BlitzburghRockCity
06-15-2012, 01:18 PM
If you ask most of the Steeler Nation, they'll tell you that the 2 Steeler outside linebackers are some of the best in the business. An article in Football Nation (http://www.footballnation.com/content/jared-allen-headlines-top-20-pass-rushers-nfl/15000/?ref=email) has them both listed in the top 5 of the entire NFL. Jared Allen is listed as #1. If you check out the article, they've got other notables listed as follows: Suggs listed at #11, Jason Pierre-Paul at #12, Clay Matthews at #14, and Mario Williams at #16
Agree?
3. James Harrison
The NFL’s meanest player since Jack Lambert has racked up 54 sacks since becoming a starter for the Steelers in 2007.
With an average of just under 11 sacks per season during that time span, Harrison isn’t as dominant statistically as Allen or Ware.
Last season Harrison only had 9 sacks, but he also played in just 11 games. When he was on the field, Harrison was just as effective as he’s ever been.
Like DeMarcus Ware, Harrison has 27 forced fumbles in his career.
Nine sacks might not sound like a great season, but Harrison was ranked fifth overall by Pro Football Focus in their signature stat, pass rushing productivity.
From 2008-2010, Harrison ranked third in the league in pass rushing productivity. He hasn’t slipped at all, he just got hurt. If he’s healthy again next season, watch out AFC North.
Harrison might be the most unique pass rusher in the league. At 6’0”, he’s the shortest player on this list with the exception of Elvis Dumervil. Although his build is far from the prototype of a 3-4 outside linebacker, Harrison uses his relatively short stature to his advantage.
He’s one of the strongest players in the game, not just at his position. Due to his lack of height and exceptional strength, Harrison is able to use leverage to his advantage better than any other pass rusher in the league. Since he stays extremely low in his stance before the snap, Harrison wastes absolutely no movement in his rush.
He has the best rip move in the game in my opinion, which leaves tackles hard pressed to stop him without holding, which they often do. I don’t think I’ve ever seen a player held more often than James Harrison.
One of the reasons that I ranked Harrison so high is what he does for the Steelers' defense as a pass rusher. He is the second best player on what has been the NFL’s best defense since he became a starter. It is largely because of the extra attention Harrison receives that LaMarr Woodley has been able to emerge as a premier pass-rushing outside linebacker. It’s also worth mentioning that although I ranked Harrison below Allen and Ware, I consider him to be a better overall player.
I’m ranking pass rushers and Harrison doesn’t consistently rack up the same kind of sack numbers year in and year out that Allen and Ware do, but he is a much better player against the run. Ware might rack up more sacks, but he is a complete liability in the running game.
Since he’s so committed towards rushing the passer almost every single down, he is easily trapped by pulling guards. Harrison, on the other hand, holds up very well in the run at the point of attack, and is also great in backside pursuit. It’s no accident that Harrison plays for the far superior defense, seeing as he is a more complete and unselfish player than Ware.
5. LaMarr Woodley
LaMarr Woodley isn’t too far behind James Harrison anymore. Since becoming a starter in 2008, Woodley has 44 sacks, averaging 11 a year. For his career he has 7 forced fumbles, 7 fumble recoveries, 4 interceptions, and 14 passes defended.
From 2008-2010, Woodley was ranked fourth in the league in Pro Football Focus’ pass rushing productivity, just one spot behind his partner in crime Harrison. There is no doubt that Woodley benefitted greatly from the attention Harrison received earlier in his career, but at this point no one is sleeping on Woodley either.
Offenses now have to prepare for him just as much as they prepare for Harrison. In the four games Harrison missed to injury last year, Woodley came through with 7.5 sacks.
Woodley is a relentless pass rusher. He has exceptional upper and lower body strength, which is fairly obvious just from looking at his massive arms and tree-trunk thighs. He’s one of the few pass rushers that you’ll ever see truly run over and flat-out pancake an offensive lineman.
Complementing his knack for jumping the snap count, Woodley has excellent initial quickness off the line. He is the type of pass rusher than can’t be defined just in terms of sacks because he gets so many hits and pressures on the quarterback.
Woodley’s got a really effective hand slap in his pass-rushing repertoire, to go with a host of other moves and counter-moves. He typically engages tackles before they have the chance to get their hands on him, gets under their pads, shows good leg drive, and collapses the pocket with his bull rush.
