I like to randomly go back and watch old games on YouTube and right now I’ve got Lions @ Cowboys on MNF in 1994 (week 3). Part of the reason I’m watching this is because I saw the Emmitt “A Football Life” on NFL network and realized I don’t remember Emmitt ever really “wowing” me the way that Barry Sanders did. They ask the question at the end of the episode “who is the greatest RB of all time?
I think it’s funny that if you google Emmitt Smith highlights, all of the clips are in slow motion from close up angles and I really just wanted to go back and watch him play as though it was a regular broadcast. One of the color guys just said “I hope no one’s going to force us to pick which one of these guys is the best” (referring to Sanders and Smith).
But there any question that Smith would never have been a hall of famer if he never played for the Cowboys? Is there any question that Barry Sanders would have had about 30,000 yards rushing if he played behind that Cowboys o-line? Even watching this it’s just so clear watching this game that Emmitt had massive holes to run through almost every play and Barry was having to dodge 3 defenders in the backfield just to get back to the LOS (mich like we’ve seen Saquon do this year).
I’m really not saying that Emmitt is bad either, he’s obviously good, I just really feel like there are so many RBs (including a number of guys playing today) who I’ve watched who were quicker, faster, stronger, more punishing, and overall more impressive to watch than this guy who averaged 4.2 yards per carry behind the greatest offensive line in the history of the NFL (yeah a little exaggeration there).
I always remember watching him and saying he get 3-4 yards every carry before being touched.
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This.
Not overrated. He was a great back.
Smith was a very good back who played on an excellent team much of his career. He was tough and played through pain. He had good vision and finished his runs. I don’t think he was just a product of his team, but I don’t think many overrate him.
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I'll give him a 5.
For real. Great team, incredible offensive line, but also a great runner.
Yea, he could have struggled mightily elsewhere, but you can say that about just about any back., just look at Kareem Hunt getting released.
As for Smith, I believe he is underrated by most fans outside of the Dallas fan base. Tremendous back.
Very good back with a long career, but not a top 10 overall back IMHO
But Emmitt was a key cog in that Dallas machine and I was there in 1993 in the separated shoulder game.
I will say that his overall stats are inflated because he was a compiler and stayed around longer than he should have for that reason (his Cardinal days). In his prime though, Emmitt was a year in / year out top 4-5 back and at his best probably #2 behind Sanders.
But Emmitt was a key cog in that Dallas machine and I was there in 1993 in the separated shoulder game.
I will say that his overall stats are inflated because he was a compiler and stayed around longer than he should have for that reason (his Cardinal days). In his prime though, Emmitt was a year in / year out top 4-5 back and at his best probably #2 behind Sanders.
People act like Dallas was so good in the 90s, that anyone could have started at RB and they win Super Bowls. I'm of the opinion that Emmitt was a major reason why Dallas was so good in the 90s.
He was a tough bowling ball, but some make him out to be "Touched by the hand of God" ;)
Did he play behind a great oline? Indeed. But so did Paul Hornung, Jim Taylor, Franco Harris, John Riggins, Tony Dorsett, OJ Simpson, Eric Dickerson. So I don’t hold that against him. His longevity was not an accident. It a reflection of hard work and talent.
Do I think he was the same caliber as Sanders, Brown, Faulk, Payton, Sayers? No. But that shouldn’t diminish his greatness.
Underrated, really? Many consider him the greatest RB of all time and he is UNDERrated? Who is he underrated by in your opinion? Other than me I guess lol
Oh Please.
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if you remember, he held out in the 1993 season and Dallas started 0-2 and they clicked when he came back. He was never as good as Barry Sanders, but that's because Sanders was a generational talent (Barkley is the closest to Sanders that I have seen).
But Emmitt was a key cog in that Dallas machine and I was there in 1993 in the separated shoulder game.
