The Atlantic - Latest Comments in The greatest run in NFL history

Re: The greatest run in NFL history

Kurt — Tue, 12 Aug 2008 00:45:50 -0000

I grew up in the Quad-Cities were Roger Craig was a legend. He grew up in Davenport, IA and was sort of an urban legend, as much as anything in Iowa can be urban. In an area filled with Bears, and some Packer fans, he turned a lot of people in the midwest on to the West Coast offense.

Interestingly, Roger was not the best athlete in the family. He had an older brother who was dominant but also served as a cautionary tale. No one thought Roger really measured up. How often have we heard that story?

Re: The greatest run in NFL history

Joel — Mon, 11 Aug 2008 14:19:40 -0000

Roger Craig has become a distance runner, too. Sure, 3:50 in a flat marathon like Chicago is far from elite, but the ideal build for an NFL running back is pretty far from that of a marathoner (that and he was 45).

Re: The greatest run in NFL history

Just Karl — Sun, 10 Aug 2008 12:29:16 -0000

David, that's a rather questionable list. Your top 10 greatest NFL RBs have a grand total of 2 Championship rings. Billy Sims and Christian Okoye are particularly egregious.

Re: The greatest run in NFL history

David Hussien — Sun, 10 Aug 2008 05:45:11 -0000

What about Tony Dorsett?

Re: The greatest run in NFL history

David Hussien — Sun, 10 Aug 2008 05:34:07 -0000

I loved Emmitt and I am a Seahawks fan.

The greatest back in order are:

Jim Brown

Barry Sanders

Walter Payton

Gale Sayers

Eric Dickerson

OJ Simpson - Sorry!

Earl Campbell

Billy Sims

Bo Jackson

Christian Okoye

Re: The greatest run in NFL history

Just Karl — Sun, 10 Aug 2008 00:48:34 -0000

Greatest run of all time is a nice starting point for a discussion but I don't think there's ever going to be a consensus. I would submit

Marcus Allen's Superbowl run

Earl Campbell's headbutt knockdown/torn jersey run(also against the Rams)

Michael Vick running two defenders into each other

John Elway helicopter run

Pick any run in which Walter lowers his shoulder, bounces outside, highsteps, uses a stiff arm or leaps the pile at the goal line.

My feeling on Roger Craig was that he was a system guy, but he probably deserves to be in the Hall as the pioneering dual 1000 rushing/1000 receiving threat. Not sure about it, though.

Re: The greatest run in NFL history

cynical again — Sat, 09 Aug 2008 23:54:06 -0000

I think Garrison Hearst--another Niner--had a more impressive run than this. He went 96 yds. for a TD in overtime against the Jets.

See the (rather poor quality) video here:

http://uk.youtube.com/watch?v=qkEJu1yQJlE

Craig was a much better back, though.

Re: The greatest run in NFL history

Mongoose — Sat, 09 Aug 2008 20:01:22 -0000

Point taken about Sayers & Bo. Accept my point about their superior athleticism. My opinion only, but Barry was a better running back that Emmitt and every bit the equal of Brown, Payton, Campbell, et al. Better? Who's to say?

Perhaps you've seen this but here's a link to highlights of Sanders' Heisman Year in '88. Unbelievable.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q7S8wN_tL5Y

Mongoose

Re: The greatest run in NFL history

Woody Bombay — Sat, 09 Aug 2008 18:55:15 -0000

JK's conscience,

Me too! I grew up in Houston then, was a Longhorn fan and loved Earl (even though I went with the Cowboys over the Oilers). If the Oilers had any offensive support for him at all, Bum Phillips wouldn't have had to run him into the ground.

Re: The greatest run in NFL history

Joe Klein's conscience — Sat, 09 Aug 2008 15:43:09 -0000

Incertus:

Bingo!! I was a kid in Houston back then and still remember Earl Campbell like it was yesterday. Imagine what he could have done with Manning or Brady as QB and just one good receiver. Campbell was their whole offense back then and only the Steelers could stop him.

Re: The greatest run in NFL history

Ta-Nehisi Coates — Sat, 09 Aug 2008 15:26:00 -0000

"I must protest your conclusion that Emmitt is the best ever"

Not quite what I said. Specifically, I rank Payton and Brown above him. I love every other back you mentioned--but backs like Sayers, and Bo Jackson don't belong in the same conversation as Emmitt Smith. Bo Jackson may the most talented back I've ever seen. But you simply can't compare his careers with Emmitt's, or Barry's, or Jim Brown's or even Eric Dickerson. He just didn't play long enough. There's something to be said for repeatedly being money for your team.

