Howie Long-random question

I was born in 1989, so I never saw him play, but I was doing my research on Richard Dent and came across Howie Long as a top 10 DE in almost every ranking I saw. He was above Dent every time. I look at their stats and they both looked to be pure pass rushers, both at 6-5, 265. Long only has three 10 plus sack seasons (most being 13) while Dent has eight (most being 17.5). Why was howie long considered to be so good?

I'm too young to answer that question as well (born in 88) but I figure maybe Long was more of a playmaker or complete DE than Dent? Like how many FF/FR/TD's does Long have? And the only other way to compare DE's is by how good of a run stopper they are, but since tackles only provide part of the story in that regards someone who watched Long play would probably know if he was a better run stopper than Dent. Old timers step up please?

Howie Long not only was a great defensive end but he was a great defensive lineman. Whenever he needed to he could kick inside and play DT as well. In fact he was always highly commended for being able to play in every single position along the defensive line and do it at a high level. He would fill in where ever they needed him and did not skip a beat.

It's important to note he was a 3-4 end, so he was more than just a pass rusher, he was a very solid all around player.

It's important to note he was a 3-4 end, so he was more than just a pass rusher, he was a very solid all around player.


..........and he played for the Raiders ....who were always good.............way back when.

Howie Long was scary good! Like what Angry and Matty said, he was a complete, solid defensive players who could be plugged in just about anywhere. You don't see many players like Howie Long anymore.

He was flat out the fastest off the ball of any DL I have watched. Watch film on him and you will see what I mean. He was never situational - was great against the run, and could rush the passer.

He was one of those guys who combined outstanding strength with excellent athleticism - the kind of player that Parcells calls a "planet player," since there are so few people with that same combination of skills and talents alive on the planet.

Just to echo everyone's sentiments, Long played a lot of DT and sometimes NT. He was simply one of the best ever and my personal favorite defensive lineman.

He had a rare combination of speed, power, and quickness off the ball. Now that I think about that entire Raiders defense was pretty good.

The only time Howie Long came off the field was when he was injured or when the Raiders had a 4 TD lead. He played every down and he played every down as if it was the game-deciding play.

Stats tell only part of the story. Howie Long was a great football player who is most deservedly in the HoF.