News: Lamb's Torrid Career Start Has NFL's Head Spinning

[KJJ]

In Hayes' first two seasons the Cowboys went 17-10-1 .. in years 3-4 they went 21-7. "Neutralizing" Hayes didn't really work out that well for the league.. He had 25 TDs in years one and two.. then 20 TDs (10 each) in years three and four. The injury bug bit him in '69 and '70.. that's why his overall numbers went down but his yards and catches per game stayed about the same. In fact his 4 catches per game in 1969 was the second highest of his career.. and his 26.1 yards per catch in 1970 was his career best.. Oh and he scored 10 TDs that year (on 34 receptions) as well. I still say age slowed Bob Hayes down more than any defense ever did..

The Cowboys had just started getting good in 1965 and 66. The drafts were bringing in more talent every year. With all the talent the team had added they didn’t have to rely on Bob Hayes as much. The Cowboys had other players they could feed the ball to. This is one reason they became such a great team in the 70s. All the great teams back then had a lot of great players. Most of them had a great one-two punch at WR and a dominant back.

 

[RonnieT24]

Bob Hayes should have been ranked number one based on his world record 100 meters but we don’t know if Darrell Green could have beaten him. Green reportedly ran a 4.18 40. Don’t know what his hundred meter time was. I would say that he may have been the fastest player I’ve ever seen in pads. Tony Dorsett had almost a 10 yard lead on him and Green ran him down like he was standing still. He chased down Herschel Walker and Ron Brown who was an Olympic sprinter. Some think Bo Jackson was even faster than Green. Everyone has an opinion and all anyone can do is speculate.

As luck would have it, Green ran tack in college just like Hayes did.. so his best time is recorded for posterity. is PR was 10.08 which he ran in college. Not only is that slower than Hayes' best but it also came on one of the new high tech surfaces. Hayes' time basically came on dirt.. And your memory of Green chasing down Ron Brown is a false memory. In that Monday night game in 1987 when the Commanders played the Rams Brown had a 95 yard kickoff return for a TD. Having anticipated that they would need Green's speed against Brown the Commanders had him playing "safety" on kickoff coverage that night.. When Brown broke into the open Green gave chase.. and followed him a half step behind ... for 50 yards into the end zone. I won't argue with you saying Green is the fastest player you've ever seen in pads.. I would actually argue that in pads Deion was actually faster in pads but it's hardly a slam dunk.. But frankly Bob Hayes was faster than both of them. By the way, Bo Jackson got run down from behind by a Cincy DB, whose name escapes me, on like an 80 yard run..

You don't have to speculate on who ran faster.. The times are documented forever.. Hayes was faster on dirt (cinder) than Green was on a rubber surface. Case closed.

 

[JD_KaPow]

cooper wasn't a rookie and already a seasoned WR

its not a fair comp top even add him..if we do that then where does TO place?

Did you read what I was responding to?

 

[JD_KaPow]

He was the #1 and most talented the moment we drafted him. It took a year for the stats to show. although he would have had more yards had Dak been here. He was headed that way before he got hurt.

Yes, you can clearly see that trend in Dak's last full game before the injury, where Lamb went 5-79 and Cooper went 12-134.

 

[RonnieT24]

I was thinking the same thing why did they leave out TO. He pretty much had the best 3 years stretch ever for a Cowboys WR.

Were you guys overseas from 2012 to 2014? In that three year stretch Dez Bryant had

274 catches for 3935 yards and 41 YDs.

I'm no math major but those numbers would appear to surpass T.O. on every metric.

 

[JD_KaPow]

Were you guys overseas from 2012 to 2014? In that three year stretch Dez Bryant had

274 catches for 3935 yards and 41 YDs.

I'm no math major but those numbers would appear to surpass T.O. on every metric.

This discussion is about players' first games with the Cowboys. Dez had already been here for two years at that point.

