Buffalo Barbarian Posted March 29, 2015 Share Posted March 29, 2015 OJ Simpson was the best running back I've ever seen play for anyone... period. So there you go. How dare you insult your name like that Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Buffaloed in Pa Posted March 29, 2015 Share Posted March 29, 2015 Different time era`s between O.J. and Thurman . Both had their advantages. Thurm with Kelly and co. O.J. against smaller slower players of the day. Hard to pick. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Uffalo Ills Posted March 29, 2015 Share Posted March 29, 2015 The only comparable rb in today's nfl is AP. My take: Best pure rb = OJ Best all purpose back= TT Ok, this is something I definitely agree with. Very Well Said. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DC Tom Posted March 29, 2015 Share Posted March 29, 2015 Honorable mention for Ronnie Harmon. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
realtruelove Posted March 29, 2015 Share Posted March 29, 2015 (edited) OJ ran for over 2000 yards in a 14 game season. As one other poster said, he was the Bill's offense during his career. OJ is clearly number 1 of all time for the Bills. Thurman is number 2. Fred Jackson is number 3. Edited March 29, 2015 by realtruelove Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BackInDaDay Posted March 29, 2015 Share Posted March 29, 2015 Thurman had one of the best O-lines in team history. OJ was the best...Just watch his hi-lites. Thurman a close 2nd. Also for years Bills had no passing game. Teams knew OJ was getting the ball and still couldn't stop him OJ was the most exciting RB i've ever seen - balance, speed, and power. but what i foubd myself watchin, were the guys in Bills jerseys with numbers higher than 49 running laterally and then downfield to block.. jeez.. whadya call them, again? 😏 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mr. WEO Posted March 29, 2015 Share Posted March 29, 2015 OJ Thurman Cookie Cribbs Fred Henry Lynch Bell Willis The fun part about this is that Shady could end up in that mix. He could end up at 3 or 4 if he plays to his level. Interesting you are one of the few to put McGahee inn there. He played in more games for the Bills than Gilchrist, more YPG and fewer fumbles. Never saw Cookie play, but putting modern RBs against guys from the 60-70's puts modern players at a disadvantage. As others point out, the running game has changed not just because "it's a passing league", but because the Dlines and LBs are faster and more athletic nowadays across the board. You don't have the same RBs (rare exceptions) dominating the top spots for rushing year after year anymore. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chandler#81 Posted March 29, 2015 Share Posted March 29, 2015 With apologies to the Goldman, Brown, and Thomas families, OJ Simpson may be one of the top 3 running backs in the 95 year history of the NFL. He's by far the best running back in Bills history. Since we're on this topic, it's kinda interesting that the Bills have had the best special teams player (and future HOFer) Tasker, the best DE ever in Bruuuce (Deacon Jones and Reggie White are behind Bruce in my eyes), one of the best RBs ever in OJ? That's pretty good considering we're a sub .500 team over 55 years. Actually, NO team has more 1000 yrd rushers than us (ok, 2 other teams are tied with us) The Dirty Dozen: http://www.footballsfuture.com/phpBB2/viewtopic.php?t=507934 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ProcessAccepted Posted March 29, 2015 Share Posted March 29, 2015 I'd say the evidence supports OJ Simpson's claim to this distinction, beyond a reasonable doubt. Does anyone else even belong in the discussion? Thurman did it all. Running, Catching and Pass Protection. TT brought more to the team when you consider all his contributions. The K Gun was possible because of TT Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
beerme1 Posted March 29, 2015 Share Posted March 29, 2015 LeSean McCoy Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nucci Posted March 29, 2015 Share Posted March 29, 2015 Thurman did it all. Running, Catching and Pass Protection. TT brought more to the team when you consider all his contributions. The K Gun was possible because of TT Yes he did but OJ is still the best. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SRQ_BillsFan Posted March 29, 2015 Share Posted March 29, 2015 (edited) OJ is top 5 NFL all time. Love me some Thurman, but he's not in the conversation. Anyone that would rank Thurman ahead of OJ was simply to young to watch OJ play. It's that simple. As far as the NFL goes to me it's Jim Brown and OJ everyone else is a step behind. Back then Buffalo had no game other than running, and they still said here we come, try and stop OJ. The first 2,000 was an unbelievable feat. Sure others have beat it, but they had a record to go after. When OJ did it it was beyond belief that a running back met that threshold. Prior to that it was like the 4 minute mile that people went for but could not break. I often wonder if he had today's training methods what he could do today because his speed and vision were unmatched. Many a time the guy was caught and slipped through the smallest of holes. While he didn't have Browns strength to break tackles he had the strength to break many. His best and the most fun to watch was when he would get hemmed in and take it the other way. While I loved Thurman OJ was a pleasure to watch. Just too bad he had to go and screw up his legacy. While I like to pretend he didn't do it, few people believe that to be true. I still remember the cover of SI in. '73. It was "2003 the year of Super Simpson". Had it on my wall for years as a teenager. Edited March 29, 2015 by SRQ_BillsFan Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Beerball Posted March 29, 2015 Share Posted March 29, 2015 Best runner Juice. Best RB Thurman. