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Is DD our E Smith?

Ibar_Harry

Ibar_Harry

All Pro
All the articles point to a very intriguing change in our O-line, because it better fits the running style of DD. He did very well last year, but they think he can be far more effective with the new scheme. Apparently they are very impressed with his ability to find a hole no matter where it is and he doesn't need to be told where it will be. That says a lot. In fact that probably will make him even harder to defend against. It will make it easier for the linemen, because they just have to create a hole. Doesn't matter how its made. Once he's through the hole he runs very hard. I think the real question, however is, how does this affect Carr's protection. Will we be too loose? Is Wand going to really work out? Its hard to wait for TC to start, but there are certainly all kinds of hints on the horizon that we are on the move and a lot of people are starting to take notice.
 
Comparing Davis to the all-time leading rusher in NFL history is a bit of a stretch.
 
Comparing Davis' rookie year to Smith's 1st season is reasonable.

Emmitt – 937 yards rushing (3.9 YPC), 24 receptions-228 yards, 11 TDs

Domanick - 1031 yards rushing (4.3 YPC), 47 receptions-351 yards, 8 TDs

Hey, extrapolate at your own risk. But it doesn't hurt to dream, does it? :)
 
You might also consider work ethic, attitude and a number of others which point to a young man who is similar to E Smith in a lot of ways. All I'm saying is that E Smith wasn't suppose to be much either and he certainly proved a lot of people wrong. There are a lot of similarities between E Smith and DD. DD seems to have that ability to see the hole developing and knows how to run to daylight. I think it's no coincidence that we are changing our blocking scheme to fit him. I think the Texans are very high on DD. He thinks on his feet. That's something a lot of other backs can't do. I give him a lot of credit, and if he can stay away from injuries, I think he is going to be something very special. Remember, no one thought he would be more than a backup or ST player last year, little lone rookie of the year. He proved a lot of peope wrong in his 1st year.
 
Lucky said:
Comparing Davis' rookie year to Smith's 1st season is reasonable.
Click to expand...
So can I call Rodney Thomas the next Walter Payton since he rushed for a 1000 yards his rookie season? Oh wait, Rodney is retired now. My bad. He was close though. He was within 14,000 yards or so of Walter.
 
I get what you are trying to say Harry.

I don't know how Emmitt and DD compare in size but perhaps there might be comparable attributes in other areas.

If he's half the back Emmitt was he'll be superb.
 
Smith was a very good running back who was lucky enough to play with great
teams which made him a statistical leader. But he's in over his head when you're
talking 'bout the Jim Browns, the Barry Sanders, the OJ Simpsons, the Walter Paytons, etc - the great running backs.
Davis is comparable in size, built, speed (neither has real breakaway speed). Both are obviously very hard runners, though they don't have real size. If Davis
can only be half as durable as Smith.
 
WWJD said:
I don't know how Emmitt and DD compare in size but perhaps there might be comparable attributes in other areas.
Click to expand...

Emmitt is 5' 10" 210 lbs
DD is 5' 9" 216 lbs--so DD is actually a little stouter than Emmitt.

IMO stating Emmitt was just a statistical leader with the implication that he is not in the same league as the top RB's is off base. Some people are only impressed by pretty runners and runners that get lots of yards before 1st contact. That is one way to be a great back, but not the only way. Emmitt made his career off of incredible durability and unsurpassed drive. It was the drive that got the yardage not just the O-Line (ever think some of the OL's rep came from Emmitt's success not the other way around)--Emmitt made over 60% of his yardage after first contact, i.e. after the OL was substantially affecting the play. Contrast that to Barry Sanders who made only about a third of his yardage after first contact.

Way to early to predict anything career wise like Emmitt for DD, but DD is similar in that he is not a pretty Sanders/Simpson runner, he is more of an Emmitt, move just enough to minimize the upcoming contact to the point that it can be driven through type runner. Let's hope Riley's fitness program can minimize the niggling injuries DD has suffered.
 
