The most underrated player in the whole league...

[bap1331]

in my opinion would have to be Adam Vinatieri.

I really thought about it and he NEVER gets credit for winning the 3 Super Bowls with the Patriots. Wasnt he the one that ended the games in game winning field goals? Also he led us to the Super Bowl in the 2006 season. If it werent for the field goal shootout in Baltimore, there would be no Super Bowl...lol.

who do you think is the most underrated player?

[GoPats]

in my opinion would have to be Adam Vinatieri.

I really thought about it and he NEVER gets credit for winning the 3 Super Bowls with the Patriots. Wasnt he the one that ended the games in game winning field goals? Also he led us to the Super Bowl in the 2006 season. If it werent for the field goal shootout in Baltimore, there would be no Super Bowl...lol.

who do you think is the most underrated player?

Not sure if I'd call AV underrated... he's usually mentioned as the player who a lot of people predict will be only the second "pure" kicker (meaning, he didn't play some other position too) who'll be voted into the HOF. Statistically speaking there have been better, more accurate, more consistent kickers in the NFL. But clutch-wise, Vinatieri blows them all out of the water.

The Patriots won two SBs on last-second kicks, yes, and a third on a FG that, at the time, put them up by 10 points. They ended up winning by 3, of course.

What a lot of people forget, though, is that in the Pats-Panthers SB, he missed a kick early in the game, and had another one blocked (it was kicked too low, not a guy coming in free or anything). So in some ways he set the stage for his own heroics in that one.

And also, SB kicks aside, the best kick Vinatieri ever made was the 45-yarder in the "Snow Bowl" or "Tuck Rule" game against the Raiders. It was a line drive into heavy winds and snow. He himself said after the game that he maybe makes that kick one or two times in ten tries. If he doesn't hit that one, they never get to play the Rams, and the SB winner is moot.

[Nobody]

Bethea.

[Gavin]

in the whole league....hmmm. Going back over last years games and looking at how well Jeff Saturday did at creating holes and running lanes in the run game (he was the best O Lineman when it came to run blocking on the team) I would have to say Jeff Saturday, He kept Manning pretty clean for years as well

[IndyTrav]

Steven Jackson or Roddy White

Bethea

[RGIII]

I don't think anyone mentioned in this thread so far is underrated. Perhaps they're not talked about a lot but when they are they all get a TON of well-deserved praise. I can't come up with a good candidate myself at the moment... but I think it would almost have to be one of those big uglies in the trenches who doesn't accumulate stats so much as help the guys around him look great. Jeff Saturday was probably on the right track but he's one of the more well-publicized centers in the league, IMO.

Kelly Gregg might have been a good candidate at one time (grossly overshadowed by darn near half that Ravens defensive squad but was a HUGE part of what made them such a good 3-4 team for the better part of a decade).

[GoPats]

I think it'd be easier if you categorized guys by position.

Offensive linemen, for instance, are rarely noticed for "good" things. You only notice the o-line when your QB is picking dirt out of his face mask.

You could lump "skill position" players together though.

[Gavin]

I don't think anyone mentioned in this thread so far is underrated. Perhaps they're not talked about a lot but when they are they all get a TON of well-deserved praise. I can't come up with a good candidate myself at the moment... but I think it would almost have to be one of those big uglies in the trenches who doesn't accumulate stats so much as help the guys around him look great. Jeff Saturday was probably on the right track but he's one of the more well-publicized centers in the league, IMO.

Kelly Gregg might have been a good candidate at one time (grossly overshadowed by darn near half that Ravens defensive squad but was a HUGE part of what made them such a good 3-4 team for the better part of a decade).

Casey Hampton in his healthy years

[21isSuperman]

Vinny isn't underrated. He is known to many as the most clutch kicker of all time and he is a HOFer. I would say Bethea is very underrated.

[RGIII]

Casey Hampton in his healthy years

Yep, he came to mind as well but he gets a little more recognition as being the bulwark of that line.

[Qwiz]

I think it'd be easier if you categorized guys by position.

Offensive linemen, for instance, are rarely noticed for "good" things. You only notice the o-line when your QB is picking dirt out of his face mask.

You could lump "skill position" players together though.

I agree. Whoever the most underrated player is, he is more than likely a left tackle on some team like the Packers or Patriots or something. Lineman never get respect lol.

[DILLIGAFER]

Jeff Saturday. Guy was Mannings right hand man for years and tney never missed a step. With all of Mannings change in plays, snap count, ect. Jeff had to always be on his toe's. Guy is better and smarter than he is given credit for.

[subvet]

in the whole league....hmmm. Going back over last years games and looking at how well Jeff Saturday did at creating holes and running lanes in the run game (he was the best O Lineman when it came to run blocking on the team) I would have to say Jeff Saturday, He kept Manning pretty clean for years as well

[Gavin]

I always thought that myself, one of the reasons I have a 63 jersey for gameday. Going to retire it now that Jeff is gone, I've always liked the linemens numbers so I'll probably get a 51 jersey before the season starts.

[Vance]

I agree. Whoever the most underrated player is, he is more than likely a left tackle on some team like the Packers or Patriots or something. Lineman never get respect lol.

Duane Friggin' Brown.

[Dan]

James Laurinaitis.

[Gammadoom]

Gotta be Tyler Thigpen. A solid quarterback that gets like zero respect whatsoever. Obviously the coaches see the guy in practice and know more than I do, but I felt that he showed a ton of potential in Kansas City.

