It's the usual argument which has no answer.
For all you folks that today's people are "bigger and faster" you forget one very important thing: this isn't a track meet. It's a football game.
One thing I can say with authority having seen both eras is today's football players are dumb, dumber than dumb when it comes to football fundamentals. They think "athlete" means "smart athlete". Wrong.
But to all of you singing Green's praises as "the greatest", don't diss the past. You diss players like Johnny Blood. I like A. Green, and the basic question is unanswerable since the teams will never play in their prime side-by-side.
But for all you young'uns, Jim Taylor played alongside another Hall of Fame running back in Paul Hornung. Imagine Green sharing the backfield with, say, Barry Sanders. Different running style, but you get my drift.
When Bart Starr turned around, he had TWO HOF runners to give it to.
Jim Taylor gained 1000 yards one year with what is equivalent to a torn ligament in his knee. Such an injury today would have meant surgery and missing several games to a full season. He played with it and gained 1000 yards.
They played 14 games, not 16 as now. Over five years, that's the opportunity to gain roughly 1000 more yards if you figure 100 yards per game.
Lastly, one of the toughest human beings to ever play the game...Ray Nitschke--is there anyone here who doubts that? Is there? Said Jim Taylor was the only running back he hated to tackle because Taylor punished HIM.
The sermon is ended. You may go in peace.