Corey Dillon was not Marshall Faulk so I will clarify that first, but some of you all are mistaking excuses for fact. Corey Dillon played on the modern day equivalent of the Browns. He played for the most inept and arguably worst organization in the league. Marshall Faulk played on a team and in an offense that had their own nickname they were so good. Faulk was a more versatile back and overall better back. Faulk is probably the best all around back I've ever seen outside of Leveon Bell. But Dillon was the best pure running back in the league at the time and played on one of the worst teams. Dillon should be in the HOF simply for having to play for Cincinnati all of those years.

Any time you have to make excuses for a player's career, maybe he's just not a HOFer.

 

Even with that excuse and every team keying on him. He still ran for more yards than current hall of fame running backs. Terrell Davis really had no reason to be in the hall of fame then. Dillon career was even better than his.

 

I'm pointing out that yes he very well should be considered then.

Not buying it, Dillion could run...but his total game isn't on par with Marshall. Using your metric if Tim Couch had went to the Patriots instead of the Browns he might be in the HoF. Team does matter, but at the end of the day all we can measure them on is what they are actually able to produce. Dillion never had the hands that Marshall did in the pass game and Marshall also played on a couple of 3-13 Colts teams as well.

Couch sucked for a bad team. Dillon was a stud on a bad team. Dillon produced, Couch didn't.

How I feel about Corey Dillon resembles how I feel about Joey Votto. Most underappreciated stars in Cincinnati sports history.

Even with that excuse and every team keying on him. He still ran for more yards than current hall of fame running backs. Terrell Davis really had no reason to be in the hall of fame then. Dillon career was even better than his.

 

I'm pointing out that yes he very well should be considered then.

 

I agree.

 

Bobby Doerr and Rick Ferrell are in the baseball HOF. Sometimes the powers-that-be mess up.

Corey Dillon was a really good player. The question becomes — and this is my criteria for MLB HOF as well — did anyone really fear him?

I agree.

 

Bobby Doerr and Rick Ferrell are in the baseball HOF. Sometimes the powers-that-be mess up.

 

So is Don Sutton. And Terrell Davis is in the FB HOF.

If Floyd Little got in the HOF, then Dillon should be a lock. Look up Floyd Little's stats. He may be one of the biggest head scratchers in the HOF.

Dillon averaged 1,124 yards per season rushing. That is better than these Hall of Fame running backs:

 

Jerome Bettis

Tony Dorsett

Marshall Faulk

Marcus Allen

Franco Harris

Thurman Thomas

John Riggins

OJ Simpson

 

Interesting comparisons and valid. Franco, Riggins, and OJ played primarily in 14 game seasons.

 

IMO, 1,124 yards per season isn't very special in a 16 game season. That's only 70 yards per game. I realize I have high standards due to who my favorite RB is.

 

Jim Brown is so impressive when compared to other backs. He averaged 104 yards per game. He averaged 1,368 yards per season in 12 and 14 game seasons and 5.2 yrds per carry.

Corey Dillon was a really good player. The question becomes — and this is my criteria for MLB HOF as well — did anyone really fear him?

 

I would say yes because when teams played the Bengals. Teams knew he was the only one who could beat them, since they had no passing game or even receivers. They seen what he was capable of by setting 2 individual game records. His one record came against the number one rush defense in the league in the Broncos. So teams knew he could single handily beat you. So just focus on him and don't let him loose and you win.

Corey Dillon was a really good player. The question becomes — and this is my criteria for MLB HOF as well — did anyone really fear him?

He was the only thing to fear on the Bengals at the time. So yes teams definitely feared Corey. Like futurecoach said earlier, he was seeing an 8 man box on basically every play and he still produced at a ridiculously high level.

Dillon is in that Fred Taylor and Frank Gore zone of really good players, but not enough for me to ever think of them as a HOFer. Of those three, Dillon would be third, btw.

And people can't look at the NFL and compare it to MLB Hall of Fame criteria... especially stat accumulator guy. In the NFL you just know if someone is or isn't in. If you have to make a case, you are not in the Hall of Fame.

Dillon is in that Fred Taylor and Frank Gore zone of really good players, but not enough for me to ever think of them as a HOFer. Of those three, Dillon would be third, btw.

 

Dillon imo was better than both. However those two will get in before Dillon though. If Dillon played for anyone else I think everyone else's opinion of him would be so different. He wasn't even in his prime anymore when he finally had a qb that didn't allow teams to always have 8 men in the box and he ended up running for 1600 yards leading the nfl.

Dillon imo was better than both. However those two will get in before Dillon though. If Dillon played for anyone else I think everyone else's opinion of him would be so different. He wasn't even in his prime anymore when he finally had a qb that didn't allow teams to always have 8 men in the box and he ended up running for 1600 yards leading the nfl.

Well, it is not as if they played with tremendous talents either behind Center, either. And maybe/probably Dillon's fortunes would have been different had he played in a better situation. Lots of players can say that.

 

(As an aside, I'm convinced Fred Taylor would have been a top 5 RB all time had he been in a better situation and stayed healthy but that is for another thread.)