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ESPN lists their Top 10 running backs of all time.

Jim Brown is the big guy on the right

Image details: Jim Brown On The Bench served by picapp.com

1. JIM BROWN

2. BARRY SANDERS

3. WALTER PAYTON

4. EMMITT SMITH

5. GALE SAYERS

6. LADAINIAN TOMLINSON

7. MARSHALL FAULK

8. O.J. SIMPSON

9. LENNY MOORE

10. ERIC DICKERSON

source

Here is a list of the evaluators for ESPN

By the time all was said and done, Don Shula, Marv Levy, Dan Reeves, Robert Smith, Jerry Richardson, Floyd Reese, Jack Bushofsky and Emmitt Thomas had thrown around nearly four dozen names, debated the merits of runners who had seemed flawless when they entered the Pro Football Hall of Fame and helped pare a list to include only the most elite of the elite.

Jim Brown

Hey, Jim Brown was 6′2″ tall and 232 pounds in an era where a lot of linemen weren’t any bigger. He was fast and elusive. Brown only played for 9 years, but dominated all nine. Think of it, 12,000 yards in his career and they only played a 12 game season!

Barry Sanders

The Barry played for my hapless Lions. Oddly coaches used to pull him near the goal line, because of his small stature. Big mistake. Barry was the Lions for his entire career as they rarely surrounded him with any talent. Barry did not even have a good line in front of him. He was so fun to watch.

Walter Payton and Gale Sayers

The two great Chicago Bears blend in my memory. With power, grace, speed, and elusiveness, it seemed the Chicago Bears had great running backs forever.

Emmitt Smith

Dallas would usually give Emmitt a lead fullback block into a huge offensive line. Emmitt had the knack of making one cut off of the block and accelerating for max yards.

Who is in your top 10?

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Tom Brady says One game, we are only talking about One game

Perfectomundo. 16 - 0.

That is an amazing accomplishment. In order to pull that off the Patriots had to play to the end. Tom Brady, Randy Moss, let’s give them a show and win this game.

Now did the winning all 16 games hurt them?

What do you mean? How could that hurt them?

When first you win it is so good. The winning can create a momentum all its own. In other words, winning begets more winning.

Your confidence as a team and as a player can skyrocket!

But the human mind and the human body can take only so much. Doubts and fatigue start to creep in and they tell you that losing one game would not be the end of the world.

Suddenly team focus changes and you play not to lose. We have seen it, oh so many times before. Has this happened to the Patriots?

Some may be wondering if the Patriots will be rusty off a bye week or taxed after 16-0? Will New England succumb to the omnipresent scrutiny? Are Belichick and Co. thinking about the Colts or flashing forward to the Super Bowl?

The Pats are concentrating on just one thing: the Jacksonville Jaguars. source

Now so far those are words.

A few years ago my beloved Pistons entered the NBA finals with an astounding 64 wins in the regular season. They played the starters heavy minutes all season. They wanted home field advantage in the playoffs.

The playoffs arrived and mentally they were a tired team. The Pistons were more interested in being careful and not losing than exhibiting their usual attacking style of offense. Eventually the Miami Heat and Shaq and Wade eliminated them in the Eastern Conference Finals. All that winning had created a unique mental hurdle.

Can the Patriots avoid or overcome that mental hurdle? Read more