The most Underrated Player... In Sports?
Okay. This post is dedicated to someone who I've watched over the years. This guy is a great player and very, very underrated. Now while he gets some deserved attention he should be getting loads more.
I'm talking about, of course, Robert Mathis.
Mathis. He's known as the other Defensive End, Freeney's sidekick. But Why? Why is he so underrated? He's a GREAT player!
Maybe some of you guys are people who like big game performances. Okay. Remember the Houston game last year? His HUGE strip sack to save our playoff behind? Without that game god knows what would have happened. We could have gone playoff-less. This guy has come through when few others do. The Patriots game? 6 Tackles 2 sacks and a forced fumble is good enough for me in a big game. There are many others but i want to keep it short and recent.
Okay. for all you stat people, here are some. Mathis is averaging 9 sacks a game for his career. Thats including a 3.5 Sack rookie year and this year, with 3 games remaining. Not enough? How about him also having 2 seasons with 13 games and one with only 15, his stats look better? He's already had 3 season with 10+ sacks and 2 seasons with 11.5. Still not impressed? He has 33 forced fumbles in 7 seasons. His sacks also average about 7.4 yards lost each.
Most impressive of all, (in my opinion) his 3rd year in the NFL. 3 years removed from being a 5th round pick from Alabama A&M, he recorded 11.5 Sacks and 7 forced fumbles. IN 13 GAMES!!!
Mathis deserves more recognition and i want to see what you guys agree. I think Freeney and Mathis is the best DE-DE combination in a while, maybe ever. Some that say that give the credit about 70-30 to Freeney. I think, honestly, the credit is maybe 60-40 is not 55-45 to Freeney. Just barely. There's little to no doubt that Freeney's better, but as opposed to people saying Mathis feeds off of Freeney, i think often Freeney feeds off of Mathis's success.
Although often unnoticed or overlooked, in my opinion, Robert Mathis ranks in the top 7 in DE's in the NFL, maybe even higher, and if he finishes his career with 3 or 4 more 7-12 sack seasons he could crack top 20 all time.
This is a FanPost and does not necessarily reflect the views of Stampede Blue's writers or editors. It does reflect the views of this particular fan though, which is as important as the views of Stampede Blue's writers or editors.
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He is not underrated!
Just about every Sunday the talk is Manning, Freeny, Mathis. He gets plenty of recognition. Do you want him to be crowned king of the NFL, I mean he went to the pro bowl, and will again this year, and he IS considered unanimously as a top 5 DE throughout the leauge. I really do not understand what else you want. He and freeny are always said to be the best tandem ends! This article is stupid man, sorry, but I feel that you just wanted to complain about something, If you want to complain about something go read ESPN’s latest article on the colts (Huge Joke.) Here are the top five underated players on the colts. Mathis is like the 50th.
5) Diem
4) Addai
3) C.Johnson
2) Antoine
1) Tie: Session and Bullit
But who’s complaining, we’re 13-0
Go Colts
Indy 28
Jax: 17
Maybe ..
We watch different channels or something, or read different articles. Every pregame colts show i watch the talk is about stopping Manning and Wayne. And on defense slowing down Freeneys pass rush and out rookie defenders. Where i live CBS and FOX have covered most of the INDY games and they dont mention Mathis ever. It PISSES me off!!! im sorry. I just never get to hear about this guy. It makes me really mad. ESPN does give him some credit, but again their main focus is Freeney on Defense and peyton on offense.
(my Dad about to place a bet)"Hey Karim who do you like in the Colts Game?" "I dont know dad, Haydens out, so is Gonzalez, Bracket, Sanders, Jackson, and maybe Freeney" Dad-"Is Manning playing?" Me-"Yeah".. "Lets go with Indy"
by KarimTheDream on Dec 16, 2009 4:06 PM EST up reply actions
The Manning/Wayne thing could be why Collie is left off OROY lists
or the fact that he’s not a starter.
I love Mathis and think he’s slowly getting his due. Like Saturday. If you come into the league with a big splash (1st rounder, or from a nationally prominent NCAA squad) you have a leg up on recognition—from voters, announcers, fans, etc. So like Saturday, Mathis has had some digging upward to do just to reach a level playing field. He’s getting there.
