Don’t look now, but it’s the Baltimore Ravens who lead the NFL in points differential. The Ravens had a historic season in 2019, easily leading the league in this category. But in 2020, it’s been a rough year for Baltimore: they had clinched the 1 seed this time last season, but are still needing a win or some help in week 17 to make the 2020 postseason. Not too long ago, the Ravens were 6-5 after a Wednesday night loss with a depleted roster to the Steelers. Since then, the Ravens have won four straight games by a total of 62 points. That is enough to give Baltimore the best points differential in the NFL entering week 17. [continue reading…]
Kelly and Allen discussing era adjustments.
These four AFC teams have something else in common: if you don’t adjust for era (which one should always do except when writing articles like these), they are currently guiding the best passing offenses in franchise history. This season, NFL teams are averaging 6.35 ANY/A, which would be the greatest passing season in league history. Now, Raiders fans may not think 1976 Ken Stabler has been guiding the team this year, but hey, we are ignoring era-adjustments in this article. As always, we are using Adjusted Net Yards per Attempt to grade the passing offenses. [continue reading…]
[[Update: Mahomes hit the 1,500 pass attempt mark in week 11 against Tampa Bay, and did so with exactly 1,000 completions. He had thrown for 12,782 passing yards, with 105 TDs and 20 INTs. That translates to an amazing 110.9 passer rating. When he threw that 1500th pass, a 9-yard completion to Demarcus Robinson right after the 2-minute warning in the first half, he automatically became the all-time career leader in passer rating. He moved ahead of Deshaun Watson (103.6), who had just moved ahead of Rodgers (103.3) after his great performance on Thanksgiving. Mahomes is now the newest career passer rating king, and will finish the 2020 season — and probably several more — as the all-time leader.]]
To qualify for the career leaderboard in rate statistics, a passer needs to record 1,500 pass attempts.
Aaron Rodgers reached the 1,500 pass attempt threshold on November 28, 2010 in a loss to the Falcons. At the time, his career passer rating was a few hundredths of a point behind Philip Rivers (97.34 to 97.28). As of Christmas, 2010, Rivers still held a narrow lead, but Rodgers passed him (with little fanfare) in week 16. And since week 16 of the 2010 season, Rodgers has been alone atop the passer rating leaderboard.
But in a couple of weeks, he will lose his crown. That’s because Patrick Mahomes, he of the 110.5 career passer rating, is coming up on 1,500 career pass attempts. When he does, he will become the newest passer rating king. The statistic wasn’t first used in the NFL until the 1973 season, but we can still create a historical archive (which is exactly what PFR’s Mike Kania did). The graph below shows the career leader in passer rating after every season, minimum 1,500 NFL attempts, color-coded by team. [continue reading…]
I’ve written several histories of NFL career records, but the history of the career receiving touchdowns record is the most fascinating to me. Twelve men held the receptions title, and eleven held the receiving yards record. Seven different players held the record for rushing yards and for rushing touchdowns. Eleven quarterbacks held the passing yardage crown, while ten captured the touchdown title. This record is different. Thanks, primarily, to Don Hutson and Jerry Rice, only four players have held the record for receiving touchdowns since the NFL started keeping official statistics in 1932.
Receivers to Hold the Career Receiving Touchdowns Record
Johnny Blood (7 years as record-holder)
By the end of 1932, the first season in the official NFL record book, Blood had scored 25 receiving touchdowns. Most of those occurred in the “pre-stat” era, with 22 of his scores coming between 1926 and 1931. That includes a career high (by far) eleven touchdowns in 1931—he never had another season with more than five touchdowns. He played until 1938, slowly racking up touchdowns and retiring with 37 through the air.
Don Hutson (49 years, 3 months as record-holder)
Huston finished the 1939 season with 36 receiving touchdowns, just one shy of Blood’s record. To begin 1940, he tied the record in the third quarter of a blowout loss to the Bears, and he broke it in the opening quarter of a blowout win over the Cardinals. He got a fortunate break when WW2 took much of the talent from the NFL; during the war-depleted years, Hutson had by far his most productive touchdown seasons (1941-43 were his only three season with double-digit receiving scores). He ended his career with 99 receiving touchdowns, a number that wasn’t approached for decades.
Steve Largent (3 years as record-holder)
Largent was two touchdowns shy of the record coming into the 1989 season. Things looked dim for the receiver, who scored in week one but followed with ten straight weeks in which he failed to find the end zone. However, he was able to tie the record in game twelve and subsequently break it in week 14. The last touchdown of his storied Hall of Fame career was the one that gave him sole possession of the record. He didn’t hold the record for long, because the most prolific player of all time was already on his heels.
Jerry Rice (27 years, 10 months as record-holder, so far)
Through seven seasons (1985-91), Rice had already compiled 93 receiving touchdowns. [1]He did this despite a slow start, hauling in just three touchdown passes as a rookie. Rice then scored 15, 22, 9, 17, 13, and 14 receiving touchdowns, averaging a touchdown per game over that span. In week 12 of 1992, Rice tied Largent’s record in a victory over the Eagles. The following week, in a dominant win over the Dolphins, World gained sole possession of the record, becoming the first player in history to top the century mark. He added an incredible 96 touchdowns after that, walking away with 197 and a distant lead over anyone before or since. [2]The second and third place receivers, Randy Moss and Terrell Owens, were incredibly productive for several years. Moss finished with 156, and Owens finished with 153. The two of them have a sizable … Continue reading
Future of the Career Receiving Touchdowns Record
This record seems like it’s going to last for a pretty long time. As of today, the top ten active leaders in touchdowns are:
Larry Fitzgerald – 120
Rob Gronkowski – 79
Jimmy Graham – 75
Antonio Brown – 75
Jason Witten – 72
A.J. Green – 63
Demaryius Thomas – 63
Greg Olsen – 60
Julio Jones – 57
DeSean Jackson – 55
DeAndre Hopkins – 55
Fitzgerald is 37 and is still 77 touchdowns short of the record. Gronk needs 118 to tie, which would more than double his career output to date. Given his injury history, it’s a little outlandish to expect him to come anywhere close. Graham is 122 shy and is just not very good anymore, and he hasn’t been for some time now. Brown is also 122 away, and he is both 32 years old and out of the league for being a total head case.
