Who was better – Maurice Jones-Drew or Brian Westbrook?

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H2H 126: Jamal Lewis vs. Clinton Portis – Who was Better?

During the 2000s, the D.C. area’s NFL teams, the Baltimore Ravens and the former Washington Redskins, were characterized by hard-nosed ground games on offense; spearheading these rushing attacks were two powerful, between-the-tackles runners in Jamal Lewis and Clinton Portis.  Both were true workhorse backs who possessed the toughness and skill to rack up 1,000+ rushing yards year in and year out and give an unquestionable identity to their teams.  However, this type of punishing running style ultimately took its toll and limited each player to less than a decade in the NFL – looking back on their similarly productive careers, the question is:

Who was better – Jamal Lewis or Clinton Portis?

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Countdown 95: Top 10 Cornerbacks in NFL History

Who are the top cornerbacks in NFL history?  Here is our top 10 countdown:

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Countdown 91: Top 10 Chicago Bears of All Time

Who are the top Chicago Bears of all time?  Here is our top 10 countdown:

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H2H 121: Drew Bledsoe vs. Carson Palmer – Who was Better?

Since the inaugural NFL Draft in 1936, roughly 40% of #1 overall picks have been quarterbacks; this should not be surprising as for a basement-dwelling team, a franchise quarterback is perhaps the most important piece to turning around the team’s fortunes.  Thus, for the New England Patriots in the early 1990s and the Cincinnati Bengals a decade later, they took signal-callers Drew Bledsoe and Carson Palmer, respectively, with the top picks in the draft.  Though neither turned out to be a Hall of Famer like Terry Bradshaw, John Elway, or Peyton Manning (fellow #1 overall pick quarterbacks), both were prototypical big-bodied, strong-armed pocket passers who had long and productive NFL careers – given their similar draft status, playing style, and career accomplishments, it is a natural comparison to ask:

Who was better – Drew Bledsoe or Carson Palmer?

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Countdown 88: Top 10 San Francisco 49ers of All Time

Who are the top San Francisco 49ers of all time?  Here is our top 10 countdown:

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H2H 117: Jamaal Charles vs. Chris Johnson – Who was Better?

In football, there is the saying that “speed kills” – as a result, at the NFL Combine each year, one of the most closely tracked metrics is the 40-yard dash, even though its ability to predict greatness at the next level is at best murky.  Nevertheless, at the running back position, the 2008 NFL Draft saw the arrival of two of the fastest running backs ever in Jamaal Charles and Chris Johnson, with Johnson at one point running the fastest 40-yard time ever.  With their blazing speed, both backs were multi-purpose weapons and among the game’s most productive offensive players at their respective peaks (and consensus first-round fantasy draft picks) – their similar styles of play and levels of production thus raises the question:

Who was better – Jamaal Charles or Chris Johnson?

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Countdown 84: Top 10 NFL Players of the 1950s

Who are the top NFL players of the 1950s?  Here is our top 10 countdown:

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H2H 112: Brandon Marshall vs. Reggie Wayne – Who was Better?

With the NFL becoming more and more of a passing league, there has been no shortage of outstanding wide receivers since the turn of the 21st century.  In addition to the no-doubt Hall of Famers like Randy Moss, Larry Fitzgerald, or Calvin Johnson, the recent group of top-flight pass-catchers has tremendous depth and includes underrated, but highly prolific and consistent receivers like Brandon Marshall and Reggie Wayne.  While Marshall and Wayne were never quite THE best receivers in the league, each one was an annual 1,000-yard pass-catcher and a weekly fixture in fantasy football starting lineups; with their careers largely overlapping in the 2000s and 2010s, it is only natural to line them up side-by-side to compare and wonder: 

Who was better – Brandon Marshall or Reggie Wayne?

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Countdown 80: Top 10 NFL Players of the 1960s

Who are the top NFL players of the 1960s?  Here is our top 10 countdown:

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