Tag: NFL 100

Dolphins legend Dan Marino named to NFL 100 all-time roster

Miami Dolphins QB Dan Marino has been named to the NFL’s all-time roster.

Thank goodness. The NFL’s season-long celebration of 100 years of NFL football culminated yesterday with the release of the 10 quarterbacks who would be honored as members of the NFL 100 All-Time team — and they got this one right. Several Miami legends were passed over throughout the course of the exercise, but the league got the last decision around a Miami Dolphin right — Hall of Fame quarterback Dan Marino has made the list.

The way in which Marino re-wrote the passing records throughout the 1980s and 1990s was unthinkable — Marino was two decades ahead of his time based on his production in the NFL versus what the rules allowed at the time. You’ll often hear former NFL players reference Marino as a player that would thrive in today’s modern league with the new rules towards hitting quarterbacks and offensive skill players running routes.

But instead, Marino will go down in NFL history as one of the trailblazers of the quarterback position. The first quarterback to throw for over 5,000 yards in a single season and the long-time record holder for the best individual passing performance in NFL history for his magical 1984 season. Those numbers have since been surpassed, but it was the manner in which Marino did it in ’84 and the time that passed between his accomplishments and when the records fell that further cement his legacy as an all-time great.

Marino’s release still, to this day, is considered the quickest release in all of football. The NFL 100 panel did a great job explaining why it was so important to Marino’s game.

Marino joins Dolphins WR Paul Warfield, C Dwight Stephenson and head coach Don Shula as Miami’s representatives on the NFL 100 All-Time roster, a modest representation of the history of this long-time proud franchise.

Here’s to the next 100 years — and the next centennial roster having a few more Miami Dolphins on it as well.

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Broncos QBs John Elway, Peyton Manning named to NFL 100 All-Time Team

Former Broncos quarterbacks John Elway and Peyton Manning were named to the NFL 100 All-Time Team on Friday evening.

Former Broncos quarterbacks John Elway and Peyton Manning were among 10 quarterbacks named to the NFL 100 All-Time Team on Friday evening, joining Joe Montana, Tom Brady, Brett Favre, Johnny Unitas, Otto Graham, Sammy Baugh, Roger Staubach and Dan Marino.

Elway was originally drafted by the Colts in 1983 but after being traded to Denver, he went on to spend his entire 16-year career with the Broncos. Elway helped Denver reach five Super Bowls, winning two of them in the late 1990s before retiring.

Elway earned nine Pro Bowl nods, a league MVP award and a Super Bowl MVP award during his time with the Broncos. A member of the 1990s All-Decade Team and the Broncos’ Ring of Fame, Elway was enshrined in the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 2004. He now serves as the team’s GM.

Manning was also drafted by Indianapolis. After spending the first 14 years of his career with the Colts, Manning signed with Denver as a free agent in 2012. He went on to help the Broncos win the AFC West four-straight times and appeared in two Super Bowls with Denver, winning one of them.

A 14-time Pro Bowler, one-time Super Bowl MVP and five-time league MVP, Manning is a member of the NFL’s 2000’s All-Decade Team and the Colts’ Ring of Honor. He will be eligible for Pro Football Hall of Fame in 2021. He retired in 2016 as the game’s all-time leader in passing yards (71,940) and passing touchdowns (539).

Broncos outside linebacker Von Miller, cornerback Champ Bailey and tight end Shannon Sharpe were among the franchise’s snubs on the league’s all-time team. Elway and Manning are the only players on the list who spent notable parts of their careers in Denver.

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Draft bust Ryan Leaf jokes about NFL 100 All-Time Team snub

Ryan Leaf’s got jokes.

To celebrate its 100th season, the NFL put together a 26-person voting panel to decide a list of the 100 greatest players in history. The panel’s choices have proven to be controversial, which will inevitably happen with any “all-time greatest list,” but Terrell Owens’ omission is the most baffling decision of all.

Owens, who was forced to wait to enter the Hall of Fame despite his credentials, is third in all-time receiving yards and third in receiving touchdowns, yet somehow the committee found 10 wide receivers more deserving of inclusion. Owens called the outcome “despicable,” and it’s hard to argue with him.

