As you may remember, last year we presented a list and counted down the most overrated and underrated players in the NBA. Now with the NFL season quickly approaching, and training camps across the nation showcasing the top gridiron gladiators the NFL has to offer, we thought it was only right to let you know who isn't as good as advertised. We all know the media as well as fellow fans hype up certain players that when you see them on Sundays, don't live up to the hype. Some more than others. We'll countdown the ones with the most undeserved hype right now so you can openly mock the ones who sing the praises of these hyped up average joes.
1. Joe Flacco
This may be the easiest call in the history of anything in the realm of sports. Prior to last years Superbowl run that was aided by a great defense and an incompetent Denver safety who couldn't properly time a jump, Joe Flacco was just a run of the mill, interception machine that only Baltimore fans dared to ride for. Now he wins a title and plays well in a few playoff games and I'm supposed to call him elite? No way in hell. I cant be the only one who remembers Jacoby Jones running wild and winning the Lombardi trophy almost single-handedly, only to have his glory stolen by some schlub named Flacco, simply because he was the quarterback. If the Ravens' front office wants to give an average-at-best gunslinger all of their money, then so be it. But don't get mad at me when I point out how they are simply throwing their money away on a quarterback who has peaked. Joe Flacco deserves no hype, much less the Manning-like hype he has been receiving recently. I cant wait until the Bengals defense gets a hold of him and exposes him. I cant wait to see how ESPN reacts to the public shaming of their golden child.
2. Tony Romo
Tony Romo should go ahead and send Joe Flacco a gift basket for keeping him out of the number one spot on this list. Romo has never one a single thing in his career. Not a single thing, and yet he was just given more money than he could ever count by the Cowboys because the only entity more ridiculous than Tony Romo, is the team he plays for. Jerry Jones continue to bet his franchise on the underachieving arm of a no-name QB turned starter that has crapped away more games than he has won. Count up the interceptions and the miscues that led to turnovers and its plain to see that Romo deserves a spot on this list for life. If there is ever an overrated hall of fame, Romo is without a doubt a first ballot inductee.
3. Matt Schaub
We can bring up the subject of never winning anything without bringing up the always over hyped, Matt Schaub. The man under center for the Texans has been serviceable most of the time, but has for some reason gained a reputation for being an above average quarterback for no real reason. He has been the beneficiary of some amazing offensive weapons. From Andre Johnson, to Arian Foster and even Owen Daniels. And what has he done with it? He;s taken a backseat to Arian Foster and possibly wasted the prime years of Andre Johnson's career by only being able to throw a deep ball and never having any sort of touch or exceptional accuracy. He has a huge arm and will have a decent career, but don't get it twisted when it comes to Matt Schaub there is simply nothing special about him.
4. Clay Matthews
During the Packers' Superbowl run, the NFL nation was swept up in the flowing lochs and celebrations of one Clay Matthews. He had a great postseason run but he has been living off of those few games ever since. He can cause havoc when let loose, but struggles with his assignments especially when asked to drop back in coverage. Matthews has the ability to produce big plays, but they overshadow the lack of fundamental play he brings to the table, as well as the missed tackles he lets slip away in the backfield. He makes a big show of making a big play, but it is all or nothing for the Green Bay linebacker, and at the end of the day he makes many more mistakes than big plays and it forces the rest of that Packer defense to pick up the slack. He can be fun to watch when he makes a ball hawking play, but he is absolutely not an elite NFL linebacker.
5. Phillip Rivers
Besides occasionally making Jay Cutler look like a punk (we thank you for that Phillip) Rivers has never really achieved the potential that most still believe he possesses. Year after year the Chargers seemed poised to make a deep playoff run and also appear to have an elite offense led by Rivers. And year after year neither one of those things come to fruition. Yes, Rivers can lead the San Diego faithful to the playoffs, but for the praise he receives he has to be held to higher standards than that. He has a great deep ball and can have incredible performances but we have also seen complete meltdowns filled with turnovers and sacks piled high on top of each other. Phillip Rivers may be destined to be a quarterback who's potential always outweighed his NFL reality, but it is time for us to start accepting reality. That reality is that Phillip Rivers will never be a top quarterback in the National Football League, regardless of what any so-called experts would have you believe.
Honorable Mention: Andrew Luck
In the coming years Andrew Luck may very well become a very good NFL signal caller, but he has not proven a thing so far and since day one has been treated as the next coming of Dan Marino. He had good numbers last year, but lets not forget how the Colts babied Luck with their system. They asked him to do as little as possible to protect him, kept him in the pocket and never really called upon him to make difficult throws down field. With the heavy dependence on swing routes from the backfield and check down throws in the flat, Luck hasn't proved a thing yet in his young career. Not to mention the ungodly amount of interception Luck threw in his rookie year. I'm not saying he is a bust, in fact he is far from it but until he carries that team on his back like a Manning or Brady does, he will never sniff the upper-class of quarterbacks. He has not shown himself to be a field general or anything close and until the Colts ask him to make some real throws that should be expected of top-shelf QBs, we wont know exactly how good Andrew Luck really is.
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