An underhanded compliment by... Bayless?

[Manster68]

Anybody see 1st and 10 today?

There was a segment debating Jerry Rice and Emmitt Smith.

Skip went on to say that it is much easier to compare other running backs to Emmitt than it was for receivers to compare to Rice. He further said that Rice is basically in a galaxy by himself.

I had no problem with that.

Skip then went on to say something that really caught my ear.

"Emmitt also ran behind the best offensive line I have ever seen."

As much as I agree with that, I am just shocked that Bayless would say that.

Thank you Skippy.

Thank you for validating what many of us Cowboy fans have known for quite a while.

Now lets get more than just Larry Allen into the Hall of Fame if they are so good.

 

[Hoofbite]

Sounds as much like a discredit to Emmitt as it is a compliment to the line.

 

[vta]

Sounds as much like a discredit to Emmitt as it is a compliment to the line.

Yeah, that was always the excuse for detractors.
Never mind the guy's ability, just put it on the guys less inclined to get face time.

 

[Hoofbite]

Yeah, that was always the excuse for detractors.
Never mind the guy's ability, just put it on the guys less inclined to get face time.

Pretty much. The Barry vs. Emmitt threads are filled with the "Best OL Ever" nonsense.

 

[HoosierCowboy]

makes just as much sense to say that the best running back ever made the O line look good

 

[FLcowboy]

Sounds as much like a discredit to Emmitt as it is a compliment to the line.

I took it the same way. Emmitt contributed to the O-line's reputation also. He could get a lot of yardage after the first hit, and he had a lot of those.

 

[yentl911]

NO doubt the O-Line back then was great but I sure do remmeber Emmitt making some great tackle breaking runs, caught a lot of passes and sacrficed his body on not only blocking for Troy but going over the pile on fakes....he was a better all-aroudn RB than Barry....not even close IMO.

I agree with the comments above too - Emmitt had quite a bit to do with the o-line's effectiveness as well - they just smashed the guys in front of them and Emmitt found the hole.

 

[mldardy]

NO doubt the O-Line back then was great but I sure do remmeber Emmitt making some great tackle breaking runs, caught a lot of passes and sacrficed his body on not only blocking for Troy but going over the pile on fakes....he was a better all-aroudn RB than Barry....not even close IMO.

I agree with the comments above too - Emmitt had quite a bit to do with the o-line's effectiveness as well - they just smashed the guys in front of them and Emmitt found the hole.

I get tired of the 'Emmitt was only great because he had a great Oline' excuse. It is a tired argument at this point. People that say that really didn't watch Emmitt as a running back. He knew where to run, he break tackles all the time and alluded that first big hit. He also hardly ever got hit behind the line of scrimmage and lost yards. I look at it as Emmitt and the oline were a match made in heaven. They both were perfect for each other which is how most of the great running backs and their olines did which is use each others strengths and abilities.

 

[Mash]

Like Romo makes our OL look better in pass protection...

Emmitt did the same.....making the line look better then it was

IMHO

I loved me some E.Williams and Allen...but Emmitt made the others pro bowlers......

 

[tyke1doe]

If Emmitt's line was so great, how come none other than Larry Allen will even sniff the Hall of Fame?

 

[Hoofbite]

If Emmitt's line was so great, how come none other than Larry Allen will even sniff the Hall of Fame?

Quit trying to cloud the issue with the facts.

 

[YosemiteSam]

Sounds as much like a discredit to Emmitt as it is a compliment to the line.

It's a team sport. So many people get pissed off at me when I say that part of Emmitt's success was because he had a great offensive line. They seem to think Emmitt did it all himself.

Even Bayless can't say Emmitt wasn't one of the all-time great running backs with a straight face. With or without that great offensive line.

 

[Boyzmamacita]

It's a team sport. So many people get pissed off at me when I say that part of Emmitt's success was because he had a great offensive line. They seem to think Emmitt did it all himself.

Even Bayless can't say Emmitt wasn't one of the all-time great running backs with a straight face. With or without that great offensive line.

Part of Troy's success was because he had a great offensive line. So what? He was still one of the best QBs to ever play the game. The same thing applies to Emmitt. Having a great line doesn't make him a less accomplished runner. Go back and watch some footage of #22. You give him credit, but not enough. He got a lot of yards on his own and a lot of yards with the help of his friends. I've never seen a player so criticized because the guys around him did their jobs. I will never take him for granted the way so many do.

 

[Clove]

note to self: Any title containing the words skip or bayless, please avoid.

 

[ScipioCowboy]

If Emmitt's line was so great, how come none other than Larry Allen will even sniff the Hall of Fame?

You beat me to it.