Witten has looked and played like an old man since he entered the league. Green looks like he aged a decade overnight. Thomas can’t find a team, and Olsen looks his age. Jones famously doesn’t score touchdowns, while Jackson is 33 and not the threat he once was.
Looking for younger players on the right track, I don’t see anyone. But let’s discuss a few anyway. How about DeAndre Hopkins, Mike Evans, Odell Beckham Jr., Davante Adams, and Travis Kelce.
Hopkins is 28 and has 55 touchdowns. His career high was 13 in 2017. For reference, Rice had eight seasons with at least that many touchdowns (and six with more). He’d have to replicate his best season eleven times to own the record!
Evans is just 27, and he has 50 scores. He has also only had two seasons in which he played the full 16 games. With 9 touchdowns per 16 games over his career, he’d have to reproduce his career average—without missing a game—for over 15 more years. Or average 14.7 touchdowns a year over the next decade.
Beckham started his career on fire, scoring 35 touchdowns in his first three seasons. He’s one of just six players in history to accomplish that. But from 2017 to present, he has played in just 34 games and scored a mere 14 touchdowns. That means after his tremendous start he is now 148 touchdowns short of the record with no signs of reclaiming past glory.
Adams is 28 and has 46 touchdowns. Most of that came from 2016-28, during which time he scored 35 times. He had a down year in 2019, scoring just five touchdowns. That might not seem like an issue, but things have to go perfectly to take the crown from the king. Rice started slow with three touchdowns, but after that, he didn’t have a season as low as five until he was 35 years old and played in just two games. During his “peakiest” peak, from ages 24-33, his touchdown output looked like something from a video game: 15, 22, 9 (his down year), 17, 13, 14, 10, 15, 13, and 15.
Kelce will be 31 in a few weeks. He’s a scoring machine for a tight end, but with 38 touchdowns he is still 159 shy of Rice. If he was guaranteed to match his career high every year until he broke the record, he’d have to play until he was 47.
Maybe Reek Hill is a sleeper. He is a big play threat and a favorite target of a guy who throws a lot of touchdown passes. I don’t think he stands a chance. At 26, he’s already older than he seems. And he has just 33 touchdowns. Rice had 49 by that age and added 97 over the following seven seasons. Then he threw in another 51 just for funsies.
What I’m saying is this: I don’t believe any active player will break Rice’s record, even with expanded schedules.
References
| ↑1 | He did this despite a slow start, hauling in just three touchdown passes as a rookie. Rice then scored 15, 22, 9, 17, 13, and 14 receiving touchdowns, averaging a touchdown per game over that span. |
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| ↑2 | The second and third place receivers, Randy Moss and Terrell Owens, were incredibly productive for several years. Moss finished with 156, and Owens finished with 153. The two of them have a sizable lead over fourth place Cris Carter (130), but neither is within 40 of Rice. |
This is an update and revision to a post I wrote after Peyton Manning’s retirement following the 2015 season. I originally penned it to celebrate Manning’s triumph over the record books and look back at the history of the record. Since then, Drew Brees and Tom Brady have broken that record, and both look to push it to new heights as they battle for the crown. Brees beat Brady to the mark and hasn’t looked back yet. The Saint has a history of beating the odds. He has been lauded by an adoring media and legions of fans, and deservedly so. However, with all the attention given to modern players, we often fail to properly remember former greats – legends of the game who paved the way for the sports celebrities of today.
More than relics from days past, these men were trailblazers who helped legitimize the sport we have grown to love. Unlike the iconic sports figures of today, many of these players were actual heroes, serving in the military and coming home to work full-time jobs to support their families. Before quarterbacks were millionaires, they were mostly indistinguishable from the everyman. Except on Sundays. On Sundays, they became giants. [continue reading…]
Get ready for part 16 in my neverending series The Grand List, or: the top 1000 players in history in the opinion of one guy on the internet. This is an offense-heavy section of the list, with 37 of the 50 players on that side of the ball. There are quarterbacks whose own fans didn’t seem to care for them, a stylistic variety of running backs, receivers spanning nearly the whole of the league’s history, a group of underrated tight ends, and something for everyone along the offensive line. While there aren’t many defenders, each main corps is represented. Maybe you’ll like it.
Previous articles in the series
The Grand List, part 1: Includes honorable/special mentions and players 1000-990.
The Grand List, part 2: Includes players 989-965.
The Grand List, part 3: Includes players 964-940.
The Grand List, part 4: Includes players 939-901.
The Grand List, part 5: Includes players 900-876.
The Grand List, part 6: Includes players 875-851.
The Grand List, part 7: Includes players 850-810.
The Grand List, part 8: Includes players 809-780.
The Grand List, part 9: Includes players 779-750.
The Grand List, part 10: Includes players 749-700.
The Grand List, part 11: Includes players 699-650.
The Grand List, part 12: Includes players 649-600.
The Grand List, part 13: Includes players 599-550.
The Grand List, part 14: Includes players 549-500.
The Grand List, part 15: Includes players 499-450.
Let us go then, you and I.
It’s time for the fifteenth installment of The Grand List, or: the top 1000 players in football history. Or something like that. This is an ideal post for long ball fetishists, nose tackle aficionados, and fans of linemen who were underrated because of the skill players for whom they blocked. Please send all hate mail to Chase. He loves reading that stuff.
Previous articles in the series
The Grand List, part 1: Includes honorable/special mentions and players 1000-990.
The Grand List, part 2: Includes players 989-965.
The Grand List, part 3: Includes players 964-940.
The Grand List, part 4: Includes players 939-901.
The Grand List, part 5: Includes players 900-876.
The Grand List, part 6: Includes players 875-851.
The Grand List, part 7: Includes players 850-810.
The Grand List, part 8: Includes players 809-780.
The Grand List, part 9: Includes players 779-750.
The Grand List, part 10: Includes players 749-700.
The Grand List, part 11: Includes players 699-650.
The Grand List, part 12: Includes players 649-600.
The Grand List, part 13: Includes players 599-550.
The Grand List, part 14: Includes players 549-500.
Enjoy.
It’s time for the fourteenth part in my series The Grand List, or: the top 1000 pro football players in history. [1]Who made their mark in the NFL or the pre-NFL pros. Anthony Calvillo will not be making an appearance. By the end of the article, we will finally be at the halfway mark. When I began this project, the plan was to fit the full thousand in thirteen posts, so you see how good I am at planning ahead. This section is heavy on offensive skill players (18) and trench players (19), so if you enjoy reading about those positions, you’re in luck. If not, there are a few other fellows in there too, so don’t feel left out. This is yet another post that includes Pro Football Hall of Fame members outside of the top 500. [2]I believe there are eight, but I don’t feel like counting. My hope is that, as the list unfolds, I will have adequately given my reasoning why such acclaimed individuals are so far out of line with the popular view.
