Who is according to stats the greatest running back of all time in the NFL?

Answer 1

Barry Sanders...

Smith MAY have had 3 rings however But Sanders would/ should have all the records had the Lions let him seek a winning franchise... We'll never know.... Keep in mind that Barry was less than 100 yds. to pass sweet feet when he retired.... He could have gotten that in just 1 game...It took Smith over half of that season to surpass Payton...Who else in the NFL, past or present can say that ALL 11 defenders had a touch on him, yet he still scored? No One else but Barry Sanders.... classy football player who NEVER celebrated in the end zone or on the field... He had/has class!!! Too bad he wasn't a Niner.

Answer 2

A lot of good arguments for many of the greats. But the question is by stats. By stats hands down it is Emmitt Smith. Also you can consider the yards Smith got in the postseason games . When you win 3 Super Bowls and go to the playoffs every year you know he has taken a lot of punishment. Sanders most exciting yes. J. Brown played in another era. Still Great. Walter Payton a great player also. Dont forget about the game E. Smith played at the end of a season against the Giants where they had to win. He played this game with a broken shoulder as i recalled and would not come out of the game. They won that game and i believe he rushed for around 150 to 200 yards. For such a little guy to do that is an incredible feat. So still statistically you could add up all his rushing numbers through the years , including the playoffs and you still get the same answer.

Answer 3

irksome's stats show why it is Jim Brown. His averages are still the best. His totals may be lower but they played fewer games and didn't stay in the league as long because they didn't make any money.
Give me the guy that gets the highest average yards and TD's per season and game and that's the best.
Emmitt Smith and Walter Payton are right behind.
Barry Sanders was the most exciting but his style of 3 rushes for losses and one for a big gain did not allow the Lions to control the ball and time of possession. The Lions record during Sanders' stay is evidence that his exciting style did not lead to success.

Answer 4

Actually it's Edgerrin James. His yards from scrimmage per game average makes him the only back in NFL history that has outperformed Jim Brown. This is made even more impressive when you see that the Colts aren't great run blockers and that James works out of a single back set and not the I formation like some of the other great backs that have been mentionned. If the basis is how many yards recieving and rushing that you give your team on average.. then James is the man.

Answer 5

Just bast on stats Barry Sanders was the greatest RB of all-time in the NFL.
As a receiver, Sanders made 352 receptions for 2,921 yards and 10 touchdowns for the Detroit Lions.
Sanders led the NFL in rushing four times. 1990, 1994, 1996 and 1997.
He rushed for over 1,500 yards in a season for an NFL record five times.
In 1988, Sanders won the Heisman Trophy while attending Oklahoma State University in Stillwater, Oklahoma.
In the 1989 draft, he was selected in the 1st round (3rd overall) by the Detroit Lions.
In 1997, he set an NFL record by rushing for at least 100 yards in 14 consecutive games and became only the third player to reach 2,000 yards in a single season. He shared the NFL MVP award with Brett Favre.
During the final 14 games of the 1997 season Sanders rushed for exactly 2000 yards on 310 carries (6.5 yd./carry), a figure which bears comparison with O.J. Simpson's 14-game mark of 2003 yards on 332 carries (6.0 yd./carry).
Each of his 10 years from 1989 through 1998 he was first- or second-team All-Pro and selected to the Pro Bowl.
Shares the record with Curtis Martin for consecutive seasons rushing for 1,000-plus yards (ten).
Over his professional career, he rushed for at least 100 yards in 76 games, just short of Walter Payton's 77 games and Emmitt Smith's 78 games.
At retirement, Sanders' 15,269 career rushing yards placed him second behind Walter Payton's 16,726 yards.
If Sanders had gained an additional 31 yards over the course of his 153 games, he would have been only the 2nd NFL runner to average 100 yards per game [see Jim Brown]
His 18,190 career yards from scrimmage place him fourth on the all-time list.

Answer 6

The question asked who the greatest running back of all time was BASED ON STATS, not opinions or gut feelings.

Based on most career rushing yards, it's Emmitt Smith (18,355)
Based on most career rushing TDs, it's Emmitt Smith (164)
Based on average yards per game, it's Jim Brown (104.3)
Based on average yards per carry, it's Jim Brown (5.22)
Based on number of rings, it's Franco Harris (4)

Was Barry the greatest I ever saw? Yeah. Was he a classy guy who was a threat to score every time he touched the ball? Absolutely. Would he have passed Payton eventually (and he was about 1,500 yards behind Sweetness when he retired, not 100). More than likely. But he didn't (Thanks, Lions management!). And that's what the question was.

Answer 7

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Answer 8

According to stats: Emmit Smith.
According to football fans: Walter Payton.

Answer 9

E. Smith if you go by the all time rushing leader list, but B. Sanders was on pace to shatter the record and he played like 5 seasons less than Smith.

Just hold on its going to be E. James!!!

Answer 10

Jim Brown