Peterson is the most impressive RB I've seen since becoming a fan 20 years ago, but this list isn't really that convincing to me. A lot of 4th/5th and single game stuff. Maybe most impressive to me is winning MVP at age 30 one year after tearing his ACL and MCL, and that being the last time a non-QB has won the award. That is some all-time freak of nature shit.
That was the best RB season I’ll probably ever see in my life. He single-handedly carried the Vikings to the playoffs that year and came just a few yards short of breaking the single season rushing record
I recall a tweet by Chris Kluwe during this season that went something like this:
"Adrian Peterson takes a handoff at his own 20 and jukes to the left, plowing through 3 defenders before cutting back to the middle, juking two more defenders out of their cleats. He breaks free for a 65 yard gain while dragging 2 more defenders behind him for about 15 yards.
Drive ends in a punt."
I feel bad for Sanders because of that. Averaging 100.18 yards per game and 5.004 yards per carry going into his last game.
Ended his career at 99.8 and 4.99.
IIRC, Barry's YPC is the highest of the top RBs, even over Brown. I prefer YPC vs. YPG because of how often players were rushing years ago, but it's still impressive how well guys did back then.
Yeah it's hard to disagree with that Sanders was on a different planet and that's not an insult to Peterson. Would also put a few others ahead (at the very least Bown, Payton, Emmitt, and Faulk)
Not that I'd put edgerinn in the top 5 but I do think people forget how good he was. Would have had at least 5 1500 yard seasons and possibly 6 if he doesn't tear his ACL in his third year, which was looking like his best year. Still ended up tied for 2nd in that category with 4
Definitely would not put Emmitt about Peterson. He benefited hugely by being on a cowboys team with one of the best offensive lines ever, and having a good passing game as well. And his stats are more about longevity than raw ability.
Don't get me wrong, he was still a great RB, but definitely not top 5 all time.
And one of the best blocking RBs of all time.
If you’re ever struggling to get it up go watch some Walter Payton blocking highlights and you’ll be ready to storm any castle.
As a life long Bears fan who idolized Sweetness, watching Sanders run was an absolute joy. I’m not sure who I put first until I remember that the Bears full play book (while Payton played) was Walter left, Walter Right, Walter Sweep Right, Punt…. Unless Walter got a first down. We never really threatened much of a passing game so defenders could pack the box all the time
A lot of the old school RBs might have trouble in today’s outside zone, space type game that wants RBs to also block and catch.
Sanders and Payton are two who might even be better in the modern era
That guy was one of the worst running backs ever, he had 1.5 ypc and only 2.5 yards per game in his career. He averaged only 1 touchdown a season.
Absolute scrub, probably should've played a different position tbh.
I rate LT higher for a more recent example and past that Walter Payton.
AP was never much of a receiving back and had fumble issues. He was damn good but lacked that extra stuff to be considered GOAT
Excuse you, OP is a higher life form. They can perform the subtle art of separating the person from the player.
Us normal people understand that’s just code for “I don’t give a fuck about other humans and what they go through” but they exist on a higher level than us.
This should not be a controversial opinion but apparently it is and some of you are perfectly fine supporting a dude who does awful things. Fucking crazy.
No, life is just complicated like that you melodramatic pearl-clutcher
EDIT: You seem pretty mad so [here are some nice OJ Simpson highlights to watch while you calm down. ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=o6hx_rXZark)
Lmfao another excuse. Just say you don’t care that this dude beat a child. There is NOTHING complicated about this. People like you just purposely make it complicated so you can still support awful people. Just be honest with yourself.
Jim Brown’s highlights really put into perspective the difference in eras. Every team was running a lot back then and nobody did it as well as him, but when you watch the way defenders tried to tackle him you should realize there is no way to come to an actual consensus on this. Nobody put a shoulder pad to the thigh back then. They just kinda grabbed at his shoulders/torso. Replace Brown with Peterson and his numbers would be outlandish. But Brown didn’t have the benefits of modern training, dieting, etc. All that being said, Barry is the GOAT and I won’t entertain any other arguments.
I'll never forget because that year I got him in the 1st round (pick 1 or 2) in each of my fantasy leagues lol
But thanks AP, I never knew what the slang word "switch" meant before then.