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BobbyC81 Posted March 29, 2015 Share Posted March 29, 2015 Awesome video - kind of forgot how great a runner OJ was....and I was really amazed at how far down field members of the O-line were on many of those runs....Joe D and Reggie McKenzie just blew holes open.... Yeah, Joe D made the Hall of Fame but I always thought McKenzie was just as good. JD Hill and Bob Chandler were excellent downfield blockers as well. OJ Thurman Cookie Cribbs Fred Henry Lynch Bell Willis The fun part about this is that Shady could end up in that mix. He could end up at 3 or 4 if he plays to his level. The Bills also had another RB from Oklahoma ST, Terry Miller, that had a 1000 yard season with the Bills in his rookie year of 1978. Did little after that though. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hondo in seattle Posted March 29, 2015 Share Posted March 29, 2015 (edited) I think OJ is arguably the best back in history - at least in regards to carrying the ball. Maybe the best ways to compare backs of different eras is to compare their production to the production of their peers. By that standard, OJ's 1973 season was the most dominant ever by a RB. His 2003 rushing yards were 75% better than the total of the next most productive back (Brockington, 1144)! Brockington, Calvin Hill, Larry Csonka, and Lawrence McCutcheon all had good seasons. But they couldn't come close to what OJ was accomplishing. Here are the best five seasons in NFL history: 1. OJ, 1973, 75% ahead of his nearest peer. 2. Jim Brown, 1963, 70% 3. OJ, 1975, 46% 4. Walter Payton, 1977, 45% 5. Jim Brown, 1965, 38% Edited March 29, 2015 by hondo in seattle Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BobbyC81 Posted March 29, 2015 Share Posted March 29, 2015 Thurman had one of the best O-lines in team history. OJ was the best...Just watch his hi-lites. Thurman a close 2nd. Also for years Bills had no passing game. Teams knew OJ was getting the ball and still couldn't stop him I'll always remember that Al Meltzer call on the run that put him over 2000 followed by the Rick Azar comment. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Jokeman Posted March 29, 2015 Share Posted March 29, 2015 (edited) OJ is in the debate for top 5 of all time in NFL history, As much as Thurman did for the team he wasn't as good a player as OJ was as Thurman might be in the discussion in top 20. Look no further than Thurman's best statistical season, 1992 when he had 2113 yards from scrimmage and 12 TDs in 15 games. By contrast OJ's best season of 1975 he had 2242 yards and 23 TDs in 14 games played. Edited March 29, 2015 by The Jokeman Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jr1 Posted March 29, 2015 Share Posted March 29, 2015 Orenthal Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
klos63 Posted March 29, 2015 Share Posted March 29, 2015 I think thurman is #1 just because OJ was talented, but he clearly sucked later in his career. This was him falling off the cliff early due to overplay, but also due to not having an epic oline. He was basically demarco murray, good player, but legendary oline. Thurman didnt really have that. That might be an oversimplification, but, idk. Tinker Bell ought to be somewhere on this list. he was pretty good when healthy OJ was a special player. Thurman was tremendous and deservedly in the HOF, but from a running standpoint, I'm biased, but I've still never seen a more graceful, fast runner than OJ. It was amazing to watch him run. It seemed like he never got touched, sweep to OJ and watch him just pull away from everyone. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Billsfansince90 Posted March 29, 2015 Share Posted March 29, 2015 Derrick Holmes, lol Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bills Fan of St Augustine Posted March 29, 2015 Share Posted March 29, 2015 (edited) Thurman had one of the best O-lines in team history. OJ was the best...Just watch his hi-lites. Thurman a close 2nd. Also for years Bills had no passing game. Teams knew OJ was getting the ball and still couldn't stop him Damn - thanks for the memories! Juice was the best I ever saw, TT not close as a pure RB. Barry Sanders was the only other back I ever watched who might have been a match. Walter was close...I never really saw Jim Brown...IMO the juice was lights out the best ever!....Truly a shame the way it ended... Edited March 29, 2015 by Bills Fan of Maryland Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chris heff Posted March 29, 2015 Share Posted March 29, 2015 Interesting you are one of the few to put McGahee inn there. He played in more games for the Bills than Gilchrist, more YPG and fewer fumbles. Never saw Cookie play, but putting modern RBs against guys from the 60-70's puts modern players at a disadvantage. As others point out, the running game has changed not just because "it's a passing league", but because the Dlines and LBs are faster and more athletic nowadays across the board. You don't have the same RBs (rare exceptions) dominating the top spots for rushing year after year anymore. I saw Gilchrist play. If Gilchrist had taken the usual route to the AFL or NFL he would be considered one of the greatest of all time. He didn't start playing professionally in the US until he was 28 years old. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
vincec Posted March 29, 2015 Share Posted March 29, 2015 I saw Gilchrist play. If Gilchrist had taken the usual route to the AFL or NFL he would be considered one of the greatest of all time. He didn't start playing professionally in the US until he was 28 years old. Van Miller said that he thought Cookie Gilchrist was every bit as good as Jim Brown. I agree with those saying that OJ was a better runner. However, it's interesting to me that if I was going to put together a best all time Buffalo Bills football team that actually had to play a game, I would take Thurman. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
keepthefaith Posted March 29, 2015 Share Posted March 29, 2015 Derrick Holmes, lol What about Tim Tindale? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lurker Posted March 29, 2015 Share Posted March 29, 2015 (edited) The amazing thing about OJ was that for a guy 6'2' 212lb he had the ability to turn on the jets with world class speed. http://articles.latimes.com/1987-06-17/sports/sp-4512_1_years-ago-today Love me some Thurman, but if OJ played on the Bills Super Bowl teams, I think we'd be talking about one for the thumb and not 0-4.... Edited March 29, 2015 by Lurker Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MyHorseAteTheKid Posted March 29, 2015 Share Posted March 29, 2015 Joe Cribbs at # 3? Aggree!!! Juice, Thurman, Cribbs, Cookie and the Rest... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SF Bills Fan Posted March 30, 2015 Share Posted March 30, 2015 I'm going Thurman based on his versatility as a back catching passes out of the backfield. OJ number 2 then CG. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hondo in seattle Posted March 30, 2015 Share Posted March 30, 2015 I'm glad to see Cookie Gilchrist getting mentioned though I'm wondering what you guys are basing this on. Did you actually see him play? There are very few highlights of Cookie available (though hopefully that will soon change). Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fadingpain Posted March 30, 2015 Share Posted March 30, 2015 Thurman is what I consider one of the greatest "offensive weapons" of all time. Are you trying to move the ball downfield? Are you trying to get first downs? Are you trying to score? Then you want Thurman on your side, and on the field. The man was an all-time great offensive weapon. OJ was a different sort of player; he was a great pure runner with world class sprinting speed, something Thurman never had. The better pure runner is OJ; the guy I'd take on my team is Thurman. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Overseas Bills Fan Posted March 30, 2015 Share Posted March 30, 2015 I'd say the evidence supports OJ Simpson's claim to this distinction, beyond a reasonable doubt. Does anyone else even belong in the discussion? Thurman Thomas! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SoulMan Posted March 30, 2015 Share Posted March 30, 2015 Thurman. Period. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cinga Posted March 30, 2015 Share Posted March 30, 2015 Thurman had one of the best O-lines in team history. OJ was the best...Just watch his hi-lites. Thurman a close 2nd. Also for years Bills had no passing game. Teams knew OJ was getting the ball and still couldn't stop him Bullsh1t... Rashad, Moses, JD Hill, Chandler... It wasn't that we had no passing game, we had a coach, Saban, that chose not to use it... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Big Turk Posted March 30, 2015 Share Posted March 30, 2015 I've heard some say that Cookie was the best RB the Bills ever had, but I've never seen him... OJ was obviously ultra talented, but the game was a lot different then also...as a pure runner, I'd give OJ the nod over Thurman. However, as an all-purpose RB Thurman was in a league of his own---he was exceptional at running, receiving and blocking Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
