Emmitt's record: Unbreakable?

[THUMPER]

I do not foresee a time when a player will be able to break Emmitt's record and here's 5 reasons why (There are probably more factors involved that I didn't list here but these should suffice.):

1. He has to play for a team that is good for a long time. In order to get the carries he needs, the team needs to be in the lead a lot, or extremely committed to the run. That also requires the coaching staff to remain in place for the most part, or at least the offensive philosophy. Emmitt played for a Cowboys team that was in contention for most of his career and an offense that was similar for most of it as well. We never went to a WCO style but stuck with a balanced style despite the coaching changes.

2. He must stay healthy. Most players can't stay healthy enough to be a feature back for that many years. Emmitt didn't have a significant injury until he was with the Cards (broken collarbone) and that was a fluke, something you can't train for. If you look at the top RBs in NFL history you see guys who were very durable and didn't miss many games.

3. He needs to be the starter. In the current age of the salary cap teams will not keep a guy for as long as they would before. Take Fred Taylor for example. He was still very productive last year but he is getting older and they moved on. The Cowboys were committed to keeping Emmitt and he was productive enough to win the starting job every year. I still think it was stupid (and said so at the time) to let him go and start Troy Hambrick, but Jerry never listens to me.

4. He needs to be the primary ball carrier for a long time. The current practice is to have multiple RBs and distribute the ball in order to take advantage of differing skills and keep guys fresher and healthier. Emmitt could do it all and didn't need to be pulled out of games. He could run on first down or 4th down, he could block on passing downs or catch the ball out of the backfield. He was deadly at the goalline so he wasn't taken out for a short yardage specialist. Most teams use more than one RB even if only in certain situations but Emmitt was the best all-around RB ever so he was never taken out of games.

5. He needs to have that fire and desire to keep playing. Barry Sanders would likely hold the rushing record if he had half the heart and love for the game of football that Emmitt had. People told Emmitt he should retire because he wasn't as elite a RB as he had been in his prime but he still wanted to play. Even after he broke the record and the Cowboys let him go (stupid move) he still had the desire to play football and had a couple of decent years with the Cards, not great but decent. No one dogged Walter Payton for playing beyond his prime but he did and was nowhere near as productive as Emmitt was in his final years.

The bottom line is that too many things have to line up for someone to break that record and there are too many things that are different in today's NFL for that to happen IMO.

I think that the only possibility for someone to break the record is for him to have multiple 2000+ seasons and catch him in 8-10 years but that isn't very likely either.

 

[xWraithx]

 

[WarDaddy]

Agreed.

 

[Doomsday101]

I do not foresee a time when a player will be able to break Emmitt's record and here's 5 reasons why (There are probably more factors involved that I didn't list here but these should suffice.):

1. He has to play for a team that is good for a long time. In order to get the carries he needs, the team needs to be in the lead a lot, or extremely committed to the run. That also requires the coaching staff to remain in place for the most part, or at least the offensive philosophy. Emmitt played for a Cowboys team that was in contention for most of his career and an offense that was similar for most of it as well. We never went to a WCO style but stuck with a balanced style despite the coaching changes.

2. He must stay healthy. Most players can't stay healthy enough to be a feature back for that many years. Emmitt didn't have a significant injury until he was with the Cards (broken collarbone) and that was a fluke, something you can't train for. If you look at the top RBs in NFL history you see guys who were very durable and didn't miss many games.

3. He needs to be the starter. In the current age of the salary cap teams will not keep a guy for as long as they would before. Take Fred Taylor for example. He was still very productive last year but he is getting older and they moved on. The Cowboys were committed to keeping Emmitt and he was productive enough to win the starting job every year. I still think it was stupid (and said so at the time) to let him go and start Troy Hambrick, but Jerry never listens to me.

4. He needs to be the primary ball carrier for a long time. The current practice is to have multiple RBs and distribute the ball in order to take advantage of differing skills and keep guys fresher and healthier. Emmitt could do it all and didn't need to be pulled out of games. He could run on first down or 4th down, he could block on passing downs or catch the ball out of the backfield. He was deadly at the goalline so he wasn't taken out for a short yardage specialist. Most teams use more than one RB even if only in certain situations but Emmitt was the best all-around RB ever so he was never taken out of games.

