Best runningback of all time

[PrettyT11]

Re: Best runningback of all time

TD was the man no doubt and I loved watching him play but his three years long enough to put a guy in the HOF?? I say no. IMO three years is not long enough when we are talking about the HOF. I mean if we are giving TD the nod then what about a guy like Priest Holmes. I am not saying he was as good as TD and he doesn't have the playoff numbers TD has but his three or four year run is alomst as good as TD's was. I mean Priest was named to three straight all pro teams, won a offensive player of the year, won a rushing title, was only the second guy ever to run for more than 20 TD's twice, and broke Emmit's TD record. His 2008 season was a pace to be one of the best ever as well.

So for any of you guys giving TD the nod do you give it to Priest Holmes as well??

[bkrich83]

Re: Best runningback of all time

TD was the man no doubt and I loved watching him play but his three years long enough to put a guy in the HOF?? I say no. IMO three years is not long enough when we are talking about the HOF. I mean if we are giving TD the nod then what about a guy like Priest Holmes. I am not saying he was as good as TD and he doesn't have the playoff numbers TD has but his three or four year run is alomst as good as TD's was. I mean Priest was named to three straight all pro teams, won a offensive player of the year, won a rushing title, was only the second guy ever to run for more than 20 TD's twice, and broke Emmit's TD record. His 2008 season was a pace to be one of the best ever as well.

So for any of you guys giving TD the nod do you give it to Priest Holmes as well??

No on Priest. I see your point. Priest never carried his team in the post season, and he never rushed for that magical 2000 yards. I never got the feeling he was as dominant as TD.

At least that's my view of it, but I do get where you are coming from.

[The15thunter]

Re: Best runningback of all time

TD was the man no doubt and I loved watching him play but his three years long enough to put a guy in the HOF?? I say no. IMO three years is not long enough when we are talking about the HOF. I mean if we are giving TD the nod then what about a guy like Priest Holmes. I am not saying he was as good as TD and he doesn't have the playoff numbers TD has but his three or four year run is alomst as good as TD's was. I mean Priest was named to three straight all pro teams, won a offensive player of the year, won a rushing title, was only the second guy ever to run for more than 20 TD's twice, and broke Emmit's TD record. His 2008 season was a pace to be one of the best ever as well.

So for any of you guys giving TD the nod do you give it to Priest Holmes as well??

no, i do not. he never struck me as a special talent, really. his system and his offensive line were great, the offense was very good, and he put up good numbers, but in actually watching him, you knew you weren't witnessing a great back, you were watching a good back behind a great o-line within a great system.

larry johnson stepped right in and the team didn't miss a beat, other than some receptions. really, until the offensive line broke down, you could have put in any good running back and gotten similar results.

[da ThRONe]

Re: Best runningback of all time

no, i do not. he never struck me as a special talent, really. his system and his offensive line were great, the offense was very good, and he put up good numbers, but in actually watching him, you knew you weren't witnessing a great back, you were watching a good back behind a great o-line within a great system.

larry johnson stepped right in and the team didn't miss a beat, other than some receptions. really, until the offensive line broke down, you could have put in any good running back and gotten similar results.

You can use this same agruement with TD. How many 1000 yard backs succeeded him?

[The15thunter]

Re: Best runningback of all time

You can use this same agruement with TD. How many 1000 yard backs proceeded him?

i think you meant succeeded him, because to precede is to be before.

1. i debunked that argument already.
2. 1,000 yards is hardly the marker you wanted to set as a benchmark for this type of argument, anyway, since that's like 63 yards per game, which a quarterback has actually obtained. aim higher.
3. to answer your question, 5 denver bronco running backs in the 11 years after terrell davis' prime have eclipsed 1,000 yards : olandis gary (1999 - 1,159), mike anderson (2000 - 1,487, 2005 - 1,014), clinton portis (2002 - 1,508, 2003 - 1,591), reuben droughns (2004 - 1,240), tatum bell (2006 - 1,025)
4. now let's look at davis' short stay at the top of the running back world.

terrell davis' four year average before injury - 335 carries, 1,603 rushing yards, 14 touchdowns
terrell davis' three year prime average before injury - 369 carries, 1,765 rushing yards, 16 touchdowns

5. i don't see how you can make an argument now. his average, including his rookie year, eclipses every season after him. then, if you only look at his prime, it's even worse.