Previous articles in the series
The Grand List, part 1: Includes honorable/special mentions and players 1000-990.
The Grand List, part 2: Includes players 989-965.
The Grand List, part 3: Includes players 964-940.
The Grand List, part 4: Includes players 939-901.
The Grand List, part 5: Includes players 900-876.
The Grand List, part 6: Includes players 875-851.
The Grand List, part 7: Includes players 850-810.
The Grand List, part 8: Includes players 809-780.
The Grand List, part 9: Includes players 779-750.
The Grand List, part 10: Includes players 749-700.
The Grand List, part 11: Includes players 699-650.
The Grand List, part 12: Includes players 649-600.
The Grand List, part 13: Includes players 599-550.
Let’s get down to business.
While we often focus on the rules changes that have helped make passing offenses much more efficient over the years, there’s another small reason for the improvement in aerial attacks: better climates. Let’s compare the stadiums in the NFL now to the stadiums of the early 1970s.
Expansion/Re-Location
There are 7 new cities (and one deserted city) that have joined the NFL since the early ’70s, when the league still had just 26 teams. Five of these new cities helped the passing game by bringing in more mild-climate games due to warm weather locations or indoor stadiums. [1]Note that I am ignoring the California changes here. The Rams played in southern California in the ’70s and now, even if there was a St. Louis stop in the middle (which that was mostly indoors, … Continue reading
- There was no team in Indianapolis, which has an indoor stadium. [2]Of course, the Colts played in Baltimore, and no longer do; but for purposes of looking at geography, there was a team in Baltimore in the ’70s and a team in Baltimore now; Indianapolis is the … Continue reading
- The Cardinals did not play in Arizona, which has an indoor stadium, but instead played outdoors in the 1970s in St. Louis (the deserted city).
- There was no team in Tampa Bay, a warm-weather city
- There was no team in Carolina, a warm-weather city
- There was no team in Jacksonville, a warm-weather city
While those fives changes made passing easier by decreasing the impact of the elements in the northern cities, two changes increased the impact of the weather.
- There was a team in Houston playing indoors at the Astrodome, but the franchise founded by Bud Adams now play outdoors in Nashville, Tennessee. Of course, they were replaced by another team playing inside in Houston.
- There was no team in Seattle, which is a cold-weather city.
References
| ↑1 | Note that I am ignoring the California changes here. The Rams played in southern California in the ’70s and now, even if there was a St. Louis stop in the middle (which that was mostly indoors, anyway). I am also ignoring the Raiders bouncing between Oakland and Los Angeles and Oakland and now Las Vegas, the Chargers moving to L.A. from San Diego, and the 49ers going from San Francisco to Santa Clara. |
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| ↑2 | Of course, the Colts played in Baltimore, and no longer do; but for purposes of looking at geography, there was a team in Baltimore in the ’70s and a team in Baltimore now; Indianapolis is the new city, even if for expansion purposes, it didn’t quite work out that way. Similarly, there was a team playing indoors in Houston in the ’70s and now, regardless of whether it was the Oilers or the Texans. |
Strap in for the unlucky thirteenth installment of my endless summer series The Grand List, or: the best 1000 pro football players in (mostly) NFL history. There are a few Hall of Famers who probably seem way too low, along with some likely head scratchers who you will feel are too high. I don’t think there is a right or wrong answer on lists like these. We just use the evidence available to us to make the most informed decision we can, bringing our preferences and biases along for the ride. [1]I have spent years trying to understand my own biases and build safeguards into my work in order to catch them. I promise that I will still fail in that regard, like all other humans, but hopefully … Continue reading
Previous articles in the series
The Grand List, part 1: Includes honorable/special mentions and players 1000-990.
The Grand List, part 2: Includes players 989-965.
The Grand List, part 3: Includes players 964-940.
The Grand List, part 4: Includes players 939-901.
The Grand List, part 5: Includes players 900-876.
The Grand List, part 6: Includes players 875-851.
The Grand List, part 7: Includes players 850-810.
The Grand List, part 8: Includes players 809-780.
The Grand List, part 9: Includes players 779-750.
The Grand List, part 10: Includes players 749-700.
The Grand List, part 11: Includes players 699-650.
The Grand List, part 12: Includes players 649-600.
In the immortal words of Al Bundy: let’s rock.
References
| ↑1 | I have spent years trying to understand my own biases and build safeguards into my work in order to catch them. I promise that I will still fail in that regard, like all other humans, but hopefully not miserably so. Completely unbiased opinions don’t exist, and I don’t trust those who claim otherwise. |
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It’s time for the dirty dozenth episode in my endless series The Grand List, or: the top 1000 pro players in history in one fool’s opinion. This section of the list is heavily populated with trench players, but it should have enough skill players to keep casual fans moderately interested (they told me I should sell myself, so I hope that worked). The writeups are probably going to be a little shorter from now on. What can I say? I’m tired.
Previous articles in the series
The Grand List, part 1: Includes honorable/special mentions and players 1000-990.
The Grand List, part 2: Includes players 989-965.
The Grand List, part 3: Includes players 964-940.
The Grand List, part 4: Includes players 939-901.
The Grand List, part 5: Includes players 900-876.
The Grand List, part 6: Includes players 875-851.
The Grand List, part 7: Includes players 850-810.
The Grand List, part 8: Includes players 809-780.
The Grand List, part 9: Includes players 779-750.
The Grand List, part 10: Includes players 749-700.
The Grand List, part 11: Includes players 699-650.
Let’s get into it, friendos.
Over the last few years, I have been updating the career passer ratings for NFL quarterbacks to adjust for era. Over the last 100 years, the NFL has consistently approved rules changes to make passing easier, and as a result, passer rating has consistently spiked:
Our plan was not to run… We didn’t come in here and say, “Let’s put the blade down and take these guys on.” You’ve got to be realistic in your game preparation. We came to throw the football.
— Detroit Lions Head coach Darryl Rogers, post-game press conference, October 9th, 1988.
