Michael Irvin GOES THE HELL OFF on podcasters downplaying WRs / DBs of his day compared to today’s players

[Harry B]

From my understanding the-main difference in football besides them being slightly faster, stronger, taller etc. and passers being more clinical and less Jameis.

Is that defense is a lot more strategic, data being more important, and shyt like that. While before it was more roughnecked. So really it’s more about coaching staffs over many decades having optimized the game rather than individual plays being better or worse.


Which is why I never understand why people underestimate the importance of the team you play for. Seen people go from mediocre to elite by switching teams and the opposite. can’t compare that to an nba player who will get his regardless

 

[Jplaya2023]

Well so much for the nba being the "only" sport that suffered from "BackInMyDayIsms" I cant wait to see the usual suspects defend Mike Dogg while they continue to shyt on older NBA players who did the same thing. By the way i 100% agree with Mike Dawg. Coli hates to see it

 

[BucciMane]

How much easier is it to catch a pass over the middle when you know someone is not aiming straight for your chest like a missile? Back then QBs used to get a lot of shyt for even throwing those passes because it would lead to their receivers getting hurt. The announcers would say "thats a pass you cant make" or "he lead his receiver into that hit".

Receivers today can extend themselves and go for those spectacular plays because A, there aint a DB holding them down with one arm, and B there isnt a linebacker sizing them up who has no intention whatsoever on playing the actual ball.

I don't disagree with you on that, and I wasn't speaking about the nature of the game itself. I was strictly just talking about the ability of WR's today compared to decades ago. And, again, that doesn't mean there weren't players then thay couldn't play today. I'm talking about it as a whole.

 

[The Villain]

Mike 100% right man going across the middle was life threatening back then.

He'd be an even better player today than he was back then w/ how soft the rules have made the game.

 

[Killer Instinct]

9:55 - 10:05

 

[Erratic415]

Here’s the Renaldo Nehemiah play he was talking about

 

[InstantKlassik]

Ain’t seen Playmaker this upset in a long time. Glad he put breh in his place.

 

[Rayzah]

Talk to these nikkas

 

[NYC Rebel]

He can cry all he wants about it, but what DBs are doing and taught today is MILES AHEAD of what DBs were taught in the 90s. It's not even close.

They have to be considering how the rules have been skewed against them over the years. You're going to see more solid DB coaching to counteract the offensive advantages receivers have benefitted from.

My son is a SS/Nickel corner and I've dived head first into the DB rabbit hole after myself playing DB in the 80s/90s. DBs are taught so much more now. When Chad tried to convince what he does would work today to Jamar Chase, and Jamar REFUSED to accept it saying that it would NOT WORK on Pat Surtain and gave the reasons why.



this ain't yesteryear.

Aquib Talib on a podcast talked about training his nephew to play DB wishing coming up he was taught all the shyt he now knows or he would've been a better DB. I LITERALLY learned more about playing DB watching Revis every week, myself being flabby and sick, than I did any corner during my playing days. You have DeAngelo Hall saying they used to watch Revis film a day after he played calling it "teach tape." That type of footage wasn't able to circulate in Michael's day. No one was teaching us as DBs back in the 80s/90s to eliminate certain patterns from a receivers route tree depending where you are at a 5 yards into the play. Today's DBs have to practically play QB.

I made my son watch some past DBs thinking "back in my day" was just as good and he constantly kept pointing out what 80s and 90s DBs were doing wrong.....and he was 100% CORRECT each and every time based on what he's taught right now. Lil niqqa looked disgusted at the old shyt. Even down to the tackling, this little niqqa was saying "How come they aren't using the "same foot, same shoulder" to tackle?" I couldn't say shyt because he was dead ass correct.

Michael needs to understand that shyt is different....and BETTER. These DBs today shyt on what was out there back in the day. But there are still so many shytty DBs in the league now.

 

[IsThatBrothaMouzone?]

Deion would be able to play today.

With that being said, the overall talent and freakishness of the WR's today as a whole are much better than in the 90's and prior. That's not to say that Rice and some others wouldn't be great today, but the sheer amount of freakish WR's today is much more than decades ago. QB's are also making passes that QB's decades ago weren't making. There are always exceptions, but as a whole the WR's today are tougher to cover.

Think players today are (on average) more dynamic with the ball in their hands, while guys back in the day might have been a bit better coming off the line and handling contact.

QBs aren't any better today except they're much more athletic (again on average). They can run more effectively AND are less likely to get hit because of the rules protecting QBs...which obviously helps on broken plays, play action etc.

 

[MeachTheMonster]

They done pissed unc off.


the “who the fukk are you” took me out

He not having it.

This is the Ghostface vs fat cac of the sports world. Just needed some classic soul music playing in the background

 

[KFBF]

Maybe I'm not paying close enough attention but every year there are more and more 6'3 220 lb dudes that can run, bench, and jump out building. Doesn't make them good receivers though.

Even in the original video: "they big, they fast, they can jump" can they catch? He's acting like everyone out there has DK Metcalf mesureables with Tyreek speed.