5. He needs to have that fire and desire to keep playing. Barry Sanders would likely hold the rushing record if he had half the heart and love for the game of football that Emmitt had. People told Emmitt he should retire because he wasn't as elite a RB as he had been in his prime but he still wanted to play. Even after he broke the record and the Cowboys let him go (stupid move) he still had the desire to play football and had a couple of decent years with the Cards, not great but decent. No one dogged Walter Payton for playing beyond his prime but he did and was nowhere near as productive as Emmitt was in his final years.

The bottom line is that too many things have to line up for someone to break that record and there are too many things that are different in today's NFL for that to happen IMO.

I agree. I think the record one day will be broken but it is a record of longevity and production. I see no one right now who will be breaking the record anytime soon and the closest would be LT and I think it is highly unlikely LT will make it.

 

[AbeBeta]

One piece here actually plays in a back's favor -- and that is being part of an RB tandem. The two guys who had a shot recently that I recall were Faulk and LT. These guys both petered out (although LT might have a bounce back) after years of being the only back.

For both of them it doesn't seem so much the carries as the touches in the receiving game. Early in 22's career he saw a fair number of passes (62 in a season was his top with 4 years of 50+) but he pretty much stopped being a major receiving target after those years when folks started suggesting he'd lost it. His big comeback seasons saw far fewer passes directed his way. Faulk had 9 years with 50+ receptions -- 5 of those years he had 80 or more catches! LT is similar, 8 years of 50+ catches (every year of his career) with highs of 79 and 100. Over his 8 year career, LT has 5 fewer catches than Emmitt ended up with over his 15 years.

Now look over to Minny - AP has 3000 rushing yards total already but only about 40 total catches. He's got Chester Taylor taking some carries but also taking many of the potential receptions (and I expect many blocking assignments). That sort of approach can keep tread on the tires for several extra years. Of course, AP is a long long way off. But it is clear that teams that smartly divide plays between backs might help the guy get closer to the record.

 

[THUMPER]

One piece here actually plays in a back's favor -- and that is being part of an RB tandem. The two guys who had a shot recently that I recall were Faulk and LT. These guys both petered out (although LT might have a bounce back) after years of being the only back.

For both of them it doesn't seem so much the carries as the touches in the receiving game. Early in 22's career he saw a fair number of passes (62 in a season was his top with 4 years of 50+) but he pretty much stopped being a major receiving target after those years when folks started suggesting he'd lost it. His big comeback seasons saw far fewer passes directed his way. Faulk had 9 years with 50+ receptions -- 5 of those years he had 80 or more catches! LT is similar, 8 years of 50+ catches (every year of his career) with highs of 79 and 100. Over his 8 year career, LT has 5 fewer catches than Emmitt ended up with over his 15 years.

Now look over to Minny - AP has 3000 rushing yards total already but only about 40 total catches. He's got Chester Taylor taking some carries but also taking many of the potential receptions (and I expect many blocking assignments). That sort of approach can keep tread on the tires for several extra years. Of course, AP is a long long way off. But it is clear that teams that smartly divide plays between backs might help the guy get closer to the record.

That's a good point. Not catching a lot of passes could help to lengthen a RB's career and keep him productive longer. The problem with Peterson is that his running style doesn't lend itself to longevity.

 

[DFWJC]

LT has a very slim shot at it, but not if his health is like last season. He still has 6595 yards to catch Emmitt, yet he'll be sharing carries going forward. So, highly unlikely.

 

[THUMPER]

LT has a very slim shot at it, but not if his health is like last season. he still has 6595 yards to catch Emmitt, yet he'll be sharing carries going forward. So, highly unlikely.

Toss in that the Chargers were only 8-8 last year and were throwing the ball more often because they were playing from behind a lot and it cuts his chances even more IMO.

 

[AbeBeta]

LT has a very slim shot at it, but not if his health is like last season. He still has 6595 yards to catch Emmitt, yet he'll be sharing carries going forward. So, highly unlikely.

As I've pointed out in other threads, if LT can make the shift that Emmitt did to being just a runner and having very limited receiving opportunities, he'll have a far better chance to do well. Sharing carries is really not the issue.

From 1997 on Emmitt did share carries. In 97 Sherman Williams had 121 (22 had 261), in 1998 Williams/Warren had 123 (22 had 319), in 99 Warren had 99 (22 had 329), in 2000 Emmitt carried most of the load but in 2001, Hambrick had 113.