In week 6 of the 1988 season, the 4-1 Bears and 1-4 Lions squared off in Detroit’s Pontiac Silverdome. And coach Rogers knew that running the ball was unlikely to be the key to victory: since the Bears emerged as the league’s dominant defense in ’84, Detroit was 0-7 against Chicago and had rushed 139 times for just 421 yards in those seen games, a pitiful 3.03 yards per carry average. [1]The 8th game was lost in the 1987 strike. And while the ’88 version wasn’t quite the ’85 Bears, Chicago’s run defense was red hot, allowing just 34 rushing yards on 26 carries *combined* in the previous two weeks. And let’s dispel with any sense of wonder: on this day, the Lions would rush 13 times for 42 yards. [continue reading…]
References
| ↑1 | The 8th game was lost in the 1987 strike. |
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Hello, friends and enemies, and welcome to the eleventh installment of the Grand List, or: the top 1000 robust gentlemen ever to participate in gridiron activities. It’s been a while. With everything going on in the country over the past month, I haven’t found any joy thinking about something as trivial as football. Many use sports as an escape from the slings and arrows of the world, but I’ve never been able to do that. For me, football has always been more of a mirror than a door. When I began this project, my goal was to finish this series by the beginning of the 2020 regular season, and I still plan to make it – even if my heart isn’t really in it. I hope you enjoy reading it more than I enjoy writing it. [1]I was kind of banking on a long season postponement to help me out. Aside from jobs affected by it, in a pure abstract sense, I think it would be neat to have a one year break in action after the … Continue reading
Question for those reading along: what is the ideal number of entries in a single article? I’ve done as few as ten and as many as fifty. A small number would theoretically result in more frequent posting, while larger articles take more time but give you more to chew on. I don’t plan to write more than a paragraph for any single player, because a thousand is a big number, and I’m a lazy guy (and how many different ways can you say a tackle blocked well or a corner covered well?).
Previous articles in the series
The Grand List, part 1: Includes honorable/special mentions and players 1000-990.
The Grand List, part 2: Includes players 989-965.
The Grand List, part 3: Includes players 964-940.
The Grand List, part 4: Includes players 939-901.
The Grand List, part 5: Includes players 900-876.
The Grand List, part 6: Includes players 875-851.
The Grand List, part 7: Includes players 850-810.
The Grand List, part 8: Includes players 809-780.
The Grand List, part 9: Includes players 779-750.
The Grand List, part 10: Includes players 749-700.
Without further ado, let’s endeavor to find meaning in the meaningless. [continue reading…]
References
| ↑1 | I was kind of banking on a long season postponement to help me out. Aside from jobs affected by it, in a pure abstract sense, I think it would be neat to have a one year break in action after the first hundred years of the league. |
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Let’s get it out of the way: playing with Tom Brady and Peyton Manning sure helps. From 2007 to 2013, Wes Welker had the best seven year stretch of his career, and most of that time came with Brady as his quarterback (there was one season with Matt Cassel and the 2013 record-breaking season with Manning). During those seven seasons, Welker’s teams averaged a remarkable 32.3 points per game. In 2014, Welker’s team — still the Broncos — also topped 30 points per game, but the other seasons of Welker’s career were spent on significantly less productive offenses.
Of course, in most of those other seasons, Welker himself wasn’t a significant part of the offense: he was a young backup or a past-his-prime player. I wanted to calculate how many points per game each wide receiver’s offense scored over his career. This is trickier than you’d think: what do you do for years where a player was a backup, or missed time due to injury? For Welker, he played 14 games with the 2004 Dolphins but as a returner and did not catch a pass. Would that team count in his career average?
To solve for these problems, I weighted each season by the percentage of career receiving yards he gained in that season. Welker gained 9,924 receiving yards in his career. In 2015 with the Rams, he gained 102 yards, or 1.0% of his career total. That isn’t much, so the Rams production that year — 17.5 points per game, or 5.31 PPG below average — counts for 1.0% of Welker’s career score. The 2013 Broncos averaged 37.88 PPG, 14.47 better per game than league average; since Welker gained 7.8% of his career yards that season, the 2013 Broncos stats count for 7.8% of his career total. Welker’s best year was 2011, when he gained 1,569 yards. That represented 15.8% of his career total, so the 2011 Patriots — 32.06 points per game, 9.88 points per game above league average — counts for 15.8% of Welker’s career grade.
If you perform this analysis for every season of Welker’s career, his team’s averaged 30.13 points per game once you weight for Welker’s production, which was 8.11 points per game above average. Here’s the math: the final two columns represent the product of multiplying his percentage of career receiving yards in that season by his team’s scoring (both raw and relative to league average): [continue reading…]
Orr beats the 49ers for a touchdown.
Jimmy Orr played on the most star-studded offenses in NFL history. When you share an offensive huddle with five inner-circle Hall of Fame teammates — QB Johnny Unitas, WR Ray Berry, RB/WR Lenny Moore, OG Jim Parker, and TE John Mackey — you are going to be overshadowed. Orr’s legacy has unfairly been limited to “that guy Earl Morrall missed on the flea flicker in Super Bowl III.” He played for the Baltimore Colts, a team in a time that is now a distant memory, cursed to playing second fiddle for both Colts fans and Marylanders. So it is pretty easy to see how Orr has been forgotten over time, especially given the lack of postseason success for his old Colts teams. [continue reading…]
Seven years ago, I wrote about game-winning touchdowns. A touchdown qualifies as a game-winning touchdown if all of the following four criteria are met:
- It occurs in the 4th quarter or in overtime;
- The scoring team was not winning prior to the touchdown
- The scoring team was winning after the touchdown, including the extra point [1]However, if a team was down by 7, scored a touchdown, went for two and converted, that touchdown does not count as a game-winning touchdown. So in this Cowboys/Giants game from 2018, Dallas was … Continue reading; and
- If the touchdown (plus point after) gave the winning team more points than the losing team scored all game. So if a team is down 21-17 and scores a touchdown to go ahead 24-21, and that team ultimately wins 31-27, that does not count as a game-winning touchdown. But if they win 31-21, it does.
