Which running back was better?

56 Comments

  • Luis - 9 years ago

    If you were to ask this question during the same time frame of each running back it would be clear.., but they had two different careers. The one thing that will always come up is that #EmmitSmith always had a great team behind him. For most of his career he was in the #Cowboys back line and had little to worry about. #BarrySanders has always had to make something out of nothing. He carried linebackers on his back to get some of his yards and that was when he was midcareer. If you are to put both players on the same team who would of been the started, is the real question. I would vote #BarrySanders because he was the work horse out of two. You know he will get his yards regardless of the line...

  • Oakdog - 13 years ago

    Gale Sayers was the best of all time! Barry was second, Jim Brown 3rd, Payton 4th, E. Smith 5th!

  • boknows34 - 13 years ago

    lilJfrombigD

    So let us all guess what the Big D might be? Tipped your hand with that one.

    Barry hated receiving did he? Lets look at the facts shall we.

    In Barry’s 10 seasons he had:
    352 catches, 2,921 yds, 10 TD’s with an 8.3 ypc.

    Emmitt’s first 10 seasons:
    442 catches, 2,728 yards, 11 TD’s with a 6.2 ypc.

    Emmitt had 90 more receptions, but Barry still had nearly 200 MORE yards and just 1 less TD. The ypc gives Sanders a clear 2.1 yard advantage. Heck, Emmitt finished his career with 3,224 yds receiving…that’s barely 300 more yards than Barry and it took him FIVE seasons longer. So why is Emmitt labelled a much better receiver than Barry? Do please enlighten us.

    Scrilla, so you finally admit the player with the best CUMULATIVE career stats ( eg Favre) doesn't mean they are automatically the best ever at their position. Favre is #1 in career yds and TD passes just like Emmitt is #1 in career yds and rushing TDs, because that is basically half of Emmitt's case. The other half of the argument tends to be ''Emmitt is such a winner, he won 3 rings and Barry has none'' which I find ironic when you say Marino is the best QB ever - ''not even close''

  • Scrilla151 - 13 years ago

    Thank you Lil J from big D, THat all I was saying, Better all around back. I never said Barry wasnt great, HE just wasnt greater than Emmit. In my mind you can only chose one. If there was a 1 and a 1a, then Barry would be 1a all day. And Payton was great as well. But his greatness was gauged by the rushing title. Now that Emmitt has it, It doesnt mean anything anymore. Go figure. And BoKnows from 96 to 01, Emmit averaged over a thousand yards in each of those season. And in 02 he had 975. Clearly he was slowing down, Thus the reason why we wasnt going to pay him 9 mil a year. And How do you get Barry averaged 4. something whe hed really averaged 2.8 in road playoff games. Dallas haters will always come up with reason for why a Dallas player isnt good. I deal with the same thing when it comes to Romo, Akiman, Dorsett, Hayes, Etc. And the best quaterback in NFL history is Not Bret Favre, No way will I ever go for that. Dan Marino was and still is the Best QB of all time. Not even close. LOL, Bearup, I hope your boy's do do something this year. I'm a BIG fan of Megatron and Sue. Loved them in college. I also hope the Rams can put it together too with my boy Sammie out there.

  • lil J from Big D - 13 years ago

    as a pure running back barry was better, however emmitt was a complete back in that he blocked and caught passes out of the backfield something which barry abhorred

    as for the better O line argument, look at emmitt's stats- he made the first and second tacklers miss 68% of the time..... that is pure talent not offensive line

    finally barry quit, emmitt didn't

  • Bearup - 13 years ago

    Scrilla, keep posting and posting, but stats mean nothing when you want to watch pure excitement every time Barry touched the ball. 87% on here agree with me. Love that you love your guys, but man, Barry was Da Man when it came to excitement. Lions fans were so spoiled watching him we forget who surrounded him for the most part. Won't find too many Scott Mitchell lovers in the Motor City, but Herman was great.

    The O line was given no respect by anyone outside the Lions locker room even to this day. We still lament Julius Peppers laying out our "star of the future" Stafford. He looks great for the few games he's able to play. Now, we love to debate how badly Sackus (Jeff Backus) whiffed on that hit, it's just in our nature as Lions fans, we can't help it. You've been to the Show and won, and we've won one playoff game since 64 (?) I think? We lived in frustration for years even as Barry did his best to make watching the Lions fun. Please give it up and throw us this one bone!!! Barry was the most exciting player to watch maybe in the history of the game. Percentages don't lie, my friend.

    By the way, Bearup is my last name...Hate Da Bears...Good posts to make your case, but nobodies believing Emmit over Barry, just never gonna happen. Take your Super Bowl wins and be ever so thankful you're a Cowboys fan and not a Lions fan, although there is a buzz in Detroit this year like no other year I've ever seen. I tend to look at the glass as half empty, but it's not a sin to hope...

    Happy posting.

  • boknows34 - 13 years ago

    84% to 13%. I call that a landslide victory.

  • boknows34 - 13 years ago

    Scrilla

    You must think Brett Favre is the best QB of all-time. After all, he has all the stats. Most yds, most TD passes, most completions, longest starting streak. Right? Postseason records can only be broken if you are part of a great team. Gale Sayers, Bary Sanders and, for most of his career, Walter Payton never had that luxury. Giving me postseason records proves nothing other than Emmitt was part of a juggernaut in the mid 90s. Giving me regular season records proves nothing other than Emmitt played much longer than everyone else. Simply put Barry was an All-Pro 10 times in 10 seasons. He loses his best lineman and still rushes for 2,ooo yds. Emmitt's last 9 seasons? 0 rushing titles, 0 All-Pros, 2 Pro Bowls and a 3.9 ypc.
    When free agency hit Dallas Emmitt saw his TDs drop from 25 to 12 to 4 from 1995-97. Why do you think that was? Did he miss his Pro Bowl OL? You bet he did.

