Who are the top 5 greatest Running Backs (HB’s) of all-time? *** TRIGGER WARNING - no Jim Brown ***

[slimjasi]

38 minutes ago, Jetsfan80 said:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

As @chirorob notes, Brown was indeed in the Fullback poll.  The PFR database lists Brown as a Fullback:

 

https://www.pro-football-reference.com/players/B/BrowJi00.htm

I feel like this sort of technicality ruins a poll like this.

 

You don’t have a GOAT running back poll without the GOAT running back, IMO

[Jetsfan80]

7 minutes ago, slimjasi said:

I feel like this sort of technicality ruins a poll like this.

 

You don’t have a GOAT running back poll without the GOAT running back, IMO

I don’t view it as a technicality if that’s the position at which he was listed. 

I used the PFR database throughout so it would be inconsistent not to use the positions listed by the database.  

[slimjasi]

16 minutes ago, Jetsfan80 said:

I don’t view it as a technicality if that’s the position at which he was listed. 

I used the PFR database throughout so it would be inconsistent not to use the positions listed by the database.  

Fair. That’s unfortunate. 

Because he may be listed as a fullback, but for our purposes, he played the same position that everyone else on this list did - only he did it better. 

So many of us will be unable to answer “who is the #1 all-time RB” question honestly. 

[Jetsfan80]

6 minutes ago, slimjasi said:

Fair. That’s unfortunate. 

Because he may be listed as a fullback, but for our purposes, he played the same position that everyone else on this list did - only he did it better. 

So many of us will be unable to answer “who is the #1 all-time RB” question honestly. 

On the bright side, the JN all-time “first team” will have Jim Brown + one other on this list in the same backfield.

[jetstream23]

1. Walter Payton

2. Barry Sanders

3. Jim Brown

4. Marshall Faulk

5. Adrian Peterson

[mrcoops]

Agree that Barry Sanders is the best I ever saw (Jim Brown was before my time) so I had to go with him at #1. He retired so early while still playing at a supremely high level, that he could have set records that would never have been matched had he played on for 5 more years.

Tough to pass on Sweetness at #1, as he's one of the greatest players (and men) in NFL history, but Sanders' supreme ability pushed Walter down to #2 for me.

[TuscanyTile2]

7 hours ago, Jetsfan80 said:

I don’t view it as a technicality if that’s the position at which he was listed. 

I used the PFR database throughout so it would be inconsistent not to use the positions listed by the database.  

What about Earl Campbell then?

[Jetsfan80]

2 hours ago, TuscanyTile2 said:

What about Earl Campbell then?

I was surprised to see that PFR's AV metric didn't support his inclusion.  He had a short peak, which didn't help, but I was expecting his peak to be stronger.  His highest score in any given season was a 15.  

[Jetsfan80]

@Reasonable Jets Fan not being so reasonable in this thread, with 3 neg reps.  lol.

[Trotter]

8 minutes ago, Jetsfan80 said:

I was surprised to see that PFR's AV metric didn't support his inclusion.  He had a short peak, which didn't help, but I was expecting his peak to be stronger.  His highest score in any given season was a 15.  

Curious - did they have Franco harris or was he under fullback?

[Jetsfan80]

4 minutes ago, Trotter said:

Curious - did they have Franco harris or was he under fullback?

Yep, Fullback.

Here was that thread, for those interested:

 

 

The top 5 on the poll ended up being:  1) Jim Brown; 2) Larry Csonka; 3) John Riggins; 4) Franco Harris; 5) Jim Taylor

[Trotter]

Just now, Jetsfan80 said:

Yep, Fullback.

Here was that thread, for those interested:

 

 

The top 5 ended up being:  1) Jim Brown; 2) Larry Csonka; 3) John Riggins; 4) Franco Harris; 5) Jim Taylor

Thank you sir

[GandWFan]

Setting up this thread was a lot of work. Thank you @Jetsfan80. We have a cool thread to discuss football without another Zach sucks, Zach is the best thread.

If your favorite RB is not on his list, just list your top 5.  That's what I did.  No need to neg rep the OP.  

anyway, my 2¢ ... Carry on ...

[Jetsfan80]

Just now, GandWFan said:

Setting up this thread was a lot of work. Thank you @Jetsfan80. We have a cool thread to discuss football without another Zach sucks, Zach is the best thread.

