Best WR of the last generation (1 Viewer)

[Ignoratio Elenchi]

Since that other poll seems like it got messed up, and was missing some options, let's try this again.

I tried to narrow the list to players whose careers roughly overlapped - I think all these guys started in the mid-late 90s and played until recently (or are still playing). I imagine the top few guys will get most of the votes, although if someone wants to make a case for one of the others I'd like to hear it. If I missed someone obvious please vote "Other" and post your choice below.

Define "best WR" however you choose.

 

[Sweet Love]

I understand there are only so many options you can make on the poll, but I would try to edit it and replace Mason with Reggie Wayne...not saying Wayne is going to garner many votes, but you may as well have put Santana Moss in Mason's place.

 

[Ignoratio Elenchi]

I understand there are only so many options you can make on the poll, but I would try to edit it and replace Mason with Reggie Wayne...not saying Wayne is going to garner many votes, but you may as well have put Santana Moss in Mason's place.

Wayne, Santana, and others are a little later than this generation of WRs I think. Like, I'm thinking Harrison, Owens, and Moss are all in the same "generation" and I wouldn't say Wayne is in the same generation as Harrison. The more recent crop would include guys like Wayne, Ochocinco, Santana Moss... Steve Smith? Anquan Boldin? I see those guys as a more recent generation than the Harrison/Moss/Owens/Holt group.And Mason is worthy of a spot in the poll. Will he win? Definitely not. But he's up there in career receptions and yards I think, if we're talking about the best WRs of his generation he's in the periphery of the discussion.

 

[Funkley]

Amy vote other than Moss here is biased and wasted. Moss in the greatest ever conversation let alone this group.

 

[Koya]

Amy vote other than Moss here is biased and wasted. Moss in the greatest ever conversation let alone this group.

Whoa there funk. I can easily see an argument for Marvin (sick hands, great routes, very good speed - did it all, consistently, and didnt cause trouble in the locker room). If TO didnt end up losing his team games because of his distractions, he'd be considered as well.

 

[cvnpoka]

oh man hines ward got a vote haha. id put andre johnson and larry fitz on there. hell, boldin should be on there over mason and ward.

doesnt really matter since the answer is moss. ppl just like to penalize him for not fulfilling his potential.

 

[travdogg]

I think much like it was a toss up who to take first in fantasy drafts from 2000-2005, I think its still a toss up to choose between Harrison, Moss and Owens. Much like I did then, I still prefer Harrison. I do think that any vote that isn't for one of those 3 guys though is pretty uninformed.

 

[pollardsvision]

I'd go Moss, but I think TO, Harrison, and Holt are clearly in the discussion.

Holt's run of 6 straight 1300+ seasons is pretty impressive. Crazy he'd be the 4th best WR of any generation, but he might be here. Personally, I'd put the latter 3 in a dead heat behind Moss.

 

[Ignoratio Elenchi]

id put andre johnson and larry fitz on there. hell, boldin should be on there over mason and ward.

Those guys are all later, imo. Separate generation of WRs. AJ and Fitz are still in their 20s, right? Meanwhile all the guys in this poll are pretty much at the end of their careers.

ppl just like to penalize him for not fulfilling his potential.

Seems like he penalized himself. He would easily be the consensus best of this group if his production on the field matched his potential. But it didn't.

 

[Funkley]

Production??? This is shtick right? He's 8th in receptions, 5th in yardage and 2nd in TD's alltime. The only debate here is who is number 2.

 

[travdogg]

I'd go Moss, but I think TO, Harrison, and Holt are clearly in the discussion.Holt's run of 6 straight 1300+ seasons is pretty impressive. Crazy he'd be the 4th best WR of any generation, but he might be here.

