Best NFL Running Back of all times?

[Messy1]

Appreciate the info guys. Thanks for looking it up. I have to agree with you as far as the numbers go, It looks hard to beat the coached you listed.

 

[drgondog]

Interesting point about NFL coaches and their carreers as NFL players. Only around 30 % of all active NFL coaches played any in the NFL. If you limit them to position coaches(excluding strength coaches and such) a good deal less than 30 % played NFL football. Somewhat answers the question about why there are not more black head coaches in the NFL since the majority of the players are black. Paul Brown coached 25 seasons, won 84.9% of his games, won 75% of his playoff games and won seven championships. George Halas coached 40 seasons, won 69.8% of his games and won one championship.

Jeeeeeezzzzzzzz - I can't believe I forgot Paul Brown in my top tier list (I did mention Halas).

I don't quite think the competition was comparable for Brown/Halas as Landry/Shula/Lombardi but that is sheer opinion not based on any facts I could draw up... but far fewer playoff games needed to be won to be champ and far fewer games (pre-season/regular) were played to expose key players to injuries, weight conditioning and training standards were low compared to 60's through today.

The game has evolved. Brown definitely one of the greatest as was Walsh, etc

 

[renrich]

Bill, as you mentioned it is all opinion and no way to really prove anything. The earlier pro football coaches had to operate with much smaller staffs, less tech equipment, smaller squads, very little scouting expertise, players who were not fulltime, etc. They were probably more about teaching football and fundamentals and schemes than head coaches today. A good friend of mine who played for Brown(was AA at Baylor and all pro for Cleveland, signed out of college for $5000 and $1500 bonus) said Brown always started his first lecture during two a days holding a football and saying,"this is a football." Landry was a fine person but I seldom knew a Cowboy who liked him, although they mostly respected him. I knew Dan Reeves very well and played racquet ball and golf with him. He was a tough, intense competitor, but very likeable. Course I never played for him! LOL

 

[renrich]

One running back seems to be left off the list who ought to be considered. I voted for Jim Brown and am well disposed towards Eric Dickerson but during his short career with the Denver Broncos and during their two Super Bowl wins, Terrell Davis was about as good as any. He was a very effective back who had power, speed, a little wiggle and at his best, he was almost unstoppable. Only lasted about 5 years before a knee injury got him. The Broncos, Elway or not, would not have even been in the Super Bowl, let alone win it without Davis.

 

[ToughOmbre]

Jim Brown. 5.2 a carry for his career!

As far as "greatest ever" at a particular position, #32 is one of four "no doubt about it" picks.

Receiver = Jerry Rice

Inside LB = Dick Butkus

Outside LB = Lawrence Taylor

RB = Jim Brown

Every other position/player is a debate.

Greatest coach? Another easy choice. Lombardi.

TO

 

[drgondog]

One running back seems to be left off the list who ought to be considered. I voted for Jim Brown and am well disposed towards Eric Dickerson but during his short career with the Denver Broncos and during their two Super Bowl wins, Terrell Davis was about as good as any. He was a very effective back who had power, speed, a little wiggle and at his best, he was almost unstoppable. Only lasted about 5 years before a knee injury got him. The Broncos, Elway or not, would not have even been in the Super Bowl, let alone win it without Davis.

Davis was a great back and I put him in similar category to Gayle Sayers as far as "great but didn't last (long enough to make my list) due to injuries'.

Actually Earl Campbell fits in similar category..but he was an awesome force. Bum Phillips killed his career. Look at the way Landry managed Dorsett as a comparison

Hugh McElhenny, Lonnie Moore and so many others fit with Davis and Sayers.

Marshall Faulk is definitely one of the all time greats as well

 

[ToughOmbre]

Behind Jim Brown....

Emmitt Smith
Walter Payton
Barry Sanders

Greatest white RBs.....1) John Riggins 2) Jim Taylor

TO

 

[renrich]

The last white back to gain over 1000 yards in a single season in the NFL? Craig James(SMU) Patriots, 1985. How about great QBs? Unitas, Otto Graham, Elway, Bradshaw, Staubach, and so on.

 

[ToughOmbre]

How about great QBs? Unitas, Otto Graham, Elway, Bradshaw, Staubach, and so on.

They all belong on the list ren.

I would add Montana, Starr, Favre, Brady, Young, Aikman.

TO

 

[DerAdlerIstGelandet]

The top is Montana, after him comes in a debatable order:

Young
Unitas
Elway
Staubach
Favre
Starr
Manning
Brady
Marino

And probably a few more can be added to the list. I do not believe that Aikman belongs on the list. He was not a great QB, he just had a good team player and had a great supporting cast.

