(Con’t from Reason #3: He played big in big games)
Reason #4: Tougher Competition
One win and 15 losses! That was the Dallas Cowboys record the year they drafted Emmitt Smith. The team went 7-9 his rookie season, then 11-5, and then 13-3 and Super Bowl Champs in the subsequent years. This remains one of the most incredible rebuilds in pro sports history. What is more impressive is that this was done playing in the stacked NFC East division. This division had a run of 7 Super Bowl Champions in a 10 year span, including 5 Super Bowl Champions in 6 years during Emmitt Smith’s prime!
There was the Super Bowl Champion Washington Redskins, the same team who held Barry Sanders to negative rushing yards for most of the 1991 NFC Championship game and who had a top 10 defense for several years. There was also the New York Giants “Big Blue Wrecking Crew” led by Lawrence Taylor. This Super Bowl winning unit was considered one of the top defenses of all time and led the league in fewest points allowed in both 1990 and 1993. Finally there was the great Buddy Ryan Eagles defense another all-time great defense, especially the 1991 version. That team was the number one ranked defense in all categories and still holds the NFL records for fewest yards and 1st downs allowed during a 16 game season.[1] This despite facing a tough schedule against some of the top rated offenses in the league and with a lackluster offense to support them.[2] Half of the Eagles starting defense, including 3 of 4 defensive lineman, made the pro-bowl that season including 2 of the most dominant defensive linemen ever: Reggie White and Jerome Brown.[3] Despite having to face these defenses twice per season in his early years, Emmitt Smith still earned offensive rookie of the year honours and won 3 consecutive rushing titles from 1991 to 1993.
In addition, Smith and the Cowboys had to face the difficult schedule that comes with being a division champion year after year. This included an annual meeting with the other conference powerhouse the San Francisco 49ers. Barry Sanders and the Lions meanwhile played in the far less competitive NFC Central division. The famous “black and blue division” was the epitome of mediocracy and lacked a true powerhouse until the Green Bay Packers emerged in the later years of Sanders’ career.
So while much is made of the fact that Emmitt Smith played on a better team than Barry Sanders did, do not discount that he also played against better competition as well.
To be continued with Reason #5: The offensive line and supporting cast argument is overblown…..
See also
https://cowboyscoffeetalk.com/7-reasons-why-emmitt-smith-is-underrated-reason-1-numbers-dont-lie/
[1](“List of National Football League Records (Team)”. Wikipedia.com. Wikimedia Foundation Inc, Web. 28 Jul. 2017.)
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_National_Football_League_records_(team)
[2] (Kerr, Jeff. “Football Outsiders: 1991 Eagles Defense is the best in last 30 years.” 247sports.com. CBS sports, 20 June. 2017. Web. 28 Jul. 2017.)
[3] (Diviney, Mike. “Was the 1991 Eagles the Best Ever?” Patch.com. Patch Network, 22 Jul. 2012. Web. 28 Jul. 2017.)
https://patch.com/new-jersey/collingwood/bp–defenses-ferocity-makes-it-best-ever
*All statistical data collected and verified through Pro-Football-Reference.com
https://www.pro-football-reference.com/