Emmitt couldn’t touch Barry’s moves. I’m a huge Emmitt fan but that’s just a total homer comment. Barry didn’t have the same O-line and retired early in his career or his numbers might’ve been better had he played as long as Emmitt.
From an old post of mine:
What people who constantly bang their heads in this argument with the idea that Barry had no offensive talent around him ignore, is that he had multiple offensive pro-bowlers around him from 1994-1997 -- and that the Lions actually possessed the NFL's top-rated offense in 1995, and
one of the top-rated offenses in the league from 1994-1997.
Those teams had a wealth of offensive talent, including (in 1995) a pair of receivers, Herman Moore & Brett Perriman, who became the
first duo in NFL *history* to record 100-catch seasons on the same team, in the same year -- Moore finishing with a then-NFL record 123 grabs, and Perriman ending the season with 108. Not bad, by ANY means.
Add to that pro-bowl tackle Lomas Brown (who made the pro-bowl for 6 straight years), and budding pro-bowl center Kevin Glover... who wouldn't be awarded his first trip to Honolulu 'til 1996... and a quarterback, Scott Mitchell, who passed for 4,338 yards & 32 touchdowns that year... and it's a joke to say that Sanders didn't have any offensive talent around him.
And how many yards & touchdowns did Barry get in 1995?
1,500 yards, 11 TDs, a 4.8 yard-per-carry average.
And how did Emmitt do in the same season?
1,773 yards,
25 TDs, a 4.7 yard-per-carry average.
The Lions had the #1 rated offense in the LEAGUE that year.
Emmitt still put up
significantly better numbers than Barry.
Barry was surrounded by a WEALTH of offensive talent; talent which broke NFL records for receptions and production from a receiving duo on the same team. Herman Moore was a perennial All-Pro at his position. Brett Perriman & Johnnie Morton were *very* productive complimentary weapons.
And contrary to popular opinion, the Lions were anchored by a pretty good group of linemen upfront; starring perennial All-Pro Lomas Brown, and budding pro-bowl center Kevin Glover. Over the years, the myths about these two lines, Dallas' and the Lions', have grown disproportionate in each direction -- the reputation of those Dallas lines has swelled, while the memory of Detroit's groups has gotten worse over time.
In truth, the Dallas line is not as "great" as their legend would tell, and the Lions' line is not nearly as pitiful as Barry apologists would have you believe. Overall, yes, Dallas had the better o-line. But the margin is not as close to as wide as their respective myths would make ya think.
As Nate Newton said:
"Before Emmitt got here, I was just a big, fat lineman. Now I'm in the pro-bowl every year."
Because, in truth, Emmitt's vision & athleticism is one of the reasons those Dallas lines looked so good. He could see where the holes were, and accelerated through them with a burst almost unparalleled in NFL history. Emmitt wasn't as "nifty" as Barry. No one ever has been. But make no mistake, Smith was a supreme athlete with unbelievable agility, vision, instincts, acceleration, balance and a POWER in the thighs & hips that Barry never possessed.
That's not to take anything away from what Barry could do. But because it's not as flashy, as eye-popping, people often overlook the tremendous runner Emmitt was and how extraordinarily difficult it was to get him on the ground. He could run over you, around you, juke you, spin you, stiff-arm you, flatten you and/or accelerate right by you. And not only you, but often 2, 3 or 4 of your biggest, strongest teammates at the same time.
Smith may not have had all the moves of Sanders. But Emmitt also had gifts Barry didn't. And again, it's not to take anything away from the phenom that Barry was. It's just to give Emmitt his deserved, but often overlooked, due. No, his style wasn't as flashy or highlight-reely. But the man DOMINATED the league for almost his entire career. He had talent. More talent than some give him credit for. Just like Barry had more talent "around" him than those wanting to pimp his legend attribute.
Emmitt is King, no matter how good Barry was at juking.
