Best all-time (NFL)...

[big daddy russ]

Me and a buddy of mine started talking about the best of the best in NFL history. He's a die-hard Dallas fan, and said that Dallas has the best all-time lineup of QB's, RB's, and the single best OL of all-time. I couldn't bring much of an argument of the best OL of all-time, but I disagreed on the other two. Meanwhile, my girlfriend said it's a meaningless, dorky argument while I maintain that it's a vital one in the course of American History.

We basically lined up the players we considered all-time greats who spent at least two great years (or one in the case of Jim Thorpe... don't think he ever played for a team more than a year) on a team, lined each franchise against each other and gave bonus points for players who had a few great seasons.

So what does the downlow think? My picks are in order.

Best Quarterbacks:
I thought the Boys were farthest off with their QB's. The Niners and Skins, IMO, are head and shoulders above everyone else.

49ERS (I've got them as my #1)
1. Joe Montainya
2. Steve Young
3. Y.A. Tittle
4. John Brodie

REDSKINS (#2)
1. Sammy Baugh
2. Joe Theismann
3. Sonny Jurgensen
4. Billy Kilmer
5. Eddie LaBaron
Bonus points for Doug Williams and Mark Rypien.

COWBOYS (#3, etc.)
1. Aikman
2. Staubach
3. Meredith
Bonus points for Danny White.

PACKERS
1. Brett Favre
2. Bart Starr
3. Arnie Herber
Bonus points for Cecil Isbell, Don Majkowski, and the guy hwo made Herber and Isbell stars, Don Hutson.

COLTS
1. Johnny U
2. Peyton Manning
3. John Elway (they can claim him for a couple of hours, right?)
Bonus points for Jim Harbaugh and Bert Jones. Negative points for letting go of Elway.




Best Running Backs:
This was a little tougher. You look up and down the roster of these RB's and all these teams are stacked, but there's no way I could bet against the Bears. All those years of all those great backs... the 'Boys got a late start in this department. Also had to put all of the Browns' hard-nosed runners ahead of Dallas, but not by much.

DA BEARS:
1. Walter Payton
2. Gale Sayers
3. Red Grange
4. Bronco Nagurski
5. George McAfee
6. Sid Luckman (was actually a QB for the Bears, but led the team in rushing during five of his 12 years in the league... was a TB in college... hardly ever threw the ball... ran a revised version of the T-Formation that had been outdated two decades earlier... the predacessor to the Wing T)

BROWNS (the real franchise plays in Baltimore nowadays):
1. Jim Brown
2. Jim Thorpe
3. Marion Motley
4. Leroy Kelly
5. Dante Lavelli
Bonus points for Ernest Byner and Jamal Lewis.

COWBOYS:
1. Emmitt
2. Dorsett
3. Don Perkins
4. Moose Johnston (he WAS an all-time great as a FB)
5. Calvin Hill
Bonus points for Herschel Walker and Walt Garrison.



Switching gears, these are just the best OL UNITS, not the all-time offensive linemen paired together.

Early- to mid-60's Packers (led by Forrest Gregg, Jim Ringo and Jerry Kramer)

Early- to mid-90's Cowboys (led by Nate Newton, Mark Stepnoski and Larry Allen)

Mid- to late-70's Raiders (led by Art Shell and Gene Upshaw)


Best backfield ever:
Early 50's Browns-
QB Otto Graham
TB Dante Lavelli
FB Marion Motley

Early- to mid-90's Cowboys
QB Aikman
TB Emmitt
FB Moose

Early 60's Giants
QB Y.A. Tittle
HB/WR Frank Gifford
HB/WR Joe Morrison
FB Alex Webster

Late 50's/Early 60's Packers
QB Bart Starr
RB Paul Hornung
RB Jim Taylor

Early-70's Dolphins
QB Bob Greise
TB Mercury Morris
FB Larry Csonka

Mid-50's Lions
QB Bobby Layne
TB Doak Walker
FB Bob Hoernschemeyer

Early- to mid-80's 49ers
QB Joe Montana
TB Roger Craig
FB Tom Rathman

Those are all the ones I can think of. I still think the Browns had the best backfield ever, but the Cowboys are close behind.

[BreckTxLonghorn]

Interesting topic to bring up.

Did you happen to see the NFL films show on ESPN where they theoretically had the 4 best teams "of all time" "play" for the title of greatest all time dynasty?

The teams:
60s Packers
70s Steelers
80s 49ers
90s Cowboys

[BreckTxLonghorn]

I fell asleep watching this, if anyone knows the results I'd love to know. Thanks.

[STANG RED]

Wow, I think you and your buddy may have just a little too much time on your hands. However, If I had been in on that convo, I think I would have had to have added receivers as well, and I would have included the Steelers. As bad as I hated them, they were the team in the 70s. Also, for RBs, I believe I would have to add Dwayne Thomas for the cowboys. He had a couple great years. He could have had a great career, if he had been a little smarter.

[Adidas410s]

Originally posted by BreckTxLonghorn
I fell asleep watching this, if anyone knows the results I'd love to know. Thanks.

I'm pretty sure that it had 80's 49ers beat 60's Packers and 70's Steelers beat 90's Cowboys. I "think" that the 49ers won the title but I honestly don't remember...

[lostaussie]

Originally posted by big daddy russ
Me and a buddy of mine started talking about the best of the best in NFL history. He's a die-hard Dallas fan, and said that Dallas has the best all-time lineup of QB's, RB's, and the single best OL of all-time. I couldn't bring much of an argument of the best OL of all-time, but I disagreed on the other two. Meanwhile, my girlfriend said it's a meaningless, dorky argument while I maintain that it's a vital one in the course of American History.
You have really got my head spinning. great topic. got real excited when i saw the names calvin hill and leroy kelley. when i was a kid i had a 35 cowboys jersey and a 44 browns jersey.

[Chris Hart]

I always liked Robert Newhouse and Ron Springs as Cowboy FBs too:)

[big daddy russ]

Originally posted by STANG RED
Wow, I think you and your buddy may have just a little too much time on your hands.
I quit my job and I'm living off the government this semester. This is what I'm reduced to.

I guess it beats naked washers in the back yard.

And good call on the Pitt WR's. I don't know much about wideouts, but I'd probably put the Colts (Raymond Berry, Marvin Harrison, etc.), the Niners (Jerry Rice, John Taylor, Dwight Clark, T.O.), the Cowboys (Drew Pearson, Michael Irvin, Jay Novacek, etc.) and the Dolphins (Marks brothers, Irving Fryar, Paul Warfield, etc,) in there.

[STANG RED]

Originally posted by Chris Hart
I always liked Robert Newhouse and Ron Springs as Cowboy FBs too:)

I cant believe I forgot about Newhouse. He has always been one of my all time favorites. Mean Joe Green once said, "He is like trying to tackle a bowling ball".

[FbCoachB40]

You also forgot about Kevin Mack with the Browns. Mack and Byner were as good of a tandem in the NFL as White and Bush were in NCAA

[big daddy russ]

Originally posted by FbCoachB40
You also forgot about Kevin Mack with the Browns. Mack and Byner were as good of a tandem in the NFL as White and Bush were in NCAA
Yes I did.

So what do you guys think? Who's the best in your opinion?