    4 postseason games on the road - So are we to judge a player's entire career based on 2% of his career while ignoring the other 98%? Payton's career playoff ypc was also 3.51 compared to Barry's 4.24. Even Jim Brown had a 3.65 ypc, one 100-yd game and just 1 TD in 4 postseason games. Nobody seems to penalise Gale Sayers who never even played a postseason game in his career. Sayers (and Butkus) of course had the misfortune of being stuck on some dreaadful teams.

    Walter's Bears (pre 1984) and Barry's Lions were never built to go far in the playoffs. Those teams were often just about good enough to reach the playoffs but go no further when faced against superior opposition (often on the road). Sometimes those teams were only in the playoffs because of Payton and Sanders. An example being Payton's Bears getting crushed 37-7 by a far better Dallas team in 1977 after Payton had the best season of his career with over 1,800yds in 14 games. . In fact Payton didn't notch his first playoff win until he was 30 because he was stuck on a bad team until Mike Ditka and Buddy Ryan arrived. I guess you must have Emmitt as a better RB than Walter? Payton was simply better than Emmitt in every department of the game.

    I can also remember Detroit giving up 41 and 58 pts to Washington and Philadelphia in the playoffs in the 90s. Both times Sanders was effectively taken out of the game and never allowed to get into a rhythm with only 11 and 10 carries respectively. Those are two of your 4 postseason games on the road. Can't blame Barry for the Lions throwing 6 interceptions against the Eagles and going into HT down 38-7.

    Dallas homers. Its OK to admit Barry was better. It doesn't make you a traitor. Not everything Dallas and Texas is #1.

  • Scrilla151 - 13 years ago

    Now thats the stat line of a winner and the ALL TIME GREAT EMMIT SMITH22!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

  • Scrilla151 - 13 years ago

    In the NFL Record Book
    (at time of his retirement following 2004 season)
    • [1st] Most Rushing Attempts, Career – 4,409
    • [1st] Most Rushing Yards, Career – 18,355
    • [1st] Most Seasons, 1,000 or More Yards Rushing – 11
    • [1st] Most Consecutive Seasons, 1,000 or More Yards Rushing – 11 (1991-2001)
    • [1st] Most Games, 100 or More Yards Rushing, Career – 78
    • [1st] Most Rushing Touchdowns, Career – 164
    • [1st] Most Combined Attempts, Career – 4,939
    • [2nd] Most Touchdowns, Career – 175
    • [2nd] Most Rushing Touchdowns, Season – 25 (1995)
    • [2nd] Most Yards from Scrimmage, Career – 21,579
    • [Tied for 2nd] Most Seasons Leading League in Touchdowns – 3 (1992, 1994-95)
    • [Tied for 2nd] Most Seasons Leading League in Rushing – 4 (1991-93, 1995)
    • [Tied for 2nd] Most Consecutive Seasons Leading League in Rushing – 3 (1991-93)
    • [3rd] Most Touchdowns, Season – 25 (1995)
    • [Tied for 3rd] Most Seasons Leading League in Rushing Attempts – 3 (1991, 1994-95)
    • [Tied for 3rd] Most Games, 100 or More Yards Rushing, Season – 11 (1995)
    • [Tied for 3rd] Most Seasons Leading League in Rushing Touchdowns – 3 (1992, 1994-95)
    • [Tied for 3rd] Most Consecutive Games with Rushing Touchdown – 11 (1994-95, 1995)

    Super Bowl Records
    • [1st] Most Rushing Touchdowns, Career – 5
    • [2nd] Most Points, Career – 30
    • [2nd] Most Touchdowns, Career – 5
    • [2nd] Most Rushing Attempts, Career – 70
    • [2nd] Most Combined Attempts, Career – 81
    • [Tied for 2nd] Most Touchdowns, Game – 2 (vs. Buffalo, Super Bowl XXVIII; vs. Pittsburgh, Super Bowl XXX)
    • [Tied for 2nd] Most Rushing Touchdowns, Game – 2 (vs. Buffalo, Super Bowl XXVIII; vs. Pittsburgh, Super Bowl XXX)
    • [3rd] Most Rushing Yards Gained, Career – 289
    • [Tied for 3rd] Most Combined Attempts, Game – 34 (vs. Buffalo, Super Bowl XXVIII)

    Postseason Records
    • [1st] Most Rushing Yards, Career – 1,586
    • [1st] Most Rushing Touchdowns, Career – 19
    • [Tied for 1st] Most Games, 100 or More Yards Rushing – 7
    • [Tied for 1st] Most Consecutive Games Scoring a Rushing Touchdown – 8 (1993-1996)
    • [2nd] Most Rushing Attempts, Career – 349
    • [Tied for 2nd] Most Touchdowns, Career – 21
    • [Tied for 2nd] Most Touchdowns, Game – 3 (vs. Green Bay, Jan. 14, 1996 – NFC championship)
    • [Tied for 2nd] Most Consecutive Games Scoring a Touchdown – 8 (1993-96)
    • [Tied for 2nd] Most Rushing Touchdowns, Game – 3 (vs. Green Bay, Jan. 14, 1996 – NFC championship)
    • [3rd] Most Combined Attempts, Career – 397
    • [Tied for 3rd] Most Points Scored, Career – 126

  • Scrilla151 - 13 years ago

    In four career outdoor postseason games, Sanders averaged a paltry 2.8 yards per carry. He never scored a touchdown. And he never ran for more than 65 yards in a single game. With Sanders, the Lions went 0-4 in outdoor playoff games, losing by an average of 17 points.