Got it? Great. I looked at all games, regular and postseason, in the NFL, AFL, and AAFC and counted all game-winning touchdowns by this metric. As it was in 2013, Marcus Allen remains the all-time leader in game-winning touchdowns. He had 10 game-winning touchdowns, in the following games: [continue reading…]
References
| ↑1 | However, if a team was down by 7, scored a touchdown, went for two and converted, that touchdown does not count as a game-winning touchdown. So in this Cowboys/Giants game from 2018, Dallas was down 35-28 with just over a minute to play when Cole Beasley caught a touchdown pass. After the play, the Cowboys went for 2 and converted, and won 36-35. But I am not crediting Beasley with a game-winning touchdown catch. Had Dallas been down 34-28 when Beasley caught his touchdown, he would receive credit for a game-winning touchdown assuming the Cowboys hit the ensuing extra point. |
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In 1960, Cleveland’s Milt Plum was the most efficient passer in the NFL. He arguably outshined teammate and running back Jim Brown, who was in his prime and finished as the leader in rushing yards while averaging 5.8 yards per carry. Cleveland led the NFL in points scored, and Plum finished with a passer rating of 110, more than 10 points higher than any player achieved in the decade of the ’50s. In three games against the Steelers, Eagles, and Cardinals, he went 37-for-51 for 791 yards with 5 TDs and 0 interceptions! Cleveland was probably the best team in the NFL in 1960 due to the presence of Plum, Jim Brown, Bobby Mitchell, and Ray Renfro on offense, but the Browns had a 1-3-1 record in one-score games. As a result, the team’s 8-3-1 record left them as the runner up to the Philadelphia Eagles for the 1960 NFL East division crown. Philadelphia was a great team, of course, too, but the team’s 10-2 record was boosted by a 5-1 mark in games decided by a touchdown or less, including a last-second win over Cleveland that changed the season:
With time running down, the Eagles took over at their 10 yard line. Van Brocklin passed to Retzlaff for 27 yards and then McDonald for 12 to just short of midfield. However, it appeared that Cleveland would win when safety Bobby Franklin came up with an interception, but LB Vince Costello was flagged for pass interference and the Eagles, instead of losing the ball, now had a first down at the Browns 30. [continue reading…]
Texas Southern’s Homer Jones was a huge star for the Giants.
On the other hand, as we’ll soon see, the narrative doesn’t quite match up with the facts. Three of the ten AFL players — Thomas, Brown, and Hill — were not selected in the AFL Draft; Hill was chosen by the Colts in the NFL Draft, [2]He was soon cut and then signed by the Jets; it probably didn’t help that the Colts spent the 5th pick in the same draft on a future 5-time Pro Bowler at the same position. while the other two went undrafted in both leagues. More importantly, six of those 10 AFL Hall of Famers entered the AFL in 1967 or later, which came after the creation of a common draft. [3]Joiner never started a game in the AFL. Shell started one game. Little and Bethea made the AFL Pro Bowl in ’69, but had the overwhelming majority of their success in the NFL. Lanier and Houston … Continue reading These players made most of their marks in the ’70s, and are remembered as NFL stars, now AFL ones. By the time they entered pro football, the AFL had already won: a merger had been agreed upon by the teams, and the credibility of the league had been established. Sure, it was still the inferior league, and it wasn’t until the Jets and Chiefs both won Super Bowls that the league was truly viewed as comparable to the NFL, but the 1967 AFL was very different than the 1961 AFL. When we talk about the AFL as an upstart league that challenged the NFL and won, we are mostly talking about the AFL prior to the 1967 season.
And if we look at the most dominant players who entered pro football from HBCUs between 1960 and 1966, you get a different story. Sure, Buchanan was a big star, but arguably five of the six biggest stars from HBCUs in the ’60s were actually in the NFL: Deacon Jones, Roger Brown, Rosey Taylor, Leroy Kelly, and Bob Hayes.
So let’s take a deeper dive and analyze how the two leagues really approached players from HBCUs prior to 1967. From 1960 to 1966, the two leagues battled over talent, and the AFL’s surprising ability to keep pace is what led to the AFL-NFL merger, announced in June of 1966. Because I am focusing on the talent battle, I am really focused on the two drafts, but will note key undrafted players (and there were several). [continue reading…]
References
| ↑1 | However, most of the best players in the next tier from HBCUs were in the NFL. Harold Jackson, L.C. Greenwood, Jethro Pugh, Roger Brown, Rosey Taylor, John Gilliam, Coy Bacon, and Homer Jones all entered the NFL from HBCUs in the 1960s. The most notable non-HOFers in the AFL from HBCUs were Ken Riley, Bill Thompson, Otis Taylor, and Rich Jackson. |
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| ↑2 | He was soon cut and then signed by the Jets; it probably didn’t help that the Colts spent the 5th pick in the same draft on a future 5-time Pro Bowler at the same position. |
| ↑3 | Joiner never started a game in the AFL. Shell started one game. Little and Bethea made the AFL Pro Bowl in ’69, but had the overwhelming majority of their success in the NFL. Lanier and Houston made two Pro Bowls in the AFL, but still had the vast majority of their success in the NFL. The same could be said for a 7th player in Thomas, who entered the AFL in ’66. |
This is the tenth installment in my roughly one million part series The Grand List, or: the top 1000 pro football players ever, or something like that. Keep in mind I have forced myself to order these players, and that ordinal rankings naturally imply a bigger (or, sometimes, smaller) difference than really exists. While you’d be crazy to swap one of these guys with Tom Brady or Lawrence Taylor, at this point in the list, most players are interchangeable with one another and are often determined by preference. This isn’t the definitive list. It’s just a big list, [1]Based on a wealth of information and mine’s no better than yours.
Previous articles in the series
The Grand List, part 1: Includes honorable/special mentions and players 1000-990.
The Grand List, part 2: Includes players 989-965.
The Grand List, part 3: Includes players 964-940.
The Grand List, part 4: Includes players 939-901.
The Grand List, part 5: Includes players 900-876.
The Grand List, part 6: Includes players 875-851.
The Grand List, part 7: Includes players 850-810.
The Grand List, part 8: Includes players 809-780.
The Grand List, part 9: Includes players 779-750.
Let’s do this. [continue reading…]
References
| ↑1 | Based on a wealth of information |
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The AFL was the rare upstart league that challenged the NFL … and won. Part of the narrative in that victory is that the AFL was much more welcoming to black players, especially those from a traditionally overlooked source: small, historically blacked colleges. There are elements of truth in that version of history: there was still a hostile attitude from some teams (notably Washington) towards black players at the end of the 1950s, and the NFL did a poor job scouting at historically black colleges during that decade. The NFL, as hard as this may be for you to imagine, also had a degree of hubris that may have turned off some prospects. Over the next two days, I want to dive into the AFL and NFL wars over signing talent. Today, an examination of black players by the leagues; tomorrow, a focus on players from historically black colleges.