NFL wide receiver rankings ahead of Week 6

PFF is grading every player on every play during the 2025 NFL season, and these are the top wide receivers by PFF receiving grade through five weeks.

www.pff.com

Puka is number one on this list right now. He's a good receiver. Prime ain't got nothing for him? fukk outta here.

 

[The_Sheff]

He can cry all he wants about it, but what DBs are doing and taught today is MILES AHEAD of what DBs were taught in the 90s. It's not even close.

They have to be considering how the rules have been skewed against them over the years. You're going to see more solid DB coaching to counteract the offensive advantages receivers have benefitted from.

My son is a SS/Nickel corner and I've dived head first into the DB rabbit hole after myself playing DB in the 80s/90s. DBs are taught so much more now. When Chad tried to convince what he does would work today to Jamar Chase, and Jamar REFUSED to accept it saying that it would NOT WORK on Pat Surtain and gave the reasons why.



this ain't yesteryear.

Aquib Talib on a podcast talked about training his nephew to play DB wishing coming up he was taught all the shyt he now knows or he would've been a better DB. I LITERALLY learned more about playing DB watching Revis every week, myself being flabby and sick, than I did any corner during my playing days. You have DeAngelo Hall saying they used to watch Revis film a day after he played calling it "teach tape." That type of footage wasn't able to circulate in Michael's day. No one was teaching us as DBs back in the 80s/90s to eliminate certain patterns from a receivers route tree depending where you are at a 5 yards into the play. Today's DBs have to practically play QB.

I made my son watch some past DBs thinking "back in my day" was just as good and he constantly kept pointing out what 80s and 90s DBs were doing wrong.....and he was 100% CORRECT each and every time based on what he's taught right now. Lil niqqa looked disgusted at the old shyt. Even down to the tackling, this little niqqa was saying "How come they aren't using the "same foot, same shoulder" to tackle?" I couldn't say shyt because he was dead ass correct.

Michael needs to understand that shyt is different....and BETTER. These DBs today shyt on what was out there back in the day. But there are still so many shytty DBs in the league now.

What you said is true but also has nothing to do with what was said and what Mike is reacting to. Mike, Jerry, and Deion were being slighted on an athleticism angle, not their technique and capacity to learn. The majority of Mike's rant is stating that he couldn't do the things receivers are doing now because 1st and foremost he needed to protect himself in addition to catching the ball.

The game is different when the receiver is given the opportunity to catch the ball with minimized fear. As a DB you play it different when you know the receiver won't run a certain route, not because you "blocked certain routes on his tree" but because Ronnie Lott is in the middle and he don't give a fukk about a route tree, he gonna put his helmet in your chest if you try to run through there.

Any and everything that is being taught now could also be taught to those players from back in the day if you brought them here.

 

[KFBF]

He can cry all he wants about it, but what DBs are doing and taught today is MILES AHEAD of what DBs were taught in the 90s. It's not even close.

They have to be considering how the rules have been skewed against them over the years. You're going to see more solid DB coaching to counteract the offensive advantages receivers have benefitted from.

My son is a SS/Nickel corner and I've dived head first into the DB rabbit hole after myself playing DB in the 80s/90s. DBs are taught so much more now. When Chad tried to convince what he does would work today to Jamar Chase, and Jamar REFUSED to accept it saying that it would NOT WORK on Pat Surtain and gave the reasons why.



this ain't yesteryear.

Aquib Talib on a podcast talked about training his nephew to play DB wishing coming up he was taught all the shyt he now knows or he would've been a better DB. I LITERALLY learned more about playing DB watching Revis every week, myself being flabby and sick, than I did any corner during my playing days. You have DeAngelo Hall saying they used to watch Revis film a day after he played calling it "teach tape." That type of footage wasn't able to circulate in Michael's day. No one was teaching us as DBs back in the 80s/90s to eliminate certain patterns from a receivers route tree depending where you are at a 5 yards into the play. Today's DBs have to practically play QB.

I made my son watch some past DBs thinking "back in my day" was just as good and he constantly kept pointing out what 80s and 90s DBs were doing wrong.....and he was 100% CORRECT each and every time based on what he's taught right now. Lil niqqa looked disgusted at the old shyt. Even down to the tackling, this little niqqa was saying "How come they aren't using the "same foot, same shoulder" to tackle?" I couldn't say shyt because he was dead ass correct.

Michael needs to understand that shyt is different....and BETTER. These DBs today shyt on what was out there back in the day. But there are still so many shytty DBs in the league now.

Nothing I've seen from the Facts Over Feelings clip has talked about DB skill, it was about the current receivers and diminishing those from the past. So while everything you said might be true, not what Mike was taking issue witth.




Additionally, when people do these theoreticals it's always the least generous consideration. Like they're transporting Deion from Braves batting practice to the Chicago Bears vs Commanders on Monday. Let Deion experience the same training and drills that some of these modern ones receive and are still bad with.

 

[Rekkapryde]

Fans of a certain player have diminished legends for years to prop their player up. It's sad this has spread to other sports.

it's low hanging fruit and red meat for podcasters/talking heads to get clicks and ratings.