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SCBronco
10-15-2008, 06:36 PM
Atwater vs Nigerian Nightmare (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yScioc_dmXg)

Ah my all time favorite hit. Atwater was one of my favorites. Have no idea why he's not in the Hall of Fame but he sure could hit.

horsepig
10-16-2008, 09:29 PM
If J. Lynch gets in (an automatic according to the press) before Atwater I will go postal again! Lynch is a great guy, not so great (without the hype) safety. A very good safety, but not even in Atwater's league. Press loves Lynch, that's OK but, Atwater's up there with the greats IMO.

Italianmobstr7
10-16-2008, 10:13 PM
If J. Lynch gets in (an automatic according to the press) before Atwater I will go postal again! Lynch is a great guy, not so great (without the hype) safety. A very good safety, but not even in Atwater's league. Press loves Lynch, that's OK but, Atwater's up there with the greats IMO.

I don't know how you can say that Lynch isn't a great safety. He's a great guy and a great safety. Did you watch any of Lynch before he came to Denver? Or even any of Lynch in his first 3 years in Denver? The guy was an amazing player and leader. He deserves to be in the hall. He doesn't deserve to be in before Atwater, but he does deserve to be in.

MOtorboat
10-16-2008, 11:07 PM
I don't know how you can say that Lynch isn't a great safety. He's a great guy and a great safety. Did you watch any of Lynch before he came to Denver? Or even any of Lynch in his first 3 years in Denver? The guy was an amazing player and leader. He deserves to be in the hall. He doesn't deserve to be in before Atwater, but he does deserve to be in.

John Lynch is not in Atwater's league. Never. Ever. Ever.

Please go suck on a bar of soap.

Italianmobstr7
10-16-2008, 11:39 PM
John Lynch is not in Atwater's league. Never. Ever. Ever.

Please go suck on a bar of soap.

Dude, John Lynch is in ANY Safety's league. He is a top 10 Safety all time. I also believe that Atwater is better, but don't discredit Lynch because you don't like him. The guy was great in Tampa and pretty good while he was in Denver. He deserves the hall of fame just as much as Atwater does.

MOtorboat
10-16-2008, 11:43 PM
Dude, John Lynch is in ANY Safety's league. He is a top 10 Safety all time. I also believe that Atwater is better, but don't discredit Lynch because you don't like him. The guy was great in Tampa and pretty good while he was in Denver. He deserves the hall of fame just as much as Atwater does.

I love Lynch. He was "pretty good" in Tampa and average in Denver.

Do NOT put him in Atwater's class. Ever. Atwater was the best safety of his generation. Period.

I'll forgive you because you probably don't remember anything of Atwater except his retirement.

Italianmobstr7
10-17-2008, 12:18 AM
I remember Atwater. I know he was great. John Lynch WAS great also. I don't think he was as good as Atwater, but he definitely deserves to be mentioned in the same category as one of the GREAT Safeties to ever play. Just like Atwater. I don't even like Lynch that much. I just know a good player when I see one, and Lynch was a GREAT player.

honz
10-17-2008, 12:36 AM
I'm barely old enough to remember Atwater playing, but Lynch was a great safety. Lynch was a beast in Tampa and a varu good player in Denver for a couple years. He probably belongs in the hall, but I don't think he is a first ballot guy.

Slick
10-17-2008, 08:46 AM
Anyone who played against Atwater will tell you he belongs in the Hall.

broncofaninfla
10-17-2008, 09:27 AM
I miss the days of Atwater and Smith, it's amazing how much the talent has dropped off in the safety postion.

HolyDiver
10-17-2008, 09:30 AM
Dude, John Lynch is in ANY Safety's league. He is a top 10 Safety all time. I also believe that Atwater is better, but don't discredit Lynch because you don't like him. The guy was great in Tampa and pretty good while he was in Denver. He deserves the hall of fame just as much as Atwater does.

No way..............Lynch was not even close IMO to Atwater.........And Dennis Smith hit harder than both of them.

Lonestar
10-17-2008, 10:00 AM
Both were great safeties, but atwater playing DEN will most likely never see the HOF but as a spectator.. FOL..

DEN just does not get the press an coverage as TPA did..

Anyone playing DEN ONLY has to face the fact that they most likely will never SEE the HOF regardless of how great they are..

The press coverage is East coast based and because of that most of the HOF voters are from the East and south..

A sad fact of Life..

BroncoNut
10-17-2008, 10:52 AM
I don't know if anyone's mentioned this yet, but Dennis Smith hit harder than both Atwater and Lynch.

Rex
10-17-2008, 10:53 AM
I don't know if anyone's mentioned this yet, but Dennis Smith hit harder than both Atwater and Lynch.

Good one.

Get back in the lounge.

Now.

