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).
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Because he was powerful enough, fast enough, and elusive enough. No, he wasn't Barry. Nobody is, nor has been since. But that doesn't mean he wasn't great in his own right. And he'd always fall forward to get the extra yard.
I'm not fond of the guy, but I'd be a liar if I said he wasn't a great RB
If he weren’t a 90s Cowboy his career stats would have been somewhere between those of Ricky Waters and Frank Gore. Still pretty damn good - but not in the conversation of greatest RB of all time IMO. Definitely not.
On a scale of 1-10, overrated at around a 6 or 7.
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.
He was a tough runner with great vision, and was also a skilled receiver and pass blocker.
As a Giants fan I admire him greatly, always have, and although it was a horrible loss for us, I gained a lot of respect for him in the season finale (win it all - NFC East/HFADV) game in 93' where he singlehandedly won that game with a separated shoulder.
There have been many runners that were more skilled than him, but he was the most productive because of HIS style.
Walter Payton also wasn't flashy, but was able to do similar things yet in a different way, and so was Eric Dickerson. Barry Sanders is the best I've ever seen, by far.
More generational guys like Marshall Faulk, Alvin Kamara, Brian Westbrook, Saquon, Todd Gurley, etc. are different types of backs, who are dual threats and have an even wider range of skills.
Emmitt Did it all...he certainly got every yard there was, and then some...and he did it ALL THE TIME-EVERY TIME!!
c'mon!
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.