  • Scrilla151 - 13 years ago

    O yea my bad, HE got that 165 at home. So one hundred yard game out of five.. WOW!!!!

  • Scrilla151 - 13 years ago

    Nobody is suggesting that a bust of Barry should not be in Canton. He's the third-leading rusher of all time with 15,269 yards. He holds the all-time NFL record for consecutive 1,000 seasons with 10, from 1989 to 1998. Sanders was the first player to rush for 1,500 yards in a season five times. He was selected to 10 Pro Bowls. In 1997, when he rushed for 2,053 yards, he was NFL co-MVP, an honor he should have not had to share with Brett Favre that season. In 1988, Sanders won the Heisman Trophy at Oklahoma State.

    But this picture of perfection has a nasty blemish. Once Sanders got to the big stage, and got out of the Silverdome, he was a bust.

    Take the wild-card playoff game at Lambeau Field in 1994. That season, Sanders averaged 5.7 yards per carry -- the second-highest total of his career. In the first round of the playoffs against the Green Bay Packers, on Lambeau Field's frozen tundra, Sanders set an NFL postseason record for rushing futility. He had 13 carries for minus-one yard. He had four catches that day -- for four yards. Which means he had 16 touches for a total of three yards -- 2.7 yards less than he averaged per rush in the regular season.

    Now, the spirited defense of putting him in the Hall of Fame on the first ballot always includes the theory that Sanders was the only thing the Lions had going for them in The Barry Sanders Era. That's exactly what it is -- a theory, and a bad one at that.

    Did we forget about wide receivers Herman Moore and Brett Perriman? The Lions stretched the field for Sanders -- especially in the Dome. This helped him be wildly successful -- in the regular season. And in the years when the Lions went to the playoffs, their defense was not awful. It was middle of the pack -- ranked 11th in 1991, 15th in 1993, 19th in 1994, 14th in 1995 and 10th in 1997.

  • boknows34 - 13 years ago

    Scrilla

    Ever consider that the reason the Lions were in the playoffs 5 times out of 10 was indeed Sanders himself? Since their NFL title in 1957, Detroit went to the playoffs 3 times in 31 seasons from 1958-88. After Barry retired the Lions organisation have been to the playoffs once from 1999-2010. With Barry its 5/10 or 50% that the Lions would reach the postseason. Without Barry this is a moribund franchise that have reached the playoffs 4 times in over 40 years or less than 10%. That's the difference one man made.

    And do please tell us how the rest of Scott Mitchell's career compares to 1995? Its like saying Derek Anderson is a good QB because of one good season in Cleveland with 3,787 yds and 29 TDs. 1995 was also a season where passing and receiving numbers exploded league-wide thanks to new rules opening up the game. Before 1995 there were only 9 players in NFL history to have made 100 rec in a single season. In 1995 there were NINE in 1 year to reach 100. Jerry Rice set the NFL record with 1,848 yds that same year. Isaac Bruce had 119-1,781. Bruce never caught more than 90 in any other season of a probable HOF career. His 1,781 yds is 2nd best all-time to Rice from the same year and more than 300 yds better than his next best season. Surprise surprise, guess which year Michael Irvin set career personal bests for receptions, yards and TDs? 1995... Yep. What a coincidence. Irvin was 111-1,603-10. so as you can see bringing up Mitchell's 1995 season is foolish as offenses clearly had an advantage over defenses that season.

    Ever consider that it was the presence of Sanders that opened up the passing game? Perriman was a journeyman at the Saints and his by far his best seasons in Detroit? Herman Moore was a fine player but Barry was All-Pro from 1989-91 with 1 rushing title and the runner-up the other 2. Moore was in college in 1989-90 and caught 11 passes in his rookie season of 1991. Clear as day that Barry didn't need Moore to be a great player. And what happended to Moore's career after Barry retired? He played 23 games the following 2 seasons and caught 53 passes for 631 yds. You think Moore missed the space created by Barry's sheer presence on the Lions offense?

    And please do your research on Utley and Andolsek. The Lions had the makings of a good OL in 1991 but tragedy struck twice. Utley was paralysed in a game vs the Rams in 91 and just months later Andolsek was killed by a truck that ran off the road and struck him in his front garden. Lomas Brown went to 6 Pro Bowls but not one of them were in the 4 seasons before Barry arrived. Then when Brown left as a FA to Arizona in 1996 Sanders then led the NFL in rushing the following two seasons, including his 2,053, 6.1 ypc season in 1997. Without his best lineman Sanders took his game to an even higher level. You think Brown helped Barry much in 1997 when he was in a Cards uniform?

    And again you are wrong about Barry in the playoffs. He actually rushed for 169 yds in the 93 playoffs vs Green Bay. He also has the same number of 100 yd games and TDs in the postseason as Jim Brown and Walter Payton. Sanders also has a better ypc in the postseason that both Brown and Payton while Gale Sayers never played in a poistseason game during his entire career. Brown had a 3.65 ypc in the playoffs, down from 5.22 in the reg season. Payton was a stud during his prime in the 1970s but the rest of the Bears teams were awful, only reaching the playoffs twice (both defeats) in Payton's first 9 seasons as a Bear. Payton didn't win his 1st playoff game until 1984 (his 10th season) because its a team sport and despite the greatness of Sweetness he was in a similar situation to Barry.

    Franco Harris won 4 SBs yet very very few would have him on their Top 10 ever. Clearly unbiased and intelligent voters know that RBs are not judged on what happens in the postseason otherwise the Top 3 would be Franco, Emmitt and Roger Craig.