Former Chargers quarterback Ryan Leaf, the No. 2 overall pick in the 1998 NFL Draft behind Peyton Manning, jokingly tweeted on Tuesday that he’s launched a support group for players like himself and T.O. who were snubbed by the NFL.

The NFL will reveal the full list of 10 quarterbacks on the All-Time team on Friday night. Joe Montana and Tom Brady have already been announced, while the final eight quarterbacks will come from this list of finalists:

  • Troy Aikman
  • Sammy Baugh
  • Terry Bradshaw
  • Drew Brees
  • John Elway
  • Brett Favre
  • Dan Fouts
  • Otto Graham
  • Bobby Layne
  • Sid Luckman
  • Peyton Manning
  • Dan Marino
  • Joe Namath
  • Aaron Rodgers
  • Bart Starr
  • Roger Staubach
  • Fran Tarkenton
  • Johnny Unitas
  • Norm Van Brocklin
  • Steve Young

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PODCAST: Bills turn attention to Wild Card weekend post-Patriots loss

Buffalo Bills podcast following 24-17 loss to New England Patriots.

The Bills couldn’t get the job done against the New England Patriots. Poor execution on the offensive side, with an inability to extend drives, led to exhaustion and sloppy play on the defensive side of the ball. The Patriots experienced one of their better games of this back half of the season against Buffalo on both sides of the ball.

For the Bills, it’s not the end of the world, fortunately. While the idea that they were in the race for a home playoff game in Week 16 was enticing, they’re still in the postseason, and they still have a shot. The only ways that Buffalo would see the Patriots again is one of two situations.

First, both the Bills and whoever is the sixth seed win. Lowest remaining seed goes on to face Baltimore, and Buffalo would end up facing New England in the divisional round. Secondly, if both Buffalo or New England win out, and they meet in the AFC Championship.

That all sounds good and well, but one game at a time has to be the mentality, and right now, despite a meaningless Week 17 game against the Jets, Buffalo is slated to face either Houston or Kansas City come Wild Card Weekend.

Billswire podcast host ost Matt Johnson recaps the Bills-Patriots game and looks ahead to Wild Card weekend:

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Terrell Owens was left off the NFL’s all-time team and Twitter was furious

T.O. should absolutely be on this list.

Terrell Owens is undoubtedly one of the best wide receivers to ever play in the NFL. He’s third all-time in receiving yards with 15,934, third all-time in receiving touchdowns with 153 and eighth all-time in total receptions with 1,078.

There’s absolutely no way you can have a conversation about the best wide receivers in NFL history without bringing up his name.

Yet, somehow, though, the NFL managed to find a way.

As a part of an initiative celebrating the league’s 100th season, the NFL crafted an all-time team with 100 players named to it. The 100-member team had a specific number of players at each position.

Wide receiver included 10 players: Lance Alworth, Raymond Berry, Larry Fitzgerald, Marvin Harrison, Elroy Hirsch, Don Hutson, Steve Largent, Randy Moss, Jerry Rice, and Paul Warfield. Not even a mention of Owens.

He took to Twitter to voice his displeasure about his omission.

Lots of other people followed his lead, saying the league very clearly got it wrong. Many of the people coming to his defense were his peers.

Just like his case for the Hall of Fame, it seems that Owens is once again being punished for being a difficult teammate. He was selected to the Hall of Fame in his third year of eligibility.

NFL reporter Judy Battista, one of the voters on the panel of 26 who selected the team, acknowledged that Owens was indeed a finalist. She couldn’t definitively say that his behavior was a problem, but acknowledged that that could’ve been the reason why.

Via NFL.com:

“It’s hard to say if that is why Owens did not make the all-time list — nobody on the panel said as much, and we do not know how each other voted — or if he ran into the same problem so many other stellar players at every position did: There were so many great candidates but so few spaces open.”

Either way, it feels ridiculous to leave a talent like Owens off of this list. The You can’t talk about the NFL in the 2000’s without bringing him up.

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Dolphins pick up second representative on NFL 100 all-time roster

The Miami Dolphins have picked up a second representative on the NFL 100 all-time roster.

