Greatest RB's of all-time (1 Viewer)

[Jous]

As long as we're tlaking about RB's (the Emmit Smith's record debate is a hot topic) I figure we may as well start talking about and ranking the greatest RB's of all-time.

It's hard to rank most of these guys after the initial best 4 or 5, and hopefully some good debates will be in here...

My rankings:

1. Walter Payton (no explaination needed)

2. Jim Brown (again)

3. Barry Sanders (again)

4. Emmit Smith (gets dissed for playing behind a great line, but deserves more credit than what he gets for making that offense)

5. Marshall Faulk (greatest game-breaking, multi-threat back ever. the heart and soul of The Greatest Show on Turf.)

6. Earl Campbell (when healthy, almost impossible to tackle)

7. Eric Dickerson (underrated. did a lot of things great, similiar to Payton)

8. Thurman Thomas (after Faulk, best multi-threat back)

9. O.J. Simpson (his stats say it all. first to rush for over 2,000, and great YPC in his prime)

10. LaDainian Tomlinson (reminds me of Thurman Thomas, but with an even better nose for the endzone. can move up in a few seasons)

11. Jerome Bettis (best "big back" ever. Tough to bring down, wore down defenses)

12. Tony Dorsett (consistantly solid and dependable for a long time. keyed Dallas' back-to-back SB appearences in 77-78)

13. Curtis Martin (see Dorsett. Consistantly very solid and dependable. Didn't really excel at any one thing, just good all-around)

14. Franco Harris (key member of the Steelers' dynasty....hard-nosed runner, tough to bring down)

15. Shaun Alexander (some say he's merely an above average RB who played behind a HOF line. We'll see, now that Hutchinson has left. Regardless, a great, strong runner with a fantastic knack for scoring TD's)

LDT and Alexander can move up a few spots later on, since their careers aren't nearly over yet....but that's where I'd place them right now.

 

[Anonymous Internet User]

Where's Quentin Griffin?!?!

 

[Jous]

he's too good to be mentioned with the likes of those other guys...

 

[Bri]

why dorsett over martin?

 

[Anonymous Internet User]

On a serious note, you need Marcus Allen in there.

 

[Ghost Rider]

No Gale Sayers?

It is too early to put Tomlinson and Alexander in the top 15.

No way should Bettis be in there.

 

[Anonymous Internet User]

No Gale Sayers?

It is too early to put Tomlinson and Alexander in the top 15.

No way should Bettis be in there.

Sayers didn't play nearly long enough to warrant mention.

 

[jurb26]

<----------------------------------

 

[Bri]

No Gale Sayers?

It is too early to put Tomlinson and Alexander in the top 15.

No way should Bettis be in there.

Sayers didn't play nearly long enough to warrant mention.

oddyour rankings, your thoughts though

Curious, have you ever caught a game or highlights or somesuch of him?

 

[Jous]

I'm not really sure Marcus Allen is good enough to bump any of those other guys. Allen has a ton of TD's, but it's mostly because he played for so damn long. He only has three 1,000+ rushing seasons in all of his 16 years in the league. From 1983-1985 he was a great to amazing back (namely 84' and 85') but I don't think 2 or 3 great seasons is enough for him to bump any of the other players.

 

[Jous]

No Gale Sayers?

It is too early to put Tomlinson and Alexander in the top 15.

No way should Bettis be in there.

Sayers didn't play nearly long enough to warrant mention.

oddyour rankings, your thoughts though

Curious, have you ever caught a game or highlights or somesuch of him?

I have. Sayers was nearly unstoppable...but it's really hard to rank him. Had he been able to play a decent length career at his level, he'd likely be #1 overall. But it's hard to say because there's too many things to consider. Would his first couple of seasons be his peak? Could he have gotten even better? There's too much to think about, so I left him unranked. I did the same for Bo Jackson.

 

[The Man With No Name]

Greatest and best are 2 different things. Maybe you should change the topic title.

 

[Anonymous Internet User]

No Gale Sayers?

It is too early to put Tomlinson and Alexander in the top 15.

No way should Bettis be in there.

Sayers didn't play nearly long enough to warrant mention.

oddyour rankings, your thoughts though

Curious, have you ever caught a game or highlights or somesuch of him?

Sayers is alot like Priest Holmes. Great, prolific even. But not healthy enough to get into the Top 15 ever. And, sadly, he was before my time so I never saw him play.

 

[Jous]

And I really don't see how one could say that Bettis doesn't deserve to be on the list. He's not one of the truly elite (Payton, Sanders etc) but he's certainly top 15 all-time. I believe people nowadays underrate him him a bit, because his stats weren't always as huge as other great RB's, which is probably because he wasn't very fast. But I'd bet if you'd ask any defensive player who had to face him if they thought he was a great RB, they'd all say yes. He flat out bowled over people and wore defenses down.