    Brown, Sanders and Payton were a class apart

  • Scrilla151 - 13 years ago

    LOL!!!! Ok Ron you got me. I am truely a Cowboy thru and thru. But your wrong about Emmit not missing more games. Emmitt missed 8 to Barrys 5. And yes Emmitt had a better line, But to say Barry didnt have one at all is crazy. Dallas had a better team, Thats a no brainer. But when you ( and I mean people as a whole) say Barry didnt have any help thats not true either. They went to the playoffs and Barry didnt do anything, 1 rushing td in 5 trips, and not one game over 65 yards. THe biggest stars play the biggest role on the biggest stage. And when it came to that, Barry was a no show.. And it's more of the way he left the game thats has me sour on him. I know he was a great back, But to quit on your team is inexcuseable. I played football in highschool and we sucked, But it was never a thought in my mind to go to another school, a better school. I worked harder to not only make myself better but my team also. It paid off in finally making the playoffs, we lost, but I was proud of the fact that we went from last to first in my last year. So for that he gets no respect from me.

  • Ron Bridges - 13 years ago

    lol with the exception of John Clayton and you, Sal Palentonio is perhaps one of the biggest Cowboys homers there is. Of course he's going to make the case for Emmitt but it's a shame he felt it necessary to slam Sanders in the process.

  • Ron Bridges - 13 years ago

    Wow scrillia151 you have to be the biggest homer for your team that I've ever seen. I've been a Steelers fan for 40 years and even I can be honest and objective where they're concerned. There is ABSOLUTELY NO WAY that anyone other than a Cowboys fan can compare Emmit Smith and Barry Sanders! You can refute all day long that talent of both lines but even you know that the Cowboys line was perhaps the best offensive line that has ever played the game. And that offensive line should be given every accolade possible and every bit of credit possible for the 3 Super Bowls the Cowboys won in the 90's. With the exception of Frank Cornish (who I don't remember at all?) your backups were probably as good or better than most teams starters! And as for your rediculous attempt to suggest that Emmitt missed more games to injury that's simply not true. In 15 seasons Emmitt had 4 seasons with the Cowboys where he missed games to injury but even in those years he played at least 14 games or more (16, 16, 15, 14 respectively). Barry in 10 season had 3 season's where he missed games. Two seasons he played 15 games and one season he played 11 games. That sounds like a wash to me.

  • Scrilla151 - 13 years ago

    Ok Bearup, First off, I find it strange that you claim to be a Lions fan with Bears in your screen name. I would think you wouldnt want anything to do with a Bear at all. (Division Foe and all). So with that said, I did some more research. For all of you that said Barry had no talent around him or a line seem to have forgotten Lomas Brown,Mike Utley, and Eric Andolsek. And you certainly dont go 10-6 without Scott Mitchell, Herman Moore, and Brett Perriman setting team and NFL records respectfully for touchdown passes, catches and receiving yards by teammates. And they went to the playoffs 5 times in ten years. And Tom your wrong about him not wanting to play longer than ten years. He asked to be traded the year he retired. After he just signed a new contract. So I doubt that he intended on only playing ten years. And the comment I got from the complete history of the Detroit Lions from Sportsecyclopedia.com, was that he was tired of losing. So he took his running shoes and went home. But, maybe he did do more with less and Bearfan, I'm not a Barry hater, not at all. But at the same time you have to call a spade a spade. I cant respect anyone that quits on their team. Nobody!!!!! If Emmitt had of done the same thing Barry did I would hate him for life. Not him as a person. BUt as a football player. And thats all well and good that he gave to his church. So if he was such a giving guy, Why not take less money to bring in more talent?!?! Some how the love for the game has change to lets make as much money as possible and if I so happen to win a championship fine. But I want to get as much as I can. How can you guys say your Lions fans.
    http://sports.espn.go.com/nfl/columns/story?columnist=paolantonio_sal&id=3055421

    I think you all should check out this link before you try to compare the two...

  • Bearup - 13 years ago

    Forgot to say that the people that say Barry was only about the "money", and that he was a complainer, prima donna, etc, don't have a clue about the guy. He gave 10% right off the bat every year to his home church, did charity work, never openly complained about the Lions even after he retired. I waited for years for him to comment on why he actually left the Lions. He said he didn't have the passion needed to play the game any more-not that he didn't want to play for a winner, but that it took everything he had to be the best he could be, and he just didn't have the drive anymore to play. Now, if Detroit would have been contenders, would he have stayed? It wasn't important enough to him to comment on when he finally talked, but I'm sure he would have stuck around to win.

    Does anyone remember the year he took himself out of the game when he could have went for the rushing title one year? It meant nothing to him, only winning meant anything to him, and playing his best. Does anyone remember what he would do when he scored a touchdown? He didn't dance around like a fool, he just flipped the ball to the ref and went to the sideline EVERY time, no matter how much it meant. He came across as one of the most humble interviews and humble sports figures I've ever seen. Makes me mad to read some of the total crap from out of towners that didn't see and read about Barry every week of his career. Like I said in my past comment, I'm a lifelong Lions fan who watched every down he played, read most of his interviews, and he came across as very humble and unassuming. Don't know the man behind the scenes, but in public he was quiet, humble, respectful, and a very private God fearing man. Thanks for giving me a place to vent to the Barry haters.

  • N Bearup - 13 years ago

    I feel so fortunate to have watched Barry Sanders every game of his career. Unfortunately, I live in Michigan and am a Lions fan. Barry ran for his life every play of every game like no one I've ever seen before. He was the most exciting player to ever lose 10 yards on a play after eluding the entire team not once, but twice. He never had an O-line in front of him, never had a hole to run through, but managed to make grown men, and most Pro Bowlers, look foolish trying to stop him. I've never seen so many people look so befuddled as they grasp for empty air where Barry had been only a few seconds before.

