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Top 25 Players of the past 25 years-USA Today (continuing series)


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I would ABSOLUTELY put Brady above Sanders.

Barry Sanders = Great, HOF worthy for sure, but also very overrated.

We played the Lions several times during his career, and while I always figured he'd bust at least one big one on us, I never "feared" him taking over a game.

Emmitt, on the other hand, struck fear in my heart. He would just grind, grind, grind us down. Barry was explosive, but I also knew he's never really "take our heart out."

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I would ABSOLUTELY put Brady above Sanders.

Barry Sanders = Great, HOF worthy for sure, but also very overrated.

We played the Lions several times during his career, and while I always figured he'd bust at least one big one on us, I never "feared" him taking over a game.

Emmitt, on the other hand, struck fear in my heart. He would just grind, grind, grind us down. Barry was explosive, but I also knew he's never really "take our heart out."

Barry has the second greatest average YPC, while playing behind a terrible line. He's the greatest running back and certainly better than a player who hasn't finished his career.

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Barry Sanders = Great, HOF worthy for sure, but also very overrated.

Barry Sanders is in no way overrated. He AVERAGED over 1500 yards per season and nobody could make a defender miss like him. Despite being small for a RB he could break tackles too. He would have broken Walter Payton's record.

As for Emmitt, he played behind some of the best offensive lines of at the time for most of his career. I personally think he is overrated. My opinion is that playing anywhere else he would have been an above average RB at best.:dallasuck

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Barry has the second greatest average YPC, while playing behind a terrible line. He's the greatest running back and certainly better than a player who hasn't finished his career.

Not only that, the quarterbacks he played with were:

Bob Gagliano

Eric Hipple

Chuck Long

Rodney Peete

Andre Ware

Erik Kramer

Dave Krieg

Scott Mitchell

Don Majkowski

Frank Reich

Charlie Batch

And only once did a qb play all 16 games in a season. Most of the time they had 2 or 3 QBs start games.

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Barry has the second greatest average YPC, while playing behind a terrible line. He's the greatest running back and certainly better than a player who hasn't finished his career.

More myths and legends.

Why do you say he had a terrible line?

Lomas Brown and Kevin Glover were both pro-bowl caliber performers. Before Mike Utley's injury and Eric Andolsek's untimely death, they were also both quality starters.

The Lions also had a fairly potent passing game in many of the Sanders years, which would indicate the OL wasn't nearly as bad as history remembers them.

Here's the basic question with Barry Sanders.....

Take Player X and take Player Y and tell me which one you'd rather have:

Drive 1:

Player X gains 4 yards on first down

Player X goes for 75 yards and TD on second down

Player Y gains 6 yards on first down

Player Y gains 3 yards on second down

Player Y gains 4 yards on third down

The drive continues at this pace and ends in a TD

Drive 2:

Player X loses 4 yards on first down

Player X gains 1 yard on second down

Drive ends in punt

Player Y gains 10 yards on first down

Player Y gains 4 yards on second down

Player Y gains 4 yards on first down

Drive continues at this pace and ends in a FG

Drive 3:

Player X gains 21 yards on first down

Player X gains 2 yards on first down

Player X loses 4 yards on second down

Drive ends in punt

Player Y gains 6 yards on first down

Player Y gains 2 yards on second down

Player Y gains 3 yards on third down

Drive continues for awhile, but stalls, punt is forced

I will ALWAYS choose Player Y. Always.

Player X is explosive, but his style also contributes to several lost plays, lost drives, and keeps the defense on the field.

Player Y isn't nearly as explosive, but is much more consistent, much liklier to wear down a defense and the clock. In the end, he is just as likely to earn points for his team as Player X, but he will do it at a more exacting cost for the opponent.

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As for Emmitt, he played behind some of the best offensive lines of at the time for most of his career. I personally think he is overrated. My opinion is that playing anywhere else he would have been an above average RB at best.

Punishing a player for playing around other great players.

That's fine, but at least be consistent.

Say that Riggo was overrated because of the Hogs

Say that Jack Lambert, Jack Ham, and Mel Blount were overrated because the played in front of the Steelers DL.

Say Joe Montana was overrated because he played for Bill Walsh and with Jerry Rice

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I would ABSOLUTELY put Brady above Sanders.

Barry Sanders = Great, HOF worthy for sure, but also very overrated.

We played the Lions several times during his career, and while I always figured he'd bust at least one big one on us, I never "feared" him taking over a game.

Emmitt, on the other hand, struck fear in my heart. He would just grind, grind, grind us down. Barry was explosive, but I also knew he's never really "take our heart out."

Emmitt had an incredible line, Barry had nothing. If anything Emmitt is overrated and Barry is very underrated.
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Punishing a player for playing around other great players.

That's fine, but at least be consistent.

Say that Riggo was overrated because of the Hogs

Say that Jack Lambert, Jack Ham, and Mel Blount were overrated because the played in front of the Steelers DL.

Say Joe Montana was overrated because he played for Bill Walsh and with Jerry Rice

I didn't say Emmitt was overrated because he played behind a good offensive line. If he was considered a top 10 or 15 RB in NFL history, then that would be OK, but him being given way too much credit is why he is overrated. John Riggins isn't given nearly enough credit outside of Redskins country. He did play behind a great offensive line but to be overrated people have to speak of you highly and Riggins is not talked about in the same sense as Emmitt. I personally think Riggins was a better RB than Smith.

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Emmitt Smith=Curtis Martin-I'm not putting either down, just making a compairison.

Jerry Rice=Tim Brown

Greatest careers, sure. Greatest players, I don't think so.

There was only one Barry, Gale, or Sweetness.

you can argue RB's and Qb's all day. hell any position but the one thing for certain is jerry rice is the greatest WR of all time.

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I also don't like the Rod Woodson rating.

Assuming Darrell Green isn't in the top 7.....

Green > Woodson

i love DG, but me taking my homer glasses off green was better for longer, but woodson's peak or best was better then DG's best. :2cents:

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Emmitt > Curtis Martin

I have NO problem if people want to put Emmitt and Barry on the same level (I'd take Emmitt, but understand why people would favor Barry). I just hate it when people blow off Emmitt's accomplishments because of where he played.

Also, it goes deeper than stats. Emmitt plowed the defense into submission. Barry frustrated them with his slipperyness for sure, but Emmitt always seemed to impose his will on the game.

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Also, it goes deeper than stats. Emmitt plowed the defense into submission. Barry frustrated them with his slipperyness for sure, but Emmitt always seemed to impose his will on the game.

I'm more of a Barry guy and I do feel that Emmitt benefited from playing behind a great offensive line for most of his career. However, his performance in the season finale showdown against the Giants in 1993 with a seperated shoulder was one of the gutsiest performances I've ever seen. He did impose his will on the Giants in their own stadium and got the Cowboys a division title and homefield for the playoffs...............the ****. :D

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Emmitt Smith=Curtis Martin-I'm not putting either down, just making a compairison.

Jerry Rice=Tim Brown

Greatest careers, sure. Greatest players, I don't think so.

There was only one Barry, Gale, or Sweetness.

Are you trying to say that Jerry Rice is not the best WR of all time? He may be the best player of all time, period.

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