Sal Paolantonio: Barry Sanders overrated
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by Isaacand
Barry failed in big games; Deion flourished
http://sports.espn.go.com/nfl/columns/story?columnist=paolantonio_sal&id=3055421
Excerpt from the article:
- Indeed, Sanders' only career playoff touchdown was a 47-yard run against the Dallas Cowboys in a 1991 divisional-round playoff game in the Pontiac Silverdome. The Lions won that game 38-6. Sanders' touchdown came in the final minutes of the fourth quarter with Detroit already leading 31-6. The following week, the Lions went on the road to play the Washington Redskins at RFK Stadium. Sanders was not a factor. Detroit took a 41-10 beating.
- Sanders' postseason performance supports the notion that he was a product of the cozy, climate-controlled Silverdome. Nice carpet for easy, stop-on-a-dime maneuvering. Seventy-two degrees. Detroit faithful keeping the defensive line off balance with high decibel support.
In four career outdoor postseason games, Sanders averaged a paltry 2.8 yards per carry. He never scored a touchdown. And he never ran for more than 65 yards in a single game. With Sanders, the Lions went 0-4 in outdoor playoff games, losing by an average of 17 points.
Now, I know Sal Paolantonio is trying to hype his book, but is this really the right way to go about it.
I question whether Sal actually watched games Barry played in, including the 1993 playoff game against Green Bay.
That day, Barry singlehandedly put GB on its heels defensively. He carried the ball 27 times for 169 yards. The Lions defense however blew a late assignment and allowed Sterling Sharpe to get wide open for a TD. A sequence many Lions fans tried to erase from their memories for years.
Its important to note this game because the next year in GB, they made it their mission to let everybody but Barry beat them. They knew he had torched them the year before and they should have lost, so instead, they stacked the box and allowed that HOF Qb Dave Krieg to beat them. Needless to say, the result was a low scoring affair that GB just edged out.
Of the 6 playoff games that Barry played in, the Lions used 4 different quarterbacks(Mitchell, Ware, Kramer, Krieg).
I wonder if that had anything to do with Barry's postseason success?
Barry only got the ball more than 20 times ONCE in those playoff games. His other games the coaching staff kept him to carries of 12, 11, 13, 10, and 18. What running back could be productive with those amount of carries?
As far as the argument that Barry was better on turf. Sure, but what rb isnt better on turf Sal?
And for the record, in 1997, 1996, 1993, 1992 Barry had a higher yards per carry average on grass than on turf. A truly impressive feat considering " Nice carpet for easy, stop-on-a-dime maneuvering" that he employed.
Shame on you Sal for using Barry Sanders as leverage for a new book. God knows if you told the truth, nobody would buy it right?