NightTrainLayne
10-17-2008, 10:57 AM
I don't know if anyone's mentioned this yet, but Dennis Smith hit harder than both Atwater and Lynch.

How do you know?

BroncoNut
10-17-2008, 11:00 AM
How do you know?

gp. how does anyone really? Unless you've played against them. I've seen Lynch more than any of them. I probably didn't see Dennis Smith at all

NightTrainLayne
10-17-2008, 11:01 AM
gp. how does anyone really? Unless you've played against them. I've seen Lynch more than any of them. I probably didn't see Dennis Smith at all

I feel bad about calling you out like that now. You put on guilt trips better than even my Mother does.

I'm sorry Nut.

BroncoNut
10-17-2008, 11:02 AM
I feel bad about calling you out like that now. You put on guilt trips better than even my Mother does.

I'm sorry Nut.

oh no, don't fret it NTL. no harm no foul

Rex
10-17-2008, 11:04 AM
oh no, don't fret it NTL. no harm no foul

Go back to the Lounge.

HolyDiver
10-17-2008, 11:50 AM
gp. how does anyone really? Unless you've played against them. I've seen Lynch more than any of them. I probably didn't see Dennis Smith at all


PROBABLY? ..............Yeah, I'm guessing you are correct...LOL !!!!!!!! Smioth ran through the ball carrier, something both Atwater and Lynch did not.

HolyDiver
10-17-2008, 11:52 AM
I don't know if anyone's mentioned this yet, but Dennis Smith hit harder than both Atwater and Lynch.

Who's Dennis Smith?

MOtorboat
10-17-2008, 11:53 AM
PROBABLY? ..............Yeah, I'm guessing you are correct...LOL !!!!!!!! Smioth ran through the ball carrier, something both Atwater and Lynch did not.


Who's Dennis Smith?

Who's Dennis Smioth?

BroncoNut
10-17-2008, 11:55 AM
Who's Dennis Smith?

He's an English dart player

HolyDiver
10-17-2008, 11:56 AM
He's an English dart player


That raises rabbits too I'll bet.

broncofaninfla
10-17-2008, 12:49 PM
Smith, Atwater and Lynch were all very hard hitters, they brought the wood on EVERY play. Hard to say who hit hardest. I’d have to say Smith but each has specific plays that stand out. They all hit so hard they struck fear into opposing players, Receivers who crossed the middle during Atwater and Smith tenors were quickly taught respect. They were incredible run stoppers as well. They were every bit as good as Ronnie Lott during the same era but while San Fran was winning Super Bowls, we were losing them. Our players were never given the recognition they truly deserved because of it. I feel fortunate as a Bronco fan to have been able to watch them play. They sacrificed their body's, gave 110% on every play and were team first guys, they deserve eternal gratitude from Broncos fans.

atwater27
10-17-2008, 01:35 PM
I worship steve Atwater. And Dennis Smith. John Lynch rightfully deserves any comparisons to Atwater and Smith. He rocked people out of their socks, was a leader on D and made huge plays on a continual basis.
Whether Dennis Smith hit people harder, I think that is a silly argument. Safe to say none of us would want to be hit by any of the 3. Even though I would volunteer for Atwater to tackle me just so I could say I survived a hit from Steve Atwater. But who knows, maybe I wouldn't.

atwater27
10-17-2008, 01:38 PM
Troy Polamalu's recent criticism of the NFL is totally spot on. The league is a pansy league now. Atwater, Smith, Lott, Lynch and the hard hitting safeties of the pre 2000 era would have been kicked out of the league and fined millions 2 years into their careers. It's disgusting and really turns me off that the NFL has taken that road and watered down the purity of the sport.

AgentOrange
10-17-2008, 06:23 PM
Lynch hit as hard as Atwater or Smith? Are you kidding me? Smith grabbed my attention when I first saw him, and then along came Atwater. Both are the reason safety is still my favorite position to watch. Both would fly to the ball carrier - or about-to-be ball carrier - like a spear. Literally. Feet off the ground, head down, shoulder pads level with the ground. Receivers would drop the ball and cower at the sound of their footsteps. Smith is still my favorite Bronco - ever.

I hear he's playing darts and raising rabbits in England these days.

MOtorboat
10-18-2008, 01:31 AM
Here's the thing:

The All-90s Team...according to NFL.com: http://www.nfl.com/history/legends/1990s

Steve Atwater, Carnell Lake, Ronnie Lott, LeRoy Butler.

Lynch isn't on that list. He was drafted in 1993, and now, supposedly, he was a great safety? I love the guy. He's a great guy. I'm a huge fan. But don't go putting Lynch in the same category as Steve Atwater. It's just not correct.

