Lynch vs. Alexander

[hawker84]

good point. but was the question who would be the best runner behind each others line, or who was/is the best running back in their prime.. i say alexander had a larger skill set and an all around better runner... i think barry sanders is the greatest back of all times, but emmett smith has the record.. put barry behind emmett's line, that record would have been shattered, beyond belief...

 

[sam1313]

Why does it seem that most people voting in this poll are newer fans who came along during the SB run and remember SA during his years of decline?

I take Alexander hands down. I love BeastMode, but come on, this is SA by a mile. The guy won an MVP award! And for everyone talking about the line and how anyone could put up his numbers with that OL just stop. I'm not arguing that we didn't have a stud OL and the best in team history, but SA did what he did for years straight, it wasn't just his record breaking year.

I've honestly never seen a RB with SA's ability to get into the endzone, he was a special player for sure. And yes he actually did run hard. For those of us that watched him for his entire career, his "soft playing style" has been greatly over exaggerated. Did he seek out contact anywhere close to the level of Lynch? No, well he did if it meant scoring 6 points and I think that's why he gets a bad rap in Seattle. Only in this city will a player of close to HOF stature get bagged on by fans because of their "style of play."

Love them both and like Kearly said, they are two completely different runners, but it's SA>BM

Alexander was a talented runner, but I'd take Lynch seven days a week over Alexander. SA was a product of one of the best offensive lines in football for a good 5-6 years, with two potential HOF lineman (Jones/Hutch).

The barometer is easy, how would each runner fare with the other's offense? Lynch would run for 2,000 yards every year with the line SA ran behind. If SA had to run behind this line? He'd be lucky to crack 1,000 yards, because Alexander didn't run through contact, he avoided it.

I totally agree with this, and think ML would have had monster years behind SA's OL. While Lynch doesn't have the all out speed SA did, he doesn't go down easy when getting to the second level (not that SA in his prime went down easy). Beastquake is an awesome example of what the guy can do when the tacklers are not D linemen and LBs, and he isn't exactly slow.

I guess it also comes down to what type of team you like to watch. I like me some smash mouth football, and for that kind of ball there is no way that SA can match ML. Maybe my memory has faded, but I never, ever, remember seeing SA break a tackle in the backfield. Ever. IIRC, SA would go down when hit in the backfield (as seldom as that was), he would avoid hits when running to the sideline, and I never remember him hurting people. Lynch does all of those things every single game. No question in my mind here (even if SA would get more yards and TDs -not saying he would but even if one assumed he would) because our team would not be the same.

Edit: I just read in the Seattle Times that Lynch is on pace for the 3rd best season for any Seahawk running back. Kind of interesting.

 

[rideaducati]

Lynch with Mack Truck, er I mean Mack Strong.

Truth is tho, Shaun ran a lot on the Right side with success, Hutch & Jones weren't always in the play.
Lynch just refuses to let anyone take him down with a high tackle/ Alexander has a 5 TD record in 1/2 game, and 1,880 yard Season, so this isn't an easy choice if we're being honest here.

Shaun Alexander was 5 yards down the field on every run before he got hit. Could you imagine what Marshawn could do with an offensive line that did that for him? Lynch is my pick and I don't think the choice is difficult at all.

 

[redhawk253]

yes alexander had a great o line.. but he still had to make the plays.. lynch is a good running back too.. but he doesn't put up even close to the numbers alexander did.. i love both of them but they are completely different runners.

for you guys that are saying its not even close.. lynch all day.. i'd first ask how old you are and how much you actually watched alexander the great play.. then i'd say go watch some youtube highlights.. it aint the o line choosing what hole to run through or gliding by guys like they are standing still or juking in the open field.. dont be confused by alexanders ailments late in his career and the fallout from the beginning of our o line woes.. he is an alltime great with borderline HOF numbers.

to pick one or the other is silly because this run game was designed for lynch so lynch performs better in it.. i guarantee if you put lynch behind alexander's line the great still comes out ahead simply because of his vision and the way he could cut once and be gone.

