Better Pure Runner. AP or Sanders?

[Fired-Up]

I've been watching football for about 12 years. Never really saw Sanders play live, but I've seen actual original broadcasted games on TV. He was awesome. Sometimes it seemed like I wouldn't see somebody that good until I was 50 years old because his talent was so rare.

The guys that followed him like Faulk, Lewis, LT and the like just weren't as good.

Then came Peterson who lit up the league. Is it reasonable to say he MAY be a better pure runner than Sanders?

I'll explain. AP does not get taken out of goal line and short yardage situations. He has more power than Sanders. If a D-lineman sneaks into the backfield it's likely he ends up on the ground just after he got stiff armed. When AP breaks into the open field it's less likely he's going to be caught. We saw after about week 8 or 9 this year after his knee was fully recovered that this man can truly fly. Barry Sanders never seemed to have that 5th gear. And IF a defender got a decent hold on him he was pretty much going down, relatively speaking.

I will say this as elusive as AP is, he just can't compete in that category with Sanders. Barry's ability to make people miss stands out more than anything AP has in his repertoire.

But it's Peterson's combo of speed, power, agility, vision and size that perhaps elevates him above Sanders.

Let's be real. Peterson has ideal size. At 6'2" his arms are long and his body lean. He can distance himself from defenders with his stiff arm, but be thin enough to have long speed at the same time.

Is AP's well rounded game enough to vault him above Sanders electric elusiveness?

[pacofunk64]

Boy tough question really...I'm biased of course for AP but growing up I saw Scary Barry at his finest. Damn he was good. Probably pure runner AP has him but watching Barry juke those guys out time and time again was just sick.

[Muttman73]

Barry Sanders all day-every day (IMO)

[cwick925]

I grew up watching Barry and while some might say im a homer, No AP is GREAT, But Sanders was by far the best/funnest RB to watch play the game of football ive ever seen

[cwick925]

Barry Sanders all day-every day (IMO)

and with this case, Def twice on sundays.

[Game_Over]

Sanders all day!!

[MinnesotaFtw]

All day, AP.

[Mrphilly]

Im a the Biggest AP fan, and this is an extremely tough question. I would pick AP, because you used the word "Pure". Sanders running style is a style that you would never use as a teaching tool. As amazing as Barry Sanders(My fav Rb of all time) is, he had a lot of negative plays. Barry is the Best Rb ever, but I think AP is the better Pure runner!!!!

[Nymfan87]

Sanders. Best RB in NFL history as far as I'm concerned; I don't give a damn that he's not the all time leading rusher.

[Cub_StuckinSTL]

Pure runner? Sanders

[Bigdaddyburch]

Great question. . Sanders was fun as hell but I would want a guy who hits the hole and goes forward. Not a guy who runs backward no matter what the payoff. AP is a better all round back. Sanders more shifty and quick but AP has everything else.

[NormSizedMidget]

Little hard to compare being such different styles.

Barry was just poetry in motion, I'll go him. I've never seen anything else like that.

[NormSizedMidget]

Great question. . Sanders was fun as hell but I would want a guy who hits the hole and goes forward. Not a guy who runs backward no matter what the payoff. AP is a better all round back. Sanders more shifty and quick but AP has everything else.

I'd take Tom Brady personally....

[Ezekial]

I'm taking Barry Sanders.

AP is so amazing though.

Tough.

[cwick925]

Little hard to compare being such different styles.

Barry was just poetry in motion, I'll go him. I've never seen anything else like that.

Oh how i wish barry was playing today, I think ima have to go watch some sanders tape...

guess i should feel blessed to just have seen him play, Let alone live at the silver dome