I will say that his overall stats are inflated because he was a compiler and stayed around longer than he should have for that reason (his Cardinal days). In his prime though, Emmitt was a year in / year out top 4-5 back and at his best probably #2 behind Sanders.
People act like Dallas was so good in the 90s, that anyone could have started at RB and they win Super Bowls. I'm of the opinion that Emmitt was a major reason why Dallas was so good in the 90s.
The Cowboys has one of the best QBs, one of the best WRs, one is he best TEs (Novacek), probably the best blocking FB ever (Moose), and one of the best OLs ever. Yes, almost any starting RB could have played for the Cowboys at that time and averaged 4.2 yards per carry (as Emmitt did).
Quality.
HOF. Ok. But one of the best. A lot of guys were as good. And guys like Brown Ann's Sanders were so much better it's like when idiots compare LBs to Lawrence Taylor.
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In comment 14199628 Matt in SGS said:
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if you remember, he held out in the 1993 season and Dallas started 0-2 and they clicked when he came back. He was never as good as Barry Sanders, but that's because Sanders was a generational talent (Barkley is the closest to Sanders that I have seen).
But Emmitt was a key cog in that Dallas machine and I was there in 1993 in the separated shoulder game.
I will say that his overall stats are inflated because he was a compiler and stayed around longer than he should have for that reason (his Cardinal days). In his prime though, Emmitt was a year in / year out top 4-5 back and at his best probably #2 behind Sanders.
People act like Dallas was so good in the 90s, that anyone could have started at RB and they win Super Bowls. I'm of the opinion that Emmitt was a major reason why Dallas was so good in the 90s.
The Cowboys has one of the best QBs, one of the best WRs, one is he best TEs (Novacek), probably the best blocking FB ever (Moose), and one of the best OLs ever. Yes, almost any starting RB could have played for the Cowboys at that time and averaged 4.2 yards per carry (as Emmitt did).
Troy Aikman only threw for more than 20 TDs once in her a career. Only threw for over 3300 yards twice. One of the best QBs ever? Wow.
Underrated, really? Many consider him the greatest RB of all time and he is UNDERrated? Who is he underrated by in your opinion? Other than me I guess lol
Yes. I rarely hear Smitty at the top of any RB list. The usual suspects, and deservedly so, get those plaudits - Brown, Sanders, Payton, Campbell, Simpson, etc.
The caveat he typically gets, and it’s the theme of this thread, is that Smitty was the beneficiary of his oline. So it’s conditional.
If you live in Texas or Gainesville, perhaps you have a point. But by and large the first person who comes to most people’s minds when talking greatest back ISN’T Smitty.
To say he sucked is just plain ignorant, he is far from the greatest RB, maybe not even atop 10 but still a great player!
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In comment 14199652 Tim in Eternal Blue said:
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In comment 14199628 Matt in SGS said:
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if you remember, he held out in the 1993 season and Dallas started 0-2 and they clicked when he came back. He was never as good as Barry Sanders, but that's because Sanders was a generational talent (Barkley is the closest to Sanders that I have seen).
But Emmitt was a key cog in that Dallas machine and I was there in 1993 in the separated shoulder game.
I will say that his overall stats are inflated because he was a compiler and stayed around longer than he should have for that reason (his Cardinal days). In his prime though, Emmitt was a year in / year out top 4-5 back and at his best probably #2 behind Sanders.
People act like Dallas was so good in the 90s, that anyone could have started at RB and they win Super Bowls. I'm of the opinion that Emmitt was a major reason why Dallas was so good in the 90s.
The Cowboys has one of the best QBs, one of the best WRs, one is he best TEs (Novacek), probably the best blocking FB ever (Moose), and one of the best OLs ever. Yes, almost any starting RB could have played for the Cowboys at that time and averaged 4.2 yards per carry (as Emmitt did).
Troy Aikman only threw for more than 20 TDs once in her a career. Only threw for over 3300 yards twice. One of the best QBs ever? Wow.
