Emmitt Smith’s Greatness

[Pass2Run]

That was the season Sanders tore his MCL and didn't play the final 5 games of the season. He finished 5th in rushing yards. Emmitt only started 13 games of the 14 he played in that season. The game against the Falcons the week prior to Thanksgiving he only had 1 carry for 1 yard and left the game due to an injury. It limited him on Thanksgiving, too. Then after the break he finished the season strong. Barry and Emmitt were the only running backs to average over 100 yards per game that year.

Not to mention, for two seasons straight, the team's primary goal was Emmitt getting the record.

 

[rnr_honeybadger]

Besides Barry Sanders, Who WAS ?????

No shade on Zeke !!!!!! Look the dude played Balls out for the Dallas Cowboys.

Forever 21

20
1	Emmitt Smith+	18,355	1990-2004	2TM
2	Walter Payton+	16,726	1975-1987	chi
3	Frank Gore	16,000	2005-2020	5TM
4	Barry Sanders+	15,269	1989-1998	det
5	Adrian Peterson	14,918	2007-2021	7TM
6	Curtis Martin+	14,101	1995-2005	2TM
7	LaDainian Tomlinson+	13,684	2001-2011	2TM
8	Jerome Bettis+	13,662	1993-2005	2TM
9	Eric Dickerson+	13,259	1983-1993	4TM
10	Tony Dorsett+	12,739	1977-1988	2TM
11	Jim Brown+	12,312	1957-1965	cle
12	Marshall Faulk+	12,279	1994-2005	2TM
13	Edgerrin James+	12,246	1999-2009	3TM
14	Marcus Allen+	12,243	1982-1997	2TM
15	Franco Harris+	12,120	1972-1984	2TM
16	Thurman Thomas+	12,074	1988-2000	2TM
17	Fred Taylor	11,695	1998-2010	2TM
18	Steven Jackson	11,438	2004-2015	3TM
19	John Riggins+	11,352	1971-1985	2TM

Wow, look at that list, there isn't an active RB in the top 19, That is insane.

 

[Calvin2Tony2Emmitt2Julius]

Zeke in seven years has 8262, I think he'll crack into that before he's done

Wow, look at that list, there isn't an active RB in the top 19, That is insane.

 

[Thomas82]

FYI: The Cowboys were 17-0 in games where Emmitt rushed for 150 or more yards.

Literally all of the running backs that are considered better than him lost at least once.

 

[Cowboys5217]

Zeke in seven years has 8262, I think he'll crack into that before he's done

He's already done. He might gain another 1000 yards over the next two years as a journeyman, but I doubt it.

 

[Starforever]

Well that’s the difference between wanting to be a multiple time champion and wanting to be a celebrity.

Elliott won in college. Being a pro was the after party.

No? HOF talent and he ain’t going.

This comment is based on what?

 

[RonnieT24]

FYI: The Cowboys were 17-0 in games where Emmitt rushed for 150 or more yards.

Literally all of the running backs that are considered better than him lost at least once.

I consider all the running backs who gained more yards and scored more touchdowns to be better than Emmitt.

 

[Thomas82]

I consider all the running backs who gained more yards and scored more touchdowns to be better than Emmitt.

That makes 2 of us.

 

[IceBowler]

I believe Emmitt is the greatest of the great. Hands down - no question. But, his OL and the offensive balance between the run & pass had a lot to do with his longevity and accumulation of yardage. He will be the first one to tell you that. In contrast, look at Walter Payton. With the exception of that one 85 season, he barely had anyone besides himself to run or, during one year when he actually had to do some quarterbacking, pass the ball to. WP was special in many different ways. I suppose that's why they named the League's most prestigious award after him.

 

[fairviewfarmer]

Emmitt had another 1586 yards rushing in NFL post season games that are not included in his career rushing leader stats.

 

[CowboyRoy]

Facts!! So many people like to pretend that Emmitt walked into what the Cowboys became after he got there.

