Big Blue Wrecking Crew 3rd Best Linebacking Corps
NFL.com is full of lists right now. Everyday, they have a new list for something. This one is definitely worth pointing out because it’s one of my favorites. So they made a list of the ‘Top 10 Linebacking Corps in NFL History’. Here it goes…
- Jim Mora’s Saints - “Rickey Jackson, Sam Mills, Vaughan Johnson and Pat Swilling combined for 13 trips to the Pro Bowl and helped the Saints earn respectability.”
- 1970s Steelers - “Hall of Famers Jack Ham and Jack Lambert were integral parts of Pittsburgh’s famed “Steel Curtain,” the catalyst for four Super Bowl wins.”
- Bill Parcells’ Giants - “Lawrence Taylor grabbed the headlines, but Harry Carson, Gary Reasons and Carl Banks were key contributors on two Super Bowl-winning teams.”
- Hank Stram’s Chiefs - “Hall of Famers Bobby Bell and Willie Lanier, along with the unheralded Jim Lynch, dismantled the favored Vikings in Super Bowl IV.”
- 1985 Chicago Bears - “Otis Wilson, Mike Singletary and Wilbur Marshall ran Buddy Ryan’s 46 defense to perfection as the Bears dominated the NFL.”
- Vince Lombardi’s Packers - “Led by Ray Nitschke, and also featuring Dave Robinson and Lee Roy Caffey, this group was key to one of the NFL’s greatest dynasties.”
- Steelers of the mid-1990s - “The foursome of Levon Kirkland, Kevin Greene, Greg Lloyd and Chad Brown weren’t the “Steel Curtain” revisited, but weren’t too far off.”
- 1980s Raiders - “Hall of Famer Ted Hendricks, as well as Matt Millen and Rod Martin, were major contributors on the last Raiders team to win a Super Bowl.”
- Orange Crush - “Randy Gradishar, Bob Swenson, Joe Rizzo and Tom Jackson teamed up to lead the Broncos to their first Super Bowl appearance.”
- 2000 Ravens - “Led by Ray Lewis, and complemented by Peter Boulware and Jamie Sharper, the Ravens defense dominated opponents en route to a title.”
I love great defenses so this is a list for me. Some of the franchises above are defensive powerhouses historically like the Bears, the Giants, and the Steelers. It is great to see that the original Big Blue Wrecking Crew got themselves up to No. 3 on the all-time list. Those were the days. In the same decade, the Jets had Mark Gastineau and Joe Klecko who anchored the New York Sack Exchange which were defensive lineman not linebackers. I would love to see the Jints put out a linebacking corps like that right now.