I don't always agree that statistics are the answer, but take a look at this:

Year Age Tm Pos G GS Sk Int Yds TD Lng PD FF Fmb FR Yds TD Tkl Ast Sfty
1989 23 DEN FS 16 16 3 34 0 30 0 0 1 29 0 129
1990* 24 DEN FS 15 15 1.0 2 32 0 27 2 0 0 0 0 173
1991*+ 25 DEN FS 16 16 1.0 5 104 0 49 1 0 1 0 0 150
1992*+ 26 DEN FS 15 15 1.0 2 22 0 22 0 0 2 1 0 151
1993* 27 DEN FS 16 16 1.0 2 81 0 68 141
1994* 28 DEN SS 14 14 1 24 0 24 1 0 2 17 0 52 22
1995* 29 DEN FS 16 16 3 54 0 25 82 21
1996* 30 DEN FS 16 16 3 11 0 11 1 1 0 0 0 64 17
1997 31 DEN FS 15 15 1.0 2 42 1 22 0 0 2 0 0 53 15
1998* 32 DEN FS 16 16 1 4 0 4 43 12
1999 33 NYJ FS 12 11 1 0 0 0 0 36 19
Career 167 166 5.0 24 408 1 68 6 1 8 47 0 1074 106

Vs. this:


Year Age Tm Pos G GS Sk Int Yds TD Lng PD FF Fmb FR Yds TD Tkl Ast Sfty
1993 22 TAM 15 4 1 0 0 0 0 13
1994 23 TAM 16 0 11 4
1995 24 TAM SS 9 6 3 3 0 3 27 10
1996 25 TAM SS 16 14 1.0 3 26 0 25 2 1 1 0 0 74 29
1997* 26 TAM SS 16 16 2 28 0 28 1 0 2 0 0 75 34
1998 27 TAM SS 15 15 2.0 2 29 0 17 1 0 1 0 0 50 35
1999*+ 28 TAM SS 16 16 0.5 2 32 0 28 1 0 0 0 0 81 36
2000*+ 29 TAM SS 16 16 1.0 3 43 0 36 0 0 2 8 0 57 28
2001* 30 TAM SS 16 16 1.0 3 21 0 15 8 1 0 1 0 0 62 25
2002* 31 TAM SS 15 15 3 0 0 0 9 41 23
2003 32 TAM SS 14 14 0.5 2 18 0 18 8 0 1 1 0 0 50 22
2004* 33 DEN FS 15 15 2.0 1 2 0 2 10 3 0 0 0 0 49 17
2005* 34 DEN FS 16 16 4.0 2 2 0 1 8 4 0 0 0 0 45 17
2006* 35 DEN FS 16 16 0 0 0 0 5 2 0 1 7 0 59 25
2007* 36 DEN FS 13 12 1.0 0 0 0 0 3 46 13
Career 224 191 13.0 26 204 0 36 51 16 2 9 15 0 740 318

And tell me was more dominant.

It's not even close.

P.S....I mean Atwater's AVERAGE year was better than Lynch's BEST year!

atwater27
10-18-2008, 02:35 AM
Remember Chuck Cecil? That guy was a maniac.
Safety is my favorite position to play; during high school and backyard and video games.
It's the perfect position, you can either come up and blitz the QB, come up for run protection, ballhawk at center field or just lay the lumber on some poor guy who decides to jump up for a catch in front of you. Only problem is coming up for run support and getting a pulling guard or tackle coming in full speed at you. Always fun.

Den21vsBal19
10-18-2008, 05:24 AM
I worship steve Atwater. And Dennis Smith. John Lynch rightfully deserves any comparisons to Atwater and Smith. He rocked people out of their socks, was a leader on D and made huge plays on a continual basis.
Whether Dennis Smith hit people harder, I think that is a silly argument. Safe to say none of us would want to be hit by any of the 3. Even though I would volunteer for Atwater to tackle me just so I could say I survived a hit from Steve Atwater. But who knows, maybe I wouldn't.
Wouldn't what? Volunteer or survive ;)

THAT hit on Okoye is one of the video clips I use to try to explain to the heathens that surround me why I love the NFL :D

And as for Dennis Smith, I was lucky enough to talk to him for a couple of minutes back when the Broncos visited Wembley back in '86.........

broncosinindy
10-18-2008, 10:12 AM
Good one.

Get back in the lounge.

Now.dude Dennis Smith was par with Atwater in the smack down hotel. now off with you to the lounge

broncosinindy
10-18-2008, 10:19 AM
looks as though Lynch caused more fumbles. Looks as though atwater had better balls skills too

G_Money
10-18-2008, 01:49 PM
PROBABLY? ..............Yeah, I'm guessing you are correct...LOL !!!!!!!! Smioth ran through the ball carrier, something both Atwater and Lynch did not.

No, Smith ran through whatever area of the field he was looking at before he lowered his head and charged blindly. If we were lucky he absolutely killed whoever was there - AND that happened to be a member of the opposing team, preferrably the one with the ball.