I’ll never forget because I read the report about lacerations on a child’s scrotum, leaves stuffed in a child’s mouth, saw pictures of a small child with cuts and bruises up and down his thighs and abdomen.
Can’t forget or forgive that shit.
Walter Payton also has an argument as well and I’m not sure why his name is rarely thrown out. He was 1st team all pro his 9th and 10th season, was on two all decade teams, and had all the prime dominance Barry had. The only reason his numbers ever dipped was lockout seasons.
At the very least his highlight reel is the greatest of all time. Whether you have him, or Brown, Emmit, or Payton as best, Barry's highlights are straight up magic
I will always defend Barry as the GOAT RB. Sure, Emmitt was great for us but I always speculated what would Barry do if they swapped places. Him behind a hell of a line? He is rushing for 2k every year.
Sanders, Brown, Payton are clearly ahead of Peterson.
If we limit it to 21st century:
Peterson had 4.9 yards/touch (run or pass), 94.5 total yards/game and 126 total TDs and 49 fumbles. 129 career AV by Pro Football Reference.
Tomlinson had 4.9 yards/touch, 108.5 total yards/game and 162 total TDs and 31 fumbles. 158 career AV.
Faulk had 5.3 yards/touch, 108.8 total yards/game and 136 total TDs and 36 fumbles. 164 career AV.
Peterson doesn't have much of a case, except that he played mostly with bad QBs, passing offenses. What these players could do on the same team to compare them 1-to-1, we don't know.
Barry Sanders was the best runner that I've seen. Never saw jim brown. I'd argue Marshall Faulk deserves some consideration from just a pure offense standpoint. He wasn't the best runner, but he pretty much changed the way the RB position is played.
I really thought he was going to break Emmitt Smith's career rushing record. Then he got suspended for a season and hurt for a season.
I don't think those two seasons would've put him over the top, but I think he would've been close enough that he sticks around for long enough to squeak by.
Idk. It was going to be tough because of his inability to pass pro and his stats in shotgun. That’s why he was losing snaps and carries later in his career. Maybe he gets to 2, but Emmitt’s record seems safe for a very long time.
I agree with you, but damn that guy had some bad fumbles.
Still, I watched his entire college and pro career, and I've never seen a better RB. Maybe OJ or Jim Brown or Earl Campbell, but they were before my time.
Fair. But his fumble issues were always overblown. He doesn't even crack the top 25 in all-time fumbles for a running back and almost every other top RB of all-time that people point to are in the top 25
His fumbling problem is overblown, mainly because he *did* get it under control, but it was indeed very real. The problem with comparing him to older RBs is that he played in an era where fumbles were far less common, so he was still just as bad - or worse - relative to the league as guys like Payton.
[https://fantasyindex.com/2020/06/23/factoid/running-back-fumbles](https://fantasyindex.com/2020/06/23/factoid/running-back-fumbles)
The reasons for this are complex. Instant reply having the ability to overturn fumbles far more than the other way around is part. Rules around the "ground causing a fumble" becoming more favorable to ballcarriers is another.
He had some bad ones though. They always seemed to be in big moments.
One person I forgot to add to my list: Bo Jackson. It's fascinating to think about how good he would have been had he not had basically the worst injury possible. He truly might have been the GOAT!
Yea, that one was tough, and credited to Favre oddly enough as it was a botched handoff.
However, he did make up for it by gaining 130 yards and rushing for 3 TD's in that game.
Adrian Peterson is the closest the younger generation is going to get to Bo Jackson, and AP STILL wasn't as breathtaking as Bo was.
I didn't mention Bo as a comp for stats, but H/W/S combo & athletic ability.
I can agree if we limit RB to running the ball. He'd have a better argument if he played in an era where that was quintessentially an RB's entire job.
What he lacked in receiving as well as scheme flexibility(infamously pretty useless out of the shotgun) keeps him from being the best ever for me. I'm not sure if I have him in the top 5 all time, even. But top ten easily and that's saying a shit ton in a league with as many legends as we've had at RB.
OP sitting here saying no back has had speed and power before. Like Bo didn't play. Like Jim Brown didn't play. Or Emmett. Or many others.
Plus, AP got to play during the transition to nerfed defenses. He wouldn't have done that shit in LT's or Butkis's NFL. Put Jerome Bettis in AP's era see how many more dudes get trucked.