I think Holt was very impressive, but I actually don't think he was even the best WR on his team. Now, Holt was better come 2003, but for overall careers, I think Isaac Bruce was the superior WR.How mid 90's are we talking here? I feel like if we are going back to like 93' or so, I'd like to make a case for Tim Brown being the 4th guy after the Marv/Randy/TO trio. Wayne and Bruce are also much more deserving than Ward or Mason. Rod Smith is as well. Hines Ward went from being underrated to being overrated so fast its crazy. It blows my mind that anybody considers him a HOF caliber WR.

 

[Funkley]

As much as I like Harrison I think its fair to point out that he was able to play with the same hall of fame qb for nearly his entire career. Moss and TO didnt have that advantage.

 

[Ignoratio Elenchi]

Production??? This is shtick right? He's 8th in receptions, 5th in yardage and 2nd in TD's alltime. The only debate here is who is number 2.

Owens has more receptions, more yardage, and the same exact number of receiving TDs as Moss (plus a handful of rushing TDs).

 

[Sweet Love]

id put andre johnson and larry fitz on there. hell, boldin should be on there over mason and ward.

Those guys are all later, imo. Separate generation of WRs. AJ and Fitz are still in their 20s, right? Meanwhile all the guys in this poll are pretty much at the end of their careers.

ppl just like to penalize him for not fulfilling his potential.

Seems like he penalized himself. He would easily be the consensus best of this group if his production on the field matched his potential. But it didn't.

I agree with your thoughts about the AJ/Fitz crowd, but still feel Wayne (who is just 2 years younger than Moss) could fit in this group. I did do some homework and although Mason rocked 11k+ receiving yards (and probably will finish with 12k (even if he just latches onto a team for a portion of the season...109 yards to 12k), he was amazingly only a pro-bowler twice. He really sets the definition of "stat accumulator", as he had five seasons with over 1k receiving, but also under 1.1k...really is amazing as if you did a search on 1000 yard seasons, I am sure he would be towards the top with 8, but guy had just one season over 1200 receiving yards...for comparison, Lav Coles had two seasons above 1200 receiving.

 

[Funkley]

Production??? This is shtick right? He's 8th in receptions, 5th in yardage and 2nd in TD's alltime. The only debate here is who is number 2.

In more games. Moss did as much or more with less. Owens is #2. Owens has more receptions, more yardage, and the same exact number of receiving TDs as Moss (plus a handful of rushing TDs).

 

[Instinctive]

I have a hard time not voting for TO.

He and Moss are clearly above Harrison, IMO (who is with Holt in being above all other options) - if only due to their longevity and superior TD-scoring ability.

Both guys have 153 receiving TDs. Owens has a few rushing ones, iirc.

Owens has over 1000 more yards receiving.

Owens has over 100 more receptions.

Moss averaged a little under a yard more per reception, which is nothing to laugh at - except that the difference between 15 and 14 is less than the difference between, say, 10 and 9 (diminishing additional value of the extra y/r at a certain point, in my mind).

And the bottom line is that one guy took plays off and the other didn't. Even though both wer eoff-field distractions, this is about actual on-field play. Moss should be the best of all time. But he's not even the best of his generation.

 

[Ignoratio Elenchi]

I agree with your thoughts about the AJ/Fitz crowd, but still feel Wayne (who is just 2 years younger than Moss) could fit in this group.

I didn't realize their ages were so close, but I still think he's part of a later generation of WRs. Wayne was drafted three years after Moss, and then didn't really make an impact until his 3rd or 4th year - i.e. Moss became a top WR in 1998, Wayne didn't become a top WR until something like 2004 (around the time Fitz, AJ, etc. also hit the scene). So he's kind of a tweener but I associate Wayne with the more recent crop of WRs. I'd say Moss is a young member of the Owens/Harrison/Holt generation while Wayne is an old member of the AJ/Fitz generation.

