Best Running Backs Ever?

AndyJohnson said:

Smith in 2001 was decent. Nothing special but took what was there. After 2001 he was one the worst (starting)RBs in the league and possibly THE slowest.

Click to expand...

I take it you didn't notice his playoffs. He was a lot more than decent in the 01 Super Bowl. He owned the Rams in that game. He was also a horse in SB 38. Top 2 rushing performances for the Pats in Super Bowls? Not Dillon. Smith and Smith.

Blount in comparison was great and I loved his play here but he disappeared in the postseason.

Ridley was decent but fumbled a lot and I wouldn't put him above Smith. Guys like Maroney and Law Firm were as average as average gets so neither do they.

anditsgood said:

Barry Sanders, you have to look at him run/play and not at stats, and remember he played for the only team that eventually went 0-16 as a franchise

Click to expand...

Barry Sanders numbers in playoff games instantly removes him from the discussion.

In 6 playoff games he averaged 2.8 YPC.

He never scored a touchdown in the playoffs & one game he had negative 2 yards rushing.

Take out all the qualifiers and parameters.

Eye Test: It's Bo Jackson.

1. Jim Brown

--gap--

2. Barry Sanders

--huge gap--

3. Everyone else

Best RB's of all time is always an interesting debate. I beleieve Jim Brown in number 1 however so many who could be number two.

I do always feel players like Steve Van Buren and Doak Walker who played so well but had to play multiple positions don't get as much credit. They were also before most games were on TV which doesn't help.

I have seen on facebook recently the video floating round of all of Tomlinson's TD's from the 31 TD season. That number is insane I was shocked to see him score som many from 10 yards or less. Something like 24 of them were 10 or less. As a reciever he had great hands and would go downfield not just ctach a screen pass. He was special to watch no matter how little we like him here.

He makes everyone forget Shaun Alexander record TD season a year before. Then Adrian Peterson burst in the NFL with his 297yard game the next year. The mid 2000's were blesses for running back records.

As much as football has changed and become a passing game Walter Peyton's single game rushing title stood for 23 years it was then beaten 3 times in 7 years (Dillon, Jamal Lewis and AP) and surpassed by one other(Harrison). Three of the 6 seasons someone has gone over 2000 yards have been in the last 14 seasons. (Lewis, CJ2k and AP)

It will always be a challange to compare players who played at different times. Players are bigger, stronger and faster every year. Players Like Jim Brown was bigger stronger and faster than most players in his day but with the knowledge we have now he may have been bigger, stronger and faster and still dominated. Put Sanders in Brown's era and he may be untouchable or he may struggle with lesser blocking.

Seeing the article about Jim Kiick today reminded of some good running backs that didn't have great speed or elusiveness or quick cutting ability but were uncanny at following blockers and blocking for their backfield mates. I think of our own Andy Johnson, JimKiick. There are more that escape me now.

marion butts

cuz ..... you know ..... parcells

p8ryts said:

Seeing the article about Jim Kiick today reminded of some good running backs that didn't have great speed or elusiveness or quick cutting ability but were uncanny at following blockers and blocking for their backfield mates. I think of our own Andy Johnson, JimKiick. There are more that escape me now.

Click to expand...

Rocky bleier, Marc Hubbard, ed podolak, Brian piccolo

Very hard to rank guys like this but here goes.
This includes everything, workload, longevity, and skill. I.e. Sayers would be higher on skill but falls due to longevity.

Brown
Payton
Campbell
Sanders
Simpson
Smith
****erson
Sayers
Tomlinson
Allen

Top 10 but I'm sure I could have left someone out.

Guys that were close
Martin
Dorset
Faulk
T Thomas
Peterson


Guys some have higher that aren't for me
Bettis
Davis
Franco
Riggins

sb1 said:

I take it you didn't notice his playoffs. He was a lot more than decent in the 01 Super Bowl. He owned the Rams in that game. He was also a horse in SB 38. Top 2 rushing performances for the Pats in Super Bowls? Not Dillon. Smith and Smith.

Blount in comparison was great and I loved his play here but he disappeared in the postseason.

Ridley was decent but fumbled a lot and I wouldn't put him above Smith. Guys like Maroney and Law Firm were as average as average gets so neither do they.

Click to expand...

Nicely done limiting it to "rushing" performances to make yourself right. Having the most rushing yards <> being the best performing back in SB for the Pats.

Especially considering those years the gameplan was more to hide Brady and let the defense control the game.

His performances would be 3rd at best by a Pats RB in the Superbowl behind Vereen and White.

We dont appreciate yet how amazing White was in that Superbowl.

14 rec 110 yds 1 td
2 rushing td
2pt conversion

BlacknGold77 said:

Nicely done limiting it to "rushing" performances to make yourself right. Having the most rushing yards <> being the best performing back in SB for the Pats.