Black Players In the 1950s
Brown was a rookie and league MVP in 1957.
References
| ↑1 | The ’53 Lions were also the last all-white team to win an NFL championship. |
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It’s time for part nine of The Grand List, or: the top 1000 players ever, or something. Today’s post has a little something for everyone: active players, champions, Super Bowl MVPs, should-be Super Bowl MVPs, huge receivers, diminutive running backs, cool nicknames, and probably some other nonsense. Part nine covers players 779-750.
Previous articles in the series
The Grand List, part 1: Includes honorable/special mentions and players 1000-990.
The Grand List, part 2: Includes players 989-965.
The Grand List, part 3: Includes players 964-940.
The Grand List, part 4: Includes players 939-901.
The Grand List, part 5: Includes players 900-876.
The Grand List, part 6: Includes players 875-851.
The Grand List, part 7: Includes players 850-810.
The Grand List, part 8: Includes players 809-780.
Let’s roll…
The List, Continued
779. Darnell Dockett (2004-2014)
Defensive Tackle
Arizona Cardinals
Dockett didn’t play the run. Maybe he couldn’t play the run. However, he was an excellent interior pass rusher who had the ability to change games. Given the difference in relative importance of stopping the run versus stopping the pass, Dockett’s pros more than cancelled out his cons. He wasn’t a liability – he was a visionary. A rollercoaster ride of a player, it is fair to label him inconsistent. But when he turned it on, he looked like he was bound for Canton (the one in Ohio). He didn’t produce one incredible game after another, like some of the defenders near the top of this list, but he was usually effective and good for a few performances per season that really blew your hair back. His most notable game came in defeat in Super Bowl XLIII when he sacked Ben Roethlisberger three times, tying Willie Davis and Reggie White for second most sacks in the game’s history. [1]Kony Ealy and Grady Jarrett since matched the feat. The record still belongs to L.C. Greenwood, who sacked Roger Staubach four times in Super Bowl X.
778. Manny Fernandez (1968-1975)
Defensive Line
Miami Dolphins [continue reading…]
References
| ↑1 | Kony Ealy and Grady Jarrett since matched the feat. The record still belongs to L.C. Greenwood, who sacked Roger Staubach four times in Super Bowl X. |
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Time for part seven of The Grand List, or: the top one thousand players ever, or whatever. We are slowly traveling down this road, and today we break into the 700s. Specifically, we’ll look at players 809-780. It should be the most quarterback-heavy entry into the series to date, including a trio of would-be saviors who bore the weight both of their teams and of unrealistic expectations. I hope you enjoy. If not, as always, send complaints to DeleteSansReading@gmail.com.
Previous articles in the series
The Grand List, part 1: Includes honorable/special mentions and players 1000-990.
The Grand List, part 2: Includes players 989-965.
The Grand List, part 3: Includes players 964-940.
The Grand List, part 4: Includes players 939-901.
The Grand List, part 5: Includes players 900-876.
The Grand List, part 6: Includes players 875-851.
The Grand List, part 7: Includes players 850-810.
Let’s get down to business.
The List, Continued
809. Joe Horn (1995-2007)
Wide Receiver
New Orleans Saints, Kansas City Chiefs, Atlanta Falcons, Memphis Mad Dogs
Before he drew the ire of pearl-clutching ninnies around the nation for pretending to make a phone call, Horn was a struggling underemployed former community college player looking for a break. He did drills based on a Jerry Rice VHS tutorial and worked himself into a gig in the CFL. With an excellent debut season as a pro, the NFL took notice. Horn saw limited action on offense continued to put in work on special teams to maintain his roster spot. A move to the Big Easy saw his efforts pay off as he began a half decade run in which he averaged 1290 yards and 9 touchdowns per 16 games, including three seasons over 1300 yards. He got a late start and didn’t earn a starting role until he was 28, but once he got the opportunity, he turned it into stardom. [continue reading…]
If it looks like part seven of the list and smells like part seven of the list, by golly, it is part seven of the list. Today’s installment of The Grand List, or: the top 1000 players ever (or something like that) covers players 850-810. That’s 41 players, because why does it have to make sense. I hope you like special teams. [1]Also, major thanks to Mr. Tom Nawrocki for writing some beautiful words about players 846, 831, 829, and 813.
Previous articles in the series
The Grand List, part 1: Includes honorable/special mentions and players 1000-990.
The Grand List, part 2: Includes players 989-965.
The Grand List, part 3: Includes players 964-940.
The Grand List, part 4: Includes players 939-901.
The Grand List, part 5: Includes players 900-876.
The Grand List, part 6: Includes players 875-851.
Alright then, let’s get to it.
The List, Continued
850. Ed Danowski (1934-1941)
Quarterback
New York Giants
Danowski only had 1100 action plays in his NFL career, but he made them count. He doesn’t even qualify for leaderboards, but his +1552 total adjusted yards above average (VAL) would rank 74th in history if he did. Probably the most accurate passer of his era outside of Baugh, he led the league in completion rate twice and had a three-year run in which his Cmp%+ figures were 183, 200, and 199. [2]See the explanation of Cmp%+ under the heading “Explanation of the Advanced Passing table,” if you aren’t familiar. His Giants made it to four title games, winning two of them. In his first championship appearance, Danowski had a pick on defense and both a passing and rushing touchdown on offense as the Giants humbled the undefeated Bears. When New York beat Green Bay, Danowski threw for two scores and a 122.7 passer rating. [continue reading…]
References
| ↑1 | Also, major thanks to Mr. Tom Nawrocki for writing some beautiful words about players 846, 831, 829, and 813. |
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| ↑2 | See the explanation of Cmp%+ under the heading “Explanation of the Advanced Passing table,” if you aren’t familiar. |
It’s time for part six of the Grand List, the series in which I (very) slowly unveil my list of the top 1000 players in history. This is the portion of the list where I talk about a few quarterbacks who may have been better than they tend to get credit for, some big nasties in the middle of the offense, and a bunch of tight ends. Reminder: send all complaints to DeleteSansReading@gmail.com.
Previous articles in the series
The Grand List, part 1: Includes honorable/special mentions and players 1000-990.
The Grand List, part 2: Includes players 989-965.