If your favorite RB is not on his list, just list your top 5.  That's what I did.  No need to neg rep the OP.  

anyway, my 2¢ ... Carry on ...

 

Those neg repping are really just neg-repping the pro-football-reference.com database in my mind, lol.  Which is fair; no tool or resource is every going to be perfect with this stuff.  I dunno why they're as high as they are on Tiki Barber either!  Then again, I pretty much despise Tiki so I'm biased...

[Biggs]

Where is Terrell Davis.  Peak AV 22, NFL MVP and had one of the greatest playoff averages in NFL history.  8 games, 142.5 per game, 1140 yards, 5.6 average per and 12 TD's.  

Short career but obviously burned as bright and had as much impact on team performance of anyone. 

[Jetsfan80]

3 minutes ago, Biggs said:

Where is Terrell Davis.  Peak AV 22, NFL MVP and had one of the greatest playoff averages in NFL history.  8 games, 142.5 per game, 1140 yards, 5.6 average per and 12 TD's.  

Short career but obviously burned as bright and had as much impact on team performance of anyone. 

PFR's database was indeed very high on his peak but yes, his career was simply too short.  He only received a total AV score of 80, lower than even Lawrence McCutcheon.  

[Biggs]

1 minute ago, Jetsfan80 said:

PFR's database was indeed very high on his peak but yes, his career was simply too short.  He only received a total AV score of 80, lower than even Lawrence McCutcheon.  

He was better than most of the top running backs and took an aging done Elway to two SB rings.  Take him in a heartbeat over most of the guys on that list in their prime. 

He's playoff performances alone make him worthy.

[Jetsfan80]

2 minutes ago, Biggs said:

He was better than most of the top running backs and took an aging done Elway to two SB rings.  Take him in a heartbeat over most of the guys on that list in their prime. 

He's playoff performances alone make him worthy.

That's another flaw in the metric; it only calculates regular season performance in the equation.  Postseason scores are a separate category.

I suppose if I was ever going to do this again years from now, I would need to include postseason #'s for consideration too.  I would just mean a good deal more work.

[Biggs]

Just now, Jetsfan80 said:

That's another flaw in the metric; it only calculates regular season performance in the equation.  Postseason scores are a separate category.

I suppose if I was ever going to do this again years from now, I would need to include postseason #'s for consideration too.

 Martin was all pro once.  The guy was an NFL MVP, A SB MVP, 3 first team all pro's.  He's not Walter Payton or Jim Brown but he's in this conversation based on the other guys on the list. 

[Maynard13]

14 hours ago, TuscanyTile2 said:

And Earl Campbell.

Jim Brown: "There me first, Earl second, then everyone else get in line".

True conversation - Jim Brown telling Earl Campbell he was the 2nd greatest RB of All Time 

[Blackout]

Curtis Martin

Jim Brown 

Red Grange

Oj Simpson

Ladanian Tomlinson 

[Larz]

payton

dickerson

allen

curt for spermy

sanders

[nycdan]

IMO, you can't really separate FB from RB for this kind of discussion.  Jim Brown was the primary rushing option for the Browns' offense.  And leaving Earl off this list is ludicrous.

Quote directly from Jim Brown - I believe to Earl Campbell's niece if I recall correctly...

"There me first, Earl second, then everyone else get in line".

Might as well leave Jerry Rice and Randy Moss off the greatest WR list.  I guess if you didn't see Earl play live, then it's hard to comprehend just how 'man among boys' he played.  League MVP his first three seasons.  Let that sink in.  He ran around you, over you, through you, whatever he wanted. And I remember laughing when one guy would try to tackle him alone.  It almost never worked.   

FWIW, you can sort Brown, Earl, Peyton, Sanders, and OJ however you want, but that's pretty much your list with Faulk knocking on the door.  But when it comes down to it, who am I to argue with Jim Brown?

 

[Maynard13]

This guy right here was the fastest RB of All Time and is highly underrated in the annals of Pro Football. It’s an absolute disgrace he is not on the poll. Faster than Mercury Morris, shiftier than Barry Sanders, more elusive than OJ. None other than Speedy Gonzales.

 

[docdhc]

10 hours ago, Jetsfan80 said:

I don’t view it as a technicality if that’s the position at which he was listed. 

I used the PFR database throughout so it would be inconsistent not to use the positions listed by the database.  

If your poll was best half back I’d agree but running back includes half and fullback in my mind. 

