BringMetheHeadofLeonLett Posted March 29, 2019 Posted March 29, 2019 I wasn't around for Jim Brown and Gale Sayers... or OJ, so I can't speak to all time, but Earl Campbell was just a monster on the field. I'm sure every DB, and linebacker, in the league dreaded Houston Oilers week while he was playing. Side shout out to Joe Cribbs. Any Bills fan who doesn't know how good this guy was should look him up, pure electricity in his prime. Willis McGahee dreampt about being as good as Cribbs.
Stanley Lombardi Posted March 29, 2019 Posted March 29, 2019 Tie: OJ and Jim Brown. They were different backs altogether; Brown was pure power, OJ was pure poetry. While Barry Sanders was still near the line of scrimmage, wowing everyone with his moves, OJ was already past the strong safety.
mannc Posted March 29, 2019 Posted March 29, 2019 7 minutes ago, Utah John said: Get back to me when some RB breaks 2000 in 14 games. And everyone in the stadium knew he was getting the ball... 1
PlayoffsPlease Posted March 29, 2019 Posted March 29, 2019 18 hours ago, Mr. WEO said: Running over 190 lb LBs.... with facemasking legal and a main way he was tackled. One of the most fascinating aspects of this discussion is how few championships these running backs won.
mannc Posted March 29, 2019 Posted March 29, 2019 1 minute ago, PlayoffsPlease said: with facemasking legal and a main way he was tackled. One of the most fascinating aspects of this discussion is how few championships these running backs won. Jim Brown won plenty of championships. OJ never had a chance with the 1970s Bills.
PlayoffsPlease Posted March 29, 2019 Posted March 29, 2019 Just now, mannc said: Jim Brown won plenty of championships. OJ never had a chance with the 1970s Bills. Brown won 1.
GoBills808 Posted March 29, 2019 Posted March 29, 2019 9 minutes ago, Utah John said: Get back to me when some RB breaks 2000 in 14 games. It was last done in '73? I wouldn't hold my breath...?
mannc Posted March 29, 2019 Posted March 29, 2019 Just now, PlayoffsPlease said: Brown won 1. My bad. I thought he won more than that.
Mr. WEO Posted March 29, 2019 Posted March 29, 2019 5 minutes ago, Direhard Fan said: OJ and Barry Brown best at throwing women off balconys. OJ made quick cuts like no one else. He was a real slasher. 5 minutes ago, PlayoffsPlease said: with facemasking legal and a main way he was tackled. One of the most fascinating aspects of this discussion is how few championships these running backs won. Posting this twice doesn't make it true...
PlayoffsPlease Posted March 29, 2019 Posted March 29, 2019 1 minute ago, mannc said: My bad. I thought he won more than that. Sanders zero. OJ Zero. Peterson zero. Gale Sayers zero. 2 minutes ago, Mr. WEO said: OJ made quick cuts like no one else. He was a real slasher. Posting this twice doesn't make it true... system did that, not me. But facemasking was legal when Brown played.
Shaw66 Posted March 29, 2019 Posted March 29, 2019 Joe Cribbs reminds me: The Bills are definitely in the running for best all time stable of running backs. OJ, Thurman, Cookie, Cribbs, McCoy, Lynch, McGahee, Henry, Bush, Antowain Smith, and now Gore. Just about every team in the league would kill to have Fred Jackson be their EIGHTH best all time running back. Think of this: 32 teams in the league, each team should on average have four running backs in the top 128 all time. The Bills have 11!!! And that doesn't include Gilchrist, who could very well be in the top 10 best running backs in pro football history. Okay, drop out Bush and Gore and count Lynch, McGahee and Smith as one instead of three. That's still 7 of the top 128, plus Gilchrist. There is an incredible rushing legacy in Buffalo.
Mojo44 Posted March 29, 2019 Posted March 29, 2019 1 hour ago, billykay said: I have to agree with you. Also, perhaps one of the best athletes all time. Besides football, he was an all american lacrosse player. He also started on the Syracuse basketball team. Love me some JB when he wasn't throwing women off balconies. I’ve lived in the Syracuse area since 1980. I’m a big fan of the orange including lacrosse. It is said that a fundamental rule change occurred after Jim Brown played lacrosse. He used to get the ball in his stick,cup against his chest and simply run down the field knocking people down until he got to the goal and then scored. Since that time, reportedly because of this, it’s illegal to carry the ball that way
Shaw66 Posted March 29, 2019 Posted March 29, 2019 17 minutes ago, PlayoffsPlease said: Brown won 1. It was a two-division league. Six teams in a division for the first 4 seasons in his career, seven teams for the last four years of his career. Over that span, the Browns won or tied for 4 out of 9 division championships. That's not bad.
Over 29 years of fanhood Posted March 29, 2019 Posted March 29, 2019 19 minutes ago, Mr. WEO said: OJ made quick cuts like no one else. He was a real slasher. Posting this twice doesn't make it true... The third time is the charm ?
PlayoffsPlease Posted March 29, 2019 Posted March 29, 2019 5 minutes ago, Shaw66 said: It was a two-division league. Six teams in a division for the first 4 seasons in his career, seven teams for the last four years of his career. Over that span, the Browns won or tied for 4 out of 9 division championships. That's not bad. Its not otto graham good.
Shaw66 Posted March 29, 2019 Posted March 29, 2019 2 minutes ago, PlayoffsPlease said: Its not otto graham good. No, it isn't. Otto Graham was Paul Brown's Tom Brady. Oh, and the aforementioned Marion Motley running the ball. Brown was a genius on a par with Belichick, although playing a much simpler game.
Mr. WEO Posted March 29, 2019 Posted March 29, 2019 29 minutes ago, PlayoffsPlease said: Sanders zero. OJ Zero. Peterson zero. Gale Sayers zero. system did that, not me. But facemasking was legal when Brown played. Yes but it wasn't one of the primary ways Jim Brown was tackled.
Shaw66 Posted March 29, 2019 Posted March 29, 2019 (edited) 18 minutes ago, Mr. WEO said: Yes but it wasn't one of the primary ways Jim Brown was tackled. The primary way Brown was tackled was the first guy missed him, the second guy got stiff armed, the third guy grabbed one leg and got dragged three yards and the fourth and fifth guys jumped on Brown's back. Sure, it's an exaggeration, but there were more plays like that than you'd think. Edited March 29, 2019 by Shaw66 1
LeGOATski Posted March 29, 2019 Posted March 29, 2019 19 hours ago, OldTimer1960 said: Watching the NFL for 50 years, in my opinion: 1. Barry Sanders - unequivocally the best that I've ever seen 2. Earl Campbell- nobody could tackle this beast and he was very fast as well. 3. OJ Simpson - simply unstoppable on a one dimensional team (no passing game) Gotta agree. I think all three would be great in any era. Sanders is my all-time favorite.
oldmanfan Posted March 29, 2019 Posted March 29, 2019 1 hour ago, GreggTX said: OJ. Everyone else is a distant 2nd at best. Too bad so many of you never saw him play or you'd have no doubt as I don't. Off field, he was a conceited jerk, bad actor, thief, woman beater and murderer. This is why so many have subconsciously downgraded him. He is the only man to ever break the 2,000 yard mark in a 14 game season. There may never be another RB his equal, ever. You had to see it with your own eyes to fully understand. I sat in the Rockpile when he was a rookie. Sat at the homes games in 73. I saw him, and he was phenomenal. And I'd still put Brown ahead by a bit. Because I watched him too. You had to see Brown with your own eyes to understand.
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