03-24-2023, 11:45 PM
Bates, absolutely no question. One of the smartest players on the defense. Maybe the smartest. Always raised his game down the stretch. Almost always played on his front foot. Teams never "picked on" Jessie Bates. Far from it.
Nelson was an incredible pickup by Marv. One of our best trades ever. He was a bit more versatile than Jessie in that he could play both spots, but Jessie was always more valuable for this defense than Nelson was for his. Jessie's supreme range was in my view one of the key threads holding the backfield together despite our mid-level outside corners. I mean, Apple and a rookie down the stretch? AYFKM?!! I know there are a lot of other players on the D, but 10 wins in a row from the moment Chido went down and just one 300-yd passer along the way (Brady)... man. Speaks for itself.
I loved Nelson and it's a good argument but I'm partial to Bates. I just love how smart he is/was. Even between whistles. Say what you will about faking injuries but that was some ninja sht at a crucial point in the game haha. Chiefs didn't score either. To have that kind of presence of mind was classic Jessie Bates. Always locked in. Two steps ahead of the opponent. Love him to death.
Nelson was an incredible pickup by Marv. One of our best trades ever. He was a bit more versatile than Jessie in that he could play both spots, but Jessie was always more valuable for this defense than Nelson was for his. Jessie's supreme range was in my view one of the key threads holding the backfield together despite our mid-level outside corners. I mean, Apple and a rookie down the stretch? AYFKM?!! I know there are a lot of other players on the D, but 10 wins in a row from the moment Chido went down and just one 300-yd passer along the way (Brady)... man. Speaks for itself.
I loved Nelson and it's a good argument but I'm partial to Bates. I just love how smart he is/was. Even between whistles. Say what you will about faking injuries but that was some ninja sht at a crucial point in the game haha. Chiefs didn't score either. To have that kind of presence of mind was classic Jessie Bates. Always locked in. Two steps ahead of the opponent. Love him to death.
