Who is the best football you’ve seen play?

[Sled21]

Joe Mixon's 5 or 6 touchdown game was a pretty impressive single game performance as well.

[KillerGoose]

For college, it is probably Tavon Austin. I got into football just after Reggie Bush and Tavon is probably the closest thing we have seen to him since. He was electric and kept you on the edge of your seat every single game. Ton of fun to watch.

For NFL, it was probably Peyton Manning. I know he didn't have the career success that Brady did but man Peyton was a treat to watch. He made football look like art with the way he ran an offense.

[Sled21]

(12-23-2023, 11:52 AM)KillerGoose Wrote: For college, it is probably Tavon Austin. I got into football just after Reggie Bush and Tavon is probably the closest thing we have seen to him since. He was electric and kept you on the edge of your seat every single game. Ton of fun to watch.

For NFL, it was probably Peyton Manning. I know he didn't have the career success that Brady did but man Peyton was a treat to watch. He made football look like art with the way he ran an offense.

"Omaha"

[sandwedge]

(12-23-2023, 11:52 AM)KillerGoose Wrote: For college, it is probably Tavon Austin. I got into football just after Reggie Bush and Tavon is probably the closest thing we have seen to him since. He was electric and kept you on the edge of your seat every single game. Ton of fun to watch.

For NFL, it was probably Peyton Manning. I know he didn't have the career success that Brady did but man Peyton was a treat to watch. He made football look like art with the way he ran an offense.

For a great QB and a decent human he seems to be, I was never a fan of Peyton. He just looked so awkward on the field.... 

[*Synric*]

(12-23-2023, 11:52 AM)KillerGoose Wrote: For college, it is probably Tavon Austin. I got into football just after Reggie Bush and Tavon is probably the closest thing we have seen to him since. He was electric and kept you on the edge of your seat every single game. Ton of fun to watch.

For NFL, it was probably Peyton Manning. I know he didn't have the career success that Brady did but man Peyton was a treat to watch. He made football look like art with the way he ran an offense.

2012 was the first year I bought WVU season tickets and Tavon Austin made them worth every cent. Dude had 114 receptions 1289 yards 12 tds 72 carries 643 yards 8.9 per 3 rushing tds. And to top it off he had punt and kickoff returns for touchdowns that year for 17 total ts in 2012.

[KillerGoose]

(12-23-2023, 12:05 PM)Synric Wrote: 2012 was the first year I bought WVU season tickets and Tavon Austin made them worth every cent. Dude had 114 receptions 1289 yards 12 tds 72 carries 643 yards 8.9 per 3 rushing tds. And to top it off he had punt and kickoff returns for touchdowns that year for 17 total ts in 2012.

He was just phenomenal. I am an Oregon fan but living in Oklahoma I see a lot of OU games. His 2012 game against them when he popped off for 344 rushing yards was pure insanity. Oregon had a guy like him but not quite as good in De'Anthony Thomas. Despite their sizes, I was so convinced that these guys were going to be something in the NFL. So good. 

[Isaac Curtis: The Real #85]

Gonna throw some out here. College first. I have four I wanna mention.

The first is Barry Sanders for Oklahoma State during his Heisman season. He set 34 NCAA records that year. Rushed for 2,628 yards (11 games), averaged 238.9 rushing yards per game. 37 rushing TDs. A punt return and kickoff return TD. 3,250 all-purpose yards. 8.3 yards per play. In 11 games. Throw in 222 more rushing yards and 5 TDs in the Bowl game, and you have 2,850 rushing yards and 42 rushing TDs in 12 games. Plus 2 return TDs.

Everyone knew what was coming. No one could stop it. 215 & 2 TDs vs Iklahoma & 189 & 4 TDs vs Nebraska. 4 300 yard games. TDs: at least 2 TDs every game: 3 with 3, 4 with 4, and 3 with 5.

https://www.heisman.com/heisman-winners/barry-sanders/

For a single game? I can remember watching Ndamukong Suh absolutely dominate a game from NT vs Texas in the Big 12 title game (4.5 sacks, 7 tackles for loss, 12 tackles). Never seen anything like it.

