According to many of the game’s aficionados, football is “the ultimate team sport.” Fans rave about the individual matchups the game provides, but it’s the factions on the team that make NFL franchises what they are. Corps such as the Los Angeles Rams “Fearsome Foursome” defensive line, the Pittsburgh Steelers “Steel Curtain” linebackers and the Cowboys bulldozing offensive line of the ‘90s contributed mightily toward their team’s success.
To further highlight the importance of group efforts, I’m working on a series entitled Boisterous Brigades. During this sequence, I will rank and breakdown the NFL’s premier duos, corps, tandems and fronts. Continuing on the defensive side of the ball, the attention shifts to the linebacker corps.
Arguably football’s most versatile position, linebackers are asked to play decent coverage like safeties and cornerbacks and to rush the passer like defensive linemen. Alike the men upfront, the linebackers take pressure of the secondary by moving sideline to sideline and become tackling machines. Backers who can wrap up runners and/or blitz the quarterback are special pieces to defensive units.
Boisterous Brigades: Top Linebacker Corps
The linebacker corps below are ranked on individual performances, statistics as a unit and their respective team’s defensive ranks. Critics may have these bunches in different orders due to key injuries, but when they are at 100 percent FULL STRENGTH, the list would be as follows.
1. San Francisco 49ers: Patrick Willis, NaVorro Bowman, Aldon Smith and Ahmad Brooks
Since 2011, the San Francisco 49ers have boasted one of the league’s toughest defenses. They’ve kept solid players along the defensive front and in the secondary, but their linebackers have solidified their physical nature. Everything starts with seven-time Pro Bowler Patrick Willis, who has earned All-Pro honors in six of his seven NFL seasons. Since capturing the Defensive Rookie of the Year award in 2007, Willis has continued to be disruptive force with not only his heavy hitting, but also in passing defense (he has 8 interceptions and 53 passes defensed in his career). Even before the Niners became a playoff contender again, Willis was the foundation of their defense. Probably the best among the corps right now is three-time All-Pro NaVorro Bowman. Racking up at least 140 tackles and two sacks the last three years, the two-time Pro Bowler has quickly become one the league’s best in the middle. Another young star for San Fran is Aldon Smith, a guy who already has 42 sacks in three seasons. Smith earned his first and only Pro Bowl berth in 2012 when he piled up 19.5 sacks. The least talked about is eight-year veteran Ahmad Brooks, who made his first Pro Bowl after amassing career highs in tackles (60) and sacks (8.5) in 2013.
These four men are the main reason why the 49ers finished fourth, third and fifth in defense from 2011-2013, respectively. With Bowman out due to injury and Smith absent for his suspension, San Francisco may have its struggles. When together in the lineup, there is no question who the NFL’s best linebacker corps is.
2. Kansas City Chiefs: Derrick Johnson, Tamba Hali, Justin Houston and Josh Mauga
The Chiefs have quietly established one of the league’s best corps in recent years. They are led by three-time Pro Bowler Derrick Johnson, who has 875 tackles, 22.5 sacks and 11 interceptions in 10 NFL seasons. For the last decade, the All-Pro backer has remained one of the game’s most consistent players. Outside linebacker Tamba Hali has become one of the league’s most powerful bull rushers. Hali broke out in 2010 with 14.5 sacks to earn his debut Pro Bowl appearance. Having double-digit sacks two of the three subsequent campaigns, he made the next three Pro Bowls. Opposite of Hali is young talent Justin Houston, who made his first Pro Bowl after surpassing 10-plus sacks the last two years. Rounding out the KC linebackers is Josh Mauga, who was a former product of Rex Ryan’s stout defenses in New York.
The presence of Johnson, Hali and Houston propelled the Chiefs defense to elite status in the first half of 2013. Houston’s injury last season changed the team’s high-level defensive play down the stretch; with Johnson’s season-ending Achilles injury, the linebackers will once again be highly affected. Likewise with San Francisco, not many teams can compete against a linebacker corps in peak form such as Kansas City’s.
3. Carolina Panthers: Luke Kuechly, Thomas Davis and Chase Blackburn
The Panthers silently anchored the NFL’s No. 2 defense last season. Allowing only 15.1 points a game in 2013, Carolina’s front seven continuously stifled opposing offensive attacks. Greg Hardy, Charles Johnson and Star Lotulelei controlled the line of scrimmage, but the linebackers also had their dominance. The corps is headline by All-Pro middle linebacker Luke Kuechly. After winning NFL Defensive Rookie of the year in 2012, Kuechly further made his claim as the league’s best linebacker by winning Defensive Player of the Year in 2013. Only 24 years of age, Kuechly has an outstanding career ahead of him. Thomas Davis is the other notable backer for Carolina. Davis has missed significant time due to three ACL surgeries, but he is handful when physically upright. In a huge December matchup against division rival New Orleans Saints last year, Kuechly and Davis combined for 38 tackles (Kuechly 24, Davis 14) in a tightly-contested victory. The fourth and final man is Chase Blackburn, who made the airborne against Patriots tight end Rob Gronkowski in Super Bowl XLVI. As a Giant in 2012, he had a career high in tackles with 98.
With their linebacker corps intact, the Panthers look to repeat as NFC South champions in 2014.
4. Baltimore Ravens: Terrell Suggs, Daryl Smith, Courtney Upshaw and C.J. Mosley
Just because Ray Lewis isn’t in uniform doesn’t mean the Ravens linebackers can’t be good. The corps is led by veterans Terrell Suggs and Daryl Smith. Suggs, who won Defensive Player of the Year in 2011, remains a feared pass rusher even after 11 years and six Pro Bowls. Former Jaguars backer Daryl Smith finished with 123 tackles in his first season with the Ravens in 2013, the third time he’s surpassed the century mark in tackles in his career. University of Alabama products Courtney Upshaw and C.J. Mosley are in their rookie and third-year campaigns, respectively, and they look to continue the franchise’s tradition of having top-tier linebackers. Even though they missed the playoffs, Baltimore finished 12th overall in defense in 2013. With productive linebackers and brand new scheme on offense, the Ravens can easily return to the postseason.
5. Washington Redskins: Brian Orakpo, Ryan Kerrigan, Perry Riley and Keenan Robinson
This group’s appearance on the list may be surprising to most football fans, but Washington’s linebackers consist of solid individual talent. The main man is Brian Orakpo, who has made Pro Bowls in three of his five seasons. Missing 14 games in 2012, Orakpo responded with 10 sacks last year. In place for Orakpo, Pro Bowler Ryan Kerrigan’s 54 tackles and 8.5 sacks in 2012 were essential in the Redskins playoff run. Kerrigan has at least 50 tackles and 7 sacks in each of his three seasons. After finishing with 75 tackles his first two years, Perry Riley has two consecutive seasons with 100-plus tackles. Lastly is Keenan Robinson, a 25-year-old who will look to benefit from the presence of the guys around him.
A healthy Robert Griffin III and a revamped receiving corps should take immense pressure of the ‘Skins defense. With additional rest on the sideline, the Redskin linebackers will have a much better season.
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