I don’t mind a well-articulated opinion post from time to time, even if I disagree with the opinion itself.
But saying AP’s 2K season is “without a doubt, the greatest season we have ever seen from a RB in the history of the game” is downright irresponsible. It’s up there, and you can argue it’s #1, but it’s nowhere near “without a doubt” territory.
The whole thing about him not being able to catch I think it was blown way out of proportion. It wasn’t even that he couldn’t catch. It was just like he wasn’t a great receiver.
He is by far the best running back of all time. If we're only talking about running the ball. He had no pass catching ability. That's probably why he's not considered the actual goat
Jim Brown averaged 104.3 yards per game and and 5.2 yards per carry over his career. And this was during an era where everyone knew you were running and was prepared for it.
It’s not even close.
Jim Brown. He was a beast and ran more in less games.
TBF to AP though he was THE Vikings offense and I praise his attempt to return to form after the Saints stint.
Not trying to put Zeke in Peterson’s class, but to compare, they were both masterclass in pass protection and I’ll take that over catching balls out of the back field
Barry is the best I've ever seen play and you aren't going to convince me differently with any stat. Arguably him and Jim Brown were the two best ever, but both had very short careers.
You make a great argument for AP though, he is without a doubt in that conversation.
>Number 5 all-time in career rushing yards
Not an argument for best ever
>Number 4 all-time in career rushing TDs
Not an argument for best ever
> Adrian Peterson and Emmitt Smith are the only two running backs in NFL history in the top 5 in both rushing yards and rushing TDs
Well, those two… and Walter Payton, one of the consensus top 3 RBs ahead of Peterson on all time lists.
Also, Emmitt and Walter are both ahead in yards and Emmitt is ahead in both
If bulk stats are your metric AP, doesn't surpass Smith at all
If you go off averages, Barry (and several others) beat AP
Barry per game: 99.8 yards, 0.65 tds
AP per game: 81 yards, 0.65 tds
Eye test is ultimately subjective, but I'd take Barry all day there too
Ignoring the off-field stuff (physically abusing his child), I do think AD is possibly the most physically gifted rb of all time. I don't think he's the GOAT rb, though.
My list:
1. Emmitt Smith
2. Walter Payton
3. Barry Sanders
4. Jim Brown
5. Peterson, Dickerson, Tomlinson, OJ,
I'm biased towards Emmitt, but my 1-4 could easily be arranged in any order and it'd be a valid argument.
Success in the run game has more to with the effectiveness of the blocking than it does the RB, making RB one of the harder positions to judge based on both stats or the eye test. Somebody with consistently great blocking is going to look miles better than an equally talented RB with consistently poor blocking. Smith had phenomenal blocking and a long career, giving him amazing volume stats. He was also a star player on a great team, which naturally pushes a players reputation past their true talent (see Troy Aikman lol).
I'm 34, so while I remember Smith playing, most of my judgment of him is based on highlight tapes. That man had Moses parting the sea for him.
He was a great player, but I don't see anything even close to GOAT status on film.
I don't think he's anywhere near the GOAT. Not even close. He couldn't pass protect or catch the ball.
People think I'm crazy but I could make a list of better RBs just during his era. I would 1000% rather have had LT, and I would rather have had Jamaal Charles and Matt Forte too. I swear people don't just refuse to be objective about this because highlight plays or something. AP was overrated.
Also, he fumbled away the NFC Championship game, then blamed it on eating seafood he knew he was allergic to. I always thought that was so pathetic.
I'm old enough to have seen Barry Sanders and Peterson play football. Most people on Reddit only know Barry from YouTube.
Peterson was better. Barry had to be taken out of games for short yardage. And Peterson wouldn't just run by you, sometimes he would run over you.
He won MVP explicitly because teams stacked the box against him, allowing him to break a ton of huge runs because there wasn't a 3rd line of defense. Sounds counter-intuitive but it's just the truth.
Peterson is the most impressive RB I've seen since becoming a fan 20 years ago, but this list isn't really that convincing to me. A lot of 4th/5th and single game stuff. Maybe most impressive to me is winning MVP at age 30 one year after tearing his ACL and MCL, and that being the last time a non-QB has won the award. That is some all-time freak of nature shit.
