Ray Lewis

[JonM229]

Mark Kreigel of Yahoo! Sports makes a case for Ray Lewis as the best defensive player ever:

[url="http://msn.foxsports.com/nfl/story/9069518/On-the-Mark:-Give-Ray-Lewis-his-due?MSNHPHMA"]http://msn.foxsports.com/nfl/story/9069518...is-due?MSNHPHMA[/url]

[MKdave]

Wow, I'm surprised about those Butkus stats.

[JonM229]

[quote name='MKdave' post='128547' date='Jan 13 2009, 02:40 PM']Wow, I'm surprised about those Butkus stats.[/quote]
You mean [i]these [/i]stats:
[quote]Dick Butkus, long considered the standard for middle linebackers, was finished by 31 as well. Butkus never even made the playoffs. What's more, as Sean Lahman points out in The Pro Football Historical Abstract, the Butkus Bears "finished in the bottom half of the NFL's defenses five out of nine seasons."[/quote]

[MKdave]

[quote name='JonM229' post='128548' date='Jan 13 2009, 07:42 PM']You mean [i]these [/i]stats:[/quote]

obviously
But specifically the :[quote]Butkus Bears "finished in the bottom half of the NFL's defenses five out of nine seasons."[/quote]

[5 and Counting]

My vote still, and will always go to Jack Lambert, the original intimidator.

[PIG 20]

[quote name='5 and Counting' post='128556' date='Jan 13 2009, 02:53 PM']My vote still, and will always go to Jack Lambert, the original intimidator.[/quote]

Lambert = top ten but not the best.

Singletary and LT were better linebackers than Lambert. Let alone Ray.

[neepo13]

[quote name='5 and Counting' post='128556' date='Jan 13 2009, 02:53 PM']My vote still, and will always go to Jack Lambert, the original intimidator.[/quote]

We wouldnt expect otherwise.

[funky141]

Ray Lewis is one heck of a football player, I'd put to the top of his class..

[jfc13]

Like the article said, Ray Lewis brings more than the stats. He brings the stats, too, but he also brings leadership and makes his teammates bring up their own games. Add to that longevity considering the tough position he plays and...

Ray Lewis is my choice for the best defensive player. Ever.

[MKdave]

I think he can be considered the best ever if there's a noticable dropoff in this defence's performance immediately after he retires. Then we can say, with only the slightest modicum of doubt, that the Ravens Defense that has been ALWAYS among the best for 13 years (the span of Lewis' career) is Ray Lewis' doing. And that should mean that he is the greatest ever.

[Sub-Zero]

let's not forget in those 13 years their were major shifts of philosophy on defense, yet the defense has remained what it is

[RavenMore]

We really cant compare the players of today to the players of the past. Schemes are different, game play is different, the way they worked out was different, there have been so many changes to football that it really is almost impossible to truly compare past to present on stats alone

[saved72907]

I sure do hope that when Ray gets too old to contribute physically, he sticks around as a coach and gives his knowledge to future young LB's that come throught our system. Maybe he can replace Rex Ryan one day.

[RavenMore]

[quote name='saved72907' post='128656' date='Jan 13 2009, 04:35 PM']I sure do hope that when Ray gets too old to contribute physically, he sticks around as a coach and gives his knowledge to future young LB's that come throught our system. Maybe he can replace Rex Ryan one day.[/quote]

Wouldnt that be something great to see...a ray lewis version of defensive schemes

[MKdave]

I don't think Ray would make a great D coordinator.
Great linebacker coach, for certain, and probably a great head coach too. But he just doesn't strike me as someone who would come up with all the crazy plays rex does. I think Ray would be a disciplinarian, very old school. Which probably would provide some good defenses, but not the havoc creating one that we have now.

[raylewismvp]

yes. End of question

[H8R]

[quote name='5 and Counting' post='128556' date='Jan 13 2009, 02:53 PM']My vote still, and will always go to Jack Lambert, the original intimidator.[/quote]


Yup, anyone from Pittsburgh has to be better! I forgot.

[Shawn`]

Best defensive player EVER? I just don't know about that.

Best linebacker ever? Yes, definately.

[kash96ravenstotalfan]

[quote name='jfc13' post='128574' date='Jan 13 2009, 03:13 PM']Like the article said, Ray Lewis brings more than the stats. He brings the stats, too, but he also brings leadership and makes his teammates bring up their own games. Add to that longevity considering the tough position he plays and...

Ray Lewis is my choice for the best defensive player. Ever.[/quote]
I couldn;t agree more.

[Quote The Raven]

Yes.

[codizzle]

[quote name='Shawn`' post='128744' date='Jan 13 2009, 04:46 PM']Best defensive player EVER? I just don't know about that.

Best linebacker ever? Yes, definately.[/quote]
i thought the same thing too at first...

but, who is better? seriously i cant think of anybody that would top him

[RavenFever]

I agree that Ray is the very best. His leadership and his agressiveness set him apart.

I would have to see film of Lawrence Taylor again though when thinking about big hits. I'm in my 50's and I can remember the Giant's and the great 'LT'. He really had a special talent

[smashmouth]

I'd give Him the best LB ever title, or at least top 3. He is the best LEADER of all time without question.

[BloodRaven]

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