    I only watched Walter Payton when he was on CBS or when he played the Lions, and he was an exciting player every time he touched the ball, but for sheer elusiveness Barry was untouchable at times. Walter would run through them if he couldn't make it around them, but Barry just left players grasping air. Can't go wrong with either pick, but like I said, it was such a privelage to watch Sanders each week, and as I watched I NEVER took it for granted. I knew I'd never see a player like him again.

  • Tom Hodgson - 13 years ago

    Well this is an interesting subject-one that my friends and i have discussed over the years-i am a Detroit die-hard-been with them through thick and thin and mostly thin-Both were great running backs-give everyone thier due-but both had different styles-the bad thing about Barry was he was to fast for his o-line-he hade to create more with less-I remember a game against Tampa Bay-were he ran for 2 touchdowns over 80 yards and faked the jockstrap off of Lynch,the bad ass safety for Tampa-When Barry did get his 2053 yards due y realize that he only had 53 yards afetr the first two games-then in the next 14 he ran for 2,000 yards-the only other person do to that was OJ. I tip my hat to both backs but if i wanted to put a franchise behind either Smith or Barry- i would go with Barry-He had alot less talent around him and he carried the weight of the team on his shoulders-Granted he had some years with some good players but most of Dallas's team from the early 90's is in the Hall of Fame- It is a question that will go on forever-but i say give each man his respect-they both deserve it- also if u read Soprts Illustrated in 1989 when Barry was first drafted-he said he would play for 10 years and if he hadnt won a championship he was leaving the game-he stuck to his game plan- i blame the idiots in Detroit at the time for not getting him better talent-that was their mistake and it cost them-I miss watching both of them but Barry the most.

  • Scrilla151 - 13 years ago

    Ok Ron, Nice stats. And you finished off by saying Barring injuries, YOu do realize that Emmit had five or so season where he didnt play the whole year. And I'm talking about in Dallas. Not the 20 games in two seasons he played in Arizona. Where as Barry only had one season he didnt play the whole year. And that was only one game that he missed. So I guess I was wrong in thinking Barry wasnt a warrior. BUT, Barry best years yardage wise he had some weak numbers when it came to touchdowns. In 97 he had over 2,000 yards rushing but only 11 touchdowns. And might I add he only had 33 catches for 3 touchdowns also that year. Where as Emmit in his best season had 1,773 yards 25 touchdowns and 62 catches. And to go back to that Barry didnt have a line stuff. How do a runningback have runs of 73, 82,75,85 and 69 just to name a few, without a line??? Thats just crazy to think that. And if Barry had the line Emmitt did, they wouldnt have been together long because Barry always wanted to be the highest paid player on the team. There wasnt a salary cap back then and alot of teams wasnt able to sign every super star they wanted. So it was on Barry to not be soo greedy....

  • Ron Bridges - 13 years ago

    I went back an read earlier postings.

    lol NO WAY! Did Emmitt even come close to having as many exciting runs as Barry. And anyone that knows anything about football would have to admit that Barry did more with less. So YES! Emmitt's offensive line was way better. Put them on oposite teams and Barry ends up with probably close to 30000 yds and Emmitt probably barely over 10000.

  • Ron Bridges - 13 years ago

    Give him Emmitt's O-Line and he probably would've ended up with 30k yards. He was rediculously good.

    But in retrospect I think Scrilla151 might have a point. He was still arguably the greatest RB of all time though.

  • Ron Bridges - 13 years ago

    Nothing against Walter Payton (One of the greatest!) Much more respect for him than for Emmitt. BUT even Walter can't be compared to Barry Sanders. Barry Sanders is the best RB of all time! It's not even close.

    1. Barry Sanders 10 yrs 15000+ yds 5.0 avg per carry (10 Pro Bowls)
    2. Walter Payton 13 yrs 16000+ yds 4.4 apc (9 Pro Bowls)
    3. Emmitt Smith 15 yrs 18000+ yds 4.2 apc (8 Pro Bowls)

    Give Barry another 5 yrs and he would've eclipsed both and barring injury probably by 7-10 thousand yards. No one would've ever caught him.

  • Scrilla151 - 13 years ago

    YOu can read off all of the stats you want. Point is this, football is a team game. Barry signed a contract and then complained about not getting help. But instead of helping his team. HE quit!!! ON the other hand, you had three of the best players at their respective positions take pay cuts to bring in help. It was about money for Barry, not winning. My memory isnt that great, but I dont remember a time where Barry did something for someone other than himself. IT was all about him. He was the greatest thing in Detroit since slice bread in his eyes. Now dont get me wrong, stats are a big factor in judging players and what not. But wanting to win at all cost, whether it's sacrificing your body ( like playing a important game with one shoulder) or it's with your pay check ( like taking a pay cut to bring in the likes of Deon Sanders or in the resigning of a teammate I.E Troy and Irvin and some of those offensive linemen that by the way he brought all of them Rolex's) have to count for something. And if it wasnt for Emmit, Dallas would not have won three superbowls.. With or without Barry, Detroit has been a non-factor.....

  • boknows34 - 13 years ago

    le-boudain

    What are you talking about? Sanders faced Bears defenses with Singletary, Dent and Hampton - all 3 are HOFers. Hampton mentioned on NFL Films he broke some of his fingers trying to tackle Barry. Singletary got turnstiled on one of Barry's most famous runs at Soldier Field in 1992. In fact Barry told NFL Films it was the favourite run of his career. The Bears D early 90s were still Top 6 in the NFL. (1993 - 3rd in pts and 4th in yds).

