In their prime, who was better?

[My Friends Call Me Tebucky]

I say Faulk, only because he was the "engine" for Super Bowl teams...but Tomlinson is as special a talent as I think I've ever seen- and he does it all behind a garbage offensive line.

 

Honestly, please try not to include Barry Sanders, Emmitt Smith, or Thurman Thomas in your responses, I'm trying to compare backs from this particular era.

 

Oh, and, yeah, I think has become the prototype for the ultimate modern day running back (Faulk, Holmes, Barber, Tomlinson), moreso than Smith (Shaun Alexander or Corey Dillon, maybe?) or Sanders (can't really compare any modern day guys to his talents)...

[MDH]

Faulk was a great back but LT might just be the best RB I've ever seen play. He can just do it all. He's Barry Sanders with the ability to pick up short yards and catch the ball out of the backfield. There's nothing LT doesn't do and do really f'in well.

[2020 Our Year For Sure]

Sammy Morris. He was a special kickoff cover guy, the likes of which I haven't seen since. It was a sad day when Sammy Morris signed with the Miami Dolphins, and a loss this franchise still hasn't recovered from. I'm not sure that we ever will.

[MadBuffaloDisease]

The Chargers have one of the better O-lines in the NFL.

[MDH]

The Chargers have one of the better O-lines in the NFL.

842865[/snapback]

 

They do now but for the first few years of LT's career they were horrible.

[BuffOrange]

They do now but for the first few years of LT's career they were horrible.

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And he averaged 5+ypc in a horrible offense with a terrible OL in 2003. I'm not so sure the current OL is "one of the best" either.

[Simon]

Faulk was a great back but LT might just be the best RB I've ever seen play.  He can just do it all.  He's Barry Sanders with the ability to pick up short yards and catch the ball out of the backfield.  There's nothing LT doesn't do and do really f'in well.

842859[/snapback]

 

Did you see him throw that TD from the 2 a couple weeks ago?

With all due respect to Walter's time at QB, I've never seen a back handle the ball like that in my life.

[daquixers_is_back]

And he averaged 5+ypc in a horrible offense with a terrible OL in 2003.  I'm not so sure the current OL is "one of the best" either.

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What is your method of determining a bad offensive line? In 2003 they gave up only 29 sacks (10-11th best in league) ... and their RB had 1600 yards and 13 TD's. So im not sure how you can determine that.

[BuffOrange]

What is your method of determining a bad offensive line?

842880[/snapback]

 

Football Outsiders.

[MDH]

What is your method of determining a bad offensive line? In 2003 they gave up only 29 sacks (10-11th best in league) ... and their RB had 1600 yards and 13 TD's. So im not sure how you can determine that.

842880[/snapback]

 

I had LT in a keeper league from 2003-2005 (sadly I could only keep him 3 years) and watched all of SD's games when they weren't playing opposite of the Bills. That OL in 2003 was not a good line, despite LT's numbers. He made many of those yards on his own kind of like Sanders had to do for much of his career.

[daquixers_is_back]

I had LT in a keeper league from 2003-2005 (sadly I could only keep him 3 years) and watched all of SD's games when they weren't playing opposite of the Bills.  That OL in 2003 was not a good line, despite LT's numbers.  He made many of those yards on his own kind of like Sanders had to do for much of his career.

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Even if he did do a lot on his own, the line still only gave up 29 sacks ... which IMO, is stellar. To put that into perspective, so far this year Oakland, Cleveland, Seattle, Buffalo, Detroit, St. Louis, Pittsburgh, Miami are already at 28 or higher with SIX games to go!

[2020 Our Year For Sure]

Even if he did do a lot on his own, the line still only gave up 29 sacks ... which IMO, is stellar. To put that into perspective, so far this year Oakland, Cleveland, Seattle, Buffalo, Detroit, St. Louis, Pittsburgh, Miami are already at 28 or higher with SIX games to go!

842910[/snapback]

But thats pass blocking, and those are two different animals. Prior to today I would have said our O-line is bottom 5 in pass protection, but around the middle of the pack in the running game.

[LevysEraII]

It's quite simple really. MF had an awesome surrounding cast. Who does LT have? It's all LT.

[jarthur31]

I voted for Thurman Thomas because he was the best all around back the league has ever seen.

[Oneonta Buffalo Fan]

Tomlinson

[MDH]

I voted for Thurman Thomas because he was the best all around back the league has ever seen.

842974[/snapback]

 

Thurman might just be my favorite Bill of all time but he wasn't as good as either Faulk or LT.

[daquixers_is_back]

But thats pass blocking, and those are two different animals. Prior to today I would have said our O-line is bottom 5 in pass protection, but around the middle of the pack in the running game.

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Ok fair enough ... but my man ... any RB who has over 1500 yards, MUST have a decent 0-line. Give it up.

[BuffOrange]

Thurman might just be my favorite Bill of all time but he wasn't as good as either Faulk or LT.

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He was a damn good receiver though. A few weeks ago I was trying to think of good RB's (ie not Centers or Harmon who were exclusively receivers) who actually ran routes as a receiving weapon rather than just being the outlet guy. As great as LT2 & Barber are they're pretty much safety valves. Faulk is the only guy I can think of since Thurman.

[daquixers_is_back]

He was a damn good receiver though.  A few weeks ago I was trying to think of good RB's (ie not Centers or Harmon who were exclusively receivers) who actually ran routes as a receiving weapon rather than just being the outlet guy.  As great as LT2 & Barber are they're pretty much safety valves.  Faulk is the only guy I can think of since Thurman.

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Tomlinson averages about 70 receptions per season ... Faulk averaged about 64 receptions per season.

[BuffOrange]

Tomlinson averages about 70 receptions per season ... Faulk averaged about 64 receptions per season.

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What is your point? Faulk was a better receiver and that's not debatable.