best RB in the recent NFL era?

[spanky]

am i forgetting anyone? i started watching football in like 1990... so i didn't included players i never seen play (ie - walter payton).

 

[jaydee]

How does Marcus Allen make the list, but not Thurman Thomas, or Curtis Martin? This should be a lock for anyone who's seen Barry Sanders. That man put up amazing stats with mediocre line his whole career. I wish the idiot wouldn't have retired, he was such an amazing runner to watch. Anyone remember the highlight film of him in the Tampa Bay game at the Silverdome Detroit (mabey '97 or '98). I've seen that reel mabey a dozen times and just shake my head everytime. Simply amazing how he could make the best linebackers in the NFL miss time and time again.

 

[Boogak]

As much as I love Emmitt Smith and the 3 Super Bowls he won for Dallas, I have to go with Sanders. That guy was incredible, just imagine what he'd have done had he had the offensive line Smith had during his best years!

 

[SpongeBob]

Barry Sanders by far.

That one run where he kept juking out the New England safety was the best.

 

[hammer01]

It was a bit before you started watching football, but watching Sweetness run was a true thing of beauty, I do not believe there will ever be another like him, may he rest in peace.

 

[Pacfanweb]

Off that list, I'd have to go with Sanders.
If you went back a few more years, Bo Jackson was head and shoulders above everyone on that list. In fact, I'd take Bo before he got hurt over any running back to ever play the game. He was awesome.
4.18 forty at 230 lbs. Unequaled, before or since.

 

[spanky]

i never seen bo play, but those nike commercials were pretty funny.

i am a bills fan, but i don't really think thomas was all that great. he usually had a pretty good line, and jim kelly/andre reed/james lofton/pete metzalars to keep the defense on its toes. sure he has a ton of stats, but watching him play did not impress me much. just my $.02

 

[js1973]

"That one run where he kept juking out the New England safety was the best. "

I was at that game. The play happened as far away from me as was possible, but the Silverdome got loud after that play. He was amazing.

And even though I am a Lions fan through and through, I still think Emmitt Smith was the better all-around running back.

 

[PlatinumGold]

has everyone forgotten that barry was like 50 yds per game worse on grass then he was on turf??

barry was great on carpet, but he was only an average good running back on grass. i'd take consistent emmitt over barry any day.

you can't build a winner with barry.

 

[UltraQuiet]

Originally posted by: PlatinumGold
has everyone forgotten that barry was like 50 yds per game worse on grass then he was on turf??

barry was great on carpet, but he was only an average good running back on grass. i'd take consistent emmitt over barry any day.

you can't build a winner with barry.

I don't agree. Emmitt played on much more talented and better coached teams than Barry ever did. He's the best running back I've ever seen.

Having said that I think Corey Dillon of the Bengals may be the most underrated RB in the game. Personally I would take him over James , Bettis or George.

 

[js1973]

"i'd take consistent emmitt over barry any day."

And that was the knock on Sanders. Consistency. Barry could make a 70+ yard run one play, and follow it up with a string of negative yardage runs which would kill drives and leave the defense on the field for way too long. Even when there was no hole at the line of scrimmage, Emmit would still get positive yardage and leave the offense in no worse position than it was before the play.

 

[Angrymarshmello]

Although I'm a huge Cowboys fan - loved Emmit especially when he owned the Giants with almost 200 yards with a seperated shoulder - he couldn't touch Barry Sanders with equal offensive lines and such. Emmit had one of the best offensive lines along with Alvin Harper, Michael Irvin, and Jay Novacek as receivers/tight end, and Troy Aikman who could hit a fly from 50 yards away with a football. What did Detroit have? Nothing except for Barry, but Barry managed to find ways to juke, outrun, and slip through defenders like a hot knife through butter. There's no question whatsoever who is better.

 

[Gaard]

I saw Sanders one time gain 3 yards on a play...and it was one of the greatest runs I've ever seen! All 11 Tampa players took a shot at him before he was finally brought down. Sanders was the best back I've ever seen play and he was a blast to watch.

