Top 5 Running Backs All Time

[Breed]

To you Jim Brown peeps.

How come no one ever brings up Jim Brown's complete n utter refusal to block? How much better could Cleveland's offense been, how many more games could they have won, how many titles?

I've seen highlights where Brown is throwing straight look out blocks getting Frank Ryan fuckin wrecked. Because Brown considered himself a race horse and blocking was mule's work or some arrogant dickhead shit like that. He should be ashamed of himself.

 

[richig07]

Adrian Peterson belongs on top 5 most overrated, IMO. Great RB but he was a home run hitter who often struggled to move the chains and could disappear for large portions of games. He was only a two down back, had to come out on passing downs and had a fumbling problem on-and-off for his entire career. I think the only back ever to lose more yardage on runs was Barry Sanders.

AP was more a top 5 GOAT highlight reel than he was a RB. He's probably inside of the top 20 but belongs nowhere near this conversation.

 

[richig07]

Again, i'm not trying to knock Jim Brown but when you are as big as the defensive linemen thats a pretty big advantage, Leroy Kelly, came in after Jim retired and did pretty darn well with that team.


Imagine if someone with Adrian Peterson's speed and ability weighed 300 pounds.

I mean, then that person would be a GOAT RB.

Why is that illegitimate? What a weird viewpoint.

Why is that any different from being the fastest or quickest guy on the field? This is a sport based largely on genetics and what your body is/isn't capable of. Why would being capable of more than somebody else diminish your success?

"I mean, I could play TE like Travis Kelce. But he's 6'5 260 and athletic as fuck. That's a pretty big advantage. He's not THAT good."

 

[desert heat]

if we are talking prime this guy might be top 5

 

[Stomp]

Two of The top 4?

Emmitt Smith
#1 95 2506 YScm 31 TDs 1 playoff run/Superbowl win where he was a big contributor(his 3rd)

TD
#2 98 2762 YScm 26 TDs 1 more playoff run/Superbowl win where he was a big contributor

TD
#3 97 2656 YScm 23 TDs 1 playoff run/Superbowl win where he was a big contributor

Marshall Faulk
#4 99 2686 YScm 14 TDs 1 playoff run/Superbowl win

 

[Stomp]

if we are talking prime this guy might be top 5

College RB sure, but as a pro he got hurt pretty early on and only had 1 great season and a few good seasons.

 

[Stomp]

He has a top 5 season no top 4, and def not two top 4
NFL Rushing Yards Single-Season Leaders | Pro-Football-Reference.com

Those don't include playoff runs and if you looking at the best seasons they really need to end in a championship or at least a good playoff run.

 

[SteelersPride]

Those don't include playoff runs and if you looking at the best seasons they really need to end in a championship or at least a good playoff run.

Oh ok

 

[Shanemansj13]

if we are talking prime this guy might be top 5

He was not better than Walter. Underrated, yes. He was a great returner too but that shouldn't factor into being a top 5 RB

 

[desert heat]

He was not better than Walter. Underrated, yes. He was a great returner too but that shouldn't factor into being a top 5 RB

there's many that disagree. those lateral moves are special.

 

[pachyderm]

Walter Payton
Eric Dickerson
Barry Sanders
Bo Jackson
O.J. Simpson


If it's all opinion based.

 

[shopson67]

I know he won't be on most lists, but Frank Gore has got to be a consideration. 4th all-time in yards from scrimmage, 3rd all-time in rushing yards, and an underrated fact: he's played in 16 games nine times in his career, and has never played in less than 11. He played the majority of his career for bad teams, but damn he was an ironman. Never controversial, and nobody out-worked him. Class act all-around.

He's borderline HOF in my opinion. Compiler due to longevity. Was he top 5 in any given year? Maybe one.

 

[shopson67]

Jim Brown is #1 without a doubt.

 

[Across The Field]

He's borderline HOF in my opinion. Compiler due to longevity. Was he top 5 in any given year? Maybe one.

Longevity at the RB position is an elite trait that very few players have had. He was almost always on shit teams, but you never heard him complain and he was always an extremely hard-worker. He's a HOFer for sure.

 

[shopson67]

Longevity at the RB position is an elite trait that very few players have had. He was almost always on shit teams, but you never heard him complain and he was always an extremely hard-worker. He's a HOFer for sure.

To me, the HOF isn't exclusive enough. If you were never considered the best at your position for even one season (or even top 5 for more than one), you're not HOF material IMO.

Stats on bad teams are fools gold.

 

[Across The Field]

To me, the HOF isn't exclusive enough. If you were never considered the best at your position for even one season (or even top 5 for more than one), you're not HOF material IMO.

Stats on bad teams are fools gold.

