Question of the Week v2.0

[Oiler35]

Top 5 of the following, followed by your explanation on why.

Linebackers (MLB, and OLB, combined)
Wide Receivers
Quarterbacks
Safteys/CBs (combined into one category)

 

[damien]

Linebackers (MLB, and OLB, combined)

1. Patrick Willis - Physical beast, tackle machine. Young and very talented. Perfect kid for a coach like Singletary.

2. James Harrison - Despite the new rules limiting Harrison's aggression, he is still a sure tackler, something that is a rarity for OLBs in a 3-4 defense. Add in the fact that he is so strong that he can reach double figures in sacks consistently, and Harrison is a beast.

3. DeMarcus Ware - Simply put, Ware can change the entire dynamic of a game by himself. An amazing pass rusher, offenses always have to be aware of where he is. However, he is also an underrated tackler, and certainly isn't a guy that many running backs will run over.

4. Jerod Mayo - NFL's leading tackler, a budding young star in the NFL. Certainly an underrated player, but he is the one player that will continue to fuel the Patriots' defense through their rebuild, and even when they come back to prominence.

5. Clay Matthews - Arguably the best pass rushing OLB in the league, Matthews leads the league with 11.5 sacks. He is also a pretty good tackler, and certainly is a great talent. It will be interesting to see if he can remain impactful now that NFL offenses are aware of his presence.

Wide Receivers

1. Andre Johnson - Johnson is the top receiver in the NFL in my mind. I mean, just look at the stats he's put up over the past few years. While Owen Daniels and Kevin Walter are pretty good receivers, they really don't take much pressure off of Johnson, but that doesn't stop him from having insanely productive seasons. I'd rather have Johnson and an average QB than I would an amazing QB and an average top receiver.

2. Calvin Johnson - I'm going to guess that Johnson will top most of you guys' lists, and he would top mine as well, if I would see him play more. I've only seen him in three or four games in his career, and thus can't really judge the impact he has on a game. He may be a beast, but I haven't seen him play enough to gauge that impact.

3. Reggie Wayne - Simply put, Wayne is one of the top receivers in the game. Many will say that his stats are padded by his having Peyton Manning throwing to him, but it seems as if Wayne always finds a way to make the spectacular plays when the Colts really need him to.

4. Roddy White - A bonafide receiver, who gives Matt Ryan a great option to throw to. He caught for almost 1200 yards last year, despite Ryan missing significant time with injury. White is underrated by many, but that really needs to stop, because he is one of the top talents in the league at his position.

5. Greg Jennings - It may be a pretty bold call here, but in every Packer game I've seen over the past 3 seasons or so, Jennings was able to greatly impact the game just by being on the field. With Jermichael Finley on the IR and Donald Driver slown by injuries, defenses can really spotlight Jennings, but he still performs well for the Packers.

Quarterbacks

1. Peyton Manning - Talk all of the smack about Peyton that you want. He isn't clutch, he's always had amazing receivers to throw to, blah blah blah. The bottom line is, this is a game of 53 players, not one. One player can certainly catalyze the team, as Manning does every year, taking this 8-8 team to 13-3 consistently, but in the end it takes a team effort. The Colts lack the talent around Manning to be a great playoff threat, but Manning continues to be incredible for them.

2. Phillip Rivers - Simply put, look at the injuries that the Cahrgers' receivers have had, look at the guys Rivers has had to throw to, and then look at his stats. Rivers is a top notch NFL quarterback, and is the guy that I would pick to build my franchise around. He's feiry, he's competitive, he's talented, and he's young.

3. Tom Brady - A lot of people like to say that Brady has regressed to the point where he isn't one of the top quarterbacks anymore, but I think that that's an absolute croc. He has had to throw to a lazy Randy Moss, a Wes Welker that has been focused on more by defenses because of Moss's slump, a Brandon Tate that is an inexperienced, inconsistent receiver, and a crop of young tight ends. Kudos for Brady for taking this team with an average receiving corps, a below average run game, and a young, rebuilding defense, to the upper echelon of the NFL.

4. Aaron Rodgers - A terrific combination quarterback. Rodgers has a nice strong arm, and is a very accurate quarterback, but he needs to work on his decision making a bit. However, his ability to run really adds a new dynamic to the game. He doesn't have a Michael Vick like impact, but it is certainly a think that defenses have to worry about.

5. Eli Manning - I know I'm going to be bashed like crazy for this one, and the billions of Eli haters are going to say that he isn't even in the top half of NFL starting quarterbacks, but seriously, just look at his receiving corps. Hakeem Nicks is basically Braylon Edwards with an IQ higher than his age, Steve Smith is an overglorified slot receiver that the NFL figured out after 10 weeks or so last season, Manningham doesn't have spectacular hands, and Kevin Boss is an average receiving tight end. With this crop of receivers (and them suffering from injuries to boot) Manning has taken this team much higher than many expected this year. Add in that like 8 of his interceptions bounced out of his receivers' hands, and Eli is much better than most think.

Safteys/CBs (combined into one category)

1. Darelle Revis - We saw the talent last season. Revis has been down this year so far, but he is starting to regain his 2009 form.The guy is capable of shutting down any receiver in the NFL, he can make very, very nice interceptions, and he is a pretty good tackler for a cornerback, too.

2. Troy Polamalu - I really think that the impact of the loss of Polamalu for the Steelers last year embodied how good he is. I think the team was something like 4-6 without him, and 5-1 with him. Polamalu is amazing at anticipating plays, has incredible insticnts, is a great tackler, and can make the big play interceptions too.

3. Charles Woodson - While not a great cover corner, Woodson is able to make big plays and play safety and linebacker as well as his natural cornerback position. He has the toughness that you really rarely see in corners, and he's a good tackler. Should he have been the defensive player of the year last year? I think it's debatable, but his impact was certainly great.

4. Asante Samuel - He has the best hands in the NFL when it comes to defensive backs, in my opinion. He had 9 picks last year, and has 7 so far this year. He isn't a great cover corner, and can sometimes allow the big play, but he can also really impact games with his great catching ability.

5. Champ Bailey - He may be getting older, but he is still talented. Bailey has been one of the top shutdown corners in the NFL for a while, but he hasn't been amazing in coverage this year. He seems to allow the receivers he covers to have okay gamers pretty often, but never really allows them to break out and have a huge game.