Oct 2

Oct 2 The Best Linebacking Units in NFL History

The Top Linebacking Units in the History of the NFL

There have been a plethora of fearsome linebackers in the storied history of the NFL, from LT to Ray Lewis, but which duo of linebackers can claim to be the greatest?

Ray Lewis - Perhaps the Ravens Greatest Player, but surely their Greatest Linebacker

We take a look at great linebackers duo’s and the teams they represented, discussing their incredible impact on the NFL.

2012, 2013 New England Patriots

Key players: Dont’a Hightower, Brandon Spikes and Jerod Mayo

There are two unique things that have happened or may potentially happen with these three that you very rarely see, if ever.

The first is that these three all played with the same conference, and the schools they played for were all rivals against each other at one point.

Hightower played for the University of Alabama, while Brandon Spikes played for the University of Florida and Jerod Mayo played for the University of Tennessee.

The second reason is that while Hightower played for the Patriots through the 2021 season, he is still on the team in conjunction with Jerod Mayo, who has been the Patriots Linebackers Coach since 2019.

While the Patriots were generally dominant during this era, during the two seasons that these three played together they didn’t win a Super Bowl.

In 2012, they lost to the Baltimore Ravens 28-13 and in 2013 the Patriots made it back to the AFC championship again, in another Tom Brady-Peyton Manning classic game. They bowed down 26-16 to the Denver Broncos.

The most famous play of any of these players was made in the Patriots’ infamous 28-3 comeback against the Atlanta Falcons.

Hightower made the sack on Matt Ryan that knocked the Falcons out of field goal position for the potential game-winning field goal, and the Patriots eventually won in overtime.

1975 Pittsburgh Steelers

Key players: Jack Ham and Andy Russell

This Steelers linebacking core were the first team to include linebackers who could cover receivers, making them a unique linebacking duo. They were also able to come up and make tackles as a linebacker.

As a team, Pittsburgh’s linebackers recorded six interceptions from that position. JT Thomas led the linebacking core with three. The Steelers also took the 1975 Super Bowl with a 21-17 win over the Dallas Cowboys.

1985 Chicago Bears

Key players: Michael Singletary, Otis Wilson and Wilbur Marshal

The 1985 Chicago Bears team was one of the closest teams to achieving perfection in both the regular season and the playoffs. Some even say that they are the greatest team to ever play the game.

The difference between them and the next two closest teams, 2007 Patriots and 1972 Miami Dolphins, is that they actually won the Super Bowl. Ironically, this was against the Patriots, in a 46-10 shellacking.

During the regular season, the three combined for eight interceptions, four of which came from Wilbur Marshall.

2000 Baltimore Ravens

Key players: Jamie Sharper, Ray Lewis and Peter Boulware

There is no doubt that these three were intense, especially Ray Lewis, who liked to make a splash as soon as he got on the football field.

During the home games, it quite literally involved fire, which was emblematic of the way the Ravens played defense.

In fact, three out of their first six games were shutouts and they went 5-1 during that time frame.

What’s even more remarkable about this team is that, in the four playoff games they played, the Ravens’ defense only gave up 23 points in 4 games and they didn’t give up more than one touchdown in any of them.

Any of the Lombardi coached linebackers in the 1960s

You could say that almost any Vince Lombardi team is one of the best of all time, especially considering they won five super bowls during that time period.

It is overwhelmingly obvious that Ray Nitschke was the best Packer of all time as he recovered 23 fumbles and 25 interceptions in a 15-year hiatus with the Packers.