Especially considering those years the gameplan was more to hide Brady and let the defense control the game.

His performances would be 3rd at best by a Pats RB in the Superbowl behind Vereen and White.

We dont appreciate yet how amazing White was in that Superbowl.

14 rec 110 yds 1 td
2 rushing td
2pt conversion

Click to expand...

Yes I was looking at rushing, so what? I was also looking at how he controlled the game.

Smith had his way with the Rams, a MUCH better defense than the Falcons were last year. 5.1 yards per carry is domination. Why do you think they were successful at "hiding" Brady that year? It was Smith. It certainly wasn't their defense that allowed a then record SB passing game to Warner. Smith didn't get quite as many yards but still had over 25 carries in SB38. That's controlling the game. I bet he would have had more if the defense didn't break with injuries in the 4th quarter forcing Brady to pass. Smith was great in both playoff games that year.

As for Vereen he was very good in SB49 but nobody is going to put him on any list of best Patriot backs this era and same with White and yes White was awesome in SB51.

It's open to debate but Smith was very underrated and stepped up when it mattered most and for that reason I still say arguably the second best back- perhaps 3rd if you put Blount ahead- this team has had in this era.

I know the consensus will be Brown or Sanders. But I'm feeling especially entitled today so I'm picking my favorite in Earl Campbell. So there! Where's my "I voted" sticker?

Also, if he didn't get hurt and Tampa Bay didn't screw with him, methinks Bo Jackson would have lapped the field.

A couple more guys worth mentioning: Frank Gore and Ronnie Brown. Gore has had a decent statistical career. It won't be enough to go down as an all-time great, but he's been a very, very good running back that was probably underrated for almost every season of his career. He played on some horrible teams that affected how people view his career.

Ronnie Brown both played on terrible teams and broke into the NFL as the rotating backfield was gaining popularity. Thus, he was never the sole running back for Miami, and he never had monster seasons statistically. He also had some injuries right when he should have been entering his prime. I swear, on talent alone, I've never seen someone so gifted as a power back that could also have the agility and deftness to run outside, the top speed to take runs deep, and the hands to be a legit threat out of the backfield. The closest current comparison would be Levon Bell, but Ronnie Brown was meaner and more explosive, imo. A lot of people want to crown Fournette right now too -- Ronnie Brown had better talent.

TommyD4207 said:

Take out all the qualifiers and parameters.

Eye Test: It's Bo Jackson.

Click to expand...

Performance doesn't count?

Ronnie Brown ... I swear, on talent alone, I've never seen someone so gifted as a power back that could also have the agility and deftness to run outside, the top speed to take runs deep, and the hands to be a legit threat out of the backfield.

By category:
Best all-around talent:
1. Jim Brown
2. Bo Jackson
3. Erik ****erson

Best breakaway/most exciting:
1. Gayle Sayers
2. OJ Simpson
3. Barry Sanders

Most powerful:
1. Earl Campbell
2. Larry Csonka

Most versatile:
1. Walter Payton
2. Ladalian Tomlinson
3. Marshall Faulk

Brown, Sayers, Jackson, and Campbell were the most dominant.

miloofcroton said:

A couple more guys worth mentioning: Frank Gore and Ronnie Brown. Gore has had a decent statistical career. It won't be enough to go down as an all-time great, but he's been a very, very good running back that was probably underrated for almost every season of his career. He played on some horrible teams that affected how people view his career.

Ronnie Brown both played on terrible teams and broke into the NFL as the rotating backfield was gaining popularity. Thus, he was never the sole running back for Miami, and he never had monster seasons statistically. He also had some injuries right when he should have been entering his prime. I swear, on talent alone, I've never seen someone so gifted as a power back that could also have the agility and deftness to run outside, the top speed to take runs deep, and the hands to be a legit threat out of the backfield. The closest current comparison would be Levon Bell, but Ronnie Brown was meaner and more explosive, imo. A lot of people want to crown Fournette right now too -- Ronnie Brown had better talent.

Click to expand...

Ricky Williams says hi...Ronnie Brown was a poor poor poor poor man's Williams

BlacknGold77 said:

Ricky Williams says hi...Ronnie Brown was a poor poor poor poor man's Williams

Click to expand...

Ya, no doubt. Similar styles, but I don't remember Ricky being as good of an athlete.

Man, blast from the past: Natrone Means. He didn't have the career longetivity, but man was he a great talent, especially for this magical season in 1994. I'd go as far as to say he was a better version of Ricky Williams, or he was what people wanted and thought Ricky Williams would be.

patsfan13 said:

Different game 50 years ago.

Brown could catch the ball and make yards. but the Coaching wasn't nearly as sophisticated.

In addition to being arguably the best football player he is also considered the best Lacrosse player ever.

Click to expand...

Tell Bill Belichick that Paul Brown wasn't sophisticated. Go on, I dare you.