 

[sam1313]

yes alexander had a great o line.. but he still had to make the plays.. lynch is a good running back too.. but he doesn't put up even close to the numbers alexander did.. i love both of them but they are completely different runners.

for you guys that are saying its not even close.. lynch all day.. i'd first ask how old you are and how much you actually watched alexander the great play.. then i'd say go watch some youtube highlights.. it aint the o line choosing what hole to run through or gliding by guys like they are standing still or juking in the open field.. dont be confused by alexanders ailments late in his career and the fallout from the beginning of our o line woes.. he is an alltime great with borderline HOF numbers.

to pick one or the other is silly because this run game was designed for lynch so lynch performs better in it.. i guarantee if you put lynch behind alexander's line the great still comes out ahead simply because of his vision and the way he could cut once and be gone.

I disagree, I'm 42, and I've been a fan since I was six. But, more importantly, I just like ML's style of play better. Hated it every time SA ran out of bounds to avoid contact, and he did that a LOT his entire career.

 

[Sgt. Largent]

yes alexander had a great o line.. but he still had to make the plays.. lynch is a good running back too.. but he doesn't put up even close to the numbers alexander did.. i love both of them but they are completely different runners.

for you guys that are saying its not even close.. lynch all day.. i'd first ask how old you are and how much you actually watched alexander the great play.. then i'd say go watch some youtube highlights.. it aint the o line choosing what hole to run through or gliding by guys like they are standing still or juking in the open field.. dont be confused by alexanders ailments late in his career and the fallout from the beginning of our o line woes.. he is an alltime great with borderline HOF numbers.

to pick one or the other is silly because this run game was designed for lynch so lynch performs better in it.. i guarantee if you put lynch behind alexander's line the great still comes out ahead simply because of his vision and the way he could cut once and be gone.

I've watched the Hawks from day #1. I said that SA was a great runner, but this comes down to running style........and I love the way Lynch runs as if his very life depended on him getting one more yard. Lynch has single handedly raised the level of toughness and play of his entire offensive unit. Infectious to the bone. THAT is "better" to me.

I also take exception to "better all around back." Alexander didn't exactly have amazing hands, and he was a terrible blocker...........and by the time Lynch's career is over he's going to equal SA's yards and TD's.

That's the problem with comparing athletes when one is retired and one is still in his prime, you don't have two equally comparable bodies of work. But I'm confident in saying that by the time Lynch's career is over, he will be the "better" back.

 

[MORGULON]

They are such totally different runners its hard to compare.

With the line we had in 05 I'm taking Alexander cause he was the more elusive guy. Like many of the great ones he could get through little cracks and be gone. He also had more straight line speed than Lynch. A bit like Sayers he had a couple of extra gears that if you let him get going in a straight line it was very hard to run him down. He was clear into NFL ball before anyone taught him to breath while running. Up to then he had held his breath on breakaways. After that he was rarely caught from behind once he hit his stride.

With a so-so line we have now a back like Lynch is the best choice by a bus length. I would love to see a dominating O line for Lynch but I think that is still at least 2 years away.

Seahawks fans can truly appreciate a line with all the same players. A couple of times we had that. Most of the Watters years. But of course lines like the ones with Walter, Toebeck, Hutchinson, all in their prime are dream ones that any team would take anytime. I believe that lineup for about 3 years was as good as the O lines of the the Packers in the Paul Horung glory days and for me that's really saying something. Even the 85 Bears couldn't match them.

Think I'm kidding? Take a look at records of most points scored in single games and you will be amazed to see the Golden Boy still holds a bunch of records. And that's from the late 50s and 60s. You'd think with the bigger faster kids of today those records would be blown away.

:les:

Sweet.

I have to take Lynch because he's the type of back I want on my team. Ricky Watters was like that to an extent although they were different types of backs. Here's the question:

1. Could Lynch flourish with the 2005 line?
2. Could Alexander flourish with our present line?

Theres your answer.

 

[ParisPC07]

Considering the numbers that Shaun got out of what was a short productive period in his career, he's one of the best. This is a big argument of what ifs, something we're used to as Seahawks fans. I voted for SA in the poll because I've seen him set records and go to a Super Bowl.