The Grand List, part 3: Includes players 964-940.
The Grand List, part 4: Includes players 939-901.
The Grand List, part 5: Includes players 900-876.
LFG, pals.
The List, Continued
875. Carl Nicks (2008-2013)
Offensive Guard
New Orleans Saints, Tampa Bay Buccaneers
Before a serious medical issue brought on by organizational ineptitude ruined his career, Nicks was one of the best offensive linemen in the league. At his peak, he was a huge guy who could really move. Adept in both pass protection and run blocking, Nicks did excelled both at keeping his Hall of Fame quarterback safe and at paving the way for a revolving door of unheralded running backs to pick up solid numbers on the ground. His teammate, Jahri Evans, was an all decade selection at the position, but Nicks was arguably even better, if only for a short time.
874. Antoine Bethea (2006-Present)
Safety
Indianapolis Colts, San Francisco 49ers, Arizona Cardinals, New York Giants
Bethea has been a steady defender for a long time, across several teams. He won a title and made a few Pro Bowls with the Colts as a free safety, but his natural fit was at strong safety. Though he has lacked consistency in coverage throughout his career, has had some good seasons in that area and has usually avoiding being a liability. His real talent lies in stopping the run and rushing the passer. He doesn’t blitz often, but when he gets the call, he produces pressure at a high rate. Bethea attacks the line of scrimmage and has been successful in creating run stops, and he is equally adept at making tackles in the open field. Although coverage is king in the modern game, it felt right to give a hat tip to a great run stopping safety.
873. Otto Schnellbacher (1948-1951)
Safety
New York Yankees, New York Giants
While playing with the AAFC’s New York Yankees, he also played for the NBA’s St. Louis Bombers and Providence Steamrollers. He eventually transitioned to football only and played with the Giants for two seasons after the AAFC-NFL merger. Tall, long, and possessing the requisite leaping ability you’d expect from a pro basketball player, Schnellbacher was a tremendous deep field safety. He led the AAFC in interceptions (11), yards (239) and touchdowns (1) in his first year as a pro. In his final year, he led the NFL in those same three categories (11, 194, 2). Paired with inner-circle teammate Emlen Tunnell, Schnellbacher helped perfect the umbrella defense that could shut down the mightiest passing attacks by neutralizing downfield passes. His range and brilliant ball skills enabled Tunnell to take more risks to force turnovers. [continue reading…]
The 2000 NFL Draft was the most wide receiver-heavy draft in NFL history. Peter Warrick, Plaxico Burress, and Travis Taylor went in the top 10 picks, Sylvester Morris and R. Jay Soward also went in the first round, and another eleven (11!) wide receivers went in the first 100 picks after that: Dennis Northcutt, Todd Pinkston, Jerry Porter, Ron Dugans, Dez White, Chris Cole, Ron Dixon, Laveranues Coles, JaJuan Dawson, Darrell Jackson, and Gari Scott.
In case you can’t tell by those names, the draft was a complete dud. Expected to revolutionize the NFL with a new wave of athletic wide receivers, the entire class combined to make just 1 Pro Bowl at wide receiver — Coles in 2003 (Dante Hall, drafted in the fifth round, would make two Pro Bowls as a returner). Coles, Burress, and Jackson were all good players, but they were also the only three to eclipse even 5,000 receiving yards.
Twenty years later, we are looking at the next “greatest wide receiver class” of a generation. Oklahoma’s CeeDee Lamb and Alabama’s Jerry Jeudy will be early first round picks; they are expected to be joined in the first round by Jeudy’s teammate, Henry Ruggs III, Clemson’s Tee Higgins, and possibly LSU’s Justin Jefferson, Arizona State’s Brandon Aiyuk, or Colorado’s Denzel Mims.
I looked at the CBS 7-round mock draft and calculated the Draft Value used on wide receivers. Why CBS? Because they were the first website I found that put together a clean table of all draft picks for all 7 rounds, making it easy to calculate draft value. Draft value is simply calculated as the value assigned to each pick, according to my draft value chart, that is used on a wide receiver.
Based on the CBS projections — which has WRs going at 12, 14, 15, 21, 30, 34, 37, 42, 50, 51, and 58 — this would be an outstanding draft class for wide receivers. And while none would be selected in the top 10, there would be a total of 201.6 points of draft capital spent on wide receivers. That would make this one of the top 10 drafts for wide receivers since the common draft era beginning in 1967.
The graph below shows the draft capital used on the position in each draft since 1967. [continue reading…]
Here are the rules.
1. You must take 1 player from each row: so one player from each of the 9 decades (1920s, 1930s, 1940s, etc.) and one player on the AFL/AAFC/USFL row.
2. You must pick 1 player from each column to form an offense, but of course, you pick 2 players each at End/Receiver, Tackle, and Guard. At the top of each column is the number of players from that column you can need to select. Of course, the 1 player per row rule still applies.
3. You get the player’s career, not just the decade listed. So you aren’t ignoring the 1980s portion of the careers of Walter Payton or Jerry Rice just because they aren’t listed there.
Who are you picking?
Leave your team and thoughts in the comments.
It’s time for part five in my series The Grand List, or: the top 1000 players in history. This portion of the list covers players 900-876. There in an abundance of skill players and shooting star trench warriors, so strap in. As always, send complaints to DeleteSansReading@gmail.com.
Previous articles in the series
The Grand List, part 1: Includes honorable/special mentions and players 1000-990.
The Grand List, part 2: Includes players 989-965.
The Grand List, part 3: Includes players 964-940.
The Grand List, part 4: Includes players 939-901.
Let’s get down to business.
The List, Continued
900. Gerald Riggs (1982-1991)
Running Back
Atlanta Falcons, Washington
Riggs was a big bruiser who always seems to fall forward. He was tall for a running back (6’1″) but ran with superb pad level that allowed him to maintain leverage through contact. His prime came with the Falcons, where he averaged 1705 yards and 9 touchdowns per 16 games during his four year peak. Atlanta traded him to Washington after he lost his effectiveness as a lead runner. However, Riggs continued to excel in short yardage situations till the end of his career. In his final season, as part of one of the greatest teams in history, he scored 11 touchdowns on just 78 carries in the regular season. He then scored 2 touchdowns in each of Washington’s three playoff games, including the Super Bowl victory that would be the final game of his career.
