Debate: Steven Jackson vs. Frank Gore

Kyle from Rockford, Ill., doesn't see why ESPN.com voters would favor Steven Jackson over Frank Gore in the recent Power Rankings. Gore has a higher average per carry and more touchdowns. Also, the difference in games missed over the past three seasons -- nine for Gore, five for Jackson -- was not all that significant.

Mike Sando: I suspect how the players finished last season influenced perceptions of them. Gore's totals last season were down because he missed the final five games to injury. This is a good discussion to have, however, because both backs are outstanding. How they run and for whom they run will influence preferences. One is a Mustang, the other a Camaro. Both are classics. Both rank among the more productive backs in the NFL over the past few seasons.

We should appreciate both players while we can. The position they play exacts high physical costs. It'll be an upset if both are still producing at high levels even two seasons from now. It could be an upset if both are with their current teams beyond the 2011 season. Gore is entering the final year of his contract with the 49ers. He recently turned 28. The final two years of Jackson's contract can void after the 2011 season. He turns 28 in July. Running backs rarely produce past their late 20s.

Which back is better? This is a discussion I'd like to open for debate. Jackson has clear size advantages over just about every back in the NFL. He is physically superior. Gore's ability to produce on a similar level despite being much smaller stands as part of his appeal. There's no way Gore should be so powerful and punishing, but he is.

Both players are exceedingly tough. They play with admirable heart. Gore's 2010 season ended with a broken hip, but there's no video of him getting carted off or laying on the field. He actually came back into the game after suffering the injury. The 49ers had to hide his helmet to make sure he remained on the sideline. Jackson gives up nothing to Gore in this category. He has played through a back injury that required surgery even though his team was struggling toward a 1-15 record. He has played through numerous other injuries, including groin and finger problems last season.

Matt Williamson of Scouts Inc. recently downgraded Jackson as a player who had "lost a step" and could no longer make big plays in the open field. Was this simply a reflection of a groin injury limiting Jackson's stride? Or is he markedly less explosive?

The stats show Jackson breaking seven runs of at least 20 yards last season. He had 10 in 2009 and six in 2008. Gore had six last season, 11 the year before and eight in 2008. Fourteen players had at least eight last season, including Tim Hightower (eight). Darren McFadden led the NFL with 14 such runs. Maurice Jones-Drew, one of the more explosive players in the league, had eight such plays. Adrian Peterson had nine. Marshawn Lynch had five.

I've put together a chart showing cumulative rushing yardage totals for both players over the past three seasons. Jackson has played in four additional games during that span. Some of the statistical comparisons are imperfect, but the overall body of work does favor Jackson, in my view. The fact that he has missed fewer games during that span skews some of the comparisons, but Jackson was also more valuable for his ability to play in additional games.

2008-2010 Rushing Yardage Totals

Rushing Category	Frank Gore	Steven Jackson
Games Played	39	43
Total Yards	3,009	3,699
September	803	771
October	790	1,048
November	829	803
December	480	969
January	107	108
First quarter	1,008	967
Second quarter	653	1,173
Third quarter	821	881
Fourth quarter	487	676
Overtime	40	2
Games 1-8	1,684	1,968
Games 9-16	1,325	1,731
Left sideline	268	218
Left side	374	977
Middle	1,394	980
Right side	685	1,049
Right sideline	288	475
Own 1- to 20-yard line	728	639
Own 21- to 50-yard line	1,262	1,729
Opponent 49- to 20-yard line	726	1,101
Opponent 19- to 1-yard line	257	230
Inside opponent's 10-yard line	111	57
First down	1,675	2,086
Second down	1,077	1,391
Third down	245	195
Fourth Down	12	27
Third-and-short	113	105
vs. NFC West	1,169	1,186
vs. Arizona	444	379
vs. Seattle	425	428
Home	1,897	1,995
Away	1,112	1,704

Click here to order Frank Gore’s proCane Rookie Card.