I cannot emphasize enough how badly I want Lynch to change my mind.

Also, on an unrelated note, did you guys know that there isn't a single HD Shaun Alexander highlight video on youtube? Every video I was able to find looks like it was filmed with a cell phone camera circa when SA was playing good ball.

 

[amill87]

Lynch is all about a consistency. He will get a few positive yards almost every time he touches the ball. Problem I see with Lynch is, he rarely runs more than 10 yards. How many times have we all watched there be a HUGE hole opened up and Lynch runs for 5 yards and looks for someone to hit?

I think there is some validation to the statement that Alexander's legacy got tainted by the down years and super bowl loss. It seems some people exaggerate a little about how good Tobeck, Gray, and Locklear were. Jones and Hutch are hall of famers but the other three weren't exactly world beaters (in particular I remember being pissed at old man Gray a couple times). It's easy to look back to the time we went to our super bowl and look at things in a different light than they actually were. I would be very curious to see if someone could compare Tobeck, Gray, and Locklear vs Unger, Moffitt, and Breno. I don't have anything in front of me but I would suspect that it's a bit closer than some think.

With all that said, gotta say Alexander. We can talk all day about what Lynch would've done with his line and what not but Lynch doesn't have Alexander's line and never will. Alexander fit well with what his offense did just like Lynch fits what our offense does. You can't do a fair comparison by throwing in the "yeah but if this happened". What did happen is Alexander had an incredible couple of years capped by one the best seasons by a RB in league history. No where in the record books does it say Touchdowns in a season #2 The Seattle Seahawks offensive line.

 

[Kelly.Orr]

Like how it has gotten to the point of people picking Lynch as I did. That people start questioning how long we have been fans or been watching. I have been a diehard seahawks fan since memory and used to go to every training camp before joining the military. I have watched every game possible since the thought of seahawks was in my brain. I like Lynch because of his brutal running style. He is a lot faster than people think and i think he would surprise you compared to Alexander. I think Lynch is just as fast if not a little faster and more explosive. Detroit game anyone? As some people have said Lynch turns losses to no gains and 2 or 3 yard runs into 6 or 7 yard runs. Now seriously how can you say that Okung, whoever is in at LG, Unger, whoever is RG, is better than HOF Jones, HOF Hutchinson, Tobeck, Chris Gray? I am sorry but i laughed when i saw that. Our line doesn't have the chemistry those guys have yet and they aren't exactly dominating the LOS play in and play out. Lastly have a guy who played with Alexander say Lynch would have had 2000 yards behind us? Shouldn't that tell you something who they think is better and would have hit more home runs? I said it from the first game i saw lynch play against the Bears i said to my family and friends this is the best RB i have ever seen play for us. So it makes me happy that this topic is actually coming to light. Lynch deserves this type talk because of what he brings to the field game in and game out.

 

[rideaducati]

yes alexander had a great o line.. but he still had to make the plays.. lynch is a good running back too.. but he doesn't put up even close to the numbers alexander did.. i love both of them but they are completely different runners.

for you guys that are saying its not even close.. lynch all day.. i'd first ask how old you are and how much you actually watched alexander the great play.. then i'd say go watch some youtube highlights.. it aint the o line choosing what hole to run through or gliding by guys like they are standing still or juking in the open field.. dont be confused by alexanders ailments late in his career and the fallout from the beginning of our o line woes.. he is an alltime great with borderline HOF numbers.

to pick one or the other is silly because this run game was designed for lynch so lynch performs better in it.. i guarantee if you put lynch behind alexander's line the great still comes out ahead simply because of his vision and the way he could cut once and be gone.

I watched every run both running backs ever made with the Seahawks. Alexander was infuriating at times when he would just fall down or run out of bounds to avoid contact. Alexander left A LOT of yards on the field by doing so. I saw many weak arm tackles bring Alexander down between the 20's and rarely see them bring Lynch down. Alexander only stepped it up and got tough when a score was to be had. Alexander seemed to be a "me" guy. Alexander seemed more concerned with self preservation than he was winning. Lynch at times does too much. Sometimes, I wish I could combine the two and make the best running back in the history of the NFL.

