Buftex Posted July 24, 2006 Author Share Posted July 24, 2006 1. Frank Lewis.2. Roland Hooks. 3. Eugene Marve. 727835[/snapback] I kind of screwed up my own thread, I had meant to stick with the "last 15 years" theme of other recent posts like this. Being that I loved those Chuck Knox era teams, all of these guys deserve mention...I might also throw in Steve Freeman and Charles Romes... Another guy from that era that seems to get overlooked, and one of my top 5 Bills of all times, was Jerry Butler. I think those of us old enough to remember him, appreciate how great he was, but his career was cut short by injuries, so lots forget about him...Joe Cribbs was also a great RB, whose career was cut short by a cheap owner, and the lure of the USFL dollar! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kelly the Dog Posted July 24, 2006 Share Posted July 24, 2006 I kind of screwed up my own thread, I had meant to stick with the "last 15 years" theme of other recent posts like this. Being that I loved those Chuck Knox era teams, all of these guys deserve mention...I might also throw in Steve Freeman and Charles Romes... Another guy from that era that seems to get overlooked, and one of my top 5 Bills of all times, was Jerry Butler. I think those of us old enough to remember him, appreciate how great he was, but his career was cut short by injuries, so lots forget about him...Joe Cribbs was also a great RB, whose career was cut short by a cheap owner, and the lure of the USFL dollar! 727956[/snapback] Romes was a great player. It's my opinion that 1980 and 1990 were the only two years in Bills history that we were the best team in the league. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BuffOrange Posted July 24, 2006 Share Posted July 24, 2006 It's my opinion that 1980 and 1990 were the only two years in Bills history that we were the best team in the league. 727986[/snapback] Huh, I've never heard this before but '80 was a bit before my time so I looked up the season here.. This was apparantly before homefield in the playoffs was based on merit? The Bills had the same record as the Chargers but beat them and had to play in SD. Beat Oakland pretty good too. How the F*% did they get swept by the Colts. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
stuckincincy Posted July 24, 2006 Share Posted July 24, 2006 How the F*% did they get swept by the Colts. 727998[/snapback] Joe Erhmann from Riverside H.S.! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kelly the Dog Posted July 24, 2006 Share Posted July 24, 2006 Huh, I've never heard this before but '80 was a bit before my time so I looked up the season here.. This was apparantly before homefield in the playoffs was based on merit? The Bills had the same record as the Chargers but beat them and had to play in SD. Beat Oakland pretty good too. How the F*% did they get swept by the Colts. 727998[/snapback] In 1979 season's Super Bowl, The Steelers beat the Rams. In the 1980 season SB the Raiders beat the Eagles. In the next season's SB, The 49er beat the Bengals. So that 1980 Bills team beat both of the previous seasons Super Bowl opponents, the 1980 SB winner (and didnt play the loser) and both of the following seasons Super Bowl teams. 5-0 against them. We had the best team in the league but injuries in the playoff game to the QB and a few others sabotaged the run. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tennesseeboy Posted July 24, 2006 Share Posted July 24, 2006 Joe Erhmann from Riverside H.S.! 728005[/snapback] I was at South Park. We played against Riverside. Ehrman was a monster. In Basketball we had to play Bennet H.S. with Bob Lanier. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Matt in KC Posted July 24, 2006 Share Posted July 24, 2006 I'll say Sam Cowart. He was an absolute tackling machine for the Bills and had the stats, but not the recognition and hype Ray Lewis received. If he didn't have that Achilles heel injury, and hit FA healthy, I think every NFL fan in the US would have known his name. Maybe he doesn't fit "underappreciated" by Bills fans, but from a league perspective, I think he was. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ganesh Posted July 24, 2006 Share Posted July 24, 2006 Kent Hull. 727779[/snapback] I wouldn't call Hull underrated....He is on the Bills Wall of Fame....and made quite a few Pro Bowls especially in the era of Bruce Matthews and the guy who was in Pittsburgh.... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bill from NYC Posted July 24, 2006 Share Posted July 24, 2006 I'll say Sam Cowart. He was an absolute tackling machine for the Bills and had the stats, but not the recognition and hype Ray Lewis received. If he didn't have that Achilles heel injury, and hit FA healthy, I think every NFL fan in the US would have known his name. Maybe he doesn't fit "underappreciated" by Bills fans, but from a league perspective, I think he was. 728042[/snapback] Very true. In just a few years, our LBs dropped to injuries one after the other. We lost Covington (a particular favorite of mine), Cowart, Paup (NFL Defensive Player of the Year), Holocek, and Speilman. All of these guys were solid, some literally great. Btw, although the term "under rated" doesn't apply. I think that Kerner was on his way to being a solid player when he went down to injury. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mickey Posted July 24, 2006 Share Posted July 24, 2006 I kind of screwed up my own thread, I had meant to stick with the "last 15 years" theme of other recent posts like this. Being that I loved those Chuck Knox era teams, all of these guys deserve mention...I might also throw in Steve Freeman and Charles Romes... Another guy from that era that seems to get overlooked, and one of my top 5 Bills of all times, was Jerry Butler. I think those of us old enough to remember him, appreciate how great he was, but his career was cut short by injuries, so lots forget about him...Joe Cribbs was also a great RB, whose career was cut short by a cheap owner, and the lure of the USFL dollar! 