Look, Jason Witten is a very talented football player. He is consistently good and I am not trying to say this guy stinks. This guy is great and is my mom's favorite football player (she's a Cowboys fan). However, I hear far too often that he is an all-time great tight end and possibly the top 5 all-time. The guy is nowhere near top 5 all-time and isn't even top 10 all-time. He is good, but overrated currently and definitely all-time. I will break down several areas of his game and stats to try and prove my point.
First, let's start with playoffs, because that is the biggest argument against Witten. Jason Witten has been to the playoffs three times in his career and won 1 playoff game. Obviously, he can't control all of that himself, but it is a factor. Let's examine Witten's numbers in those playoff games though for a better look at the player. In the Cowboys only postseason win during his tenure Witten caught 4 balls for 27 yards. That is far from historically great. His only "good" postseason performance was the next game when he caught 10 balls for 98 yards. Only problem with that is it didn't help the team at all as he had 0 touchdowns and the team lost 34-3. In typical Witten fashion the catches were not in crucial situations and didn't account for much. He missed 3 balls in more critical situations that game. In four career playoff games Witten has caught more than 4 passes once and 0 touchdowns. Much like during the regular season Witten just doesn't seem to be able to find the end zone.
You can't fault the guy for postseason performance only though, so what does he do in the regular season? In 10 seasons, Witten has caught 806 passes for 8,948 yards, and 44 touchdowns. With more than 8,948 yards you would expect more than 44 touchdowns, but I digress. Needless to say in this passing era where some tight ends are catching 20+ TD's a year; Witten has never caught more than 9 touchdowns in a season. He has totaled over 7 touchdowns in a season only once. If scoring is the most important thing you can do, Witten has fallen very short. Over his career, Witten averages 80.6 catches a season, with 895 yards and 4.4 touchdowns. Compare those stats to the best tight end of this era, Tony Gonzalez, and Witten's stats are crushed in yards in touchdowns.
Over his career, Tony Gonzalez has more than double Witten's touchdowns in only 6 more seasons. For instance just this past season Gonzo had 8 touchdowns and Witten had just three. That is with Matt Ryan also having to get the ball to White and Jones. Yes, I know Ryan is a better QB than Romo, but still. Although Witten had more receptions, he had half the TD production. Witten was thrown the ball 36 more times, but only had 17 more catches than Gonzo. Gonzalez averaged .6 more yards per catch so seemingly they were more difficult passes. Over his career Gonzo has averaged .4 more yards per catch than Witten. Not to mention that Gonzalez is 6 years older than Witten and still outproducing him. However, it was Witten that was higher on the Top 100 this year. Witten was #41 and Gonzalez was #47. Do we honestly think Witten is better than Gonzalez? I don't at least. This season Gonzalez had touchdowns in both his playoff games.
Well, just because he isn't better than Gonzalez, doesn't mean he isn't all time great, right?
It doesn't, but the fact that he is rated higher than Gonzalez currently and doesn't outproduce him is a signal that he might be overrated. Let's look at other tight end production in this era because Gonzalez may not be the best season. In 3 seasons a tight end that did not make the Pro Bowl and was not in the Top 100 (Jimmy Graham) has had 25 touchdowns. Graham has averaged more than 8 touchdowns a year and Witten has gotten more than 8 TD's once.
In 7 seasons Vernon Davis, who is a much better blocker than Witten, has 40 touchdowns. Davis has 4 less touchdowns than Witten in 3 less seasons. Davis scored two touchdowns in each postseason game of 2011 and added another one this year as well.
In 3 seasons, Rob Gronkowski has never had less than 10 touchdowns (something Witten has never done) and has 38 on his career. If healthy, Gronk will likely pass Witten's total this year.
In 8 seasons, my choice for most underrated player, Heath Miller has 39 touchdowns. Those 39 touchdowns are only 5 less than Witten in 2 less seasons. Miller like Davis is a much better blocker than Witten. Miller also has 4 postseason touchdowns and two super bowl rings (something Witten likely never will have).
In 11 injury riddled seasons, Todd Heap, another guy that blocked better than Witten, had 42 touchdowns. Heap also had awful QB play and helped get his team consistently in the playoffs.
My choice for #6 tight end all-time is Ben Coates who had 50 touchdowns in 11 seasons. Coates retired in 2000 after winning a Super Bowl with the Baltimore Ravens. He retired in 2000, long before the passing explosion as of late. Coates was a mauler as a blocker compared to Witten.
Factoring everything in there is no way Jason Witten is a top 5 all-time tight end. Heck, I would say he isn't as good as Heath Miller. He is a great player, but is overrated. No way is he better than these guys.
1. Tony Gonzalez
2. Shannon Sharpe
3. Kellen Winslow Sr.
4. John Mackey
5. Ozzie Newsome
6. Ben Coates
7. Dave Casper
8. Mike Ditka
9. Todd Christensen
10. Antonio Gates
Not sure, I have the correct order, but those are the 10 best tight ends ever. Gates has twice as many touchdowns as Witten in the same amount of seasons also. That's why he is at #10.