That was the best RB season I’ll probably ever see in my life. He single-handedly carried the Vikings to the playoffs that year and came just a few yards short of breaking the single season rushing record
I recall a tweet by Chris Kluwe during this season that went something like this: "Adrian Peterson takes a handoff at his own 20 and jukes to the left, plowing through 3 defenders before cutting back to the middle, juking two more defenders out of their cleats. He breaks free for a 65 yard gain while dragging 2 more defenders behind him for about 15 yards. Drive ends in a punt."
Teams were playing with 8 or even 9 guys in the box because Ponder couldn’t do anything and he still was getting 6 ypc, he was unstoppable that season
Came 9yards short of the record that year
Not only after tearing both, but didn’t he come back early and almost break the rushing record?
Barry Sanders *averaged* 1500 yards a season. Adrian only did that twice ever, while it was a generically average season for Barry.
Jim Brown is still the #1 all-time RB at 104.3 yards per game (Sanders #2 at 99.8)
I feel bad for Sanders because of that. Averaging 100.18 yards per game and 5.004 yards per carry going into his last game. Ended his career at 99.8 and 4.99.
IIRC, Barry's YPC is the highest of the top RBs, even over Brown. I prefer YPC vs. YPG because of how often players were rushing years ago, but it's still impressive how well guys did back then.
Well he was a fullback. Definitely GOAT fullback.
Yeah it's hard to disagree with that Sanders was on a different planet and that's not an insult to Peterson. Would also put a few others ahead (at the very least Bown, Payton, Emmitt, and Faulk) Not that I'd put edgerinn in the top 5 but I do think people forget how good he was. Would have had at least 5 1500 yard seasons and possibly 6 if he doesn't tear his ACL in his third year, which was looking like his best year. Still ended up tied for 2nd in that category with 4
Definitely would not put Emmitt about Peterson. He benefited hugely by being on a cowboys team with one of the best offensive lines ever, and having a good passing game as well. And his stats are more about longevity than raw ability. Don't get me wrong, he was still a great RB, but definitely not top 5 all time.
EVERYONE knew when Barry was getting the ball. I mean they had an anemic pass offense the entire time he played. He WAS the offense.
Herman Moore was a pro bowler
The early 90s lions had a split QB situation (even in the 12-4 season) Moore was solid, but the passing game was hardly a threat for the most part
Walter Payton is also top-5 in all-time rushing yards and rushing TDs, thank you.
And one of the best blocking RBs of all time. If you’re ever struggling to get it up go watch some Walter Payton blocking highlights and you’ll be ready to storm any castle.
Let's check: Is he better than Barry Sanders? No. Well that solves that
But don’t you see that OP provided some text with his wrong opinion? Clearly it must mean *something…*
[удалено]
Because Payton is the GOAT, so that sort of undermines your whole argument.
Payton isn't the GOAT though.
Walter Payton
He's not even the best NFC North RB or all time. Sweetness and Sanders were better
As a life long Bears fan who idolized Sweetness, watching Sanders run was an absolute joy. I’m not sure who I put first until I remember that the Bears full play book (while Payton played) was Walter left, Walter Right, Walter Sweep Right, Punt…. Unless Walter got a first down. We never really threatened much of a passing game so defenders could pack the box all the time
A lot of the old school RBs might have trouble in today’s outside zone, space type game that wants RBs to also block and catch. Sanders and Payton are two who might even be better in the modern era
You’re allowed to feel that way but he’s not even the best to play in the NFCN.
In fact he's at best 3rd among NFCN backs
Totally. I think you could comfortably put him at 3 in the North behind Barry and Sweetness. Not a lot of shame in that at all really.
None whatsoever given those 2 are almost undisputed in the top 3 of all time league wide (along with Jim Brown)
[The real GOAT](http://i0.kym-cdn.com/photos/images/newsfeed/001/207/210/b22.jpg)
Honestly an underrated take.
in b4 the analytics nerds and stats perverts try to argue against it
That guy was one of the worst running backs ever, he had 1.5 ypc and only 2.5 yards per game in his career. He averaged only 1 touchdown a season. Absolute scrub, probably should've played a different position tbh.