Walter Payton's game breaking the single game NFL rushing mark (later broken by Corey Dillon) gets mention here. 275 yards is great, but the first half is instructive. The Bears QB threw ONE first half pass (6 yd completion to Payton). Every other play was a Payton rush. Every, other, play. 16 carries, 144 yards and one TD. Oh, Payton played with a 101 degree fever and severe flu symptoms.

Last but not least, for in-person, I will go with watching Eddie George win the Heisman vs Illinois in 1995. The Illini had beaten OSU frequently under Cooper (6 of last 7, I think) and boasted a ferocious defense with future NFL stars Simeon Rice & Kevin Hardy. It was a cold, wintery rain all game. Throwing was gonna be problematic. Terry Glenn (OSU's best receiver) was injured and out.

George ran for 286 yards and 2 TDs (thru 3 quarters) and added 4 rec for 32 and a TD. Finished 36 for 316. Crowd chanting Eddie! Eddie! Eddie! It was amazing.

[*jason*]

This is really hard.... I'ma leave the best game out of it. As for the players.... Barry Sanders was amazing. Lawrence Taylor was more than just a problem. Randy Moss was about the most freakish thing I've ever seen. He balled out without even going all out. Right now I love Maxx Crosby, Jahmyr Gibbs (just getting started), our boy Ja'Marr, and then Puka Nacua is a beast (again just getting started).

[Speedy Thomas]

Gotta go old school on you youngsters. Jim Brown for career. A man among boys.

For best single game, I was at Riverfront in 1971 when a pitcher for the Phils named Rick Wise threw a no-hitter and hit 2 homers. Last batter was Pete and he must have fouled off a dozen pitches before lining out to third. I know it's the wrong sport but I had to mention it.

[QueenCity]

(12-23-2023, 11:50 AM)KillerGoose Wrote: Yeah, he was before my time, too. I am 31. However, I have gone back and watched several of his games. He was undoubtedly a great running back. However, he started late (rookie at 25) and wasn't THE guy during his career. Marcus Allen was. Marcus is a Hall of Famer, so it is hard to pin that on Bo but yeah, his production doesn't come anywhere close to matching his legacy. 

His legacy, IMO, was as potentially the best athlete ever. He has an argument there depending on how you want to look at it. He was both a productive MLB player and NFL player. When you watch him, you can see he was that dude, but when people start trying to say he was the greatest ever or that he would have broken all the rushing records I think it is awfully misplaced. 

Right maybe in a different timeline Bo was the greatest... but "best athlete" to me is a joke.  All about production in my eyes.

Literally First Take had a debate yesterday on Moss vs. Jerry Rice.  Sure Moss as an athlete was hands down better than Jerry. But check the stats and Jerry still blows Moss out the water.

[*bfine32*]

(12-23-2023, 11:31 AM)QueenCity Wrote: I don't have the best memory lol

But in college at least the Vince Young / Reggie Bush year was bananas. I think that's always going to be on the tops of peoples list.

LSU Burrow was obviously the GOAT performance out of no where. Bengals sucking and being able to get Burrow changed our franchise.

What made VY's performance the best I've seen from a college player is who he beat. That USC team was a dynasty.

Best NFL performance I've seen was Brett Favre the night after his dad passed. Dude had over 300 yards at halftime

Best NFL player I've ever seen: Deion Sanders

[SladeX]

(12-23-2023, 01:36 PM)bfine32 Wrote: What made VY's performance the best I've seen from a college player is who he beat. That USC team was a dynasty.

Best NFL performance I've seen was Brett Favre the night after his dad passed. Dude had over 300 yards at halftime

Best NFL player I've ever seen: Deion Sanders

I had Farves game in mind as well

[PCB Bengal Fan]

(12-22-2023, 11:50 PM)Housh Wrote: Ngl guys I’m at my job bored and want to have a convo.