 

[KJJ]

As luck would have it, Green ran tack in college just like Hayes did.. so his best time is recorded for posterity. is PR was 10.08 which he ran in college. Not only is that slower than Hayes' best but it also came on one of the new high tech surfaces. Hayes' time basically came on dirt.. And your memory of Green chasing down Ron Brown is a false memory. In that Monday night game in 1987 when the Football Team played the Rams Brown had a 95 yard kickoff return for a TD. Having anticipated that they would need Green's speed against Brown the Football Team had him playing "safety" on kickoff coverage that night.. When Brown broke into the open Green gave chase.. and followed him a half step behind ... for 50 yards into the end zone. I won't argue with you saying Green is the fastest player you've ever seen in pads.. I would actually argue that in pads Deion was actually faster in pads but it's hardly a slam dunk.. But frankly Bob Hayes was faster than both of them. By the way, Bo Jackson got run down from behind by a Cincy DB, whose name escapes me, on like an 80 yard run..

You don't have to speculate on who ran faster.. The times are documented forever.. Hayes was faster on dirt (cinder) than Green was on a rubber surface. Case closed.

Bob Hayes was faster on a track but Green may have been faster in pads on a football field, we don’t know. There’s track speed and there’s football speed. NFL films put Darrell Green number one. I don’t agree but that was their ranking.

 

[RonnieT24]

This discussion is about players' first games with the Cowboys. Dez had already been here for two years at that point.

Yeah but someone interjected that T.O. had the best three year stretch for any Cowboys receiver ever. I felt duty bound to point out that as good as T.O. was Dez was even better.

 

[RonnieT24]

Bob Hayes was faster on a track but Green may have been faster in pads on a football field, we don’t know. There’s track speed and there’s football speed. NFL films put Darrell Green number one. I don’t agree but that was their ranking.

I was a two sport athlete, track and field and football, in high school and college so I know all about the difference between track speed and football speed. What you may not know is that Bob Hayes was primarily a football player.. He only ran track in his spare time. He actually had to get permission from the head coach at Florida A&M to be excused from Spring Football to train and compete in the 1964 Olympics which took place the summer before Hayes' senior football season. He was not a track guy masquerading as a football player. He was a football player who dabbled in track and field. It's cute that NFL films recognized Green as #1. Like you, I don't agree with them.. neither do the record books. But the NFL has always had that anti-Cowboys bias. It causes them physical pain to have to put a Cowboy at the top of any list.

 

[KJJ]

I was a two sport athlete, track and field and football, in high school and college so I know all about the difference between track speed and football speed. What you may not know is that Bob Hayes was primarily a football player.. He only ran track in his spare time. He actually had to get permission from the head coach at Florida A&M to be excused from Spring Football to train and compete in the 1964 Olympics which took place the summer before Hayes' senior football season. He was not a track guy masquerading as a football player. He was a football player who dabbled in track and field. It's cute that NFL films recognized Green as #1. Like you, I don't agree with them.. neither do the record books. But the NFL has always had that anti-Cowboys bias. It causes them physical pain to have to put a Cowboy at the top of any list.

This play probably swayed NFL films. Tony Dorsett was one of the fastest players in the NFL. Green chasing him down shocked a lot of people. Don’t know how he made up that much ground that quick. This was Darrell Green’s rookie year. It certainly put him on the map. In the second video he ran down Eric Dickerson.

 

[RonnieT24]

This play probably swayed NFL films. Tony Dorsett was one of the fastest players in the NFL. Green chasing him down shocked a lot of people. Don’t know how he made up that much ground that quick. This was Darrell Green’s rookie year. It certainly put him on the map.

I watched that play when it happened. I guarantee you that if Tony D had seen Green coming he would have hit the accelerator.. He made the mistake of only accounting for the safeties and thought he was gone once he got clear of them and went into glide mode. He didn't catch sight of that rocket coming out of nowhere until it was too late. It happens.. But Green was faster than Dorsett anyway.. just not THAT much faster .. but he had fresh rookie legs vs a guy who had been absorbing NFL hits as a running back for 7 years. Wasn't really a fair fight.

 

[KJJ]

I watched that play when it happened. I guarantee you that if Tony D had seen Green coming he would have hit the accelerator.. He made the mistake of only accounting for the safeties and thought he was gone once he got clear of them and went into glide mode. He didn't catch sight of that rocket coming out of nowhere until it was too late. It happens.. But Green was faster than Dorsett anyway.. just not THAT much faster .. but he had fresh rookie legs vs a guy who had been absorbing NFL hits as a running back for 7 years. Wasn't really a fair fight.