Different times Aikman did was he was called on to do very accurate and he won, you can’t take that away from him!
Different times Aikman did was he was called on to do very accurate and he won, you can’t take that away from him!
Aikman was a great talent, but an average plus QB. Go look at his stats. They are very pedestrian.
He's got a lifetime 61% completion rate. I don't think the words "very accurate" come to mind.
And he broke 20 TDs ONCE in his 12 year career.
One of the biggest jokes ever in the HoF.
Is he overrated? I don't think so.
Otherwise, was Montana overrated because he played for the coach innovating the WCO, and played with Roger Craig, Dwight Clark, and some of the best WRs in NFL history?
Was LT lucky to play with Banks, Carson, and Reasons and for BP and BB?
Obviously. But watch that game where Emmitt with a bad shoulder basically beat NYG himself and tell me how overrated he was. And he was (as I recall) a decent guy who went back to school in the NFL to finish his degree.
Of all the Cowboys of that era, I loathe him the least. (The rest can go eat a bag of dicks.)
Is he overrated? I don't think so.
Otherwise, was Montana overrated because he played for the coach innovating the WCO, and played with Roger Craig, Dwight Clark, and some of the best WRs in NFL history?
Was LT lucky to play with Banks, Carson, and Reasons and for BP and BB?
Obviously. But watch that game where Emmitt with a bad shoulder basically beat NYG himself and tell me how overrated he was. And he was (as I recall) a decent guy who went back to school in the NFL to finish his degree.
Of all the Cowboys of that era, I loathe him the least. (The rest can go eat a bag of dicks.)
I would just reiterate what you said we beat the living
shit out of him and he still beat us he did everything well tough sob and yeah alot of RB's would have plenty good numbers on that team but he was very durable as well played hurt Yes Great back now
we Zeke who is another PITA that I loathe ...
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Different times Aikman did was he was called on to do very accurate and he won, you can’t take that away from him!
Aikman was a great talent, but an average plus QB. Go look at his stats. They are very pedestrian.
He's got a lifetime 61% completion rate. I don't think the words "very accurate" come to mind.
And he broke 20 TDs ONCE in his 12 year career.
One of the biggest jokes ever in the HoF.
To say he’s a joke is just being a cowboy hater, you don’t run the best offense in football for years and win 3 SBs without being great, take the blinders off and nobody cares about stats when you win.
To say he’s a joke is just being a cowboy hater, you don’t run the best offense in football for years and win 3 SBs without being great, take the blinders off and nobody cares about stats when you win.
There is absolutely no Cowboy hate involved. I’m taking a reasonable review of Aikman’s production and it’s underwhelming.
As I stated, he was a great talent. But the individual stats have to some merit. And his really don’t, anyway you slice it. Sounds like you have little to no idea how mediocre his numbers actually are.
I always thought Simms was borderline until Aikman got in. Once that occurred, Simms should have followed because he was actually more productive and has two rings (he was having a great year in ‘90 when he got hurt in week 14, I think he doesn’t get enough credit for the position he put that team in for Hoss)...
I give you a Fonzie thumbs-up, sir.
Is he overrated? I don't think so.
Otherwise, was Montana overrated because he played for the coach innovating the WCO, and played with Roger Craig, Dwight Clark, and some of the best WRs in NFL history?
Was LT lucky to play with Banks, Carson, and Reasons and for BP and BB?
Obviously. But watch that game where Emmitt with a bad shoulder basically beat NYG himself and tell me how overrated he was. And he was (as I recall) a decent guy who went back to school in the NFL to finish his degree.
Of all the Cowboys of that era, I loathe him the least. (The rest can go eat a bag of dicks.)
Good post and agreed. I seem to recall reading however, that several teammates thought he overexaggerated his shoulder and other injuries for maximum impact to the media. IIRC
Smith and that OL carried that team on their backs. And were Hell on the Gmen.