There are more and there are more comparisons I could make, but for now, just know that Jason Witten is one of the most overrated players in football. Hey, he's a Cowboy, what do you expect?
-Noland
You can't fault the guy for postseason performance only though, so what does he do in the regular season? In 10 seasons, Witten has caught 806 passes for 8,948 yards, and 44 touchdowns. With more than 8,948 yards you would expect more than 44 touchdowns, but I digress. Needless to say in this passing era where some tight ends are catching 20+ TD's a year; Witten has never caught more than 9 touchdowns in a season. He has totaled over 7 touchdowns in a season only once. If scoring is the most important thing you can do, Witten has fallen very short. Over his career, Witten averages 80.6 catches a season, with 895 yards and 4.4 touchdowns. Compare those stats to the best tight end of this era, Tony Gonzalez, and Witten's stats are crushed in yards in touchdowns.
Over his career, Tony Gonzalez has more than double Witten's touchdowns in only 6 more seasons. For instance just this past season Gonzo had 8 touchdowns and Witten had just three. That is with Matt Ryan also having to get the ball to White and Jones. Yes, I know Ryan is a better QB than Romo, but still. Although Witten had more receptions, he had half the TD production. Witten was thrown the ball 36 more times, but only had 17 more catches than Gonzo. Gonzalez averaged .6 more yards per catch so seemingly they were more difficult passes. Over his career Gonzo has averaged .4 more yards per catch than Witten. Not to mention that Gonzalez is 6 years older than Witten and still outproducing him. However, it was Witten that was higher on the Top 100 this year. Witten was #41 and Gonzalez was #47. Do we honestly think Witten is better than Gonzalez? I don't at least. This season Gonzalez had touchdowns in both his playoff games.
Well, just because he isn't better than Gonzalez, doesn't mean he isn't all time great, right?
It doesn't, but the fact that he is rated higher than Gonzalez currently and doesn't outproduce him is a signal that he might be overrated. Let's look at other tight end production in this era because Gonzalez may not be the best season. In 3 seasons a tight end that did not make the Pro Bowl and was not in the Top 100 (Jimmy Graham) has had 25 touchdowns. Graham has averaged more than 8 touchdowns a year and Witten has gotten more than 8 TD's once.
In 7 seasons Vernon Davis, who is a much better blocker than Witten, has 40 touchdowns. Davis has 4 less touchdowns than Witten in 3 less seasons. Davis scored two touchdowns in each postseason game of 2011 and added another one this year as well.
In 3 seasons, Rob Gronkowski has never had less than 10 touchdowns (something Witten has never done) and has 38 on his career. If healthy, Gronk will likely pass Witten's total this year.
In 8 seasons, my choice for most underrated player, Heath Miller has 39 touchdowns. Those 39 touchdowns are only 5 less than Witten in 2 less seasons. Miller like Davis is a much better blocker than Witten. Miller also has 4 postseason touchdowns and two super bowl rings (something Witten likely never will have).
In 11 injury riddled seasons, Todd Heap, another guy that blocked better than Witten, had 42 touchdowns. Heap also had awful QB play and helped get his team consistently in the playoffs.
My choice for #6 tight end all-time is Ben Coates who had 50 touchdowns in 11 seasons. Coates retired in 2000 after winning a Super Bowl with the Baltimore Ravens. He retired in 2000, long before the passing explosion as of late. Coates was a mauler as a blocker compared to Witten.
Factoring everything in there is no way Jason Witten is a top 5 all-time tight end. Heck, I would say he isn't as good as Heath Miller. He is a great player, but is overrated. No way is he better than these guys.
1. Tony Gonzalez
2. Shannon Sharpe
3. Kellen Winslow Sr.
4. John Mackey
5. Ozzie Newsome
6. Ben Coates
7. Dave Casper
8. Mike Ditka
9. Todd Christensen
10. Antonio Gates
Not sure, I have the correct order, but those are the 10 best tight ends ever. Gates has twice as many touchdowns as Witten in the same amount of seasons also. That's why he is at #10.
There are more and there are more comparisons I could make, but for now, just know that Jason Witten is one of the most overrated players in football. Hey, he's a Cowboy, what do you expect?
-Noland
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ReplyDeleteWow....just...WOW!
DeleteA-Using his playoff stats is kinda silly. He's a TE. He cannot throw the ball to himself. If he were on the 90's Cowboys, he'd likely have just about every record for a TE in the playoffs as he was a better TE than Jay Novecek. Of course...that's just kinda silly to argue to begin with.
Second-Saying Witten isn't as good of a blocker as Vernon Davis? Wow...he was an ELITE blocker. Look at his PFF rankings...even going back to when this was written.
Wow...I just searched for Jason Witten overrated and underrated and for OVERRATED only one popped up....this one. And I wouldn't have commented, but this is so ridiculously flawed.
But it's fine. I'm sure you'll delete my message as I'm going to assume that's what the previous comment was saying and you deleted that one.