Dennis had a very unfortunate habit of whiffing, however, as badly as Hamza, when the other guy saw him coming and stepped to the side.

Dennis was intimidating, but he played with his head down all the time. Give me Atwater any day. Atwater did it too but with those long arms he was more likely to get a piece of the guy no matter what. Atwater was a man out there in all phases of the safety game, and had good hands for a "run-stuffing" safety.

I miss having a real safety. Lynch played pretty well for us, but he was a rock start for TB. We definitely got his decline years. I want a killer back there again.

Who knows if Shanahan will ever agree, but I think it'd be a nice addition to a secondary that, even with Pro-Bowl corners, is scaring absolutely no one.

~G

girler
10-18-2008, 04:13 PM
Troy Polamalu's recent criticism of the NFL is totally spot on. The league is a pansy league now. Atwater, Smith, Lott, Lynch and the hard hitting safeties of the pre 2000 era would have been kicked out of the league and fined millions 2 years into their careers. It's disgusting and really turns me off that the NFL has taken that road and watered down the purity of the sport.

Atwater and pals never made millions to pay fines with. :laugh: Maybe the NFL should back off on the pay and let the players loose again. :beer:

BroncoNut
10-18-2008, 09:15 PM
dude Dennis Smith was par with Atwater in the smack down hotel. now off with you to the lounge

Nice to have someone posting that knows a thing or 2 about the safety position and past NFL players. Nice post. :2thumbs:

BeefStew25
10-18-2008, 09:25 PM
Nice to have someone posting that knows a thing or 2 about the safety position and past NFL players. Nice post. :2thumbs:

Nut, how did that occult thing go?

BroncoNut
10-18-2008, 09:26 PM
Nut, how did that occult thing go?

I'm Catholic. I don't play in the Devil's playground

BeefStew25
10-18-2008, 09:33 PM
I'm Catholic. I don't play in the Devil's playground

No, when you had to poop into a bag or whatever. Maybe we need that one thread we made a long time ago.

BroncoNut
10-18-2008, 09:35 PM
No, when you had to poop into a bag or whatever. Maybe we need that one thread we made a long time ago.

the evening chat?

BeefStew25
10-18-2008, 09:48 PM
the evening chat?

Yeah, that one.

Nomad
10-18-2008, 10:01 PM
Damn how times fly! Miss Atwater and miss the uni's!

Reminiscing (sp) is good compared to the safeties we have now!:tsk:

slim
10-18-2008, 10:07 PM
Smith is not the player Atwater was (not even close).

PatricktheDookie
10-18-2008, 11:18 PM
How many NFL players have knocked out 3 guys (including themselves) in one hit?

'Nuff said.

broncosinindy
10-20-2008, 08:04 AM
The reason Atwater lore is bigger is due to A. It was a division rival. B. It was Okoye who was 260 lbs i think. him and barry word were a set of hoss running backs. C. It was a monday night football game.D. they were down near the goal line trying to score. The whole set up was epic. saying that though, Dennis Smith was on par with Atwater with hits. sorry if you guys are to young or whatnot. Some may not be as epic as atwaters but Dennis Smith brought the wood.

Karl Mecklemberg & Steve Atwater Were my two favorite all time broncos. but even with that i am not naive to say that Dennis smith couldnt hit like atwater

HolyDiver
10-20-2008, 08:15 AM
The reason Atwater lore is bigger is due to A. It was a division rival. B. It was Okoye who was 260 lbs i think. him and barry word were a set of hoss running backs. C. It was a monday night football game.D. they were down near the goal line trying to score. The whole set up was epic. saying that though, Dennis Smith was on par with Atwater with hits. sorry if you guys are to young or whatnot. Some may not be as epic as atwaters but Dennis Smith brought the wood.

Karl Mecklemberg & Steve Atwater Were my two favorite all time broncos. but even with that i am not naive to say that Dennis smith couldnt hit like atwater

Dennis Smith ended careers............He hit alot differently than Atwater. He ran through the ball carrier.............I watched Smith play for 14 seasons.

MOtorboat
10-20-2008, 08:18 AM
Dennis Smith ended careers............He hit alot differently than Atwater. He ran through the ball carrier.............I watched Smith play for 14 seasons.

Yes, we know that you are old.

broncosinindy
10-20-2008, 09:11 AM
Dennis Smith ended careers............He hit alot differently than Atwater. He ran through the ball carrier.............I watched Smith play for 14 seasons.

LOL i think Atwater ended Okoye career that day

atwater27
10-20-2008, 09:51 AM
Brandon Jacobs reminds me of Okoye.

BroncosRockdaRockies
10-20-2008, 10:23 AM
I wish they would make it a criteria to all the Defensive players to watch the Players we had back in the Day! (if they do let me know) I might sleep better knowing they have at least been showed how they should hit!