No real limits to this question. Also it’s not restricted to guys you’ve seen LIVE. The wording was a bit confusing .


Can be anyone you’ve seen on TV.



Iv got 2 categories




First one is FOR ONE GAME

Second is all time.




So the best guy Iv seen have one good game was Joe Burrow in college in the championship game VS Clemson. Iv never seen a QB be that accurate and that correct with every read.

He was 31-49 5 pass TDs and 1 rush TD. Looking at the box score seeing he has 18 incompletions doesn’t even feel right with how he dominated but to me that was the best individual game I’d ever seen one guy play.



Then for the all time best football player Iv ever seen it’s between Brady, Ray Lewis and Darrell Revis.


I’d go for Revis.

Iv never seen a guy dominate the secondary like him. He’s better than Woodson, Polomalu, Reed, everyone.

Revis could play nickle, boundary, he also had some Mike Hilton in him VS the run. He was so good it was honestly a bad idea to even throw it to his side of the field. I don’t think i have seen another football player be so good at so many things.

Only reason Ray Lewis didn’t win is because he was really that dominate against the pass.

But Ray Lewis is my fave linebacker ever tho. Iv never seen a guy be able to get involved in so many tackles. He was a football genius for sure.

Brady was the beneficiary of historic cheating, Ray was an an accessory to murder & got away with it. Montana was best QB i've ever seen, could you imagine him in today's NFL?
Best individual performance was Corey 278 yds on just 22 attempts on possibly the worst team in franchise history.

[PCB Bengal Fan]

(12-23-2023, 01:14 PM)Speedy Thomas Wrote: Gotta go old school on you youngsters.  Jim Brown for career.  A man among boys.

For best single game, I was at Riverfront in 1971 when a pitcher for the Phils named Rick Wise threw a no-hitter and hit 2 homers.  Last batter was Pete and he must have fouled off a dozen pitches before lining out to third.  I know it's the wrong sport but I had to mention it.

Brown was bigger than d-lineman, played in a league with 12 teams? Barry was better against bigger & faster d-lineman. That's like comparing Mikan to Shaq. Mikan only dominated because he was bigger than everybody.

[*Awful Llama*]

I had the great pleasure and honor to see Barry Sanders live in all ten of his Thanksgiving games as well as a handful of other games over his career. Just hold-you-breath entertainment with that guy. He could have you on the edge of your seat with a run for a two-yard loss.

I've been fortunate to see a lot of great players live going back to the '80s in games here as well as in Detroit and Indy. Dan Marino, John Elway, Steve Largent, Bo Jackson...not to mention all the great Bengals like Kenny, Boomer, Chad and the list is just endless.

[Billy_Bengal]

Best football? Probably a Wilson

[*Wyche'sWarrior*]

Wilson.....but Rawlings had a decent run there for a few years. Spalding, Nike, Shutts, etc....all also rans. When I was a kid in the late 80s, early 90s... Franklin made these awesome smaller rubber footballs with team logos and in team colors that were great for playing backyard football. They were a lot of fun to throw around. Still, it's gotta be Wilson.

[Bengalfan4life27c]

"Chase there is no chase TD Bengals". Bengals Chiefs 1 during our SB year was a thing of beauty too watch

[Speedy Thomas]

(12-23-2023, 04:34 PM)PCB Bengal Fan Wrote: Brown was bigger than d-lineman, played in a league with 12 teams? Barry was better against bigger & faster d-lineman. That's like comparing Mikan to Shaq. Mikan only dominated because he was bigger than everybody.

Man if you think all Jim Brown had was size you need to watch some film

[*ochocincos*]

(12-27-2023, 05:06 PM)Speedy Thomas Wrote: Man if you think all Jim Brown had was size you need to watch some film

In a lot of the clips I've watched of Jim Brown, he does look faster than a lot of the defenders comparatively, but I'm not sure how fast he'd be timed though to compare him to the speed of NFL players today.
But he also doesn't evade much, and a lot of the clips have defenders trying to make terrible tackles and hit with shoulder, allowing him to pick up extra yards often.