Not only is Woodley effective exploding off the edge, he also has the ability to shoot the inside gaps on stunts. Between Woodley and Harrison, quarterbacks are really forced to get the ball out quickly against the Steelers, which is the main reason they almost never give up big plays.
Agree?
3. James Harrison
The NFL’s meanest player since Jack Lambert has racked up 54 sacks since becoming a starter for the Steelers in 2007.
With an average of just under 11 sacks per season during that time span, Harrison isn’t as dominant statistically as Allen or Ware.
Last season Harrison only had 9 sacks, but he also played in just 11 games. When he was on the field, Harrison was just as effective as he’s ever been.
Like DeMarcus Ware, Harrison has 27 forced fumbles in his career.
Nine sacks might not sound like a great season, but Harrison was ranked fifth overall by Pro Football Focus in their signature stat, pass rushing productivity.
From 2008-2010, Harrison ranked third in the league in pass rushing productivity. He hasn’t slipped at all, he just got hurt. If he’s healthy again next season, watch out AFC North.
Harrison might be the most unique pass rusher in the league. At 6’0”, he’s the shortest player on this list with the exception of Elvis Dumervil. Although his build is far from the prototype of a 3-4 outside linebacker, Harrison uses his relatively short stature to his advantage.
He’s one of the strongest players in the game, not just at his position. Due to his lack of height and exceptional strength, Harrison is able to use leverage to his advantage better than any other pass rusher in the league. Since he stays extremely low in his stance before the snap, Harrison wastes absolutely no movement in his rush.
He has the best rip move in the game in my opinion, which leaves tackles hard pressed to stop him without holding, which they often do. I don’t think I’ve ever seen a player held more often than James Harrison.
One of the reasons that I ranked Harrison so high is what he does for the Steelers' defense as a pass rusher. He is the second best player on what has been the NFL’s best defense since he became a starter. It is largely because of the extra attention Harrison receives that LaMarr Woodley has been able to emerge as a premier pass-rushing outside linebacker. It’s also worth mentioning that although I ranked Harrison below Allen and Ware, I consider him to be a better overall player.
I’m ranking pass rushers and Harrison doesn’t consistently rack up the same kind of sack numbers year in and year out that Allen and Ware do, but he is a much better player against the run. Ware might rack up more sacks, but he is a complete liability in the running game.
Since he’s so committed towards rushing the passer almost every single down, he is easily trapped by pulling guards. Harrison, on the other hand, holds up very well in the run at the point of attack, and is also great in backside pursuit. It’s no accident that Harrison plays for the far superior defense, seeing as he is a more complete and unselfish player than Ware.
5. LaMarr Woodley
LaMarr Woodley isn’t too far behind James Harrison anymore. Since becoming a starter in 2008, Woodley has 44 sacks, averaging 11 a year. For his career he has 7 forced fumbles, 7 fumble recoveries, 4 interceptions, and 14 passes defended.
From 2008-2010, Woodley was ranked fourth in the league in Pro Football Focus’ pass rushing productivity, just one spot behind his partner in crime Harrison. There is no doubt that Woodley benefitted greatly from the attention Harrison received earlier in his career, but at this point no one is sleeping on Woodley either.
Offenses now have to prepare for him just as much as they prepare for Harrison. In the four games Harrison missed to injury last year, Woodley came through with 7.5 sacks.
Woodley is a relentless pass rusher. He has exceptional upper and lower body strength, which is fairly obvious just from looking at his massive arms and tree-trunk thighs. He’s one of the few pass rushers that you’ll ever see truly run over and flat-out pancake an offensive lineman.
Complementing his knack for jumping the snap count, Woodley has excellent initial quickness off the line. He is the type of pass rusher than can’t be defined just in terms of sacks because he gets so many hits and pressures on the quarterback.
Woodley’s got a really effective hand slap in his pass-rushing repertoire, to go with a host of other moves and counter-moves. He typically engages tackles before they have the chance to get their hands on him, gets under their pads, shows good leg drive, and collapses the pocket with his bull rush.
Not only is Woodley effective exploding off the edge, he also has the ability to shoot the inside gaps on stunts. Between Woodley and Harrison, quarterbacks are really forced to get the ball out quickly against the Steelers, which is the main reason they almost never give up big plays.