Wide receiver Paul Warfield wasn’t just a Miami Dolphin. The receiver actually spent the majority of his professional career with the Cleveland Browns — 8 of his 13 seasons, to be exact. But Warfield’s best days came as a Dolphin. Throughout 5 seasons in Miami, Warfield played in three Super Bowls, won two, was named to five Pro Bowls and was twice named an All-Pro.

That’s a pretty darn good half a decade. And so when the NFL announced that Warfield was among the wide receivers included in the NFL 100 all-time roster, it was a Miami Dolphins uniform Warfield sported in the graphic. Rightfully so.

To his credit, Warfield’s recognition and honor would have been well deserved no matter what. The receiver was one of the most potent offensive weapons of the 1970s, averaging 20.1 yards per reception over 13 NFL seasons. Warfield’s career featured 85 receiving touchdowns between his time in Cleveland and Miami and eventually landed him a spot in Canton as an enshrined member of the Pro Football Hall of Fame.

Miami is running slim on additional candidates to be honored. The team honored head coach Don Shula with the coaches. Could this team also included the man before his time in Dan Marino? He’s the only option left for the Dolphins.

Playing to Marino’s favor is how heavily skewed the all-time roster has been to date with players no longer in the playing field. Of all those who have passed Marino in the all-time passing record books, many haven’t called it a career yet. Tom Brady will claim a spot as an active player. Recently retired Peyton Manning will as well. If the NFL 100 roster only have 5 spots for quarterbacks, Marino may be in trouble — the roster will still need to find spots for Joe Montana, Johnny Unitas and potentially others.

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Khalil Mack, Cordarrelle Patterson named to USA Today’s All-Decade Team

Two Chicago Bears have been named to USA Today’s All-Decade Team: Outside linebacker Khalil Mack and kick returner Cordarrelle Patterson.

Two Chicago Bears have been named to USA Today’s All-Decade Team: Outside linebacker Khalil Mack and kick returner Cordarrelle Patterson.

While both haven’t been with the Bears for very long — Mack is in his second year and Patterson his first with Chicago — they’ve already had lasting impacts on the franchise.

In Mack’s first season with the Bears, he amassed 12.5 sacks, a career-high six forced fumbles and 18 quarterback hits. But even more than that, it was his presence on the field that added a new wrinkle to Chicago’s defense. Even when he’s not making an impact on the box score, he’s affecting every play.

Before Mack was traded to the Bears in 2018, he established himself as one of the NFL’s best defenders with the Oakland Raiders. In 2016, Mack was named Defensive Player of the Year following a season where he registered 15.0 sacks and 23 tackles-for-loss. Mack has now been voted to five straight Pro Bowls (three with the Raiders, two with the Bears).

In Patterson’s first season with the Bears, he’s breathed life into Chicago’s kick return game. He ranks second in the league with a 29.6-yard average on 27 kickoff returns, and he’s ran one back 102 yards for a touchdown against the Saints. More than a kick returner, Patterson has proven to be an impressive gunner on special teams.

When the Bears signed Patterson in the offseason, they were adding a dynamic weapon that affected plays on both offense and special teams. Patterson ranks second in NFL history averaging 29.9 yards on 203 kickoff returns. He also ranks third all-time on the NFL’s kickoff return touchdowns list with seven.

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Dolphins Hall of Fame center Dwight Stephenson named to NFL 100 roster

The great Dwight Stephenson is the first Miami Dolphin alumni to make the NFL 100 roster.

Now that’s more like it! The NFL has been rolling out the red carpet to honor legends of the game in celebration of their 100th season of football — but yet a historic team in the Miami Dolphins has seen their best of the best shut out of the selection process. Until now, that is. Finally, the Miami Dolphins have a representative on the NFL’s roster of the all-time greats: Hall of Fame center Dwight Stephenson has been added to the roster as the league’s celebration creeps towards the final reveals.

Stephenson’s greatness is unquestioned — although one can’t help but wonder what his career would have eventually gone on to look like had he not suffered a devastating knee injury at the hands of the New York Jets on a meaningless hit behind the play.

