Bill Cowher Names His Top 5 Steelers Defensive Players Of All-Time

Good list

Joe is definitely on top

 

Yeah, I can't argue with anything on that list.

 

Swap Rod and Mel and Id agree.


Rod was no doubt special but Mel was on another planet while being on another level. Never gonna see CBs like him ever again. Hell, even the rules designed to outlaw Mel Blount didnt work either!

 

When Jack Lambert doesn't crack the top 5, you know you've had some real studs on D!

 

Hell... even among cornerstone Franchises like the Vikings, Raiders, 49ers or even some like the Cowboys and Packers, one can make a very strong argument for Jack Lambert in the top five.... which is saying quite a bit!

 

Woodson I think coach Cowher has a soft spot for him because Woodson played for him .
But as special as Woodson was, some of it was his return ability.
I would still put Blount #2 .

This reminds me of when NFL films makes the top ten Steelers and a number of people say there should be more,10 isn't enough.
Well if 10 isn't enough a top 5 is a matter of opinion or favorites .
Joe is #1 and will forever be #1 . Before Joe the Steelers were like the Browns after Jim Brown. He and Knoll changed the chemistry.
I might move Troy up only for being such a wild man on the field his crazy diving int's , his timing the snap perfectly and diving over the LOS to break up a play before it even started.
He was such fun to watch , Can't remember who they were playing but the opponent throws deep on 1st down Troy breaks it up 35 yds deep. 2nd down Troy slices through the line and stops the RB for a 2 yds loss as soon as he takes the ball. Third down the pitch it wide and Troy comes so fast he chops the RB legs out from under him so hard he almost lands on his head.
3 plays 3 stops One Troy I mean who does that.

Joe He is Joe.
Blount Dominant
Troy Spectacular
Woodson Athletic
Lambert Attitude

I can't make any list of best and not have Jack.

 

I love Watt, but until he gets some hardware he’s not on this list.

 

I disagree with any list that doesn't have Jack Lambert on it.

 

Hardware? Are you kidding me? So he can be Steelers all time sack leader and he doesn’t make your list coz he didnt get no hardware?
What is your definition of hardware? A Super Bowl ring?

 

Really an impossible list to make. But in no particular order, Ham, Lambert, Polamalu, Green, Blount. Obviously, I have a soft spot for the 70's Steelers. Woodson and Watt could easily be in there.

 

Watt can't control that. The Steel Curtain guys were surrounded by Hall of Famers. Watt doesn't have that and may never have it. If anything, that makes his dominance even more impressive.

 

Agree on Watt, lets see how he ends up at the end of his career, hopefully win a few playoff games and last a whole season (has he ever played a whole season?)

until then;

Joe
Jack
Mel
Troy
Woodson

 

Is your list the best Steelers defensive players, or the best Steelers defensive players with lots of hardware? Lol

But on a more serious note, a list like this is pretty hard to do. There been a lot of great players over a very long period of time. But great players are made by great competition. So to some degree it's situational. Rules are different, training is different, nutrition is different, the money is different, a level of the competition is different and more. For me it's very hard to compare somebody who's playing now with somebody who played 40 years ago. Can you imagine a TJ Watt playing in the '70s? He might actually suck. The tackling rules are far different. Back then, a good tackle meant you blew somebody up. And vice versa, a great player from the '70s who is transported to the future would be drawing an unsportsman-like conduct on every play. The play styles are so vastly different over many decades.

It Is very hard to objectively create a top five, top 10 or top anything list. It tends to be more of a famous and successful players that I like list......lol

 

Is this tongue-in-cheek, or is that how you really think? I think it's fine to leave him off the list (I'd put him behind Troy for sure), but why does anyone think team statistics (like "hardware," I'm guessing you mean Super Bowl rings) represent individual performance?

Sometimes there's overlap for sure, but not always. The team is 72-33-2 when he plays, and 1-10 when he doesn't. PPG are 22.1 to 19.5 with him, and 16.6 to 26.3 without him. No one would argue that's a coincidence. With numbers like that you'd think that stat was about prime Peyton Manning vs. Curtis Painter. And we're talking about a linebacker.

So, you're not serious, right? Are you new to the board/football in general?

 

What's weird about Cowher's list and omitting Lambert, is that Lambert was the Steeler that mirrored Cowher's tenacity the most.

 

I love Watt and think he is on a great trajectory. Without taking anything away from Watt, you have to respect the greatness of Lambert’s career.

11 year playing career
6x All Pro
2x 2nd Team All Pro
9 Pro Bowls
DPOY
Defensive Rookie of the Year
etc
etc

I recognize that Lambert played on an incredible defense with other hall of fame players. I would also recognize that Lambert was a central figure on those defenses, which speaks to his greatness.

For the time being, I think the nod goes to Lambert. Give Watt a few more years at this trajectory and I could see that changing.

 

First off I think you know that I’m not new to the board.
I just think the only way Watt can bump a guy like Lambert off. The list is with some postseason success. Just my opinion.

 

Since Watt was drafted, Steelers have not won a playoff game. Not his fault, but that's crazy and disturbing. I blame popcorn.

 

yea, jack gotta be on there.

 

I honestly don't understand that opinion. By that logic, are we calling Terrell Davis better than Barry Sanders? We ranking Matt Light above Joe Thomas?

 

Woodson has no hardware unless your including when he won some on a hated rival. But I understand your point.

It's Cowhers list. And really only 5? How about 10.

When he is injured they just don't win. I believe only one time. And yes the constant has to shelve a lot of the blame.