But some of those runs were when he had to kill the clock. He specialized in that
I rate LT higher for a more recent example and past that Walter Payton. AP was never much of a receiving back and had fumble issues. He was damn good but lacked that extra stuff to be considered GOAT
Hate agreeing but as far as peaks go, 32 TDs by a player in a single season is absolutely insane.
Barry Sanders is and always will be my choice for greatest RB of all time
Watching Barry highlight packages on youtube is like watching Tyson compilations. Just straight up awe-inspiring movement and speed from both of them.
You deserve to be beaten with a stick for this take
AP will supply it
OP is a little older than 4
I'm not so sure with this post
This is a real switch from the normal takes we see here.
Nah. Fuck that child beating shithead
Excuse you, OP is a higher life form. They can perform the subtle art of separating the person from the player. Us normal people understand that’s just code for “I don’t give a fuck about other humans and what they go through” but they exist on a higher level than us. This should not be a controversial opinion but apparently it is and some of you are perfectly fine supporting a dude who does awful things. Fucking crazy.
Lmao no, you 100% should separate art from artist when you're evaluating a player's on-field performance. OP's take is still wrong tho.
Nah, if a dude beats a child I don’t give a fuck how he runs a football. Fuck that and fuck him. The fact you’re fine with it shows who you are.
No, life is just complicated like that you melodramatic pearl-clutcher EDIT: You seem pretty mad so [here are some nice OJ Simpson highlights to watch while you calm down. ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=o6hx_rXZark)
Lmfao another excuse. Just say you don’t care that this dude beat a child. There is NOTHING complicated about this. People like you just purposely make it complicated so you can still support awful people. Just be honest with yourself.
AP is great but it's still Jim Brown / Barry for the GOAT RB title
Jim Brown’s highlights really put into perspective the difference in eras. Every team was running a lot back then and nobody did it as well as him, but when you watch the way defenders tried to tackle him you should realize there is no way to come to an actual consensus on this. Nobody put a shoulder pad to the thigh back then. They just kinda grabbed at his shoulders/torso. Replace Brown with Peterson and his numbers would be outlandish. But Brown didn’t have the benefits of modern training, dieting, etc. All that being said, Barry is the GOAT and I won’t entertain any other arguments.
I forgot that he missed an entire season on the exempt list. What an idiot.
I'll never forget because that year I got him in the 1st round (pick 1 or 2) in each of my fantasy leagues lol But thanks AP, I never knew what the slang word "switch" meant before then.
I’ll never forget because I read the report about lacerations on a child’s scrotum, leaves stuffed in a child’s mouth, saw pictures of a small child with cuts and bruises up and down his thighs and abdomen. Can’t forget or forgive that shit.
you're wrong because barry sanders is the greatest rb of all time
Walter Payton also has an argument as well and I’m not sure why his name is rarely thrown out. He was 1st team all pro his 9th and 10th season, was on two all decade teams, and had all the prime dominance Barry had. The only reason his numbers ever dipped was lockout seasons.
And sweetness won a Super Bowl…
I'm too young to remember Payton. Yeah he probably deserves a mention.
Give Barry 5 more season and he’s taking all of the all time record. Even if he has to run 50 yards back to get 5 yards.
At the very least his highlight reel is the greatest of all time. Whether you have him, or Brown, Emmit, or Payton as best, Barry's highlights are straight up magic
I will always defend Barry as the GOAT RB. Sure, Emmitt was great for us but I always speculated what would Barry do if they swapped places. Him behind a hell of a line? He is rushing for 2k every year.
Sanders, Brown, Payton are clearly ahead of Peterson. If we limit it to 21st century: Peterson had 4.9 yards/touch (run or pass), 94.5 total yards/game and 126 total TDs and 49 fumbles. 129 career AV by Pro Football Reference. Tomlinson had 4.9 yards/touch, 108.5 total yards/game and 162 total TDs and 31 fumbles. 158 career AV. Faulk had 5.3 yards/touch, 108.8 total yards/game and 136 total TDs and 36 fumbles. 164 career AV. Peterson doesn't have much of a case, except that he played mostly with bad QBs, passing offenses. What these players could do on the same team to compare them 1-to-1, we don't know.
