The Devil's Advocate
Call me Dad
Ok a few things...I'm so tired of hearing the offensive line made Emmitt Smith.
Larry Allen came after Emmitt had already won 3 consecutive rushing titles. None of the other dudes on the line ever made a Pro Bowl until Emmitt got there. Dallas didn't have a 1,000 yard rusher the year before Emmitt arrived or the year after Emmitt left for Arizona.
Both Barry Sanders and Emmitt Smith only played with ONE Hall of Fame lineman. This narrative that Barry's line was trash needs to die. Barry played with multiple pro bowlers on the line.
Also why is longevity and teammates held against Emmitt but not Jerry RIce? fukk the double standards. Emmitt doesn't get the credit he deserved because he played for the Dallas Cowboys.
It wasn't JUST the oline... Smith had a team that was about 150 levels above any Lions team... He had a HOF qb and wr and defensive players out the ass... You can TRY and say the lines were equal, but we know they weren't... But lets say they were. The rest of the team and offense being better, is going to make your life a lot easier as a running back. They was loading 11 in the box for Barry
They wasn't worried about shyt elseThe next part is what truly made me speak on this... My man Jerry... There's a post on here that I love... That I wish more reporters and commentaters used... Jerry Rice's stats without Montana and Young.....
Stuart took a look at the numbers specifically during the Joe Montana and Steve Young years when Rice was playing without them. Over five seasons, that group of quarterbacks included Elvis Grbac (9 games), Jeff Kemp (6), Steve Bono (6), Mike Moroski (2), and Matt Cavanugh (1). Over 24 games, Rice caught 134 passes for 2,177 yards and 23 TDs. That creates an average season of 89 catches, 1451 receiving yards, and 16 touchdowns.
In 1999, he had 830 receiving yards and 5 scores, and the next season he had 805 yards and seven touchdowns. Far from great numbers, but he had a good excuse: Rice was 37 and 38 years old.
Of all the unbreakable records set by Rice, what he did in Oakland may be the most impressive. At age 40, he caught 92 passes for over 1200 yards.
Man don't bring Jerry up... That man was ELITE with straight up garbage QBs on garbage teams