I watched it when it happened and heard Dorsett’s interview after the game and he said he was in full stride. You can tell on the video he was running as fast as he could he looked slightly to his right and could see defenders coming with a slight angle on him. Not sure if you saw Green chasing down Eric Dickerson I added that video late. No one had closing speed like Darrell Green.

 

[RonnieT24]

I watched it when it happened and heard Dorsett’s interview after the game and he said he was in full stride. You can tell on the video he was running as fast as he could he looked slightly to his right and could see defenders coming with a slight angle on him. Not sure if you saw Green chasing down Eric Dickerson I added that video late. No one had closing speed like Darrell Green.

I just don't think Dorsett saw him. Or he just ran out of gas.. Most human beings start losing speed after about 60 yards. Dorsett had already run about 80 yards before Green caught him. I think Green, by virtue of not having to break any tackles or make any cuts like a running back, had an advantage. He just got to stand back, watch the play gliding along until he saw Dorsett break loose then hit the accelerator to go get him. But like I said, he was faster than Dorsett ever was anyway. Green did have great closing speed.. But it didn't work against Ron Brown that Monday night.. and I don't think it would have worked against Bob Hayes..

 

[KJJ]

I just don't think Dorsett saw him. Or he just ran out of gas.. Most human beings start losing speed after about 60 yards. Dorsett had already run about 80 yards before Green caught him. I think Green, by virtue of not having to break any tackles or make any cuts like a running back, had an advantage. He just got to stand back, watch the play gliding along until he saw Dorsett break loose then hit the accelerator to go get him. But like I said, he was faster than Dorsett ever was anyway. Green did have great closing speed.. But it didn't work against Ron Brown that Monday night.. and I don't think it would have worked against Bob Hayes..

Dorsett said after the game he saw him coming. He never mentioned running out of gas. You can see in the video Dorsett looked to his right and saw both players. He said he knew he would get past the first defender but Green just came right up on him like he was shot out of a cannon. Here’s Darrell Green winning the fastest man in the NFL contest in 1988. Herschel Walker, Rod Woodson and Willie Gault were amongst the competitors. Green beat Woodson in the finals.

 

[blueblood70]

This discussion is about players' first games with the Cowboys. Dez had already been here for two years at that point.

doesn't matter if AC a non cowboys and vet is put there then its open to any and all Cowboys WRs..

 

[blueblood70]

Did you read what I was responding to?

does it matter its just fact AC doesn't belong on that list..really only the truly first 25 games of rookie season for the COWBOYS only..

 

[KJJ]

He averaged over 20 yards a catch and almost a 1/4 of his catches were TD's. In a time where defensive backs could man handle the receivers. Amazing.

Hard to manhandle a receiver when they’re running past you. DB’s would play far off Hayes. They gave him plenty of cushion.

 

[JD_KaPow]

does it matter its just fact AC doesn't belong on that list..really only the truly first 25 games of rookie season for the COWBOYS only..

You could just say, "No, I didn't read what you were responding to." I was responding to a person who said that Lamb was the Cowboys' #1 receiver from the moment he was drafted, and I was pointing out that that simply wasn't true. I (and the person I was responding to) weren't talking about the lists at all.

 

[VaqueroTD]

I was a two sport athlete, track and field and football, in high school and college so I know all about the difference between track speed and football speed. What you may not know is that Bob Hayes was primarily a football player.. He only ran track in his spare time. He actually had to get permission from the head coach at Florida A&M to be excused from Spring Football to train and compete in the 1964 Olympics which took place the summer before Hayes' senior football season. He was not a track guy masquerading as a football player. He was a football player who dabbled in track and field. It's cute that NFL films recognized Green as #1. Like you, I don't agree with them.. neither do the record books. But the NFL has always had that anti-Cowboys bias. It causes them physical pain to have to put a Cowboy at the top of any list.

Thanks for the history lesson. I always thought Hayes was track first. I think people tell it that way sometimes because it makes the legend look more impressive, almost like he picked up football on the side.

 

[blueblood70]

You could just say, "No, I didn't read what you were responding to." I was responding to a person who said that Lamb was the Cowboys' #1 receiver from the moment he was drafted, and I was pointing out that that simply wasn't true. I (and the person I was responding to) weren't talking about the lists at all.

I agree AC was and is still the # 1 although a shift is happening ..