barry sanders vs walter payton who was a better blocker

#Barry sanders vs walter payton who was a better blocker how to#

I think Emmitt is known for his toughness. However, I don't think this was as big a factor as other things.

#Barry sanders vs walter payton who was a better blocker how to#

Not sure how to measure this objectively, but I recall Smith being known as a good pass blocker and Sanders being viewed as average to below average. regardless, we know he did more with the ball once he caught it.

Given that Emmitt had the 90 additional receptions, and given I don't know anything about their catch percentages, targets, drops, etc., I'm not sure it's fair to say Sanders was a better receiver, though it certainly seems that way. Once again, Sanders was more productive with his opportunities, again underlining that Sanders is a better runner. Smith had 90 more receptions, yet Sanders had more receiving yards and almost as many TDs. As we know, Sanders was pulled at the goal line a fair amount in his career. Clearly, Smith had a nose for the end zone and was an excellent goal line back. Some of the difference could be explained by the advantages cited above (i.e., better teammates), but not a disparity of 37 rushing TDs. without those extra carries, the results in this category would have been even more lopsided.Ĭlearly Smith had a huge edge in rushing TDs. the better offenses presumably made it easier for Smith to perform well, and the better defenses were likely largely responsible for the extra carries Emmitt got in comparison to Sanders. And it doesn't even factor in the fact that Smith played on a better team with better offensive teammates and better defenses. that is a very impressive advantage for Sanders. He was much better in ypc and consequently ended up with 1306 more rushing yards in 2 fewer games and 181 fewer carries. So, first let's look at how Emmitt's first 10 seasons compared to Barry's 10 seasons. The fact that they were both among the best ever RBs and started their careers one year apart is why they are always compared.