Don't get me wrong, I loved what Alexander did. I just think he could have been a WHOLE LOT better. I don't think Alexander gave his all.

 

[Navyhawkfan187]

To me it comes down to how they play in the playoffs. SA disappeared in the SB in 05 and Lynch earthquaked us to a victory in 2010. So for that I take Marshawn by a little baby stiff-arm

 

[hawksfansinceday1]

Curt Warner in 1983 or 1986.

:13: Vision as good as Alexander and ran harder than Shaun though obviously not as hard as Beast. But of course Curt was way more elusive than Marshawn. Between the 2 in the poll, Lynch because I want that huge amount of heart he has. SA didn't have half the heart Beast has.

 

[TestMo1337]

What I'm reading is style vs. production.

While hypothetical are fun, Alexander produced.

Lynch's style though is easily something to long for. In their Prime Alexander's production is redonkilous.

 

[Sgt. Largent]

What I'm reading is style vs. production.

While hypothetical are fun, Alexander produced.

Lynch's style though is easily something to long for. In their Prime Alexander's production is redonkilous.

Lynch doesn't produce? #2 this year, and only behind arguable the greatest RB in history who is playing out of his mind.

Lynch is also only 4,000 yards behind Alexander for career yards. At age 26 he should easily surpass that number.

Let me ask the Alexander supporters one question..........if your life depended on one of these backs getting one yard, who would you choose?

 

[Sac]

SA just slipped by people, super slick for being as big a back as he was. He had a very rare skill set and made it look easy. I think that strength is probably what makes him so under appreciated now.

He made it look so easy it often times looked like he was doing nothing special at all. It's a shame really.

 

[MORGULON]

Alexander folded and fell down if a 190 lb cornerback was near him when he couldve put his helmet in the little dudes chest and picked up another 5 yards. Hey I know a back who does that. Ricky Watters did that too. Remember when Alexander lost the rushing title by like 2 yards and then threw Holmgren under the bus? He over the course of the season probably gave up 100 yards by being a pussy and falling to his knees behind the line of scrimmage if he didnt see a clear running lane.

 

[madbohem]

What I'm reading is style vs. production.

While hypothetical are fun, Alexander produced.

Lynch's style though is easily something to long for. In their Prime Alexander's production is redonkilous.

Lynch doesn't produce? #2 this year, and only behind arguable the greatest RB in history who is playing out of his mind.

Lynch is also only 4,000 yards behind Alexander for career yards. At age 26 he should easily surpass that number.

Let me ask the Alexander supporters one question..........if your life depended on one of these backs getting one yard, who would you choose?

Curt was awesome. There is a lot of younger fans that have no idea how good Warner was. Also, he was a great receiver. I like Lynch a lot, thought Alexander was good too, but Warner was simply amazing. But I think our best back is yet to achieve the spotlight.

 

[TheRealDTM]

What I'm reading is style vs. production.

While hypothetical are fun, Alexander produced.

Lynch's style though is easily something to long for. In their Prime Alexander's production is redonkilous.

Lynch doesn't produce? #2 this year, and only behind arguable the greatest RB in history who is playing out of his mind.

Lynch is also only 4,000 yards behind Alexander for career yards. At age 26 he should easily surpass that number.

Let me ask the Alexander supporters one question..........if your life depended on one of these backs getting one yard, who would you choose?

My fullback

 

[Sac]

Alexander folded and fell down if a 190 lb cornerback was near him when he couldve put his helmet in the little dudes chest and picked up another 5 yards. Hey I know a back who does that. Ricky Watters did that too. Remember when Alexander lost the rushing title by like 2 yards and then threw Holmgren under the bus? He over the course of the season probably gave up 100 yards by being a pussy and falling to his knees behind the line of scrimmage if he didnt see a clear running lane.

This is only correct for that last year and he was playing injured. Even then he gutted out a 40 carry 200 performance.