Top 10 Tacklers of All Time (The Snubbing of London Fletcher)

[bu7ch]

There were several years where Ray Lewis had absolutely atrocious defensive talent around him - from about 2003-2005, when guys like Boulware and Adams were wearing down, Reed hadn't hit his stride yet, their defensive depth was shattered, and they were just transitioning into the 3-4.

Laron was an elite cover safety in 2008. I don't know why people just gloss over this fact. It's really baffling - Laron Landry played REALLY REALLY GOOD for a year, then he has a bad year and all of a sudden that's what he is.

Landry is far from anything elite.

[SkinsFTW]

I haven't watched as much football of other teams as I did in the 90's, being over in Japan for so long, but I remember Junior Seau on the Chargers back in the early to mid 90's when I lived in SD at the time. He was a great playmaker, made a lot of tackles and was all over the field, pro bowl every year too but was still exploited pretty regularly by coaches like Schottenheimer and Shanahan because of his over pursuit. IMO, I'd rather have a guy like Fletcher at MLB but I also preferred Monk over guys like Lofton as well so what do I know?

[Brandon Lloyd Christmas]

BLC, of course youre entitled to your opinion but you articulated it months and months ago. We understand your position and nearly to a man it appears that we think it stinks. We know what kind of LB Fletcher is and what he deserves because we've SEEN it. Get it through your head that there is NOTHING , I repeat NOTHING that you can possible say to change that. He IS a great linebacker that does NOT get the credit that he rightly deserves, period. Suck it up, get over it and move the hell on please.

im sure you were heartbroken about the media snubbing him in buffalo. lol

i know exactly what LF: an awesome blue collar linebacker. end of story.

[DeaconBlue]

im sure you were heartbroken about the media snubbing him in buffalo. lol

i know exactly what LF: an awesome blue collar linebacker. end of story.

See this is what Im talking about. You've said this very same thing ad infinitum and I'm still not changing my mind nor do I think you've changed anyone elses. Doing the exact same thing over and over and expecting a different outcome is a sign of mental illness. Get another hobby.

[monkeezgob]

So lets clarify...in order to make the pro-bowl you have to be an absolute ass and beat your chest and scream for every tackle...

another issue that know one has considered is that Ray Lewis played for the best defense of the last decade...this allowed him almost on a regular basis to run free and get easy tackles. Fletch has been forced to shed blockers and still manage to get almost equal stats...

Just to clarify, I am not saying that Fletch is a better LB then Lewis, I am just stating that Fletch doesnt get the recognition he deserves

In that case Landry should be going to the pro-bowl every season.

[MumboSauce]

Baltimore had Peter Boulware, Michael McCrary(sp) Jamie Sharper if memory servers. Hardly no names, those guys balled.

[Commander Adama]

There were several years where Ray Lewis had absolutely atrocious defensive talent around him - from about 2003-2005, when guys like Boulware and Adams were wearing down, Reed hadn't hit his stride yet, their defensive depth was shattered, and they were just transitioning into the 3-4.

Laron was an elite cover safety in 2008. I don't know why people just gloss over this fact. It's really baffling - Laron Landry played REALLY REALLY GOOD for a year, then he has a bad year and all of a sudden that's what he is.

So you are saying Terrell Suggs, Gary Baxter, Adalius Thomas, and Chris McAlister all sucked??? Reed hadn't hit his stride yet even though he led the team in interceptions in those years?

Also, the only elite thing about Landry was when he played SS across from Sean Taylor, and let's face it, if you had a choice to go up against Taylor or Landry, I would run at Landry every single time. I honestly think you want Landry to be more than he is, and don't get me wrong, I am hoping he has a huge breakout year this year.

[The Robert Griffin Experience]

Baltimore had Peter Boulware, Michael McCrary(sp) Jamie Sharper if memory servers. Hardly no names, those guys balled.

All of them were on the decline at that point. Suggs was a rookie. Reed wasn't truly great until about 2004. Thomas wasn't a regular starter until 2005, and Baxter was slightly above-average. And even then, they didn't have much depth especially along the line until they drafted Ngata and signed Pryce.

But keep trying to act like Fletcher is some kind of hall of famer just because he's "ours".

[Commander Adama]

All of them were on the decline at that point. Suggs was a rookie. Reed wasn't truly great until about 2004. Thomas wasn't a regular starter until 2005, and Baxter was slightly above-average. And even then, they didn't have much depth especially along the line until they drafted Ngata and signed Pryce.

But keep trying to act like Fletcher is some kind of hall of famer just because he's "ours".

[sARCASM]Yeah that's it.[/sARCASM] Even though if you look at the original post, it's even said that Randy Gradishar and Donnie Edwards have been snubbed as well, but nice try trying to negate a whole argument because you try to insinuate there is bias.

[Skin'Em84]

This just proves that tackling is a vastly underrated skill. It's like people knocking Tim Duncan cuz he isn't flashy.

[Brandon Lloyd Christmas]

See this is what Im talking about. You've said this very same thing ad infinitum and I'm still not changing my mind nor do I think you've changed anyone elses. Doing the exact same thing over and over and expecting a different outcome is a sign of mental illness. Get another hobby.

right, so me saying my opinion over and over is "mental illness" but constantly crying that london fletcher is being snubbed by the media is perfectly ok.

got it.

[DeaconBlue]

right, so me saying my opinion over and over is "mental illness" but constantly crying that london fletcher is being snubbed by the media is perfectly ok.

got it.

I said my peace about him and Im done with it , now Ive done all I can to give you clue. keep futilely banging your head against the wall. No one deserves the headache more than you. So have fun and I wash my hands of you.