[PrettyT11]

Re: Best runningback of all time

No on Priest. I see your point. Priest never carried his team in the post season, and he never rushed for that magical 2000 yards. I never got the feeling he was as dominant as TD.

At least that's my view of it, but I do get where you are coming from.

Yeah TD has the edge with the playoff numbers and the 2,000 yard season no doubt. I was just wondering where the guys that give TD nod feel about a guy like Priest who had a similar short run of dominance. I agree TD was the better back but IMO I say no to both just because they didn't do it for long enough.

[The15thunter]

Re: Best runningback of all time

Yeah TD has the edge with the playoff numbers and the 2,000 yard season no doubt. I was just wondering where the guys that give TD nod feel about a guy like Priest who had a similar short run of dominance. I agree TD was the better back but IMO I say no to both just because they didn't do it for long enough.

what do you say about gale sayers?

[PrettyT11]

Re: Best runningback of all time

no, i do not. he never struck me as a special talent, really. his system and his offensive line were great, the offense was very good, and he put up good numbers, but in actually watching him, you knew you weren't witnessing a great back, you were watching a good back behind a great o-line within a great system.

larry johnson stepped right in and the team didn't miss a beat, other than some receptions. really, until the offensive line broke down, you could have put in any good running back and gotten similar results.

Let's not short change Larry Johnson now. He did run for over 2,000 yards at 8 yards a carry his senior year at Penn State and won every award but the Heisman. So it's not like the Chiefs just threw some nobody in there. If you look at the rushing number for the team the four years before Priest got there nobody ran for 700 yards. Thier YPC were pretty average as well. His first year there he ran for more yards than the entire team combined the year before.

I'm not knocking on TD at all. I have already stated I feel he was a great RB as well. THe same argument came made to an extent though with all the 1,000 plus yard guys after him. Clearly they weren't the player he was but nobody heard of any of those guys but Portis before they got there. I mean 2 different guys went for over 1,400 yards and they both did it as rookies. Portis was putting up an all time high like pace before he was traded away from Denver. Also a slight correction only TD's 97 and 98 years are better than what Anderson and Portis did. TD's 96 season wasn't as good as either of Portis' years and is debatable with Anderson's. Anderson had more TD's and a higher YPC and Portis went for over 1,500 in only 12 starts as a rookie and went for almost 1,600 and 14 TD's in only 13 games in 03. Both years he put up an eye popping 5.5 YPC. Gary's numbers was pretty nice as well. He only played in 12 games that year and averaged 96.6 a game. TD was at 96.1 in 96.

So the same argument you are making against Priest can be made against TD.

[The15thunter]

Re: Best runningback of all time

Let's not short change Larry Johnson now. He did run for over 2,000 yards at 8 yards a carry his senior year at Penn State and won every award but the Heisman. So it's not like the Chiefs just threw some nobody in there. If you look at the rushing number for the team the four years before Priest got there nobody ran for 700 yards. Thier YPC were pretty average as well. His first year there he ran for more yards than the entire team combined the year before.

I'm not knocking on TD at all. I have already stated I feel he was a great RB as well. THe same argument came made to an extent though with all the 1,000 plus yard guys after him. Clearly they weren't the player he was but nobody heard of any of those guys but Portis before they got there. I mean 2 different guys went for over 1,400 yards and they both did it as rookies. Portis was putting up an all time high like pace before he was traded away from Denver. Also a slight correction only TD's 97 and 98 years are better than what Anderson and Portis did. TD's 96 season wasn't as good as either of Portis' years and is debatable with Anderson's. Anderson had more TD's and a higher YPC and Portis went for over 1,500 in only 12 starts as a rookie and went for almost 1,600 and 14 TD's in only 13 games in 03. Both years he put up an eye popping 5.5 YPC. Gary's numbers was pretty nice as well. He only played in 12 games that year and averaged 96.6 a game. TD was at 96.1 in 96.