[Qwiz]

Duane Friggin' Brown.

I heartily agree. Poor guy never gets recognition lol.

[MAC]

in my opinion would have to be Adam Vinatieri.

I really thought about it and he NEVER gets credit for winning the 3 Super Bowls with the Patriots.

What's your criteria? I consider Vinatieri to be one of the more over-rated players in the league.

An under-rated player is one who is essential to his teams success but who flies largely under the national media's radar. Considering kickers, McAfee may be under-rated at the moment. Vinatieri? People who can only name two kickers in the entire league will still fall all over each other in their eagerness to anoint Vinatieri one of the greatest of all time (totally out of proportion to his actual value, because all many people are capable of remembering are the final 30 seconds of close playoff games.)

I would be the first one to admit that I have no clue who the most under-rated player in the league is, because I'm not watching enough teams closely enough to even notice the candidates.

[The Peytonator]

Duane Friggin' Brown.

He's up there, but I gotta go with Andrew Whitworth as far as LTs go. Every Bengal game I've seen, he just completely eliminates his man, all game long. Jake Long and Joe Thomas get all the credit, but I think Whitworth is every bit as good.

[Vance]

He's up there, but I gotta go with Andrew Whitworth as far as LTs go. Every Bengal game I've seen, he just completely eliminates his man, all game long. Jake Long and Joe Thomas get all the credit, but I think Whitworth is every bit as good.

Based on 2011 I'd have to give Brown the edge. The only starting LT to not allow a single sack the whole season - including the playoffs.

[21isSuperman]

Based on 2011 I'd have to give Brown the edge. The only starting LT to not allow a single sack the whole season - including the playoffs.

That's incredible. Go 18 games without giving up a sack? Wow!

[The Peytonator]

Based on 2011 I'd have to give Brown the edge. The only starting LT to not allow a single sack the whole season - including the playoffs.

Well now. You sir, will get no argument from me when you present those stats.

I gotta say though, last year in our first meeting (when I was still excited about football), I remember a running play that went to the left side. Dwight Freeney literally picked Brown up and carried him into the backfield. It should have been a loss of about 3 yards, but Freeney's not the best tackler and whoever was playing WILL for us obviously just sucked. Other than that though, I was definitely impressed by Brown.

Another guy that completely shut Freeney down that I was surprised by was Donald Penn from TB. I'd never even heard of the guy, but I don't even think Freeney got a QB pressure against him.

[Vance]

Another guy that completely shut Freeney down that I was surprised by was Donald Penn from TB. I'd never even heard of the guy, but I don't even think Freeney got a QB pressure against him.

Well Penn was in the top 100. So obviously he's a good player, but I'd never heard of him before seeing him on the list.

[Nobody]

Well now. You sir, will get no argument from me when you present those stats.

I gotta say though, last year in our first meeting (when I was still excited about football), I remember a running play that went to the left side. Dwight Freeney literally picked Brown up and carried him into the backfield. It should have been a loss of about 3 yards, but Freeney's not the best tackler and whoever was playing WILL for us obviously just sucked. Other than that though, I was definitely impressed by Brown.

Another guy that completely shut Freeney down that I was surprised by was Donald Penn from TB. I'd never even heard of the guy, but I don't even think Freeney got a QB pressure against him.

Well Penn was in the top 100. So obviously he's a good player, but I'd never heard of him before seeing him on the list.

I only know Penn from Madden

[John Dee]

Haloti Ngata....... He is a poor man's Reggie White.

JMO

[Gavin]

Great player but will never be in Reggie Whites league though

[IndyTrav]

I think we all agree that a majority of OL are underrated. They are always going to be unfortunately.

But when the term underrated comes to my mind I try and think of people listing,say a top 5, at a certain position, and names of players who are generally left off. Which is why earlier I went with Steven Jackson and Roddy White. Both guys who could arguably be the overall BEST at the position (mostly Jackson).

However after putting a bit more thought into the defensive side, I feel the most criminally underrated player in the NFL is Justin Smith. That guy is an animal, and outside of perhaps Jared Allen is the hands down best DE in the game.

[chad72]

I think we all agree that a majority of OL are underrated. They are always going to be unfortunately.

But when the term underrated comes to my mind I try and think of people listing,say a top 5, at a certain position, and names of players who are generally left off. Which is why earlier I went with Steven Jackson and Roddy White. Both guys who could arguably be the overall BEST at the position (mostly Jackson).

However after putting a bit more thought into the defensive side, I feel the most criminally underrated player in the NFL is Justin Smith. That guy is an animal, and outside of perhaps Jared Allen is the hands down best DE in the game.

I totally agree here, with Justin Smith on the defensive side. On the offensive side, I also agree with Steven Jackson. Another guy I do like is Corey Webster of the Giants. Everytime I see him, he just does his job, nothing flashy but gets it done.

[UKCOLT17]

brown aint gunna give up many sacks cause the texans run the ball alot and hardly passed so not many players get to rush the qb

[HGRekks]

Last year he was injured, but Kyle Williams from the Bills gets my vote. I'm sure people will cite his Pro Bowl and All Pro appearances, but 1.)the Pro Bowls were as an alternate, and 2.) All Pros aren't voted on by fans. I don't think there are a whole lot of people underrated by the NFL itself, though.

He gets a ton of pressure on the QB, can hold up the double team, and was often times the only player worth a lick on that Bills team, especially in 2010. Better than a few household names, I'd say.