727956[/snapback] Up until Reed and Lofton, Butler was the best receiver I had ever seen in a Bills uniform and that includes Haven Moses, JD Hill, Frank Lewis, Bobby Chandler and Marlin Briscoe. Had he not been derailed by injuries, I think he had the talent to get to the Hall. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bob in STL Posted July 24, 2006 Share Posted July 24, 2006 Underrated back-in-the-day, and forgotten now: Frank Lewis. I'll never forget the game he had in the 1981 play-offs against the Jets... most dominant player on the field that day by far. 727771[/snapback] Concur ... for that era. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bob in STL Posted July 24, 2006 Share Posted July 24, 2006 Last 5 Years: Brian MoormanLast 10 Years: Doug Flutie (personally I couldn't stand the midget, but he did single handedly save the franchise) Last 15 Years: Frank Reich Last 20 Years: Jim Ritcher Last 25 Years: Bill Simpson (although there are a lot more to choose from) 727898[/snapback] I disagree with all of these names. Moorman - known as one of ther top punters in the league today. Flutie - Gets more publicity as a backup than most starters; his Hail Mary pass will live forever. Reich - Forever known for "the comeback"! Ritcher - Was under rated for many years but is known in Buffalo as a Wall of Fame guy Bill Simpson - He had pro-bowl credentials as a LA Ram and played less than 2 full years as a Buffalo Bill; he fell down in the San Deigo playoff game loss and that play cost us the game. How about a guy like Joe Devlin? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MDH Posted July 24, 2006 Share Posted July 24, 2006 I'll say Sam Cowart. He was an absolute tackling machine for the Bills and had the stats, but not the recognition and hype Ray Lewis received. If he didn't have that Achilles heel injury, and hit FA healthy, I think every NFL fan in the US would have known his name. Maybe he doesn't fit "underappreciated" by Bills fans, but from a league perspective, I think he was. 728042[/snapback] Bingo. Before his injury he was every bit as good and Lewis as was just starting to get the recognition he deserved. My second choice (in the last 15 years, not 25) would be A. Winfield. He didn't have the ability of Clements but he was (is) a superior cover man in both man to man and zone and a madman against the run...yet it's Clements who got all the praise. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JDG Posted July 24, 2006 Share Posted July 24, 2006 Moorman - known as one of ther top punters in the league today. 728103[/snapback] Sure, he's rated as one of the top punters in the League, but the truth of the matter is that Moorman a couple years back was actually the Team's MVP. As long as he's only being compared to other punters, and not as one of the best players on the Bills, he's still being underrated. JDG Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sen. John Blutarsky Posted July 24, 2006 Share Posted July 24, 2006 Damien Covington was very underrated. His injury de-railed what was about to be a terrific career. Unfortuantely it apparently sidetracked him off the field as well as he was shot to death by people who had come to his home in Lindenwold, NJ to buy weed. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BillsCelticsAngelsBama Posted July 24, 2006 Share Posted July 24, 2006 1980's... Jeff Nixon :a very good safety from Richmond... an injury ended his short career. Also, I thought Derrick Burroughs and Nate Odomes were outstanding cover men. Other nominees : Roland Hooks, Leon Seals and Jim Braxton. Yes I am old !!! Take Care Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ans4e64 Posted July 24, 2006 Share Posted July 24, 2006 Jamie Mueller Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pete Posted July 24, 2006 Share Posted July 24, 2006 Rob Riddick. You needed a yard you got a yard, you needed two you got it. TD machine! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GhostsOfTheRockpile Posted July 24, 2006 Share Posted July 24, 2006 Are we talking underrated league-wide or just by Bills fans? If we're talking just by Bills fans, I'm going to say, despite his short career (thanks to injury), Damien Covington. Or Phil Hansen (still can't figure out if he was as good as he was SOLELY by virtute of being opposite Bruce). Or Henry Jones. But if we are talking a player lacking league-wide recognition, it has to be someone like Darryl Talley, Hull, Cowart for a little while, etc. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Jokeman Posted July 24, 2006 Share Posted July 24, 2006 (edited) Are we talking underrated league-wide or just by Bills fans? If we're talking just by Bills fans, I'm going to say, despite his short career (thanks to injury), Damien Covington. Or Phil Hansen (still can't figure out if he was as good as he was SOLELY by virtute of being opposite Bruce). Or Henry Jones. But if we are talking a player lacking league-wide recognition, it has to be someone like Darryl Talley, Hull, Cowart for a little while, etc. 728247[/snapback] Aaron Schobel. The fact remains that Schobel is underrated by both the league and Bills fans in general. Many like to compare him to Phil Hansen but the reality he is far superior. As Schobel's collected 46.5 sacks in 80 career games, compare that to Hansen's 61.5 in 156 games and then tell me who's the better pass rusher. He's also surpassed Hansen in interceptions and forced fumbles and only 2 pass defensed behind again despite playing nearly half as many career games. I know someone will retort Hansen was a better run stuffer, well his stats due support this as he averaged 4.06 tackles per game compare that to Schobel's 3.73. To put that in perspective, over a season that amounts to 5.28 more tackles per season hardly a sifnificant difference if ask me. While Aaron will never be a Bruce Smith, a once in a lifetime (ie true franchise player) he very well could be the 2nd best DE we've ever had. EDIT: I originally miscalculated Hansen's tackles and have corrected them. Edited July 25, 2006 by The Jokeman Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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