Darren Sproles is a nice back -- but he carried only 61 times last year with his size he MAY get to 100 or even 150 but he's not going to go 200 times a season which means he's not taking the chunk of carries away from LT that really makes a difference when you compare it to how Emmitt shared.

 

[Mr.davon24]

I do not foresee a time when a player will be able to break Emmitt's record and here's 5 reasons why (There are probably more factors involved that I didn't list here but these should suffice.):

1. He has to play for a team that is good for a long time. In order to get the carries he needs, the team needs to be in the lead a lot, or extremely committed to the run. That also requires the coaching staff to remain in place for the most part, or at least the offensive philosophy. Emmitt played for a Cowboys team that was in contention for most of his career and an offense that was similar for most of it as well. We never went to a WCO style but stuck with a balanced style despite the coaching changes.

2. He must stay healthy. Most players can't stay healthy enough to be a feature back for that many years. Emmitt didn't have a significant injury until he was with the Cards (broken collarbone) and that was a fluke, something you can't train for. If you look at the top RBs in NFL history you see guys who were very durable and didn't miss many games.

3. He needs to be the starter. In the current age of the salary cap teams will not keep a guy for as long as they would before. Take Fred Taylor for example. He was still very productive last year but he is getting older and they moved on. The Cowboys were committed to keeping Emmitt and he was productive enough to win the starting job every year. I still think it was stupid (and said so at the time) to let him go and start Troy Hambrick, but Jerry never listens to me.

4. He needs to be the primary ball carrier for a long time. The current practice is to have multiple RBs and distribute the ball in order to take advantage of differing skills and keep guys fresher and healthier. Emmitt could do it all and didn't need to be pulled out of games. He could run on first down or 4th down, he could block on passing downs or catch the ball out of the backfield. He was deadly at the goalline so he wasn't taken out for a short yardage specialist. Most teams use more than one RB even if only in certain situations but Emmitt was the best all-around RB ever so he was never taken out of games.

5. He needs to have that fire and desire to keep playing. Barry Sanders would likely hold the rushing record if he had half the heart and love for the game of football that Emmitt had. People told Emmitt he should retire because he wasn't as elite a RB as he had been in his prime but he still wanted to play. Even after he broke the record and the Cowboys let him go (stupid move) he still had the desire to play football and had a couple of decent years with the Cards, not great but decent. No one dogged Walter Payton for playing beyond his prime but he did and was nowhere near as productive as Emmitt was in his final years.

The bottom line is that too many things have to line up for someone to break that record and there are too many things that are different in today's NFL for that to happen IMO.

I think that the only possibility for someone to break the record is for him to have multiple 2000+ seasons and catch him in 8-10 years but that isn't very likely either.

Wow, I can’t believe your fingers even allowed you to type that. I hope these “facts “are based on opinions. Barry Sanders was a very unselfish player that allowed other teammates to get better opportunities. IMO Barry never cared about getting the rushing title. He just wanted what everyone else should want a super bowl win. Here’s a little snipped from a sports illustrated mag.

http://slumz.boxden.com/showthread.php?t=1214880&highlight=Barry+sanders


This is coming from one of the biggest Emmitt fans on this bored but I try to not be a homer. It’s still Emmitt >>> Barry to me.

 

[wesleyc288]

Wow, I can’t believe your fingers even allowed you to type that. I hope these “facts “are based on opinions. Barry Sanders was a very unselfish player that allowed other teammates to get better opportunities. IMO Barry never cared about getting the rushing title. He just wanted what everyone else should want a super bowl win. Here’s a little snipped from a sports illustrated mag.

http://slumz.boxden.com/showthread.php?t=1214880&highlight=Barry+sanders


This is coming from one of the biggest Emmitt fans on this bored but I try to not be a homer. It’s still Emmitt >>> Barry to me.

What does unselfishness have to do with "the love of the game"

I believe that what the original poster was saying was that if Barry loved the game as much as Emmitt........then there is no way he could have quit playing when he had so much left in the tank.

 

[THUMPER]

What does unselfishness have to do with "the love of the game"

I believe that what the original poster was saying was that if Barry loved the game as much as Emmitt........then there is no way he could have quit playing when he had so much left in the tank.

Exactly!