I did do some homework and although Mason rocked 11k+ receiving yards (and probably will finish with 12k (even if he just latches onto a team for a portion of the season...109 yards to 12k), he was amazingly only a pro-bowler twice. He really sets the definition of "stat accumulator", as he had five seasons with over 1k receiving, but also under 1.1k...really is amazing as if you did a search on 1000 yard seasons, I am sure he would be towards the top with 8, but guy had just one season over 1200 receiving yards...for comparison, Lav Coles had two seasons above 1200 receiving.

Yeah, mostly I was just trying to be proactive and anticipate some of the "other" choices people might bring up. I really think the conversation is between Moss, Owens, Harrison, and possibly Holt.

 

[Ignoratio Elenchi]

Production??? This is shtick right? He's 8th in receptions, 5th in yardage and 2nd in TD's alltime. The only debate here is who is number 2.

Owens has more receptions, more yardage, and the same exact number of receiving TDs as Moss (plus a handful of rushing TDs).

In more games. Moss did as much or more with less. Owens is #2.

Owens started 10 more games than Moss. Give Moss 10 more starts and he's still not going to catch Owens in receptions or receiving yards.And I think we all agree that Owens isn't as naturally gifted as Moss. So if anything, I'd say Owens is the one who did as much or more with less. Based on their talent levels, Moss probably should have put up better numbers than Owens. But he didn't.

 

[adrenaline]

As much as I don't care for him I had to vote Moss. He had more talent than any other WR I've seen play & he had it from day one.

 

[Jersey35]

Production??? This is shtick right? He's 8th in receptions, 5th in yardage and 2nd in TD's alltime. The only debate here is who is number 2.

This is schtick right? So the guy who is 5th in receptions, 2nd in yardage, tied with Moss in receiving TD's, and 4th on the list of alltime TD's (Moss is 5th) has no chance? You may have your favorite in the race, but to call the debate schtick just makes you look like you don't know what you're talking about.

ETA: Looks like I'm late to the party - Ignoratio is on it. Carry on.

 

[GregR_2]

Came down to Moss or Owens for me (as I'm sure it did for many).

I guess for me the biggest differences for me were:

1) When both are at their best, Moss is better.

2) Moss might not play well for a crappy team, but he wasn't much of a problem when on a good team. Even the stuff he did in Minnesota was fairly minor even with the media trying to blow it up. But Owens couldn't be a teammate even on a great team. I'd rather have Moss and hope I can keep him happy by being good, than have Owens and see my team torpedoed by our own player even when we're at our peak.

 

[adrenaline]

Production??? This is shtick right? He's 8th in receptions, 5th in yardage and 2nd in TD's alltime. The only debate here is who is number 2.

Owens has more receptions, more yardage, and the same exact number of receiving TDs as Moss (plus a handful of rushing TDs).

In more games. Moss did as much or more with less. Owens is #2.

Owens started 10 more games than Moss. Give Moss 10 more starts and he's still not going to catch Owens in receptions or receiving yards.And I think we all agree that Owens isn't as naturally gifted as Moss. So if anything, I'd say Owens is the one who did as much or more with less. Based on their talent levels, Moss probably should have put up better numbers than Owens. But he didn't.

I don't really have a horse in this race but using 10 starts is misleading, Owens actually played in 17 more games than Moss. The fact that Owens wasn't good enough to start a higher percentage shouldn't be used in his favor. Moss has played 2.5 years without a QB that has made the pro bowl vs Owens 1 so I would have to agree that Moss has done as much with less. The most important number, 153 TDs each.

 

[travdogg]

As much as I like Harrison I think its fair to point out that he was able to play with the same hall of fame qb for nearly his entire career. Moss and TO didnt have that advantage.

One could argue that is a knock against Moss and TO since they both got themselves run out of town when they were playing with All-Pro QB's.Its not like either Moss or Owens were playing with bums. Owens had: Young, Garcia, McNabb and Romo who all are multiple time Pro-Bowlers.Moss had: Cunningham, Culpepper and Brady who were all MVP caliber players at the time.I feel like very little seperates the three of them, but based on career value, which I deem as getting the player from day one of their career until their retirement, I'd rank them 1. Harrison 2. Moss 3. Owens.

