Hall of Fame: Steve Atwater or John Lynch?

I was a huge John Lynch fan. Not only because we shared the same last name, but because he embodied the style of play at the position that I had grown accustomed to enjoying and emulating.

Why? Because Steve Atwater was my favorite defensive player growing up and it was Steve Atwater that Tony Dungy told Lynch early in his career to “Do that” on the tape.

Lynch did that, but needed longer to match that. Here is a neat breakdown from one of our commenters, Kolorado Kaos, here on Mile High Report comparing the two players. Lynch played 15 years and Atwater 10. Here was their average per year on the stats side of things and some other important accolades:

Once again, a Denver Broncos legend is faced with a voter bias stacked by a player who had longevity over meaningful impact. Both players should end up in the Pro Football Hall of Fame, but there is no doubt in my mind that Atwater deserves enshrinement first.