BTB: Can Anyone Break Emmitt's Record?

A lot of RBs are done by the time they turn 30 (and in some cases, even sooner). With the NFL and college becoming pass-heavy and spread-oriented with less emphasis on a workhorse power running game, I'd say the record is untouchable. In 20 years, either football is extinct or it becomes similar to 7 on 7 with all-out passing due to safety concerns. No way the game ever goes back to the majority of the league running it 30+ times a game.

Lost in all the hype about his yardage was the fact that Emmitt was extremely durable.

That is at least equally important when it came to his rushing record. Another vital issue is the team they play on. Obviously, they will last longer if the team has a strong O-line as well as a passing game that takes away focus on the RB.

There will always be prolific looking backs coming into the league. They will shine for years. However, at some point their bodies will begin to break down due to their workload.

Which leads me to the most telling stats:

Since 1970, a RB in his 10th season or more had a thousand yard season 20 times.

10 of those seasons were produced by 4 RB's, the only ones to do this multiple times. Only 2 RB's accomplished this 3 times. They are Walter Payton and Emmitt Smith. Smith did this at age 30, 31, and 32.

At age 33 Emmitt got 975 yards. His only injury season was at age 34, he missed 11 games. At age 35 he got 937 yards...the same exact yardage he got his rookie season before reeling off 11 consecutive thousand yard seasons. Emmitt got 937 yards or more in 14 of his 15 seasons.....unreal.

Emmitt Smith doesn't need to be nervous until we all witness another thousand yard rusher in his tenth season with no history of a sustained injury and no sign that he is slowing down.........don't anyone hold their breath.

Peterson might have been able to accomplish it, if it hadn't been for the injuries. Then again, that's the durability factor that made Emmitt so unique.

MikeB80 said:

gore's situation and witten's have never been anything alike so your whole premise to begin with is nonsense.

Click to expand...

My entire premise from the very beginning was arguing that there situation where not alike to a user who said they had similiar situations........

Maybe i'll give you a participation trophy since at least you tried (whose a big boy ?)

Tussinman said:

My entire premise from the very beginning was arguing that there situation where not alike to a user who said they had similiar situations........

Maybe i'll give you a participation trophy since at least you tried (whose a big boy ?)

Click to expand...

who ever came up with the premise is wrong then. Frank Gore is a journeyman who puts up good numbers and plays different roles on different teams. Witten is a legend on the most well know organization in sports, He is not going to take a back seat here and become a mentor. Players of his ilk never do become mentors in the city they became legends in but will do it on another franchise which is a very strange occurrence.

Witten would have been happy to be a coach here though and actually get paid to teach and mentor....that is for another time down the line I guess. I really hope he doesn't end up as a coach in NY in a year or two.

Tussinman said:

Damn Frank Gore is considered a class act and is loved by fans and media members. He has legitimate passion and love for the sport in an era where it's "all about me" and "look at my brand, social media, and money"

First time i've ever seen someone trash him

Click to expand...

Yes. That guy loves the game and is always considered the ultimate teammate.
Being an A+ level pass blocker doesn't hurt either.

Hes 3000 yards away though, so hes not catching Emmitt

Fwiw, is career ypc s actually higher than Emmitts, so not really fair ay hes got yaards based on volume only.

Emmitt was a beast behind a beastly line working in a system that featured a 'pound it till the O-line beat down the defense' game plan just about every game. Add to that he was durable and the extreme lack of 'RB by Committee' that we see in today's NFL and I'm gonna say not a chance his record is ever broken. I will say though that as much as I lived Emmitt the true best of the best, IMHO was Barry Sanders. Good grief, imagine that guy in Emmits position behind the Cowboys line!

MikeB80 said:

NO.

Emmitt was incredible and one of the greatest players to ever put on an nfl uniform. The amount of carries he had, the number of postseason games he played and production is just amazing. Teams spent the superbowl years loading up to stop Emmitt every week and every week he delivered, he got up after every big hit and he took the ball again.

His career has been minimized by the people who think it was "Just the line" or " he had a hall of fame qb and wr". Nonsense. Also the incredibly foolish Emmitt vs Barry debate that pops up whenever anyone tries to say nice things about Emmitt. They were both amazing, different and amazing.

He is one of the all time greatest players in league history and the cowboys have no championships without him in the 90's.

It would take some kind of all time freak performance in this passing league to break his records. One of the biggest reasons that he gets minimized to this day is because he wasn't a freak like peterson or dickerson or okoye....he was just an average size guy with average speed and measurables until the game was played then he was different.

Click to expand...

Aikman rode Emmitt's coat tails right into the HOF.

Silverstar said:

Gore and Peterson are the only two even close right now and would have to play 3 more years at least. Emmitt retired when he was 35 yrs old.

Emmitt Smith
21,579 all purpose
18,355 rushing
3,224 receiving

Frank Gore - 37 yrs old
19,243 all purpose
15,347 rushing
3,896 receiving

Adrian Peterson - 35 yrs old
16,581 all purpose
14,216 rushing
2,365 receiving

Click to expand...

Hahaha Gore must have found the fountain of youth.

with the likelihood of a more passing Dak Prescott, can anyone even break DeMarco Murray's single season record of 1845 in 2014 ?
He even broke Emmitt's previous single season rushing yd record.

No never happening unless like others have said the season gets extended and there are rule changes to not allow for passing attempts or certain passing plays.

dfense said:

Aikman rode Emmitt's coat tails right into the HOF.

Click to expand...

not true at all.

Romo broke down two years ago what a qb's role is on a cbs pregame one time. He talked about how a quarterback is paid to win on 3rd down and score td's in the redzone.

Aikman was great at both. Emmitt cleaned up after aikman got them in the redzone a million times.

Aikman won his first 11 post season games and won 3 super bowls in the process. That is why he is in the hall of fame deservingly.

It just so happens that Fox Sports 1 is going to show the game against the Seahawks where Emmitt breaks Payton's record tomorrow night at 7 Central.

All records are made to be broken at some point in history.

It may not be fathomable now but someone will come along , rules will change, schedules lengthened and players careers extended which will present opportunities.

There will be some freak of nature come along eventually who will do it with a mix of freakish talent, the right offense, and luck.

remdak said:

There will be some freak of nature come along eventually who will do it with a mix of freakish talent, the right offense, and luck.

Click to expand...

Hopefully it can be a Cowboy that breaks it.