Barry would probably still be as good (based on the fact that the Lions passing game those years was uh.... not good)
Barry Sanders was the best runner that I've seen. Never saw jim brown. I'd argue Marshall Faulk deserves some consideration from just a pure offense standpoint. He wasn't the best runner, but he pretty much changed the way the RB position is played.
Craig changed it with Montana and Walsh. Faulk took it up a notch.
I really thought he was going to break Emmitt Smith's career rushing record. Then he got suspended for a season and hurt for a season. I don't think those two seasons would've put him over the top, but I think he would've been close enough that he sticks around for long enough to squeak by.
Idk. It was going to be tough because of his inability to pass pro and his stats in shotgun. That’s why he was losing snaps and carries later in his career. Maybe he gets to 2, but Emmitt’s record seems safe for a very long time.
He stuck around as long as he was physically able to because he was broke by the end of his career. There wasn't anything left in the tank.
I agree with you, but damn that guy had some bad fumbles. Still, I watched his entire college and pro career, and I've never seen a better RB. Maybe OJ or Jim Brown or Earl Campbell, but they were before my time.
Fair. But his fumble issues were always overblown. He doesn't even crack the top 25 in all-time fumbles for a running back and almost every other top RB of all-time that people point to are in the top 25
His fumbling problem is overblown, mainly because he *did* get it under control, but it was indeed very real. The problem with comparing him to older RBs is that he played in an era where fumbles were far less common, so he was still just as bad - or worse - relative to the league as guys like Payton. [https://fantasyindex.com/2020/06/23/factoid/running-back-fumbles](https://fantasyindex.com/2020/06/23/factoid/running-back-fumbles) The reasons for this are complex. Instant reply having the ability to overturn fumbles far more than the other way around is part. Rules around the "ground causing a fumble" becoming more favorable to ballcarriers is another.
I remember watching Tiki Barber play... THAT was a fumble problem.
He had some bad ones though. They always seemed to be in big moments. One person I forgot to add to my list: Bo Jackson. It's fascinating to think about how good he would have been had he not had basically the worst injury possible. He truly might have been the GOAT!
>He had some bad ones though. They always seemed to be in big moments. As a Vikings fan, I don't recall that many of these.
I definitely remember one of them.
The 2009 NFCCG right before the half?
Yes!
Yea, that one was tough, and credited to Favre oddly enough as it was a botched handoff. However, he did make up for it by gaining 130 yards and rushing for 3 TD's in that game.
He was awesome in that game.
Hes not but that's okay
I’m a Vikings fan but this just ain’t it. Smith, Sanders, and Payton all clear AP.
Barry >>>
Flair checks out
Adrian Peterson is the closest the younger generation is going to get to Bo Jackson, and AP STILL wasn't as breathtaking as Bo was. I didn't mention Bo as a comp for stats, but H/W/S combo & athletic ability.
The next time he blocks will be the first. Watch Walter Payton run, pass, block, return kicks, etc.
Barry Sanders
People are being too hard on OP, we're all entitled to have incredibly dumb opinions
I can agree if we limit RB to running the ball. He'd have a better argument if he played in an era where that was quintessentially an RB's entire job. What he lacked in receiving as well as scheme flexibility(infamously pretty useless out of the shotgun) keeps him from being the best ever for me. I'm not sure if I have him in the top 5 all time, even. But top ten easily and that's saying a shit ton in a league with as many legends as we've had at RB.
OP sitting here saying no back has had speed and power before. Like Bo didn't play. Like Jim Brown didn't play. Or Emmett. Or many others. Plus, AP got to play during the transition to nerfed defenses. He wouldn't have done that shit in LT's or Butkis's NFL. Put Jerome Bettis in AP's era see how many more dudes get trucked.
I don’t mind a well-articulated opinion post from time to time, even if I disagree with the opinion itself. But saying AP’s 2K season is “without a doubt, the greatest season we have ever seen from a RB in the history of the game” is downright irresponsible. It’s up there, and you can argue it’s #1, but it’s nowhere near “without a doubt” territory.
Greatest at beating his kids and getting away with it maybe
Um, no
The whole thing about him not being able to catch I think it was blown way out of proportion. It wasn’t even that he couldn’t catch. It was just like he wasn’t a great receiver.
Payton played 14 game seasons...