There's no way I'd take Smith over Sanders.

 

[js1973]

"Emmitt played on much more talented and better coached teams than Barry ever did."

That's certainly true. Barry was the greatest runner the game has ever seen. But there's more to the position than just running ability. Picking up the blitz, blocking, route running, goal line situations and pass catching are things that Barry just didn't do all that well.

 

[brtspears2]

its a shame that Sanders was stuck on the Lions

 

[PlatinumGold]

obviously we have a problem with what you define as a good rb.

first of all. a good offensive line doesn't make as big a difference for sanders as it does for emmitt. i agree, emmitt with a bad line would be mediocre at best. but barry with a good line doesn't improve much from where he is now. he wasn't a good front runner, he wasn't good with holes in the offensive line. he was good creating amazing runs out of nothing.

but in terms of defining a good offensive strategy with sanders was virtually impossible.

like i said, barry could put up amazing stats, but he couldn't win. which do you think is more important?

 

[Angrymarshmello]

Originally posted by: PlatinumGold
obviously we have a problem with what you define as a good rb.

first of all. a good offensive line doesn't make as big a difference for sanders as it does for emmitt. i agree, emmitt with a bad line would be mediocre at best. but barry with a good line doesn't improve much from where he is now. he wasn't a good front runner, he wasn't good with holes in the offensive line. he was good creating amazing runs out of nothing.

but in terms of defining a good offensive strategy with sanders was virtually impossible.

like i said, barry could put up amazing stats, but he couldn't win. which do you think is more important?

He couldn't win because one man cannot carry an entire team on his back. Emmitt had Irvin, Harper, "Moose", and Novacek to rely on for offense during the Johnson era. Barry had nothing. Look at Emmitt now - he has absolutely no one - and that's why he's just a medicore running back who can't win just like Barry couldn't back then.

 

[Gaard]

I'm not sure how you can say if Barry had a better line that doesn't make much of a difference. I'm no football guru, but it seems to me that if you give Sanders a better O line than he had, he'd be even more feared than he was. Get him out into the secondary where it's more one-on-one and he was a magician.

 

[PlatinumGold]

Look at Emmitt now - he has absolutely no one - and that's why he's just a medicore running back who can't win just like Barry couldn't back then.

HAHAHAHA,

talk about an oversimplification. you compare a man well past his prime and say that he can no longer achieve the same things he did during his prime??

anyone who watches football would see that emmitt has lost a step.

also, you didn't respond to a single reason i gave as to why i'd take emmitt over barry.

 

[AaronP]

Barry by far, but I LOVE the game the Lions played in January at LAMBEAU FIELD where the Pack defense held Barry to -1 yard rushing!

GO PACK GO

 

[js1973]

"He couldn't win because one man cannot carry an entire team on his back. Emmitt had Irvin, Harper, "Moose", and Novacek to rely on for offense during the Johnson era. Barry had nothing."

IMO, it wasn't so much the supporting cast at the skill positions that Barry lacked, it was a dominating O-line. And maybe a QB that could stay healthy, again because of sorry blocking by the guys up front.

 

[Digobick]

Being a diehard Chiefs fan all my life, I have to go with my man Marcus Allen. Otherwise I would pick Sanders.

 

[spanky]

if barry had a good o-line like emmit... he wouldn't need to be running for his life on every single play
come on barry... it's not too late to come outta retirement!!!

 

[FrancesBeansRevenge]

If I were an NFL coach I would rather have Faulk on my team than Sanders.
Faulk gives an offense an INCREDIBLE amount of options.
However, for a pure runner, one cannot go past Sanders. Best running back ever.
Not the most productive... or the well rounded... but the man was an artist on the field.

 

[Supahfreak]

The funniest thing I ever heard was when a defensive line coach told his line " If you miss him, just wait cause he'll be comin right back" talking about Barry Sanders. I think it was Joe Green, not sure though.

FreAk