Furthermore, Larry Allen wasn't even a starter until 1995. The majority of Emmitt's most productive seasons were played behind an O-line without one player who is likely to make the Hall of Fame.

 

[Yakuza Rich]

It was clearly an underhanded compliment by Skip as he couldn't stand Emmitt and loves taking a jab at Emmitt whenever the 'best tailback ever' talk comes about or even worse, the Emmitt vs. Barry Sanders debate heats up.

To me, the O-Line in the 90's was great, but still overrated. And IMO, it was better in pass protection than it was in run blocking. But, Emmitt made those O-Lines look great in run blocking because he was such a great runner and had such incredible patience and vision that slubs like Kevin Gogan could finally get in a position to throw a block or just get in front of the defender. When Troy got hurt, Dallas could win games with the backup QB against top notch competition. When Emmitt got hurt, we couldn't beat anybody.

Tuinea was clearly a better pass protector than a run blocker...it's not even close. Stepnoski as well. Gogan was pretty much a stiff his entire career until Emmitt came along. And so was Nate Newton, a career bench player until Emmitt came along and he magically turned great. Although I will say that I did think Newton had a lot of natural talent, it just took Emmitt to get it out of him.

To me, the guys that were just superb were Larry Allen (who wasn't with the team until Emmitt's 5th year IIRC) and Erik Williams, whose career was not only cut short, but you had to wonder how consistent he really was with his issues with drugs.

What people like Bayless don't realize is that there's a way to run the ball that can make the O-Line look far better than it really is (i.e. Emmitt) and there's a way to run the ball that can make an O-Line look far worse than it really is (i.e. Barry). I'll never forget watching some analysis of Curtis Martin who was having a great year with the Jets when he struggled the year before. The consensus was the O-Line for the Jets had improved, even though they didn't add any new O-Linemen. Instead, it was Martin becoming more patient and letting the O-Line get out in front and make blocks that was the reason for the success.

Martin was a cagey veteran by the time he finally learned this. Emmitt was doing this on a yearly basis.





YAKUZA

 

[Manster68]

and Erik Williams, whose career was not only cut short, but you had to wonder how consistent he really was with his issues with drugs.

When was Big E involved in drugs? I don't remember any reports or suspensions involving Erik Williams and drugs.

I remember him being involved in that alleged rape at the White House with Michael Irvin right before the playoff game in Carolina. The lady would drop the charges after Dallas and its false distraction got beat.

Are you sure you are not mistaking Erik Williams for Leon Lett?

 

[Scranton Tiger]

Thank you for validating what many of us Cowboy fans have known for quite a while.

Now lets get more than just Larry Allen into the Hall of Fame if they are so good.

There is no doubt in my mind that had he not been injured in a car accident in 1994, Erk Williams would have been a slam dunk first ballot Hall of Famer. Through 1993, he was one of the two or three best tackles I have ever seen. Just dominated anyone who lined up in front of him. Including Hall of Famers like Reggie White and Bruce Smith. After the accident, even though Williams was still damn good and still a Pro Bowler, he was just never quite the same.

Of our current guys, if he plays the next 6 or 7 years like he's played his first 7, I think Andre Gurode could be a future Hall of Famer.

 

[viman96]

We had that amazing OL when Emmitt held out two games and went 0-2.

 

[Scranton Tiger]

What people like Bayless don't realize is that there's a way to run the ball that can make the O-Line look far better than it really is (i.e. Emmitt) and there's a way to run the ball that can make an O-Line look far worse than it really is (i.e. Barry). I'll never forget watching some analysis of Curtis Martin who was having a great year with the Jets when he struggled the year before. The consensus was the O-Line for the Jets had improved, even though they didn't add any new O-Linemen. Instead, it was Martin becoming more patient and letting the O-Line get out in front and make blocks that was the reason for the success.

YAKUZA

This is a great point. Trivia question: What RB lost more yards than any other RB in NFL history? Answer: Barry Sanders. While there is no doubt Sanders had amazing talent, he spent too much time dancing around looking to go 80 yards for a TD instead of just hitting the hole. How many times did Detroit end up 2nd and 13 or 3rd and 11 instead of 2nd and 5 or 3rd and 2 because Sanders danced around instead of hitting the hole? It's a team game. You only move the ball consistantly if everyone does their job. Sometimes that means hitting the hole for a two or three yard gain. Emmitt and the Cowboys O-Line in the 90s did just that. Because they did, those two and three yard gains in the first quarter turned into 10 and 15 yard gains in the fourth. Take me back in time and tell me I can have either one and I'll take Emmitt EVERY day of the week and twice on Sunday. Barry Sanders was a great TALENT. Emmitt Smith was a great RUNNING BACK.