That injury prompted Stephenson’s premature retirement in 1987, just seven seasons after he was made a 2nd-round selection by the Dolphins.

With more longevity, Stephenson’s mark on the Dolphins and mark on the game of football may have been even more profound — yet despite a relatively short playing career Stephenson’s legend has been cemented and he’s still considered one of the consensus top centers in NFL history. His play is something the Dolphins could sure use a little more of these days as they struggle to find consistent protection for their quarterback.

In the 68 games overlapped by Stephenson and Hall of Fame quarterback Dan Marino from 1983 to 1987 with Miami, Marino was sacked a grand total of 65 times. It seems Miami gives up that many per season these days — but that’s a testament to how good Miami’s line was with Stephenson as the anchor.

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Broncos legend Shannon Sharpe snubbed from NFL 100 All-Time Team

Former Broncos tight end Shannon Sharpe was snubbed from the NFL 100 All-Time Team on Friday. He won three Super Bowls during his career.

Denver Broncos legend Shannon Sharpe was not among the five tight ends named to the NFL 100 All-Time Team on Friday evening. Instead, the league selected Mike Ditka, Tony Gonzalez, Rob Gronkowski, John Mackey and Kellen Winslow.

Sharpe isn’t the first former Bronco to get snubbed. Cornerback Champ Bailey, safety Brian Dawkins, defensive lineman DeMarcus Ware, linebacker Von Miller and running back Terrell Davis were all nominated but did not make the cut. NFL Network is yet to reveal which wide receivers and quarterbacks made the all-time team.

If former quarterback John Elway does not make the list, there’s a chance that the Broncos won’t have any representatives on the all-time team. That would be surprising given that Denver has made it to eight Super Bowls since 1970.

Sharpe won three Super Bowls during his career, two in Denver and one with the Ravens. The eight-time Pro Bowler and four-time first-team All-Pro is a member of the NFL’s 1990s All-Decade Team and the Broncos’ Ring of Fame. Sharpe ranks third in receiving yards (8,439) and third in receiving touchdowns (55) on Denver’s all-time list. He was enshrined in the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 2011.

Ditka and Winslow were questionable selections over Sharpe.

Ditka made five Pro Bowls and won one Super Bowl as a player, totaling 5,812 receiving yards and catching 43 touchdowns in his career. Winslow was also a five-time Pro Bowler but did not win a Super Bowl. He totaled 6,741 receiving yards and 45 touchdowns in his career.

Sharpe’s 10,060 career receiving yards rank fourth in NFL history among tight ends. His 62 receiving touchdowns represent 19 more than Ditka’s total and 17 more than Winslow’s total.

Sharpe is ranked No. 3 on Broncos Wire’s list of the 100 greatest players in franchise history. Sharpe now stars alongside Skip Bayless on FS1 talk show Skip and Shannon: Undisputed, which airs on weekday mornings.

The complete team of 100 players and 10 coaches will be revealed on NFL Network on Friday, Dec. 27 in celebration of the league’s 100 years.

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Ex-Chargers TE Kellen Winslow named to NFL 100 All-Time Team

A former Charger great joins a handful of the best players to play in the National Football League.

Former Chargers tight end Kellen Winslow has been named to the NFL 100 All-Time Team.

Winslow joins linebacker Junior Seau on the 100-player roster, which is being revealed position by position as the series within the celebration of the league’s 100th season.

Regarded as the one that revolutionized the position, Winslow set the record for most receiving yards in a single season by a tight end with 1,290 yards in 1980. In the same year, Winslow led the NFL in receptions with 89.

Winslow’s performance against the Miami Dolphins in the 1981 playoffs is his most memorable moment in his career.

Winslow finished the game with an NFL playoff-record 13 receptions for 166 yards. But it’s his blocked field goal at the end of regulation to force the game into overtime that may have been his biggest play of the game.

After nine seasons in the league, Winslow retired in 1987 due to multiple knee injuries that hampered him throughout his stint with the Chargers.

He finished his career with 541 receptions, 6,741 yards, 45 touchdowns, five Pro Bowl selections, along with being inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 1995.

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