Las Vegas Raiders Dream Team: All-Time Starting Defense
By Evan Groat
Las Vegas Raiders Dream Team: All-Time Starting Defense
Defensive End: Howie Long (1981-1993)
Howie Long had a long and productive 13-year career with the organization. Long was fast, strong, and explosive off the ball, which helped him on his way to 84 career sacks, a total that still ranks him second in team history.
Long was a key contributor on the 1983 Super Bowl championship team, as he led the team with 13 sacks during the season. The eight-time Pro Bowler and two-time First Team All-Pro in 1984 and 1985, Long is also a member of the NFL’s 1980’s All-Decade Team. He is enshrined in the Pro Football Hall of Fame.
Defensive End: Greg Townsend (1983-1997)
The combination of Howie Long and Greg Townsend wrecked havoc on offenses together for 11 years, as they became one of the best pass-rush tandems in football history. The two sack masters were dominant bookend defensive ends that the Raiders haven’t had since, and they both belong in the Hall of Fame.
Townsend ranks number one on the organization’s sacks list with 107.5, and in the history of the game, he is 23rd all-time in that statistical category. An All-Rookie team member back in 1983, Townsend was a two-time Pro Bowler wearing the Silver and Black, and racked up seven double-digit sack seasons in his career.