Bears Blitz

Published by Bob Warja on November 20, 2009
Article Source: Bleacher Report - Chicago Bears

A few relatively short years ago, this would have been an easy question to answer. It would have been an emphatic “Yes!” as Urlacher was generally thought of as one of the best defensive players in the NFL.

But in recent years, he has been criticized as overrated or has been injured. Football is not like baseball and careers are normally a lot shorter. Unlike in baseball, where you have to play 10 years to be eligible for the Hall of Fame, there are NFL players like Gale Sayers, for example, who served less time in the NFL yet made it among the elite.

This is Urlacher’s 10th year in the league, though he is on injured reserve, out for the season following surgery on a dislocated right wrist.

It is widely thought around the league that the Bears base defensive scheme, the Tampa-2, does not play to the strengths of Urlacher, and limits his ability to pile up stats.

The most sacks he has had in a season was his rookie year when he had eight. He does have the fifth most interceptions among linebackers since 2000, but it’s hard to judge a defensive football player by stats alone.

What we do know about Urlacher is that, when healthy, he is an explosive run-stopper and an effective pass-defender. He has great instincts, and power to sustain leverage on blockers and separate to the ball. He has the speed, agility and size to match up well with many interior targets in the passing game.

He is a six-time Pro Bowl player, winning the NFL Defensive Rookie of the Year Award in 2000 and the NFL Defensive Player of the Year Award in 2005.  Urlacher is only the fifth player in NFL history to win both awards.

He holds the Bears record for most tackles in a season. But is he a future HOF’er?

There are those who claim he is overrated. In a 2006 Sports Illustrated poll of 361 NFL players, Urlacher was named as the second most overrated player in the league, behind Terrell Owens. Jealousy perhaps?  

Personally, I do not feel he is in the same category of Dick Butkus, but then again, no one is. It’s hard when arguably the greatest linebacker in NFL history is openly critical of you. Just because you may not measure up to his standard does not necessarily mean you are not a great player.

As to being overrated, the one Bears linebacker who I do feel was in this category was Mike Singletary. I know this may rub Bears fans the wrong way, but I think the play of Dan Hampton and Steve McMichael on the inside helped elevate the play of Richard Dent and Singletary.

Yet he made the HOF. Don’t get me wrong, he was a very good player. But he got in mainly on the basis of those piercing eyes and the cracked helmets. Starring on a Super Bowl winning team didn’t hurt his chances either.

So far, Urlacher hasn’t had the luxury of a championship as part of his resume, though he did play in one. I do think he is as good, if not better, than Singletary was.

I’d like to know what you think, Bears fans, come to think of it?

NOTE: Shortly after I wrote this, it was brought to my attention that Joey Garcia had written a piece earlier this year also asking if Urlacher was a HOF’er. Though I hadn’t read that article, I wanted to give a shout out to it:

http://bleacherreport.com/articles/141979-is-chicago-bears-brian-urlacher-a-future-hall-of-famer

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