 

[casmith07]

What does unselfishness have to do with "the love of the game"

I believe that what the original poster was saying was that if Barry loved the game as much as Emmitt........then there is no way he could have quit playing when he had so much left in the tank.

He would've still played if the Lions would've let him go. It didn't help being part of a brutal losing culture.

 

[THUMPER]

He would've still played if the Lions would've let him go. It didn't help being part of a brutal losing culture.

The dude signed a contract the year before. He didn't have to sign it, but then a year later he wants out. That's not cool, neither was the way he quit on his team and left them in a lurch.

IMO Sanders was a very selfish player. When he was done he quit and didn't give a darn about his teammates or how the timing hurt his team.

Still, he was a great runner but was not the complete back that Emmitt was.

 

[TellerMorrow34]

All records are made to be broken. We might not see it, necassarily, but at some point in the history of the game someone will come along and break his record.

 

[TellerMorrow34]

I don't know why there is this huge rush to judgement or debate about Barry and what he saw in football.

The dude was never shy about the fact that he didn't view football as a passion or something he just had to do. He viewed it as a job and nothing more. He was good at it, he made money at it, and he wanted to win.

Individual records didn't matter to him and that's going back to college when he took himself out of a particular game, that the Cowboys were winning easily, when he was just short of some sort of single game record in order to let the backup get some valuable playing time.

The guy was never about his numbers he just viewed it as his job to get the yards he could and to help his team. He definately wanted to win a Superbowl but he wasn't the guy who was going to continue to hold on, and on and on and on in pursuit of that championship.

For Barry Sanders football wasn't a passion or what he absolutely had to do for as long as he could. He played for as long as he felt like playing, he made his money, and he walked away.

That's just the way it is, i guess, for some guys. Not everyone who plays football, or any sport for that matter, does it because they think it's the most important thing or the greatest thing in the world. There are some people who do it cause they can make a lot of money at it and they're good at it.

 

[THUMPER]

All records are made to be broken. We might not see it, necassarily, but at some point in the history of the game someone will come along and break his record.

Not necessarily true, there are several records that are very unlikely to ever be broken due to how the game has changed...

Sammy Baugh's punting records
Otto Graham's average yards per pass
Johnny Unitas' 47 consecutive games with a TD pass
Brett Favre's consecutive game streak for a QB (although Peyton Manning has a shot at this one but a long ways to go still)
Jerry Rice's receptions & TDs records
The Cowboys' 20 consecutive winning seasons
Dick "Night Train" Lane's record of 14 INTs in a season
Brett Favre's career INT record
Ernie Nevers' 40 points in a single game
Cleveland Browns' 10 consecutive championship game appearances

Those are just off the top of my head, I'm sure there are more. Some of those are older than I am!

And of course... Emmitt's career rushing record

 

[THUMPER]

I don't know why there is this huge rush to judgement or debate about Barry and what he saw in football.

The dude was never shy about the fact that he didn't view football as a passion or something he just had to do. He viewed it as a job and nothing more. He was good at it, he made money at it, and he wanted to win.

Individual records didn't matter to him and that's going back to college when he took himself out of a particular game, that the Cowboys were winning easily, when he was just short of some sort of single game record in order to let the backup get some valuable playing time.

The guy was never about his numbers he just viewed it as his job to get the yards he could and to help his team. He definately wanted to win a Superbowl but he wasn't the guy who was going to continue to hold on, and on and on and on in pursuit of that championship.

For Barry Sanders football wasn't a passion or what he absolutely had to do for as long as he could. He played for as long as he felt like playing, he made his money, and he walked away.

That's just the way it is, i guess, for some guys. Not everyone who plays football, or any sport for that matter, does it because they think it's the most important thing or the greatest thing in the world. There are some people who do it cause they can make a lot of money at it and they're good at it.

Start your own thread about Barry Sanders if you want but this thread is about Emmitt Smith, please don't try to hijack it.

 

[TellerMorrow34]

Start your own thread about Barry Sanders if you want but this thread is about Emmitt Smith, please don't try to hijack it.

Ummm...yeah....all I did was comment on some stuff already said about the guy before me so I figured that was ok to talk about as well. I didn't try and hijack anything.

So, thanks for your advice on a thread, but I'll pass.

 

[Brad0Walker]

Dang, that was quick. You beat me to it.