Ok, then let's look at his stats when his teams actually made the playoffs:

2011: 1,325 total yards, 8 total TDs
2012: 1,448 yards, 9 total TDs
2013: 1,269 total yards, 9 total TDs

He had nine seasons of 1,000+ rushing yards. For comparison's sake, here is how that stacks up:
Emmitt Smith: 11
Barry Sanders, Walter Payton, Curtis Martin: 10
Franco Harris, Jerome Bettis, Tony Dorsett, Thurman Thomas: 8

He's also regarded as one of the top pass-blocking RBs of all-time. On top of that, he's top 10 in receptions among RBs with 10,000 or more career rushing yards. Meaning, his all-around game is more than worthy of a HOF induction.

 

[shopson67]

Ok, then let's look at his stats when his teams actually made the playoffs:

2011: 1,325 total yards, 8 total TDs
2012: 1,448 yards, 9 total TDs
2013: 1,269 total yards, 9 total TDs

He had nine seasons of 1,000+ rushing yards. For comparison's sake, here is how that stacks up:
Emmitt Smith: 11
Barry Sanders, Walter Payton, Curtis Martin: 10
Franco Harris, Jerome Bettis, Tony Dorsett, Thurman Thomas: 8

He's also regarded as one of the top pass-blocking RBs of all-time. On top of that, he's top 10 in receptions among RBs with 10,000 or more career rushing yards. Meaning, his all-around game is more than worthy of a HOF induction.

Gore is tied for 50th in rushing yards/game, tied with Tiki Barber. Of the guys you noted, Sanders is 2nd, Payton 6th, Martin 10th, Emmitt 15th, Dorsett 30th, Bettis 38th, Harris 40th, and Thomas 57th (but more of a receiving threat than Gore and went to 4 SBs).

Noting receiving stats: still no Roger Craig in the hall...

I still see him as a compiler and not elite. Just my opinion, and I'm sure he'll get into the NFL HOVG.

 

[Across The Field]

Gore is tied for 50th in rushing yards/game, tied with Tiki Barber. Of the guys you noted, Sanders is 2nd, Payton 6th, Martin 10th, Emmitt 15th, Dorsett 30th, Bettis 38th, Harris 40th, and Thomas 57th (but more of a receiving threat than Gore and went to 4 SBs).

Noting receiving stats: still no Roger Craig in the hall...

I still see him as a compiler and not elite. Just my opinion, and I'm sure he'll get into the NFL HOVG.

Roger Craig had 1/3 as many 1,000 yard rushing seasons as Gore, and also happened to play on some of the most stacked NFL teams of all-time. Gore had to earn every yard he got because for the most part, his teams were mediocre at best, if not horrible. It's WAY easier to pile up rushing yards on an elite team because you aren't playing from behind, and odds are you have a fantastic offensive line.

If you look at all of those other RBs you mentioned, almost all of them played with elite QBs, several in the HOF (Sanders didn't really, but still had better QBs than Gore). Gore was THE entire offense for many of those years. Interesting fact - he never played with a QB that finished higher than 16th in the league in passing yards until 2016, his 12th season in the league, and his last 1,000+ yard season. He was 33 that year. Otherwise, he played on teams with mediocre (at very best) QB play throughout his entire career. Imagine what he could've done on a team that even a somewhat decent passing game to take all of the pressure off of him. The fact that he's been the ironman that he is with all that punishment says a ton about him as a player.

 

[shopson67]

Roger Craig had 1/3 as many 1,000 yard rushing seasons as Gore, and also happened to play on some of the most stacked NFL teams of all-time. Gore had to earn every yard he got because for the most part, his teams were mediocre at best, if not horrible. It's WAY easier to pile up rushing yards on an elite team because you aren't playing from behind, and odds are you have a fantastic offensive line.

If you look at all of those other RBs you mentioned, almost all of them played with elite QBs, several in the HOF (Sanders didn't really, but still had better QBs than Gore). Gore was THE entire offense for many of those years. Interesting fact - he never played with a QB that finished higher than 16th in the league in passing yards until 2016, his 12th season in the league, and his last 1,000+ yard season. He was 33 that year. Otherwise, he played on teams with mediocre (at very best) QB play throughout his entire career. Imagine what he could've done on a team that even a somewhat decent passing game to take all of the pressure off of him. The fact that he's been the ironman that he is with all that punishment says a ton about him as a player.

Sure, and I'm not saying he's a great player, worker (and person for that matter); he's not elite IMO. Again, JMO.

 

[Across The Field]

Sure, and I'm not saying he's a great player, worker (and person for that matter); he's not elite IMO. Again, JMO.

He's not on the level of RBs like Payton, Sanders, LT, or Faulk, but if you put him on even somewhat decent teams, his numbers would be even bigger IMO. At the end of the day, I don't know how you leave a guy out of the HOF that's 3rd all-time in rushing and 4th all-time in yards from scrimmage.