I hate Joe Namath. That's how long I've been a Colts fan.
I think the most underrated player in sports
is Jim Sorgi…period, THE END!
Bob Sanders does not play Hide-and-Seek, He plays HIDE and PRAY-HE-DOES-NOT FIND-YOU!
Sorgi is underrated as a good listener, he's always listening to Peyton on the sidelines!
"You can't defend the perfect throw, what can I say?" Peyton quoting Marino
"As I grow older, the list of people who can kiss my ass grows longer"-Ancient Hoosier Proverb.
Saturday is the most underrated.
Without him, Peyton would have a harder time.
"You can't defend the perfect throw, what can I say?" Peyton quoting Marino
"As I grow older, the list of people who can kiss my ass grows longer"-Ancient Hoosier Proverb.
Again, NO
Underated players don’t make the front cover of ESPN & The NY Times, and appear on a national commercial (Jeff did all just this year)
He is a perinial brow bowler. Do you guys know what underrated means.
Definition: Un-der-rated: To rate too low; underestimate.
No one is underestimating Jeff Saturday, or Robert Mathis, and Collie had an entire article written about him in SI . He is a rookie! He’s not the ROTY, but is actually seen as the second/third best rookie WR. How would you like to be a fan of a team (like the raiders) where every single one of your great players, and they have a few, never make the spotlight. Whats next, Manning the most underrated QB in the NFL! Colts fans should be happy that we have 5 or more pro bowlers yearly
by Coltstar18 on Dec 16, 2009 6:05 PM EST up reply actions 1 recs
Maybe my answer was misguided and slightly wrong.
But you didn’t have to rant at me. How about if I pick again?
Only this time the subject is overrated Comment:
You’re condescending attitude, is very overrated.
"You can't defend the perfect throw, what can I say?" Peyton quoting Marino
"As I grow older, the list of people who can kiss my ass grows longer"-Ancient Hoosier Proverb.
As a Raider fan as well, I gotta stick up for my man Nnamdi's claim to the "most underrated"
as for Colts, I would have Session and Bullitt, and even Bethea as more underrated and then Big Play Rob.
EVH+DLR=BFFr........ God I Hope So!!
Yeah
but there was a groundswell of “Derrelle Revis is the best corner” and now “Woodson should be DPOY”. Madden can be wrong, I mean they gave Gonzo a 73.
Poll 100 people, and I bet they have Nnamdi as the best corner on maybe half of them, when it should be like 80 to 90 of them.
EVH+DLR=BFFr........ God I Hope So!!
So what if you don't like other peoples answers.
You are a pain.
"You can't defend the perfect throw, what can I say?" Peyton quoting Marino
"As I grow older, the list of people who can kiss my ass grows longer"-Ancient Hoosier Proverb.
I don't think Mathis is underrated
Brackett is.
"We’re only going to score 17 points? haha...OK" - Tom Brady
You need to shut the fuck up!!!
Mathis is underrated.
"If me and King Kong went into an alley, only one of us would come out. And it wouldn't be the monkey."
"I don't really trust a sane person."
"I never met a man I didn't want to fight." The one and only Lyle Alzado
I agree with you, but.......
Shut the fuck up????
Reply to your own comment FAIL.
So, you failed in telling us that you failed earlier.
Talking in circles is fun.
"I am in favor of censorship ‐ not against what is supposed to be sexy or dirty, but against what is idiotic." -Jean Renoir
Random fact of the week from the empty void that is my mind: Finals suck.
Stephanie Gilmore
At just age 20, won the women’s world surfing championship last year. Yet I bet you’ve never heard of her; may not even have been aware there WAS a women’s world surfing champion. It’d be like LeBron James winning the NBA MVP at 20, or Peyton Manning winning the NFL MVP at 20…
Absolutely dominant at an age most people can’t be bothered getting out of bed to go to class.
Robert Mathis? A big money player on one of the most hyped NFL teams, playing in arguably the most publicised competition in North America? Hardly the most underrated in all sports. Maybe the most underrated #2 defensive end on an AFC team with a winning 2009 record.
Maybe.

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