Emmitt is my favorite player of all time and favorite Cowboy. But anyone that doesnt acknowledge how much that Oline and FB helped him do the things that he did is doing the Oline an injustice.

Emmitt played incredible, but without that Oline he would not have been able to truly show how great he was.

 

[CowboyRoy]

I believe Emmitt is the greatest of the great. Hands down - no question. But, his OL and the offensive balance between the run & pass had a lot to do with his longevity and accumulation of yardage. He will be the first one to tell you that. In contrast, look at Walter Payton. With the exception of that one 85 season, he barely had anyone besides himself to run or, during one year when he actually had to do some quarterbacking, pass the ball to. WP was special in many different ways. I suppose that's why they named the League's most prestigious award after him.

I think greatest of the great is overboard. Love Emmitt, but I agree with you that the Oline and guys like Johnston were every bit as important as Emmitt himself.

 

[Thomas82]

Emmitt is my favorite player of all time and favorite Cowboy. But anyone that doesnt acknowledge how much that Oline and FB helped him do the things that he did is doing the Oline an injustice.

Emmitt played incredible, but without that Oline he would not have been able to truly show how great he was.

But anybody that doesn't acknowledge that they were unheard of before they started blocking for Emmitt is doing him an injustice.

 

[Thomas82]

I think greatest of the great is overboard. Love Emmitt, but I agree with you that the Oline and guys like Johnston were every bit as important as Emmitt himself.

Yet, they didn't look nearly as good when Emmitt wasn't playing.

 

[KJJ]

This was his 7th season*

Emmitt was also really good at preserving his body, Zeke would welcome contact.

Emmitt had a great ability to slither through defenders and bounce off them. His balance was second to none. His initial burst through the line of scrimmage was as fast and quick as any back to ever play the game. He could make a cut without having to slow down. Even though he didn’t have blazing speed, he rarely got caught from behind. When he had an injury, it wouldn’t take a few days for him to recover. He hurt his knee one time and it looked so bad everyone was fearing the worst, but he was back on the field the following week. He injured his neck one time and again everyone was fearing the worst, but a couple of days later he was back on the practice field, wearing a neck brace and played the following week. We all remember him carrying the Cowboys with a separated shoulder against the Giants in 94. He was an amazing player!

 

[CowboyRoy]

But anybody that doesn't acknowledge that they were unheard of before they started blocking for Emmitt is doing him an injustice.

Dont see how that has much bearing.

 

[CowboyRoy]

Yet, they didn't look nearly as good when Emmitt wasn't playing.

I honestly dont see how these side points of yours matter. You somehow think I am slighting Emmitt and I am not.
RB's need holes to do with they do. They need quality blocking. Emmitt was no different in that way.

 

[Big_D]

Emmitt didn’t just have a free ride to the endzone. He ran people over, had the best stiff arm in football and could certainly put a move on a defender. I never seen many RBs run into a crowd of defenders and still break through. Oline was good, but any RB should’ve had success if that was the case.

 

[RonnieT24]

Yet, they didn't look nearly as good when Emmitt wasn't playing.

Those great teams teams from 1991-1996 were 0-5 when Emmitt either missed a game or could not finish with an injury.

In that same span they were 8-2 without Troy and 4-1 without Irvin. But yall ain heah dat from me.

 

[CT Dal Fan]

I just read Emmitt's autobiography again (which was published in 1994, right after Jimmy Johnson was fired). And what struck me was how different the game was in the 1990's. Unlike today, running back was a premiuim position.

And the stars at RB in the '90's were so much better than what is out there today (in my opinion). For example I remember watching Emmitt Smith, Barry Sanders, Ricky Watters, Thurman Thomas, Jerome Bettis, Chris Warren, Marcus Allen, Rodney Hampton, Eddie George, Terrell Davis, and Barry Foster, and those are just the ones that come immediately to mind.