[NewCliche21]

right, so me saying my opinion over and over is "mental illness" but constantly crying that london fletcher is being snubbed by the media is perfectly ok.

got it.

I dunno, guys. I love Fletcher and think that he's underrated, but Hall of Fame? I'd love to see it, but I never will. The other players may not have had the numbers of Fletcher, but they are playmakers. Fletcher's not.

Quick, name ten great plays that Fletcher made. Now ten by Ray Lewis (whom I hate and have documented that on this board a lot).

Which list was easier to make?

Lewis is a hell of a playmaker, and that gets you in the Hall of Fame. Numbers aren't the whole story.

[Brandon Lloyd Christmas]

I dunno, guys. I love Fletcher and think that he's underrated, but Hall of Fame? I'd love to see it, but I never will. The other players may not have had the numbers of Fletcher, but they are playmakers. Fletcher's not.

Quick, name ten great plays that Fletcher made. Now ten by Ray Lewis (whom I hate and have documented that on this board a lot).

Which list was easier to make?

Lewis is a hell of a playmaker, and that gets you in the Hall of Fame. Numbers aren't the whole story.

youre such a hater! lol

but you are 100% correct. hes not a playmaker in the way that the scary linebackers are. and frankly i think people are blinded by the fact that hes a redskin, as im sure 99.999% of these people didnt give a **** about his snubbing or lack of attention when he was in st louis and buffalo.

as for the hall, he'll be one of those guys that floats around ballots for a loooong time because of his amassed tackle numbers, but honestly i doubt itll get him in.

[allannis]

I thought He was in the Pro Bowl last year. Must have been a different London Fletcher

[Seabee1973]

Just to clarify. Here's this years stats.

Ray Lewis. 121 tackles. 2 FF. 0 INT. 3 Sacks.

London Fletcher 134 tackles 1 FF 1 Int. 2 Sacks.

Gee. Who's the game changer?

How many tackles for losses and how many were downfield for each player?

[Commander Adama]

I don't see how people can say Ray Lewis is a game changer while London Fletcher is not. There are plays that attract people's eyes to certain plays, but that is just their personalities and nothing more. For instance, Lavar Arrington's play in college was phenomenal when he jumped over the line to make that play. Was it a fantastic play? Absolutely. Was he a game changer? No. The hype he brought to the NFL carried his name to Pro Bowl voting, but he never was a game changer in my opinion. Conversely you have London Fletcher, the quiet leader, who can read offenses and make plays, and after he is done making a play, he lines up to do it again. He doesn't do a dance, or pantomime some warrior-esque move to show his masculinity. He just does his job, which changes games. After Pierce left to the Gnats, we were atrocious, after Fletcher got here our Defense instantly improved. Game changer.

[Spade]

You gotta take the homer shades off for a second if you don't think Ray Lewis is a hof'er and with London's numbers and the fact he never missed a game, he's good enough to get in to. Both London and Ray are game changing linebackers I watched London do it against I believe it was Roy Williams when he was with the Lions and he got blasted by London to end the game and Ray I seen do it countless times to. All the murder jokes are pretty pathetic at this point, these two men have different styles of leading a team, you make not like Ray's style but he get's his team hyped up and ready to play on Sundays. I never seen 1 guy get so many people huge contracts with other teams and then you never here from them again, but Ray is that dude.

[Ryko]

I didn't read through all the pages of this thread, but did anyone notice that lawyer milloy was the only defensive back on that list? I thought that was pretty impressive, I would never have guessed he was the top tackling defensive back of all time (I assuming thats what this list means for him)

[ouvan59]

at least art monk made some probowls, was on 3 superbowl teams, and was considered a 3rd down conversion machine. he also set the record for most receptions by the time he retired (if i remember correctly).

and i dont think its about showboating, its about "wow" moments, and fletcher doesnt have any.

I think the "wow" moments are what keeps him out of the Pro Bowl but I don't think the "wow" moments keep him from being a game changer. Lavar had a ton of "wow" moments but he wasn't half the player overall that Fletcher is. Fletcher is in the right place every single play and he rarely misses a tackle. That is a game changer in my book. Tackling a RB five yards in the backfield on one play and then giving up 30 yards on a swing pass the next play isn't what I'm looking for. Stopping the running back for a one yard gain on first down is.

[Skin'Em84]

You know, I've been thinking. How does being a top 3 tackler in the league not game changing?

You don't think stopping people on third down changes a game?

Tackling is a lost art. London has mastered it.

[TheLongshot]

How many tackles for losses and how many were downfield for each player?

See, the problem with such an argument is that we start getting into differences in scheme and the responsibility of the MLB. If you are a MLB who is expected to go up the field and penetrate, like say Trotter was, you would expect more sacks and tackles behind the line. If your role is to read the backfield and move wherever the play is going, you are going to get less of those type of plays.

[Commander Adama]

I thought He was in the Pro Bowl last year. Must have been a different London Fletcher

Wow, fantastic insight, though reading comprehension may be something you may need to work on. Did you happen to notice the date the original post was done? :doh:

[Commander Adama]

If you are a MLB who is expected to go up the field and penetrate, like say Trotter was, you would expect more sacks and tackles behind the line. If your role is to read the backfield and move wherever the play is going, you are going to get less of those type of plays.

Exactly!

Now people are getting what we are saying wrong. We are not saying that Ray Lewis is not a Hall of Fame player. He definitely is, first ballot. I know what I am saying is how can you overlook Fletcher when he is a possible Hall of Famer yet has only been an alternate to a Probowl and only got to go because the other was playing in the Superbowl. That is just plain wrong.

[Portis for 6]

I think RFK getting snubbed In the "top 10 home field advantage" was way worse!!!