    He faced the Vikings who had the best DL in football at one point with John Randle, (HOF), Chris Doleman (150 sacks and future HOFer) and Keith Millard (2 All-Pros and 18 sacks in 1989 which is insane for a DT) not to mention Pro Bowlers like safetyJoey Browner. They had the NFL's #1 D in 1989 and 1993.

    The Bucs had Warren Sapp and Derrick Brooks (future HOFers) and Pro Bowlers like Lynch and Barber. They were ranked #2 in pts conceded and #3 in yds in 1997 when Barry rushed for 215 yds and 3 TDs at Tampa Stadium.

    The Packers won the Super Bowl in the 1996 season and were always serious SB contenders with Reggie White, maybe the greatest defensive player ever, on the DL. They were #1 in yds and pts in 1996. They were 9th, 5th, 4th, 1st and 5th in points conceded from 93-97 and 4th best in yds in 1998, 2nd best in yds in 1993 to go with their #1 rankings in 1996.

    Weak Defenses? You want to rethink that?

  • boknows34 - 13 years ago

    Matt

    Since when was Lomas Brown a HOFer? He hasn't got close. And how many Pro Bowls did Brown go to between 1985-88 before Barry was drafted? Zero

    And where was Brown when Barry rushed for 2,053 in 1997? A: Brown left Detroit for Arizona as a free agent in 1996. So Barry lost his best lineman from an already mediocre OL and he still rushed for 2,000 with a 6.1ypc. Ok, digest those numbers and I'd say Brown can thank Barry for many of those Pro Bowls. Besides all that, Brown was better known as a PASS blocker than run blocker.

    Lets compare their offensive teammates in a comparable timeframe.

    Barry’s 10 seasons: (15,269yds and 5.0 ypc)
    13 career Pro Bowls among 3 players – Moore and 2 OL (Brown and Glover).
    6 Pro Bowls from Lomas Brown (who never went to the Pro Bowl in the 4 seasons before Barry was drafted. What people forget also is that Brown moved to Arizona in 1996 as a free agent, a year BEFORE Barry’s 2,053, 6.1 season). So Barry loses his best lineman and someone who went to 6 of the 13 Pro Bowls of Barry’s teammates and he still rushes for over 2,000. Wow!
    0 Pro Bowls from the QBs
    4 1st team All-Pros among 2 players – Moore (3) and Brown (1)

    Emmitt’s first 10 seasons: (13,963yds and 4.3 ypc)
    40 career Pro Bowls among 10 players (6 of them on the OL)
    22 career Pro Bowls alone from those 6 Offensive Linemen.
    6 Pro Bowls from the QBs
    10 1st team All-Pros among 5 players
    8 of those All-Pros between 3 OL – Larry Allen, Erik Williams and Nate Newton.

    When Dallas were dominant (91-95) it coincided with Smith’s prime years for a RB. But Smith’s numbers dropped off a cliff when the talent around him faded away. His ypc fell from 4.7 in 1995 (Dallas’ last SB title) down to 3.7 in 1996. TDs dropped from 25 to 4 in just two years (95-97). The rest of his career from 1996 Smith’s ypc was 4.1, 4.2, 4.2, 4.1, 3.9, 3.8, 2.8 and 3.5. In his last 9 seasons, from 1996, when the Cowboys began to be hit hard by free agency, to his final season in 2004, Emmitt had 0 rushing titles, 2 Pro Bowls, 0 All-Pros and a 3.9 ypc. From 1996, when he was aged 28, to 2004 Smith was never more than a 1996 2nd team UPI All-Conference pick. Sanders was an All-Pro every year of his career and was rushing for 2,053 and 6.1ypc aged 29 while the great Walter Payton was in his 30′s when he had seasons of 1,684 and 1,551.

    Consider what Emmitt did in those last 5 seasons, where he added 4,392 yards on 1,166 attempts (3.77 YPC), finishing 13th, 15th, 20th, 61st, and 21st in the NFL in rushing. Those are hardly numbers which are going to elevate him above Barry, who outperfomed him by 1,306 yds with 181 less carries in those first 10 seasons. Playing longer than everyone else simply does not make you a better player. Sanders and Brown retired at the top and in their prime. Payton played 13 seasons and retired as soon as the decline started. Smith hung around way past his best because he was motivated in breaking individual records in a team sport. Arizona were the only team interested in signing Smith after Dallas released him, and lets face it, he didn’t go there with any Super Bowl aspirations. He went there to pad his stats.

    If you honestly think Emmitt could have achieved what Barry did in Detroit with 15,269 yds in 10 seasons, 99.8 ypg, 5,0 ypc, 4 rushing titles, 7 Top 2 finishes, 10 All-Pros, 2 OPOTYs, a 2k season and an MVP you are deluding yourself.

  • le_boudin - 13 years ago

    Let's mention some more "woulda beens": Bo Jackson, Herschel Walker, Craig Heyward, Dorsey Levens, Charlie Garner, Ron Dayne, Terrell Davis, Dave Meggett, I can go on forever but I think I made my point. In my line of work, a quitter dies...but as for sports go, you can only really be compared if you finish what you start, or as Cpl. Tillman did, you die honorably serving your country.)

