Inside the Article:
If you were blessed to see Barry Sanders‘ entire career with the Detroit Lions, you had the opportunity to see who we believe is the greatest running back ever to play in the NFL. During his time in Detroit, Sanders wild the crowd time and time again, as the fans at the Pontiac Silverdome rose their feet almost every time he touched the football. Those Sanders had a ton of great games with the Lions, we are going to take a look at what we believe were the 10 best.
Barry Sanders’ Top 10 performances
Barry had a plethora of great performances during his time in the Motor City, but here are the ten we think are his best.
- December 13, 1997 vs. New York Jets: In this game, Barry Sanders had one of his most memorable performances, rushing for 167 yards and three touchdowns on just 20 carries. He averaged 8.35 yards per carry and was instrumental in leading the Lions to a 34-17 victory over the Jets.
- November 10, 1991 vs. Tampa Bay Buccaneers: Sanders rushed for a career-high 220 yards and two touchdowns on just 27 carries, averaging 8.15 yards per carry in this dominant performance. This game is widely considered one of Sanders’ best performances, as he single-handedly led the Lions to a 33-16 victory.
- November 18, 1996 vs. Green Bay Packers: Sanders had a monster performance against the Packers, rushing for 179 yards and two touchdowns on just 26 carries. He averaged 6.88 yards per carry and was a key factor in the Lions’ 27-24 victory over their division rivals.
- December 22, 1991 vs. Minnesota Vikings: In this game, Sanders had one of his most explosive performances, rushing for 154 yards and three touchdowns on just 20 carries. He averaged 7.7 yards per carry and helped the Lions secure a 34-14 victory over the Vikings.
- November 15, 1992 vs. Tampa Bay Buccaneers: Sanders put up a historic performance against the Buccaneers, rushing for 183 yards and three touchdowns on just 24 carries. He averaged 7.63 yards per carry and helped lead the Lions to a 38-14 victory.
- November 8, 1992 vs. Los Angeles Raiders: Sanders had a dominant performance against the Raiders, rushing for 140 yards and two touchdowns on just 21 carries. He averaged 6.67 yards per carry and played a key role in the Lions’ 27-7 victory.
- December 3, 1995 vs. Minnesota Vikings: Sanders had one of his best performances of the 1995 season in this game, rushing for 169 yards and two touchdowns on just 26 carries. He averaged 6.5 yards per carry and played a major role in the Lions’ 27-17 victory over the Vikings.
- December 24, 1994 vs. New York Giants: Sanders had a historic performance against the Giants, rushing for 167 yards and three touchdowns on just 27 carries. He averaged 6.15 yards per carry and helped lead the Lions to a 27-20 victory.
- December 15, 1996 vs. Indianapolis Colts: In this game, Sanders had a dominant performance, rushing for 167 yards and two touchdowns on just 23 carries. He averaged 7.22 yards per carry and was instrumental in leading the Lions to a 27-9 victory over the Colts.
- November 26, 1995 vs. Green Bay Packers: Sanders had a memorable performance against the Packers, rushing for 153 yards and two touchdowns on just 21 carries. He averaged 7.29 yards per carry and was a key factor in the Lions’ 28-14 victory over their division rivals.
Barry Sanders by the Numbers
During his career with the Lions, Sanders put up some amazing numbers. In fact, had he stuck around until his body was truly ready to retire, he would be the NFL’s all-time rushing leader. Here are some of the stats Barry put up during his time in Detroit.
- Total Rushing yards: 15,269
- Average Rushing yards per game: 99.8
- Total Rushing Touchdowns: 99
- Total Receptions: 352
- Receiving yards: 2,921
- Total Receiving Touchdowns: 10
- Total 100-yard rushing games: 77