purple haze Posted March 30, 2015 Share Posted March 30, 2015 (edited) You make a good point, he had superior elusiveness. Look up some thurman film, though and compare. I'm not saying OJ isnt one of the greatest of all time, just that thurman narrowly beats him out. I LOVE Thurman Thomas' game. He was a great player in his own right. He could do it all. I give OJ the nod over him, because, even as great as Thurman was, he did not have OJ's superior combo of power, speed and elusiveness. OJ is 6'1 215 w/legit sprinter's speed (I believe at USC he was on a record setting relay team), power and elusiveness. #34 had these things, but not to the same level as the Juice. OJ really was a generational talent; an exciting player because he did things other runners couldn't do. Every time he touched the rock people stood up; including fans of the other team, because something great might happen. But if you prefer Thurman I can't knock you. Thurman was dynamite in all phases and one of my favorite Bills of all time. He was just different than what OJ brought. To me, I take a generational talent over a great talent every time. I'll take Barry Sanders over Emmitt Smith. I'll Take Jerry Rice over Tim Brown. I'll take Dan Marino over Joe Montana. Those other players are GREAT, but If a team has a chance to get a once in ten years type of talent at their position, they have to do that and BUILD around that talent effectively. I'm not a big hockey person, but to put my thought in a current discussion, for the Sabres fans on the board, do you take Eichel over McDavid given the choice? Or do you take McDavid and run? Then ask yourself why? Edited March 30, 2015 by purple haze Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lurker Posted March 30, 2015 Share Posted March 30, 2015 Bullsh1t... Rashad, Moses, JD Hill, Chandler... It wasn't that we had no passing game, we had a coach, Saban, that chose not to use it... With Dennis Shaw and a rookie Joe Ferguson, that was a good move. Fergy didn't give them a real passing threat until '75, well into OJ's run... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
machine gun kelly Posted March 30, 2015 Share Posted March 30, 2015 I think thurman is #1 just because OJ was talented, but he clearly sucked later in his career. This was him falling off the cliff early due to overplay, but also due to not having an epic oline. He was basically demarco murray, good player, but legendary oline. Thurman didnt really have that. That might be an oversimplification, but, idk. Tinker Bell ought to be somewhere on this list. he was pretty good when healthy Bud, we had one of the best offensive lines in football with Thurmon Thomas. Ritcher, Wolford, House Ballard, and so on. They may not have been Dallas in those days, but I'd placed them #2 in the league. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bufcomments Posted March 30, 2015 Share Posted March 30, 2015 OJ was not only the best RB in Bills history, he was the most talented player than EVER had. OJ wins and it not even close. I saw every game of that 73' season when he gained 2003 yds. But his best overall season was in 75' IMO. Thomas 2nd. We don't go to 4 straight Super bowls without him. He was clutch. He was huge in the playoffs . What great hands out of the backfield. He was the best receiving RB we ever had. Joe Cribbs 3rd. I don't think many people would put him this high but I do. BeastMode 4th I am a huge Marshawn Fan and still mad it didn't work out here for him. Travis Henry 5th. Henry had some awesome years here. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
WotAGuy Posted March 30, 2015 Share Posted March 30, 2015 (edited) I started watching the Bills in 1968. OJ is, hands down, the best Bill ever - even better than Jimbo. OJ had every opponent keyed on him and he still made yards - and led the league in 1972 before the line jelled into the "Electric Company". OJ could run in any weather or field conditions. He is the Bills' most electric player I have seen. Thurman is the clear #2 RB. I am surprised Freddy has such strong numbers, looking at the Bills career RBs. It's even more amazing considering how often he played behind crappy lines and seemed to have a lot of runs where he had a guy on him before he got the handoff. I love the guy, but wouldn't have guessed his numbers are as strong as they are. Amazing. He is as fun to watch as Thurman was. Cookie had a TD every 21.8 rush attempts, which is an amazing stat in itself. No one else is close. Edited March 30, 2015 by WotAGuy Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
maddenboy Posted March 30, 2015 Share Posted March 30, 2015 (edited) I started watching the Bills in 1968. OJ is, hands down, the best Bill ever - even better than Jimbo. OJ had every opponent keyed on him and he still made yards - and led the league in 1972 before the line jelled into the "Electric Company". OJ could run in any weather or field conditions. He is the Bills' most electric player I have seen. This. OJ was one of the best players ever. No matter what team. Sorry if you guys are too young to remember. I'm only in my 40s but OJ is in the conversation for best RB ever (after Jim Brown and maybe Barry Sanders). The feeling of wearing a 32 Bills Jersey back then was unlike the feeling of any other Buffalo sports player before or since. Tingly. Super prideful. Unmatched. done. Edited March 30, 2015 by maddenboy Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chandler#81 Posted March 30, 2015 Share Posted March 30, 2015 Bill Arsbarger, DC of the Dolphins in the early 90's when asked how how do stop Thurman Thimas? His reply; Trade for him! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts