Best runningback of all time

[Dewie12]

Re: Best runningback of all time

Watch Walter Payton block, catch, tackle, throw.....oh yeah he could run too.

Sweatness is the best football player ever.

Sanders best runner ever.

Smith the most durable ever.

[The15thunter]

Re: Best runningback of all time

i understand it's a nice skill and all, but payton being able to throw doesn't make him a better running back. that's like saying steve young is better than troy aikman because he can catch better.

[SPTO]

Re: Best runningback of all time

i understand it's a nice skill and all, but payton being able to throw doesn't make him a better running back. that's like saying steve young is better than troy aikman because he can catch better.

No but it shows that he was capable of anything. Defensive coaches would have to do far more planning against Payton then just about any other RB at the time.

[Game4fun]

Re: Best runningback of all time

you certainly can argue it. The perception of those Cowboys offensive line has taken on a life of it's own, and in the process a very good offensive line has been made legendary. It's like a fish you caught 10 years ago getting bigger and bigger every time you tell the story

We'll see how great that line really was when it's time to put up or shut up and get some of them in the HoF. No line can be "one of the greatest of all time" without a few HoF'ers. Larry Allen will probably be the only HOF'er in the group and Smith had won 3 rushing titles and a superbowl MVP before Allen was even drafted.

That's one of the most impressive things on Emmitt's resume that some actually started thinking those guys were "great". You'll remember that no one was praising those guys (Newton, Tuinei, Gogan) in the mid to late 80s. They all had plenty of time to prove how "great" they were before Emmitt got there to make them look like stars.

Mighty suspicious, the timing on that deal. It got even more ridiculous as the Cowboys just kept plugging in new guys and never once ended up with a guy that wasn't "great"....amazing. Of course the Cowboys lost that perfect scouting ability once Emmitt started declining. Incredible coincidence I'm sure.

yes he had a loaded team. He also had to play against loaded teams. Smith played in one of the most loaded divisions in NFL history in the NFC East and had to go through the playoffs in an NFC that had won something like 12 straight superbowls until the late 90s and was dominant with all time great teams like the 49ers and Packers.

There is a double standard much of the time in such discussions when it comes to Emmitt Smith. He obviously wasnt the only great player that played on a great team but still many people use this as a criteria to discredit Smith. This double standard reserved for Emmitt Smith becomes clear when you look at the treatment Smith's classmate this year got.

Jerry Rice had the best situation a wide receiver could ever hope to have and that's never been held against him. Ask any of the other great receivers if they would have wanted to join the defending Super Bowl champs with probably the greatest quarterback ever running a revolutionary passing offense in a weak division. Do you think any of them would prefer the deal they got instead? I imagine Andre Rison "would have" loved to have played with those San Francisco team and I imagine he "would have" been better with the Niners. Left Eye "might not have" even burned down Andre's house "if" he "would have" been with the Niners.

In 15 years, yes there were some holes "you could drive a truck through". However, for people to act like it was that way every game over his entire career is wrong.

As far as highlights, I dont need to watch highlights. I watched every Cowboys game during the Emmitt Smith's career. I dont judge players mainly by highlights anyway, but look at these highlights and tell me that all of the holes were big enough to drive a truck through, that Smith was only a product of his line and he didnt make his line better

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KvEXqWcouBg

Both were superb pass catchers. However, from 91-95, Emmitt averaged 55 receptions a year. Sanders never caught 50 passes in a season.

because Smith didnt quit at the point Sanders did

but compare their first 10 seasons:

Rushing Titles: Emmitt 4, Barry had 4
Pro Bowls: Emmitt 8, Barry 10
Rushing Yards: Emmitt 13,963, Barry 15,269
Rushing TD's: Emmitt 135, Barry 99
Playoff Rushing Yards: Emmitt 1928, Barry 386
Playoff Rushing TDs: Emmitt 22, Barry 1
MVP's: Emmitt 1, Barry 1
Super Bowl MVP's: Emmitt 1, Barry 0
Super Bowl rings: Emmitt 3, Barry 0

all time great production by both players obviously

That is what I dont understand. How does "who played better with the worse team" makes sense as a main criteria in the ultimate team sport

when folks have to resort to "if's" and "would haves", then they lose the argument

our lists look pretty similar

imo,

1. Payton
2. Smith
3. Brown
4. Dickerson
5. Sanders

Its tough to put Sanders over some of these guys imo when Sanders had to be taken out of the game in certain situations

It's very difficult to rank these players obviously, and you cant go wrong with any of these GOAT backs. It just depends on what type of great back you prefer and what system you would want to run

The top half of this about his line needs to be sent out all over America to the millions of people that say Emmit Smith was overrated!