  • le_boudin - 13 years ago

    Barry Sanders was good, but he played in a VERY weak division. Tampa Bay Minnesota and Chicago were no threat, and given that the only significant victory in Sanders' career came in the 1991 playoffs, that was basically 6 FREE games given to Detroit a year. People talk about the O-line but everybody seems to have forgotten Leon Lett, Ken Norton, Jr., Brock Marion, Darren Woodson and Deion Sanders. The defense is what made the difference. The Lions had one hell of a line but absolutely no defense, just like every other season sice 1958. HA! Emmitt is in the hall of fame for a reason. Who else (besides maybe Thurman Thomas or Jerome Bettis, both of them legends) could play and WIN with a badly dislocated shoulder? We're all entitled to our own opinions of course, but I remember Emmitt dragging 3 players into the end zone (like a freak baby of Charlie Garner and Herschel Walker would do at birth). And he wins dance competitions. Sanders is humble because he KNOWS he's only second rate.

  • Mountain Jack - 13 years ago

    Smith could carry Sanders' jock. He also was inferior to Payton, Sayers, Brown, and several more. He played behind a huge line and played a long time. Nice guy but way overrated.

  • Frank - 13 years ago

    Easy answer...who has the Superbowl ring (s)....???? those are the ones that will make History...!!!!

  • Scrilla151 - 13 years ago

    I hate to hear people always saying Emmit had a better line, TO think Barry Sanders gained all of those yards without an O-line is the craziest thing I've ever heard of. And if you are truly honest with yourself and went back to look at Emmits old Highlight reels. YOu would see just as many if not more amazing runs then Barry had. And the one sticking point is this. Emmitt was and still is a winner. And he nearly gain 200 yards in one game with one shoulder!!!! Barry had the moves and speed, Emmitt had the heart and leadership to put him above and beyond the rest of the pack. League MVP, Superbowl MVP, Team Leading rusher, League leading rusher, 4 Rushing titles, At one time the most touchdowns scored in one year by a running back, On and on and on. C'om on Son!!!!! If you want to talk about somebody, Talk about the would have beens, Then Barry comes into play, BUt if you really think about it, Where would Bo Jackson had ranked if he could have finish his career?!?!?!!?

  • mm - 13 years ago

    Barry was the better open field runner no doubt. Emmitt was the better running back because he moved the chains, blocked, caught passes and tired the defense out. Emmitt never lost yards or caused negative plays. He contributed to the success of the team more than a guy who was flashy but didn't consistently get first downs or keep his defense off the field.

  • Dan - 13 years ago

    It's hard to believe that this subject should even come up for discussion.
    To even think about compairing Emmit to Barry is a joke!!
    If Barry would of had the OL that Clevland had Jim Brown would be known today as the second best halfback in football.

  • Crown - 13 years ago

    Is this how you define AVERAGE.....The career rushing leader with 18,355 rushing yards/ Smith's the career leader in rushing touchdowns with 164/ Smith won the AP MVP and the Super Bowl MVP, the only non-QB to win both awards in the same season./Smith broke the 1,000 yard rushing barrier an incredible eleven times, most in league history./ Smith rushed for 1,200 yards in nine different years, tied with Barry Sanders for second most/From 1991 to 1995, Smith had one of the greatest runs in the history of the regular season. In 77 games, Smith rushed for 8,019 yards and 85 touchdowns. He gained 9,742 yards from scrimmage (127 YFS/G) over those five seasons, over 1,000 more yards than Barry Sanders and over 3,000 yards more than anyone else. Watch The film people and stop hating on the greatness. I son't recall Sherman Williams running wild behind the GREAT O line in 93' when Emmit held out do you? The claim is oh put anyone behind that line and watch em go right? Lastly, wouldn't you agree that if your team made it to the NFC Championship game the O-line had to be playing pretty good that year? Well the Lions made it and Mr. Electricity, Great moves Sanders put up a Big Fat Minus 1 in rushing yards. Minus 1?? You don't do what Emmit did in his career if you're average people plan and simple. I was never really one for how good it looks when you do it as long as you do it consistently great and Emmit Smith did it all. Yardage, Touchdowns, MVP's and Superbowls what more can you ask for??

  • Matt - 13 years ago

    Barry Sanders:
    In 153 regular-season games, Barry scored one touchdown for every 35 touches. That's easily one per game. Simply phenomenal.

    In 6 playoff games, Barry scored one touchdown TOTAL in 112 touches

    4 Career Outdoor Playoff Games:

    2.8 YPC
    0 TD's
    0-4 Record (Average margin - 17 points)
    Worst day: -1 yards rushing
    BEST Day: 68 yards rushing

    6 Career Playoff Games:

    40 YPG
    1 TD
    1-5 Record
    ---------------------

    To me this is the big difference. When people compare QB's they throw out the yardage stats( Marino) and go with the guy that performed on the biggest stage( Montana). Why not do the same for RB's? When one guy makes the playoffs 6 times, rushes for 1 TD and has a 1-5 record vs another guy who set multiple post-season records it becomes a pretty easy argument.

  • Matt - 13 years ago

    There is nothing wrong with picking Barry Sanders, he was a tremendous player but the fact is he had more talent around him then people like to remember. In fact 5 times the Lions defense finished in the top 15 in the NFL with him. He had 4 players who made multiple pro-bowls including 2 on the offensive line with one being a hall of famer(Lomas Brown)

    The big difference is that Barry once rushed for -1 yard in a playoff game. He danced around and made a lot of amazing runs but he was a liability and was benched in short yardage situations due to this. That is an indisputable fact that people like to forget. Barry in the post-season:6 Career Playoff Games: 40 YPG 1 TD 1-5 Record. He didn't perform well under pressure. As a pure runner there may not have been a more exciting player but as a football player he simply wasn't the player Emmitt was.

    Better runner: Barry
    Better overall player: Emmitt without question. When you account for recieving, blocking,scoring TD's and every other stat besides yards.

  • Ben Cady - 13 years ago

    Emmitt holds the record. All this what if barry had Emmitts. If a frog had wings he wouldn't hit his ass everytime he jumps.

