After Calvin Johnson racked up 329 yards and a touchdown yesterday—the second-highest single-game receiving total in the history of the NFL—his Lions’ teammate Reggie Bush took to Twitter, calling his teammate the greatest to ever play his position.
Bush is biased, but he’s not alone in his beliefs—and Johnson’s performance captivated the attention of the entire league, so we thought we’d examine the claim by comparing Johnson to three of the best to ever catch NFL footballs. It’s impossible to judge over wildly different eras, so we’ve tried to stick to the last quarter century. Even then, it’s important to note that Johnson plays at a time when passing number are higher than ever before.
The contenders:
Jerry Rice, 1985-2004
Widely considered the greatest of all-time, Rice is the standard bearer for all other comparisons. The all-time leader in almost every major statistical category for receivers, Rice created an aura of invincibility in spite of the fact that he never possessed top-flight speed. In just his third year, Rice caught an astronomical 22 touchdowns, and was awarded the 1987 Most Valuable Player award by multiple outlets (AP, which is recognized as the NFL’s official award, gave it to John Elway). Rice’s dominance was best exemplified in Super Bowl XXIII where he caught 11 passes for 215 yards and a touchdown, en route to winning Super Bowl MVP. Had Rice played in this era, his already gaudy numbers would likely have reached new heights.
Randy Moss, 1998-2010, 2012
Moss burst onto the scene with one of the greatest rookie seasons of all-time, amassing 1,313 yards and 17 touchdowns in his inaugural campaign. In six of his first seven seasons, the enigmatic playmaker recorded double-digit touchdowns. As a member of the New England Patriots, Moss set the single-season record for touchdowns with 23, breaking Rice’s mark previously set in 1987. Ranked third all-time in receiving yards, Moss was a terror as a downfield threat and although his antics often overshadowed his play, the 36-year-old remains in the pantheon of receivers.
Marvin Harrison, 1996-2008
Harrison formed one of the best quarterback-receiver duos in history alongside Peyton Manning, and should be headed to Canton shortly, even though there are many deserving receivers waiting to get in. From 1999-2006, Harrison recorded eight consecutive 1,000 yard seasons, with more than 10 touchdowns in each of these years. Although aided by playing with one of the most prolific quarterbacks the league has ever seen, Harrison’s career was a model of consistency.
Verdict: Although Johnson has proved to be in rare company, breaking Rice’s single-season receiving-yard record last year, Rice’s longevity, statistical dominance and ability to show up on football’s grandest stage are the reasons why we give him the nod over Megatron. Johnson averages 1,302 yards per season, a remarkable total. But even if he were to have a 15-year career, he would still fall short of Rice’s yardage total. We’re lucky to be able to watch Calvin Johnson perform every Sunday, but it would be an affront to Rice if we rated the 28-year-old Lions’ receiver the best-ever at this juncture in his career. A few more weeks like this one, though, and you never know…