I give Smith credit for being a great competitor - he was tireless, infinite drive,
and example to his teammates. But I don't think he was a great talent. Actually,
he was only the second best runner the Cowboys have had - their best runner
was TD.
I really think the greatest runner who ever played was Bo Jackson. His NFL stats
were miniscule, his time in the NFL was brief, he certainly didn't have long term
durability. But I never saw a Mr. Inside/Mr. Outside combination in one guy like
Jackson.
 
__V__ said:
So can I call Rodney Thomas the next Walter Payton since he rushed for a 1000 yards his rookie season?
Click to expand...
Actually, Payton didn't rush for 1000 in his 1st year. So you could have made a case for Rodney becoming the next Sweetness back in '95 (947 yards rushing). For all I know you did.

If a guy thinks he can make a case for DD becoming the next Emmitt Smith, let him call his shot. No harm, no foul.
 
well i wouldn't say DD is our emitt smith because they started their careers completely different...smith was a first round, starter from beginning, and was always a starter in his career...DD this is the first time he's been a starter since high school...now i will be the first to say i hope DD is the next challenger to e. smith's all time rushing record but i don't believe it will happen
 
It seems like some posters are bothered by the suggestion that DD might be an E Smith on the horizon. I can't understand your negativeness over this issue. All I have said is the young man has shown a lot of talent - I think others have voted on that issue - and may be he will be what E Smith was for the Cowboys. I think the Texans organization is also voting that way based on the changes they are making and the statements that are coming out of the organization. Yes, one season does not make a great running back, but I have simply stated the facts that DD is a lot better than anyone thought he would really be. I think he carried the team as much as anyone did last year. He even overcame an injury that most thought would cause him to be written off. In fact, I thought we put too much emphasis on him in some games last year. But like E Smith he handled well what was thrown at him. I look forward to seeing how he will do this year, and yes just may be, we will be seeing the emergence on a new E Smith type running back who just goes out and shows everyone that he is the real thing even though there are a lot of doubters out there. It would certainly be wonderful to have something for the other team to worry about other than our passing game. That might even make our passing game even more ominus. Oh well, if you want to critize me for being observant, go ahead, but I think I'm going to have the last laugh.
 
i think infantrycak said it best when he mentioned "yards after 1st contact".
i dont have to be gil brandt or mel kiper to see what kind of awesome leg drive davis has. in that sense hes very much like smith as well as comparable in size, quicks, and shiftyness. i think we all know by now he dosent have the break away speed. but it seemed to me the first defender could never bring him down...he always just kinda slowed him up till he got help. he almost always got positive yardage after first contact. i also find it encouraging that he makes it publicly know that he thinks hes capable of 2000 yards. kinda tells ya his leg drive isnt the only drive he has.

i'll go out on a limb here and say...unless he has an injury and unless the o-line is decimated with injuries...davis will have 1500+ this year on the ground. perhaps a little lofty but hey, im entitled to get caught up in the preseason hype arent i?
 
Didn't Smith miss the first 3 or 4 games of his rookie year, holding out for a bigger contract? I know that has little to do with the thread, but an enquiring mind needs to know. :hehe:
 
Pruzoo said:
Didn't Smith miss the first 3 or 4 games of his rookie year, holding out for a bigger contract? I know that has little to do with the thread, but an enquiring mind needs to know. :hehe:
Click to expand...

Emmitt started 15 of 16 games his rookie year. Don't know why he missed the one.
 
Emmitt did hold out one of the Super Bowl seasons. I want to say it was 1993. Anyway, he held out the first two games of the season and had something like 25 TD's.
 
Well Earl was the best RB if you ever want to talk about yards after contact. I know we are not talking about Earl but let us take time out to remember one of the great ones.

I think DD can and will be the man this year and for many years to come. Yeah he gets caught from behind, but he gets caught from behind alot.

V-it is funny you brought up Rodney Thomas cause I was wondering whatever happened to that guy.
 
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