[bkrich83]

Re: Best runningback of all time

i understand it's a nice skill and all, but payton being able to throw doesn't make him a better running back. that's like saying steve young is better than troy aikman because he can catch better.

Just another reason why Payton was so versatile. He was a running back who's game had literally no holes in it. He excelled at every facet of the game as a RB.

[elgreazy1]

Re: Best runningback of all time

Just like to chime in, 34 pass attempts in 13 seasons? I'd hardly call that major gameplanning. Moot stat, IMO.

[SPTO]

Re: Best runningback of all time

Just another reason why Payton was so versatile. He was a running back who's game had literally no holes in it. He excelled at every facet of the game as a RB.

On some days Payton is considered the best football player that ever lived IMO then other days I think of Jerry Rice in the top spot. You can't go wrong with either one of them as they exemplified what it means to be a dedicated, all around player who can provide so much for their team.

There's a reason that towards the end of his career and a good long time after it a ton of RBs went with 34 as their number.

[elgreazy1]

Re: Best runningback of all time

Earl Campbell also had #34

[SPTO]

Re: Best runningback of all time

Earl Campbell also had #34

Indeed but most RBs that came after Payton cite him as their inspiration and hence the #34 worn is more for Payton then Campbell.

BTW Campbell was one helluva physical specimen. That man just LOVED to hit the opposing team as hard as he could and unfortunately it shortened his career. I tell you if Campbell was around today the players on the other side of the ball would probably piss their pants out of fear.

[bkrich83]

Re: Best runningback of all time

Just like to chime in, 34 pass attempts in 13 seasons? I'd hardly call that major gameplanning. Moot stat, IMO.

You still had to prepare for it. That was something you had to be aware of. Point is in Payton's case, i don't know of another back with a more complete set of skills than Payton.

You can try to downplay what he could do if you want, but that doesn't change the fact he literally had no weakness in his game.

[bkrich83]

Re: Best runningback of all time

On some days Payton is considered the best football player that ever lived IMO then other days I think of Jerry Rice in the top spot. You can't go wrong with either one of them as they exemplified what it means to be a dedicated, all around player who can provide so much for their team.

There's a reason that towards the end of his career and a good long time after it a ton of RBs went with 34 as their number.

Jerry Rice, Walter Payton and Lawrence Taylor are the best football players I have ever seen. I never saw Jim Brown play, so I can't judge, but those three players imo, have no peer.

[bkrich83]

Re: Best runningback of all time

Earl Campbell also had #34

What's your point?

[The15thunter]

Re: Best runningback of all time

so now, with all of this talk, maybe we should break down what exactly people expect a running back to do. what criteria can we agree on that a running back must meet to be considered?

[Rocky]

Re: Best runningback of all time

so now, with all of this talk, maybe we should break down what exactly people expect a running back to do. what criteria can we agree on that a running back must meet to be considered?

IMO, a RB's job is to run the ball. You have to be adequate at pass blocking and receiving, but you don't have to excel at it. If you do excel at receiving though, it's a huge plus (Marshall Faulk).

That's why Barry Sanders is the best RB in my generation and #2 all-time, imo. His running ability was stunning...to this day, I don't think people realize how ahead of his time he was. He did everything else adequately.

[The15thunter]

Re: Best runningback of all time

IMO, a RB's job is to run the ball. You have to be adequate at pass blocking and receiving, but you don't have to excel at it. If you do excel at receiving though, it's a huge plus (Marshall Faulk).

That's why Barry Sanders is the best RB in my generation and #2 all-time, imo. His running ability was stunning...to this day, I don't think people realize how ahead of his time he was. He did everything else adequately.

for me, i set the criteria at running (multiple kinds), blocking, catching and intangibles. to be exact:
north-south running
evasiveness
speed
power
ability to grind out tough yards
red/end zone running
pass blocking
catching
running after the catch
leadership
intimidation