Re: Best runningback of all time
You know I am.
As electrifying as Barry Sanders was in Detroit, he lacked the "it" factor to raise his team to the next level. Emmitt Smith did not lack that "it" factor, which puts him above Sanders. As you said earlier people make it sound like Sanders was surrounded by a bunch of HS kids when in reality he was surrounded by a really good offense with a upper tier OL. Sure it was not Dallas' OL, but it may have been the second or third best in the NFC at the time behind maybe San Francisco. I also believe Sanders running style would not have worked as well in Dallas and I can't look past Sanders being the NFL career leader in rushing attempts for a loss.
As for Walter Payton, again he didn't have that it factor Smith had. And yes he does have a SB, but well that was all on Buddy Ryan's 4-6 Defense, not being carried by Payton. Now unlike Smith or Sanders, Payton was in fact surrounded by an awful offense most of his career but that cuts both ways, he got more touches because he was the entire offense but he was the focus of the defense.
The only other RB I'd have in the discussion is Jim Brown and I never saw him play and won't begin to compare those eras of the NFL. So when I say the G.O.A.T., I refer to the Super Bowl era NFL and I'd say there is no debate Jim Brown is the G.O.A.T. of the NFL's pre-Super Bowl era.
You know I am.
As electrifying as Barry Sanders was in Detroit, he lacked the "it" factor to raise his team to the next level. Emmitt Smith did not lack that "it" factor, which puts him above Sanders. As you said earlier people make it sound like Sanders was surrounded by a bunch of HS kids when in reality he was surrounded by a really good offense with a upper tier OL. Sure it was not Dallas' OL, but it may have been the second or third best in the NFC at the time behind maybe San Francisco. I also believe Sanders running style would not have worked as well in Dallas and I can't look past Sanders being the NFL career leader in rushing attempts for a loss.
As for Walter Payton, again he didn't have that it factor Smith had. And yes he does have a SB, but well that was all on Buddy Ryan's 4-6 Defense, not being carried by Payton. Now unlike Smith or Sanders, Payton was in fact surrounded by an awful offense most of his career but that cuts both ways, he got more touches because he was the entire offense but he was the focus of the defense.
The only other RB I'd have in the discussion is Jim Brown and I never saw him play and won't begin to compare those eras of the NFL. So when I say the G.O.A.T., I refer to the Super Bowl era NFL and I'd say there is no debate Jim Brown is the G.O.A.T. of the NFL's pre-Super Bowl era.
); 3 time league MVP; averaged 5+ yards/carry and 100+ yds/gm for his career; retired while still in his prime as the NFL's all-time leading rusher, a record he held for 21 years...all this while never missing a single start.
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