So the same argument you are making against Priest can be made against TD.

i wouldn't dare shortchange larry, he was my favorite back for a few years.

however, i'm saying priest wasn't setting the world on fire in baltimore, but behind that chiefs offensive line and system, he flourished.

portis doesn't belong in this conversation because he was an elite back with and without that offensive line and zone blocking scheme, which discredits the belief that the line made him or davis.

however, td's 1996 > all of anderson's years.

1996 (started 16/16 games; pro bowl; all-pro; nfl offensive player of the year) - 345 attempts, 1538 rushing yards (4.5 ypc, 96.1 ypg), 13 touchdowns, 36 receptions, 310 receiving yards, 2 touchdowns

vs.

mike anderson (2000 - 1,487, 2005 - 1,014)

[PrettyT11]

Re: Best runningback of all time

what do you say about gale sayers?

Sayers has always been like a special case. He career was very short as well but he brought another element that those two guys didn't. He was an excellent kick returner as well as runner and reciever. He does have 5 all pro years also to his credit. Granted I have never seen him play and have only seen the tapes and such so I can't knock him for being in. All the older guys(fans and former players) who saw him say he was in a class of his own and from watching the tapes he without a doubt looks the part so I have no knock on him in my book.

[PrettyT11]

Re: Best runningback of all time

i wouldn't dare shortchange larry, he was my favorite back for a few years.

however, i'm saying priest wasn't setting the world on fire in baltimore, but behind that chiefs offensive line and system, he flourished.

portis doesn't belong in this conversation because he was an elite back with and without that offensive line and zone blocking scheme, which discredits the belief that the line made him or davis.

however, td's 1996 > all of anderson's years.

1996 (started 16/16 games; pro bowl; all-pro; nfl offensive player of the year) - 345 attempts, 1538 rushing yards (4.5 ypc, 96.1 ypg), 13 touchdowns, 36 receptions, 310 receiving yards, 2 touchdowns

vs.

mike anderson (2000 - 1,487, 2005 - 1,014)

Alright I got you. Your first post made it seem like LJ was just some plug in. Also I don't think the line made TD or Portis by any means. I loved watching them both and feel they both would be great regardless(Portis has proven that). I was just saying the same argument both for and against TD can be made for Priest. Holmes wasn't really given the same chances with the Ravens. He put up a solid season then got hurt the next (while putting up good numbers). By then they gave the job to Lewis who was a damn good RB himself.

I'm not saying Anderson year was better. All I was saying was that the numbers are not that far off. 1,487 with a 5 YPC and 15 TD's in 12 starts is pretty damn good. Clearly TD was better and I really don't like making this argument cause it feels like I'm shorting TD when I'm not lol.

[ActLikeYouCrow]

Re: Best runningback of all time

this isnt really related to whether he deserves to be in the hall or not, but i wonder if terrell davis would have been the same player he was even without the knee injury.

he got off to a terrible start that season, which could be attributed to 1st year starting quarterback brian griese or as someone else alluded to with the incredible playoff performances he had, he ended up carrying the ball 951 times 1998-99 regular season and playoffs combined. assuming my quick research is right, no back has ever come within 100 carries of that total over a two year span.

[Alai]

Re: Best runningback of all time

I voted for Sanders, but I understand that he's my favorite runner, because he's the one that's most fun to watch. As far as who was better, probably was Jim Brown Gale Sayers or Walter Payton.

But out of all four, I'd definitely watch Sanders run over any of them any day.

[Yhan2]

Re: Best runningback of all time

Gotta go with Marshall. Whether its 3rd and 15 or 3rd and one....he is always a threat. What other runningback can claim this? He is the only back that I've seen running fly routes...thats nutz. He was considered the best player, not running back, but player in the league for three year in his prime with the Rams. He can block, run, catch, smart, and a leader. Total package = impact player.

My 2 cents

[DJeez]

Re: Best runningback of all time

Jim Brown in his prime, beats everyone. But I still think that Emmitt Smith is better than Sanders.