  • T-Bone1285 - 13 years ago

    Bizwah....do you realize if barry played for dallas they probly would've won 4 or 5 super bowls? think about it. barry sanders had no offensive line, the cowboys had an outstanding o-line. if barry were on that team he wouldn't have had to make all those amazing cuts he did in detroit. instead of having to make 8 people miss every play, he would've only had to make 2 people miss before he was off to the races. barry was a home run threat every play. unlike smith who would run through the line untouched but would only get 15-20 yards cause he was too slow and couldnt make anybody miss. imagine what barry could've done running through the line untouched....and whats this about barry not having heart? do you realize how small barry was? barry was all heart. yeah he had loads of talent (so does every other running back in the NFL), but without his heart he wouldn't have amounted to anything. his whole life people were telling him he was too small to be a running back, and he went out and proved them wrong every day and became the best running back of all time.

  • Greg - 13 years ago

    Emmit never faked any one out of their own ACL's

  • silly emmit famn - 13 years ago

    Jim Brown, hell of a runner but played behind an offensive line with THREE in hall of fame (Lou Groza, Mike McCormack, and Gene Hickerson), and a fourth that could be on merit as well (Dick Schafrath). though did Brown make them Hall of famers? hell of a runner.

    Walter Payton, great runner, ran behind suspect lines and got a lot done, after 1982 he ran behind a good line and got the same results. hell of a runner.

    Emmit Smith, good runner, hell of a line.
    Barrie Sanders, great runner, no offensive line what so ever.

    Barrie vs Emmit:

    years rush yards all purpose yards
    Emmitt Smith 15 18,355 21,564
    Barry Sanders 10 15,269 18,190

    avg rush yards/season avg all purpose yards / season
    Emmitt Smith 1,223 1,437
    Barry Sanderis 1,526 1,819

    (first 10 years) avg rush yards/season avg all purpose yards / season
    Emmit Smith 1,396 1,668
    Barry Sanders 1,526 1,819

    (over first 10 years) avg number of carries avg yards / carry
    Emmit Smith 324.3 4.3
    Barry Sanders 306 5.0

    (over first 10 years) TD's
    Emmit Smith 147
    Barry Sanders 109

    so in all Emmit had 3,086 more rush yards than Barry, 3,374 more all purpose yards more than Barry, and it took him 15 years behind great offensive line to do it (minus at the end when the offensive line was bad, and Emmit was just average). Put Barry Sanders on Dallas and Emmit on Detroit, Emmit is a good back but not great. Barry in 10 years acquires the yardage totals that Emmit takes 15 years to produce. Barry is better hands down.

  • Bizwah - 13 years ago

    By the way....tell Lomas Brown and Kevin Glover how "subpar" the Lions OL was.

  • Bizwah - 13 years ago

    You know, as a Cowboy fan I take Emmitt every time. We rode his back to three Super Bowl victories in four years. Yeah, Barry may have rushed for 2500 yards with our team....but I don't think we win those Super Bowls with Barry. Emmitt was a winner. He had heart, he had charisma, he was driven. Barry had talent....oodles of talent....but he just didn't have the heart of Emmitt. In the end it's about championships. Emmitt wasn't along for the ride...he was the driving force.

  • marsh78 - 13 years ago

    Barry is better than Emmitt Smith, but Walter Payton was better than both of them.

  • Valionsfan - 13 years ago

    Barry all the way! I could have ran for a thousand yards behind Dallas's offensive line.

  • mr. perfect - 13 years ago

    Barry sanders did not have a full back blocking for him and rarely had a two tight end set. For the love of god, he put up those numbers playing a run and shoot offense.

    Barry by far was better.

  • Reality Check - 13 years ago

    Barry Sanders had great respect for the game and it's history. He retired because he didn't want to own the rushing record. He had too much respect for the people that went before him.

    On the other side of the coin you have Emmit Smith who was all about the rushing record. He hung on to tack on every one yard carry he could.

    Both were great running backs with different styles. If I were starting a franchise it would by Barry Sanders 10 out of 10 times. What he did with a sub par O-line was amazing. If Barry would have benefited from that Dallas O-line there is no telling where he would have ended up.

  • Carlton Reynolds - 13 years ago

    Alot of u guys really do not understand what raw talent is if it hit u in the face! Barry sanders was like Michael jordan because of his ability to run and make those amazing cuts! There was footage on his feet all the time because no other running back in the NFL could have made cuts like he did or they would've broken their ankles! It truly wad a sad day when he retired but Detroit was and still is a team that either needs to recognize talent and build from it or call it quits cause they have a long way to go before they ever have players like barry again. I solute u barry u were and still r number one in my book!!!!

  • bob - 13 years ago

    Barry is a quitter. He quit on his team because he got tired of playing for a loser, yet he signed contracts with them. Quitter!!

  • Jeff - 13 years ago

    Jim Brown played in 12 and 14 game seasons. Still holds the record for yards per carry. Get the vereage carries per game, times the yards per carry times the games he didn't play in a 16 game season. Voila! Who is the best? EVER!!!

  • Zero2Cool - 13 years ago

    Emmitt isbetter, hands down. Barry was good, not as great as Emmitt.

  • solomanX - 13 years ago

    If Barry had not retired and been allowed to sign with another team he would have surpassed Smith in yardage and possibly with the right team multiple Super Bowls......

  • jauthement - 13 years ago

    Not to say that Emmitt wasnt a terrific running back, but Barry was a phenom, very much like Walter payton.

  • Sweetness - 13 years ago

    Walter Payton was better than both of them. But Barry was second to Walter.

  • bunker - 13 years ago

    Give Barry the O-line Emmitt had, and we don't need this poll

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