Also, I'd love to post some other links. If you guys have ones you like better, I'll gladly throw them up. I've seen the Earl Campbell joint recently. I'll put that up next week.

Re: The greatest run in NFL history

Dave Hobs — Sat, 09 Aug 2008 15:10:48 -0000

Also... how about that Steve Young run against the Vikings to end the game? That was special.

Re: The greatest run in NFL history

Dave Hobs — Sat, 09 Aug 2008 15:09:16 -0000

I'm a 49ers fan and I remember how great this guy was. I hope he gets into the HOF. Nevertheless, for some reason, my lasting memory of the guy is his fumble against the Giants in the Championship game that might have cost the niners a 3-peat. I know he did so much more than that, but that's the one that really sticks with me.

Re: The greatest run in NFL history

DaveinHackensack — Sat, 09 Aug 2008 14:49:59 -0000

Roger Craig was the perfect back for the 49ers' Montana-era West Coast offense, but I have to agree with the commenter above that, as a pure running back, he's not even worth mentioning in the same sentence as Sanders. Sanders didn't just have amazing 60 yard runs, he had amazing 8 yard runs.

Roger Craig reminds me of some of the great Giants-Niners playoff contests, like the one where the Giants gutted out a win with 5 field goals and no touchdowns, or the one that featured the greatest hit in NFL history (post the link, Ta-Nehesi!), Giants NT Jim Burt knocking the stuffing out of Joe Montana.

Re: The greatest run in NFL history

Mongoose — Sat, 09 Aug 2008 14:32:24 -0000

Great site in general but I must protest your conclusion that Emmitt is the best ever--and this from a true Cowboys fan (both Dallas and Ok. State). Emmitt was truly a great back--but he couldn't carry the jock strap of Sanders, Brown, Sayers, Payton, Campbell, Bo Jackson, and probably a few others that have slipped through my memory membrane.

Re: The greatest run in NFL history

Will — Sat, 09 Aug 2008 14:29:57 -0000

What about Jim Brown? I've seen his runs on ESPN and he looks like Shaq playing against a bunch of twelve year olds.

Re: The greatest run in NFL history

Incertus — Sat, 09 Aug 2008 13:57:08 -0000

I'm going to echo the Earl Campbell mention above--I remember one where the defenders were practically tearing his jersey off him, and another where he leveled the defender, and then practically walked over him into the end zone. If you're talking about power, Campbell was fearsome.

Re: The greatest run in NFL history

Ihatebrettfarve — Sat, 09 Aug 2008 13:40:52 -0000

Dude -

Roger Craig was money, but this run ain't even in the same universe as Gale Sayers or Barry Sanders or even Chuck Foreman routinely trotting back to the bench.

btw: as per the comments above, I'm shocked that Craig's not in the HOF.

Re: The greatest run in NFL history

dry_fish — Sat, 09 Aug 2008 13:36:20 -0000

Very nice run. Still, Campbell, Sayers, Payton, Sanders, Smith, hell Steve Young have had more impressive runs in their career.

Re: The greatest run in NFL history

John Henry — Sat, 09 Aug 2008 13:21:06 -0000

I'd have to go with Barry Sanders - soon to be replaced by "All Day" Peterson.

Re: The greatest run in NFL history

Woody Bombay — Sat, 09 Aug 2008 13:07:40 -0000

That's a nice run.

Earl Campbell did that about once a game.

Re: The greatest run in NFL history

MikeSchilling — Sat, 09 Aug 2008 13:00:36 -0000

Hell of a career, if you think about it: not just the yards gained rushing and receiving, but also managing in the World Series.

Re: The greatest run in NFL history

John Henry — Sat, 09 Aug 2008 12:54:23 -0000

I'd have to go with Barry Sanders - soon to be replaced by "All Day" Peterson.

Re: The greatest run in NFL history

DougEFresh — Sat, 09 Aug 2008 12:53:38 -0000

My favorite run of all time was a Barry Sanders TD run against the Patriots. He had one of NE's defensive backs (I think it was Harlan Barnett) spinning in a circle.

Re: The greatest run in NFL history

Tony — Sat, 09 Aug 2008 12:11:32 -0000

Couldn't agree more, and I say that as a Redskins fan. Of course, I spent 8 years blabbering to anyone who would listen that Art Monk should be in the HoF. That one seemed like a no-brainer, too.

And about Gary Clark...