Why do you think Bill Cowher's won over 100 games and only lost once when up by 11 points or more? Jerome Bettis is a huge reason why. He wore down the opposing team time and time again, keeping the defense on the field and clock running.

 

[Bob_Magaw]

this was the topic of my week 13 (usually IDP) column last season...

http://www.footballguys.com/05magaw_eartotheground13.php

 

[-OZ-]

It is too early to put Tomlinson and Alexander in the top 15.

LT, 5 years into the league:Among the league's all-time top 50

Rushes: 43

Rushing yards: 42

Rushing TDs: 22

Rush/Receive TDs: 42

LT should be around #22 in yardage, #13 in TDs by year's end. He's 27 years old.

Alexander, 6 years in:

Among the league's all-time top 50

Rushes: 42

Rushing yards: 37

Rushing TDs: 12

Rush/Receive TDs: 16t

Alexander will be top 10, maybe top 5 in TDs by year's end, also top 22 in yardage.

Their ranking looks fine to me. I get what you're saying, if they retired today... but they aren't going to, so making some assumptions is fine here.

 

[popeye]

Jim Brown

.

.

Earl Campbell

.

everyone else

 

[Ozymandias]

Not to take anything away from Walter Payton, who was absolutely great. But there never was anyone like Jim Brown.

Payton:

190 games

13 seasons

16,126 yards rushing

4.4 average

4538 receiving

135 total td's

Brown:

118 games (shorter seasons)

9 seasons

12,312 yards rushing

5.2 average

2499 receiving

126 td's

Percentage wise, Brown had:

38% less games

31% less seasons

24% less rushing yardage

18% more ypc

45% less yds receiving

7% less td's

Never was anybody like Jim Brown.

 

[Chase Stuart]

No Gale Sayers?

It is too early to put Tomlinson and Alexander in the top 15.

No way should Bettis be in there.

Sayers didn't play nearly long enough to warrant mention.

oddyour rankings, your thoughts though

Curious, have you ever caught a game or highlights or somesuch of him?

I have. Sayers was nearly unstoppable...but it's really hard to rank him. Had he been able to play a decent length career at his level, he'd likely be #1 overall. But it's hard to say because there's too many things to consider. Would his first couple of seasons be his peak? Could he have gotten even better? There's too much to think about, so I left him unranked. I did the same for Bo Jackson.

How come Sayers and his 5 seasons (not counting '70 and '71) and 4 Pro Bowls is left off, but LT and his 5 career seasons and 3 Pro Bowls makes the list?

 

[Jous]

I don't go by Pro Bowls. LT should have 4, but the idiots didn't vote him in in 2003 because he was with a terrible team.

And I already explained about sayers...there's too much we don't know. Hell, he may have gotten even better, or that may have been his peak. Or maybe his first couple of years were a fluke, and defenses would learn to stop him later. We don't know because he didn't play nearly long enough.

 

[jurb26]

I don't go by Pro Bowls. LT should have 4, but the idiots didn't vote him in in 2003 because he was with a terrible team.

LT did not make the Pro Bowl in 2003 for VERY GOOD reason.

 

[Chase Stuart]

I don't go by Pro Bowls. LT should have 4, but the idiots didn't vote him in in 2003 because he was with a terrible team.

And I already explained about sayers...there's too much we don't know. Hell, he may have gotten even better, or that may have been his peak. Or maybe his first couple of years were a fluke, and defenses would learn to stop him later. We don't know because he didn't play nearly long enough.

That was my point. If Sayers didn't play long enough, how did LT play long enough to make your list?

 

[Jous]

I'm just going out on a limb and making some assumptions about LT, since he's got long way to go in his career, and not retiring tomorrow...basically just for the fun of it. Besides, he's played more legit seasons than Sayers has already.

 

[Chase Stuart]

Besides, he's played more legit seasons than Sayers has already.

From 1965-1969, Sayers ranked:1st in total rushing yards

2nd in total rushing TDs

1st in yards from scrimmage

2nd in total TDs

1st in yards per carry

From 2001-2005, Tomlinson ranked:

2nd in total rushing yards

3rd in total rushing TDs

1st in yards from scrimmage

3rd in total TDs

12th in yards per carry

If Tomlinson's going to make an all-time RB list based on his five career seasons, Sayers should certainly make the same list and maybe even be ranked higher.

 

[H.K.]

Top three all have an argument for best ever:

Payton - Most complete back

Brown - Revolutionary in terms of size and speed at his position, incredibly tough, and a winner

Emmitt - All-time leading rusher must be on the list

Others worthy of note:

Sanders was the best in terms of being elusive, but the facts that he got pulled pulled at the goal line during parts of his career and he led the league in rushes for lost yardage say a lot about the negative aspects of his style.

Guys like Campbell, Dickerson & Sayers were awesome in their prime, but did not have the longevity of the top RB's.

Crazy Legs should get a mention, too.