Alltime NFL Receiving Tandem

SI Staff | Nov 20, 2008

Alltime NFL Receiving Tandem /

Alltime NFL Receiving Tandem

Andre Reed and James Lofton

Buffalo was the third stop in Lofton's career, but he made it memorable with the opportunity to team with Reed. With Hall-of-Famer-to-be Jim Kelly delivering the ball and running back Thurman Thomas keeping defenses honest, Lofton stretched the field with his speed and Reed worked the underneath routes.

Marvin Harrison and Reggie Wayne

Their heydays are over, but Harrison and Wayne terrorized opponents with Peyton Manning pitching the ball to them. They could run any route effectively, catch any pass in traffic and were so competitive that success seemed to bring relief instead of enjoyment, at least in the case of the reserved Harrison.

Jimmy Smith and Keenan McCardell

This is an often overlooked pairing that flourished despite not having an elite quarterback or a pass-first offense. Consider the combined stats for their first four years together: 671 catches, 9,462 yards and 44 TDs. In four of their six seasons they each surpassed 1,000 receiving yards.

Tom Fears and Elroy Hirsch

They were key elements of an offense that revolutionized the forward pass -- Fears a precise route runner, Hirsch the downfield threat. In 1950 Fears set an NFL season record with 84 catches, including 18 in one game against the Packers. The next year Crazy Legs Hirsch set the league record for receiving yards (1,495 yards) and led all players with 17 touchdowns. Both were voted into the Hall of Fame.

Charlie Joiner and John Jefferson

They spent only three seasons together, but what a three years! Jefferson surpassed 1,000 yards and had at least 10 touchdowns in each of those seasons; future Hall of Famer Joiner, who topped 1,000 yards twice, was so consistent that he was sometimes lost in the glare of Jefferson's spectacular leaping grabs.

Isaac Bruce and Torry Holt

It was breathtaking to watch these two perform in the Greatest Show on Turf, under passing-game guru Mike Martz. Bruce and Holt were fast, precise, smart and sure-handed, combining for 613 catches, 9,905 yards and 57 scores in their first four seasons together.

Mark Duper and Mark Clayton

What this diminutive twosome lacked in size, they made up for with speed and playmaking ability, excelling in an offense in which the run was an afterthought. Duper and Clayton, both 5' 9", were Dan Marino's favorite targets when he threw a record 48 touchdown passes in 1984, and from '84 through '92 they averaged a combined 112 catches and 1,822 yards per season.

Cris Carter and Randy Moss

They never made it to the Super Bowl, but there is no denying their dominance. During their four seasons together Carter and Moss combined for 645 catches, 9,793 yards and 93 touchdowns. That's 13 more TDs than Rice and Taylor had in their first four seasons together and 56 more than Swann and Stallworth. The Minnesota pair complemented each other perfectly in that Moss stretched the field with his speed and Carter worked the underneath routes with his Velcro-like hands.

Jerry Rice and John Taylor

Rice holds every major career receiving record, and Taylor consistently came up with big catches -- most notably the touchdown on a 10-yard pass from Joe Montana with 34 seconds to play that gave the Niners a 20-16 victory over the Bengals in Super Bowl XXIII. The pair not only had excellent hands and good speed, but they also were physical run blockers. Like Swann and Stallworth they separated themselves from other tandems by their postseason success, namely three Super Bowl wins.

Lynn Swann and John Stallworth

Although differing in style -- Swann was smooth and acrobatic; Stallworth big, fast and physical -- both were playmakers who made their marks in the postseason. In 16 career playoff games Swann scored nine touchdowns and averaged 18.9 yards on 48 receptions; playing in one more postseason game, Stallworth had 12 TDs and an 18.5-yard average on 57 catches. The two began their careers with Pittsburgh in 1974, won four Super Bowls and landed in the Hall of Fame. <br><br>Honorable Mention Dante Lavelli and Mac Speedie, Browns, 1946-52; Cliff Branch and Fred Biletnikoff, Raiders, 1972-78; Art Monk and Gary Clark, 1985-91; Michael Irvin and Alvin Harper, Cowboys, 1991-94; Ed McCaffrey and Rod Smith, Broncos, 1995-2003.

Published Nov 20, 2008

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