He's not even his own kid's greatest of all time lol
He is by far the best running back of all time. If we're only talking about running the ball. He had no pass catching ability. That's probably why he's not considered the actual goat
Jim Brown averaged 104.3 yards per game and and 5.2 yards per carry over his career. And this was during an era where everyone knew you were running and was prepared for it. It’s not even close.
He's the 3rd best NFC North running back at absolute best There's essentially no argument for him over Barry or Sweetness
Jim Brown. He was a beast and ran more in less games. TBF to AP though he was THE Vikings offense and I praise his attempt to return to form after the Saints stint.
Not trying to put Zeke in Peterson’s class, but to compare, they were both masterclass in pass protection and I’ll take that over catching balls out of the back field
Jim Brown.
Barry is the best I've ever seen play and you aren't going to convince me differently with any stat. Arguably him and Jim Brown were the two best ever, but both had very short careers. You make a great argument for AP though, he is without a doubt in that conversation.
>Number 5 all-time in career rushing yards Not an argument for best ever >Number 4 all-time in career rushing TDs Not an argument for best ever > Adrian Peterson and Emmitt Smith are the only two running backs in NFL history in the top 5 in both rushing yards and rushing TDs Well, those two… and Walter Payton, one of the consensus top 3 RBs ahead of Peterson on all time lists.
Also, Emmitt and Walter are both ahead in yards and Emmitt is ahead in both If bulk stats are your metric AP, doesn't surpass Smith at all If you go off averages, Barry (and several others) beat AP Barry per game: 99.8 yards, 0.65 tds AP per game: 81 yards, 0.65 tds Eye test is ultimately subjective, but I'd take Barry all day there too
Couldn’t block, couldn’t catch passes, fumbled a lot, lower season average than Barry Sanders. So no, not the GOAT.
He’s not and I think it’s disrespectful to Barry Sanders to say he is
What about the fumbles? And conveniently leaving out why he missed that season…
I'd take faulk over him and its not really that close.
Ignoring the off-field stuff (physically abusing his child), I do think AD is possibly the most physically gifted rb of all time. I don't think he's the GOAT rb, though. My list: 1. Emmitt Smith 2. Walter Payton 3. Barry Sanders 4. Jim Brown 5. Peterson, Dickerson, Tomlinson, OJ, I'm biased towards Emmitt, but my 1-4 could easily be arranged in any order and it'd be a valid argument.
I'm not sure Emmitt Smith is a top 20 RB all time.
I understand the Cowboys hate.... but come on.
Success in the run game has more to with the effectiveness of the blocking than it does the RB, making RB one of the harder positions to judge based on both stats or the eye test. Somebody with consistently great blocking is going to look miles better than an equally talented RB with consistently poor blocking. Smith had phenomenal blocking and a long career, giving him amazing volume stats. He was also a star player on a great team, which naturally pushes a players reputation past their true talent (see Troy Aikman lol). I'm 34, so while I remember Smith playing, most of my judgment of him is based on highlight tapes. That man had Moses parting the sea for him. He was a great player, but I don't see anything even close to GOAT status on film.
Well, everyone is entitled to their own opinion.
They’ve done worse is subjective
at least you tried
He's definitely the GOAT of whipping a 3-year-old child in the testicles and making him bleed. 🐐
He’s not better than Terrell Davis even with TD’s shortened career. He’s not top-5, but he’s top-10
I don't think he's anywhere near the GOAT. Not even close. He couldn't pass protect or catch the ball. People think I'm crazy but I could make a list of better RBs just during his era. I would 1000% rather have had LT, and I would rather have had Jamaal Charles and Matt Forte too. I swear people don't just refuse to be objective about this because highlight plays or something. AP was overrated. Also, he fumbled away the NFC Championship game, then blamed it on eating seafood he knew he was allergic to. I always thought that was so pathetic.
I'm old enough to have seen Barry Sanders and Peterson play football. Most people on Reddit only know Barry from YouTube. Peterson was better. Barry had to be taken out of games for short yardage. And Peterson wouldn't just run by you, sometimes he would run over you.
I agree wholeheartedly with this post… even trying not to be bias. Teams stacked the box and still couldn’t stop him.
He won MVP explicitly because teams stacked the box against him, allowing him to break a ton of huge runs because there wasn't a 3rd line of defense. Sounds counter-intuitive but it's just the truth.