[Maynard13]

2 minutes ago, nycdan said:

IMO, you can't really separate FB from RB for this kind of discussion.  Jim Brown was the primary rushing option for the Browns' offense.  And leaving Earl off this list is ludicrous.

Quote directly from Jim Brown - I believe to Earl Campbell's niece if I recall correctly...

"There me first, Earl second, then everyone else get in line".

Might as well leave Jerry Rice and Randy Moss off the greatest WR list.  I guess if you didn't see Earl play live, then it's hard to comprehend just how 'man among boys' he played.  League MVP his first three seasons.  Let that sink in.  He ran around you, over you, through you, whatever he wanted. And I remember laughing when one guy would try to tackle him alone.  It almost never worked.   

FWIW, you can sort Brown, Earl, Peyton, Sanders, and OJ however you want, but that's pretty much your list with Faulk knocking on the door.  But when it comes down to it, who am I to argue with Jim Brown?

 

And where is Bo??? Despite his being injured early in his career, Bo may have been better than all of them. ?

[Jet Nut]

10 hours ago, Jetsfan80 said:

I don’t view it as a technicality if that’s the position at which he was listed. 

I used the PFR database throughout so it would be inconsistent not to use the positions listed by the database.  

Let’s get technical based on old time differentiations that aren’t used today?  
So technically Brown is a full back so doesn’t get grouped with the other backs?  Well technically they should have labeled those players half backs.  

Running backs were made up of halfbacks and fullbacks, they’re calling half backs running backs

[nycdan]

5 minutes ago, Maynard13 said:

And where is Bo??? Despite his being injured early in his career, Bo may have been better than all of them. ?

I can't get behind that.  He looked great but his stats for the four seasons he played were so mediocre.  Never had 1k yards. Never topped 5 rushing TDs.  I honestly can't understand anyone who puts him in the top-5.  He won't even sniff the HoF.  I just don't see even the slightest argument for him here.

[TuscanyTile2]

13 minutes ago, Maynard13 said:

This guy right here was the fastest RB of All Time and is highly underrated in the annals of Pro Football. It’s an absolute disgrace he is not on the poll. Faster than Mercury Morris, shiftier than Barry Sanders, more elusive than OJ. None other than Speedy Gonzales.

 

How about Flash Gordon?  Even though he wasn't officially a RB, he could really break tackles!

 

[Biggs]

11 minutes ago, nycdan said:

I can't get behind that.  He looked great but his stats for the four seasons he played were so mediocre.  Never had 1k yards. Never topped 5 rushing TDs.  I honestly can't understand anyone who puts him in the top-5.  He won't even sniff the HoF.  I just don't see even the slightest argument for him here.

I was thinking about Bo and the guy who was more dynamic and a much better representative of greatest of all time based on a small sample size is Gale Sayers.  

[Biggs]

I'll give you another guy Marcus Allen.   At the time he retired he held the record for most yards from scirmage in a season, second in consecutive 100 yard games and 3rd all time in total yards from scrimage.  

Great dual threat and another guy who lifted his game in the playoffs against the best under pressure.  Very underated and amazingly productive especially in big spots.

[JetsFanatic]

12 hours ago, Jetsfan80 said:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

As @chirorob notes, Brown was indeed in the Fullback poll.  The PFR database lists Brown as a Fullback:

 

https://www.pro-football-reference.com/players/B/BrowJi00.htm

Half backs and Full backs are running backs

[Sonny Werblin]

Jim Brown

OJ Simpson

Earl Campbell

Are the clear top 3 IMO. 4 and 5 are difficult because I can't pick who to exclude out of the next 4 ... 

Barry Sanders

Tony Dorsett

Adrian Peterson

Walter Payton

I've disregarded the pass catching abilities of the RBs and limited my take on who was best when you give them the ball behind the line of scrimmage because that is what makes a RB great. 

[Barry McCockinner]

tiki f'n barber

[Joe Willie White Shoes]

12 hours ago, Jetsfan80 said:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

As @chirorob notes, Brown was indeed in the Fullback poll.  The PFR database lists Brown as a Fullback:

 

https://www.pro-football-reference.com/players/B/BrowJi00.htm

You are putting in quite a bit of work on this and relying on PFR.  No worries on the fullback vs halfback thing. It's PFR that is to blame.  The distinction between the two no longer applies to the modern NFL and all backs who carried the ball historically should be RBs, but it's no big deal for a poll and discussion on this site.