Sports Illustrated Survey: Terrell Owens Is Most Overrated Player

by Josh Kirkendall on Oct 20, 2010 10:04 AM EDT in Analysis

Sports Illustrated surveyed 239 players in the NFL, asking who is the most overrated player in the NFL, supposedly in some trivial effort to generate, well, news maybe? We're not exactly sure. Debates? Self-appointed sports discussions? Who knows. Either way, they asked who the most overrated player in the NFL is.

Number two is Tony Romo, who has gone to three Pro Bowls in four years as the Cowboys starting quarterback with 55 starts and a 38-17 record. Along with two 4,000 thousand-yard passing seasons and a 36-touchdown season in 2007, Romo's career passer rating sits at 95.4, which has never dipped below 90 in any season he's started. Obviously this overrated list is something to behold, with players surely not having fun or picking out people that they simply may not like.

The rest of the top five rounds out with Jets quarterback Mark Sanchez, Redskins defensive tackle Albert Haynesworth and Giants quarterback Eli Manning.

Number one? The Bengals' own Terrell Owens.

So far this season, Owens is simply the best player on this team's passing offense. He's the only receiver with two 100-yard performances, including a 10-reception, 222-yard game against the Cleveland Browns earlier this year. Owens is on pace to become the first Bengals receiver in franchise history to top 1,500 in a season. Owens also leads the team in virtually every receiving category, such as receptions (31), yards (476), 20-yard receptions (7), 40-yard receptions (2), receptions converted into first downs (22) and his two touchdowns is tied by rookie Jermaine Gresham for the team lead. Along with that production, Owens, as he'll tell you himself, is virtually playing for free on a $2 million deal.

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Not sure I get it,

but it’s tough to dispute, unless they did poor selection for survey takers. Nothing to really argue, other than that right now I disagree. To be overrated, by definition, you have to be considered very good and not be playing well. However, Owens isn’t considered to be one of the top receivers in the game right now, but he’s the most consistent offensive player on this team. He is in fact playing pretty well. Just my thoughts.

I also disagree with Sanchez as and overrated player. He is constantly criticized for minor mistakes. He may not be worth the fifth pick overall (though I think he is right now), but you can’t be overrated if few people think you’re really good.

I’m neutral on Eli. He’s good, but not great. I think he’s a tad overrated. Same for Tony Romo, who has a huge ceiling but makes a lot of dumb mistakes. And Haynesworth isn’t overrated. He’s just overpaid, which means he’s overrated by Dan Snyder, but not really anyone else. Haynesworth’s time in Tennessee was remarkable, and when he’s healthy, he’s a true defensive force. The only reason he’s struggling right now is that he’s injured and doesn’t fit Washington’s 3-4 scheme very well.

I think a better classification for these survey results would be “well-known players who are pretty good but not great” instead of “overrated,” a term that gets tossed around far too much.

It's time to sink or Zim.

by Pardon_My_French on Oct 20, 2010 10:40 AM EDT reply actions 1 recs

Interesting

I wonder if all the people he has rubbed the wrong way had something to do with this. Even a couple years ago, he could have started for just about anyone if not for his character issues. Then again, in that scenario he would still be a 49er. I do agree on Eli however. The guy has all the resources anyone would need to win. He didn’t win a Super Bowl like great QBs have done. That defense and a miracle catch won the game. Eli is an above-average game manager IMHO, not a take the game over kind of guy. Then again, only a handful of QBs can just take over; Peyton, Brady, Brees.

by Jcon77 on Oct 20, 2010 11:02 AM EDT reply actions

I can't believe I've become a Terrell Owens defender!

T.O. has got more thousand yard seasons than most NFL receivers will ever dream of having; 9 and counting. He’s second all-time in receiving yards. If he’s overrated then who isn’t overrated?

I don’t agree with most of the things that he has done in the past, but I have never questioned his desire to win.

I don’t really care what he does (as long as he’s not getting arrested) if it translates into wins.

It ain't easy being greasy...

by D-Day77 on Oct 20, 2010 11:12 AM EDT reply actions

Yep.

He’s definitely a jackass. And it always frustrated me that he was still so good. He’s nowhere near what he used to be now, but he’s still a good player.

It's time to sink or Zim.

by Pardon_My_French on Oct 20, 2010 11:13 AM EDT up reply actions

No he's not in his prime, but he's on pace to have his best statistical year ever.

Better for us than against us.

You have to say this for the guy, he definitely has taken care of his body. He is a physical specimen, although he has the mental maturity level of a 16 year old girl.

It ain't easy being greasy...

by D-Day77 on Oct 20, 2010 12:09 PM EDT up reply actions

i've been more than pleasantly surprised

ignoring his personality and just studying his performance.
He isn’t without room for criticism*, but he has clearly been the most dependable receiver of the returning receivers on this squad. (Can’t rate Gresham and Shipley, too few attempts I guess)

he sometimes plays like Edward Scissorhands trying to get the meatball
*not aggressive at returning to the ball sometimes, allowed a couple tips and a pick
hell, he even blocked a couple times!

I could sleep when I lived alone.
Is there a ghost in my house?

by supergrover on Oct 20, 2010 9:45 PM EDT up reply actions

I hear ya!

I agree, the biggest problem I have seen out of him is being aggressive coming back to the ball.

Even listening to his interviews and understanding what situation he is in, hell I even have found myself starting to agree with him. Now that is something I never thought I would say.

I’m man enough to admit it, I hated the guy when he was playing for the niners, eagles, and the cowboys, but now he is on our team I like him, and I am glad he is here. And to go even one step further, and this is way out there, I think his attitude might do this organization some good. I really think that the guy honestly wants to win.

It ain't easy being greasy...

by D-Day77 on Oct 21, 2010 1:22 AM EDT up reply actions

But here's the thing:

Wouldn’t you have to be rated in the top five-top ten receivers still playing to be considered overrated at his production (hell, I’d almost consider top three at the rate he’s producing this year)? He’s not rated highly at all. Neither are Romo or even Eli, for that matter.

That said, I do see Sanchez overrated, Haynesworth is certainly not what he is, either.

If we’re generating pointless discussion like overrated players, I’d certainly have to say my top five are:
1. Flacco
2. Flacco
3. Flacco
4. Flacco
5. Flacco

Honorable mention goes to Sanchez.

by Doc Scratch on Oct 20, 2010 11:41 AM EDT reply actions

MOST OVERRATED???!?@???

BRATKOWSKI!!!

OFF with his head!!!!!!!

by Law1951 on Oct 20, 2010 11:55 AM EDT reply actions

OVERATED???!?@?? THIS OFFENSIVE TEAM

Owens might be the best receiver on our team but that’s only because Carson can’t see anyone else!!! What happened to OCHO?? Did we not have a teaqm before Owens came along??? Were we just blowing smoke about our growth coming out of last year? What happened to using all the receivers in the offensive set?
Admittedly the organization made a huge mistake by taking Antonio Bryant when they could have had Anquan Boldin, or Dez Bryant. Then realizing they screwed up they exacerbated the problem by signing Owens!
It is offensive in itself to my intelligence to see all our talent being under-utilized by BRATKOWSKI and Carson!!!
Let’s just remove all the players on the offense except those 2 and let them play catch! After-all, as long as BRATKOWSKI is designing plays we will continue to lose when we should be running people outta there so why get others hurt
The defense can only do so much and pretty soon they get so worn out they can stop anyone!!
I have lost my faith that “THIS TEAM” has a playoff appearance in them this year..
I usually say “MY TEAM”, but I ain’t feeling it!

by Law1951 on Oct 20, 2010 12:11 PM EDT reply actions