 

[Messy1]

I honestly believe if Steve Young had been the starter for a few more years, he would be considered the greatest off all time. If the short time he was the starter, I think broke most of Montana's records, and also threw more TD passes to Rice. He only needed one or two additional Super Bowl wins to be called the greatest, but IMO he was one and would deserve a spot on a greatest list.

 

[DerAdlerIstGelandet]

I honestly believe if Steve Young had been the starter for a few more years, he would be considered the greatest off all time. If the short time he was the starter, I think broke most of Montana's records, and also threw more TD passes to Rice. He only needed one or two additional Super Bowl wins to be called the greatest, but IMO he was one and would deserve a spot on a greatest list.

He would have had to win a few more Super Bowls. He had the talent and the team, but he lost out in too many of the NFC Chapionship games against Dallas and Green Bay.

 

[ToughOmbre]

The top is Montana, after him comes in a debatable order:

Young
Unitas
Elway
Staubach
Favre
Starr
Manning
Brady
Marino

And probably a few more can be added to the list. I do not believe that Aikman belongs on the list. He was not a great QB, he just had a good team player and had a great supporting cast.

I would add Marino as one of the greatest never to win a championship, but I gotta disagree with you on Aikman. Most of the QBs you mention had great supporting casts. I've never seen a QB win without talent around him. Three NFL Championships makes Aikman elite.

And you have to put Bradshaw in there with four.

TO

 

[pbfoot]

I would add Marino as one of the greatest never to win a championship, but I gotta disagree with you on Aikman. Most of the QBs you mention had great supporting casts. I've never seen a QB win without talent around him. Three NFL Championships makes Aikman elite.

And you have to put Bradshaw in there with four.

TO

Jim Kelly would also be in that mix 0-4 in Superbowl but he got there also OJ was a pretty fair ball player although he put new meaning for a slashing run

 

[Messy1]

That is true Chris. He did loose too many of the big ones. I never thought of it like that. Montana is tops on my list too, but I am thinking Brady may soon pass him if he keeps going at the pace he has been.

 

[ToughOmbre]

Jim Kelly would also be in that mix 0-4 in Superbowl but he got there also OJ was a pretty fair ball player although he put new meaning for a slashing run

You're right, Jim Kelly should get a mention. And OJ was a a great runner before he became a murderer. Never saw anybody cut like him.

TO

 

[renrich]

One reason I would rank Johnny U first is that he called all his own plays, unlike most of the rest. I don't put Brady up with the best yet because his career is not over, hopefully, and he is what I call a system QB. Look how the Pats did last year with a QB that did not even start in college. Another QB who ranks with the greatest is Sam Baugh. He played QB, some defense and was the best punter in the league. I forgot Starr but his 5 titles show me a lot. How about the greatest defense of all time? I go with the Steel Curtain.

 

[drgondog]

I would add Marino as one of the greatest never to win a championship, but I gotta disagree with you on Aikman. Most of the QBs you mention had great supporting casts. I've never seen a QB win without talent around him. Three NFL Championships makes Aikman elite.

And you have to put Bradshaw in there with four.

TO

Every great Qb that made it to a Championship had not only a great supporting cast but had to personally deliver big time during the process. That is why I don't knock Marino and Kelly - they both had very good teams that were outplayed in the Superbowl.

Look at Staubach on his two losses - against what may have been the greatest teams of all time - and yet he barely fell short in the last seconds of both of his losses - against another of the All Time greats ,Bradshaw

I agree with you on Aikman. Young also 'inherited' SF great cast but he is not diminished by that. Both delivered great performances during the regular season as well as great playoff records.

Earl Morrel will never be an All Time Great' but for one half of one year he delivered to take the Dolphins to a perfect season.

IMO, Starr is an all time great but on sheer physical talent he may be the last on the All Time great list (along with Bobby Lane) compared to the Aikman/Young/Montana/Brady/Elway/Marino/Kelly, etc of the past 20 years. But man, what a cast around him.

Manning and Favre may be the most gifted of all but how do we compare against Montana and Staubach and Marino and Elway - they played for different coaches with different surrounding cast and different team philosophy - against different teams..

 

[ToughOmbre]

One reason I would rank Johnny U first is that he called all his own plays, unlike most of the rest. I don't put Brady up with the best yet because his career is not over, hopefully, and he is what I call a system QB. Look how the Pats did last year with a QB that did not even start in college. Another QB who ranks with the greatest is Sam Baugh. He played QB, some defense and was the best punter in the league. I forgot Starr but his 5 titles show me a lot. How about the greatest defense of all time? I go with the Steel Curtain.

And Unitas put up the big passing numbers long before the NFL rule changes favoring the offense that has made just about every QB a 4,000 yard passer.

Defense? For a single season, the '85 Bears and Buddy Ryan's "46" D was the most dominant that I have ever seen.

TO

 

[Messy1]

Agree on the 85 Bears. Hard to argue against that team.