who was the better player ???

Question

i hear people talk saying barry sanders was the best and others say emmit smith is the best runningback but i believe the runningback that was the best was sweetness walter payton both as a player and person who do you think is the best out of them??????

Answer 1

It's probably too soon to tell but LaDainian Tomlinson is looking to be the best RB of all time. He's a triple threat (run, catch and sometimes pass!), highly durable, and very evasive (the play where he juked Ty Law onto his butt was one of the best jukes I've ever seen).

Oops. The best out of the guys above was Barry Sanders, without a doubt. Emmitt had the best O-line for a long time to help beef his numbers up. Payton was indeed great, but Barry was the best.

Answer 2

Barry Sanders probably would have broke Walter Payton's record if he would not have retired so early, Emmitt Smith may be the record holder but Payton and Sanders are the top two, both were the best in there time. Sanders could easily be number one because he played on the Lions while the Bears and the Cowboys won Super Bowls.

Answer 3

With out a doubt it has to be Barry Sanders if he wouldnt have retired he would be the All-time leading rusher in Nfl history he was just simply magnificent...Jim is 2nd if he would have played another couple of seasons then Barry would have broke his record...Emmits only in the Conversatin because he's the all-time leading rusher, he was good but he played all most double the time the other running backs did and like everyone said he had that GREAT line

Answer 4

All the backs mentioned above can make a case as the best ever. I don't know about Emmit, he had possibly one of the greatest lines blocking for him. I would take Barry, Walter and Jim Brown before Emmit.
It would have been interesting to see Bo Jackson have a full career. I've never seen a back with that kind of Power and Speed!

Answer 5

But the same logic that applies to QBs should apply to RBs. Emmit and Walter won rings. If Montana can be rated higher than Marino, then should not Payton be rated higher than Sanders. Do not get me wrong, Sanders had the moves, and is great, But Payton was on one of the best single teams in a year ever. There is to be the same vicious cycle of arguing in this position as well, like in QBs.

Answer 6

barry sanders was the better player for a few reasons 1) he was probably one of the fastest and most agile running backs i've ever seen play, if you watch clips of some of his plays you'll see him get out of situations that very few otehr rb's could have gotten out of 2) he crossed 1000 yards every year of his career, he even crossed 2000 once, he also has a 5 yards an attempt average over his career 3) he played for the detroit lions, which had at best a suspect offensive line, they repeatedly won games because sanders was better then the oppostions defense

emmit smith did have more touchdowns, and he is the all time leading rusher for the nfl but lets not forget he played for a dynasty, the cowboys were consistently one of the best teams in the league for a large portion of his career

and in regards to walter payton, like emmit smith he played on one of the NFLs alltime best teams, the 85 bears are widely regarded as one of the most dominant teams to play the game

... so theirs my opinion, do with it what you will

Answer 7

i think Barry Sanders, because he had an awful off. line to work with and still put up huge numbers, emmit smith had a 100 million dollar line, it was the best Off. line in the NFL at the time so it wasnt to hard to get really good numbers, and walter payton had an average line and put up big numbers. but think of what barry sanders would have done if he had had a off. line as good as Dallas' he would have put up so many bigger numbers.

Answer 8

Out of the players you mentioned, Barry Sanders was my favorite. He always gave the threat of going all the way on any carry. The only other players I could say that about are O.J. Simpson and Gale Sayers.

However, my pick for best runner ever is Jim Brown. Look at the numbers -- an incredible combination of speed and power. Payton and E. Smith were both superb backs, but their best trait was endurance -- they were very good for a long period of time.

Answer 9

I always say Barry Sanders is the best running back I have seen play. Emmit had that great line in front of him and had Aikman and Irving to take pressure off him. Barry did not have that help. He usually had to make his first cut 3 yards behind the line of scrimage, while most make thiers in front. I take nothing from Sweetness, i just did not really start watching football until he was almost done with his playing days.

Answer 10

Barry Sanders is the best. no question about it. walter payton is probably the second.