899. Freeman McNeil (1981-1992)
Running Back
New York Jets
When people discuss McNeil today, it is usually with regard to his role in bringing unrestricted free agency to the NFL. While he played an important part in improving labor conditions in the league, it is his on field performance that lands him on this list. One of many players whose numbers suffer from a strike occurring in their prime, McNeil’s peak included both the 1982 and 1987 abbreviated seasons. He led all players in rushing yards and yards per carry in 1982. This began a seven year stretch in which he averaged 1622 scrimmage yards and 7 touchdowns per 16 games. While he didn’t break off a ton of long runs, he was effective at picking up yardage in chunks. Among backs with as many carries as McNeil, only eight can claim a higher rushing average than his 4.49. [1]That list comprises four HOFers, a guy who will join them when eligible, a guy who should, and two guys good enough to have already been inducted. That’s Jim Brown, Joe Perry, Barry Sanders, … Continue reading
898. Chuck Muncie (1976-1984)
Running Back
San Diego Chargers, New Orleans Saints
For the first eight years of his career, Muncie averaged 1312 yards and 11 touchdowns per 16 games. He wasn’t quite Lenny Moore, but a respectable 335 of those yards came through the air. During his athletic prime, he was stuck on some lackluster squads with inconsistent offenses, but a movie to sunny California saw him join a talented and efficient offense for the back half of his career. The primary difference that came with playing for a better offense was an increase in touchdowns. His skill didn’t increase, but his opportunity to run the ball closer to the end zone increased. Effective in limited postseason contests, Muncie averaged 107 yards per game in the playoffs. He was also useful on trick plays, completing 4 of 7 pass attempts for 126 yards and 4 scores.
897. James Brooks (1981-1992)
Running Back
Cincinnati Bengals, San Diego Chargers, Cleveland Browns, Tampa Bay Buccaneers
Brooks was a quick, slashing style runner with a strong burst and solid open field running ability. Over his six year peak, he put up 1432 scrimmage yards and 10 touchdowns per 16 games. Because he was a big play threat and a quality receiver, he was able to produce without taking too many touches. Using his shiftiness, Brooks was able to pick up 4.73 yards per carry, a figure that ranks fourth among all players with at least 1500 carries. Before assuming the lead back role, he was a pretty good kick and punt return man who twice led the league in all purpose yards.
896. Earnest Byner (1984-1997)
Running Back
Cleveland Browns, Washington, Baltimore Ravens
Byner was big, but not that big; fast, but not that fast; powerful, but not that powerful. He could catch and block, but you wouldn’t mistake him for Marshall Faulk. Byner was a steady, well-rounded back who produced for a long time and in widely different situations. His peak lasted about eight seasons, in which he averaged 1312 yards and 8 touchdowns per 16 games. He is most famous – or infamous, depending on your rooting interests – for The Fumble that preceded the Broncos winning the AFC Championship Game for the right to lose to Washington in the Super Bowl. However, had he not put up 187 yards and two touchdowns prior to that, the Browns wouldn’t have been in position to lose a close game in the first place. After moving on to D.C., Byner was finally able to reach a Super Bowl that eluded him in Cleveland. He had 73 yards and a touchdown on the biggest stage of his career. [continue reading…]
References
| ↑1 | That list comprises four HOFers, a guy who will join them when eligible, a guy who should, and two guys good enough to have already been inducted. That’s Jim Brown, Joe Perry, Barry Sanders, Tiki Barber, Adrian Peterson, O.J. Simpson, Fred Taylor, and LeSean McCoy, for those who don’t feel like looking it up. |
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Welcome to part four in my series The Grand List, or: the top 1000 players in history. Today’s section of the list covers players 939-901. Here, you’ll find some underrated skill players, a few somewhat anonymous defenders who are fondly remembered only by fans of their team, and a few more current young bloods on their way to becoming full fledged legends. Don’t forget to send complaints to DeleteSansReading@gmail.com.
Previous articles in the series
The Grand List, part 1: Includes honorable/special mentions and players 1000-990.
The Grand List, part 2: Includes players 989-965.
The Grand List, part 3: Includes players 964-940.
Let’s have at it then.
The List, Continued
939. Anthony Carter (1983-1995)
Wide Receiver
Minnesota Vikings, Detroit Lions, Michigan Panthers, Oakland Invaders
Carter was a great deep threat, best known for his 1987 campaign, a season in which he had a remarkable 24.3 yards per catch in the regular season before exploding for 391 yards in the playoffs. The highlight of the season was a 227 yard outing against the heavily favored 49ers. San Francisco entered the game with the number three scoring defense and the league’s best DVOA against the pass. Carter shredded them. He had a short but high peak, and I believe he would have been a superstar on a team with a better quarterback or a more creative coach.
938. Derrick Henry (2016-Present)
Running Back
Tennessee Titans
Henry is a big, strong man who breaks arm tackles with ease, runs over defenders in the open field, and stiff arms tacklers into oblivion. His crowning achievement was the 2019 season, in which he captured a rushing title and led the league in rushing scores in the regular season before playing like a demigod in the playoffs. He moves far better than a man of his stature should, using his rare blend of speed and power to produce the second 99 yard touchdown run in NFL history. On that play, he outran defenders while manhandling others, demonstrating the range of his athletic capabilities.
937. Alvin Kamara (2017-Present)
Running Back
New Orleans Saints
Kamara possesses an uncanny combination of acceleration, power, and balance. His compact frame allows him to bounce off tackles as easily as he jukes them. He consistently generates yardage, even when he doesn’t break off huge plays, averaging over 99 yards from scrimmage per game in his young career. Kamara’s most valuable contribution comes in the passing game, where he has averaged just under 700 receiving yards per season.
936. Amani Toomer (1996-2008)
Wide Receiver
New York Giants
Toomer probably seems like an odd choice here. He never made a Pro Bowl or all pro team, and he didn’t produce a bevy of highlight reel type plays to trick us into thinking he was better than he actually was. Instead, he was kind of like the wide receiver version of The Eagles. That is to say he had a solid, steady career with several boring performances in a row. Tall and strong, Toomer was an excellent possession receiver who made boundary catches look mundane. His sure hands helped him haul in passes from the succession of mostly inaccurate passers he played with during his career. While two other receivers continue to get all the press, Toomer was New York’s leading receiver in their upset victory of the Patriots in Super Bowl XLII. He was also a pretty good punt returner when called upon. [continue reading…]