 

[SWC]

people always forget about andre rison he was the man

 

[Biggs04]

Owens. Couple reasons. Played harder and was a better blocker. Ran every route. And at his best he was better than Moss. Two examples. The playoff game against the Giants when he was on the 49ers and they came back in the 2nd half entirely because of him. Caught two TD passes and completely took over, got into the Giants players' heads and drew at least two unnecessary roughness penalties. The other example is the game he broke the single game reception record with 20 balls for 285 yards. Moss never had a game like that.

 

[Iwannabeacowboybaby!]

Came down to Moss or Owens for me (as I'm sure it did for many).I guess for me the biggest differences for me were:1) When both are at their best, Moss is better.2) Moss might not play well for a crappy team, but he wasn't much of a problem when on a good team. Even the stuff he did in Minnesota was fairly minor even with the media trying to blow it up. But Owens couldn't be a teammate even on a great team. I'd rather have Moss and hope I can keep him happy by being good, than have Owens and see my team torpedoed by our own player even when we're at our peak.

This is pretty much how I feel, good posting GregR.

 

[LHUCKS]

LOL at D Mason in in a TO/Moss comparison.

 

[adrenaline]

people always forget about andre rison he was the man

I'll never forget Bad Moon Rison, he was an important part of the Packers super bowl team.

 

[Iwannabeacowboybaby!]

Owens. Couple reasons. Played harder and was a better blocker. Ran every route. And at his best he was better than Moss. Two examples. The playoff game against the Giants when he was on the 49ers and they came back in the 2nd half entirely because of him. Caught two TD passes and completely took over, got into the Giants players' heads and drew at least two unnecessary roughness penalties. The other example is the game he broke the single game reception record with 20 balls for 285 yards. Moss never had a game like that.

Honestly, are we going to decide who was better between Moss and TO over blocking? When talking about Jerry Rice and how great he is, I don't think we use the blocking issue to really drive home the point.Because Randy took a few plays off a game that really didn't make an impact on the play doesn't mean TO ran EVERY route to perfection his entire career.At TO's best he was better than Moss? All I can say is I completely disagree and I really don't think it's that close and I think TO was a great player.I can appreciate some of the great games TO had but clearly Randy Moss had many sensational games as well, too many to post.You pointed out he caught 20 balls for 285 yards, that was awesome. Randy Moss caught 23 Td's in one year, probably a record that will never be broken, I'd say that trumps that one game.

 

[Biggs04]

Owens. Couple reasons. Played harder and was a better blocker. Ran every route. And at his best he was better than Moss. Two examples. The playoff game against the Giants when he was on the 49ers and they came back in the 2nd half entirely because of him. Caught two TD passes and completely took over, got into the Giants players' heads and drew at least two unnecessary roughness penalties. The other example is the game he broke the single game reception record with 20 balls for 285 yards. Moss never had a game like that.

Honestly, are we going to decide who was better between Moss and TO over blocking? When talking about Jerry Rice and how great he is, I don't think we use the blocking issue to really drive home the point.Because Randy took a few plays off a game that really didn't make an impact on the play doesn't mean TO ran EVERY route to perfection his entire career.At TO's best he was better than Moss? All I can say is I completely disagree and I really don't think it's that close and I think TO was a great player.I can appreciate some of the great games TO had but clearly Randy Moss had many sensational games as well, too many to post.You pointed out he caught 20 balls for 285 yards, that was awesome. Randy Moss caught 23 Td's in one year, probably a record that will never be broken, I'd say that trumps that one game.

Just my opinion, I can see how you'd pick Moss.

 

[Ilov80s]

Production??? This is shtick right? He's 8th in receptions, 5th in yardage and 2nd in TD's alltime. The only debate here is who is number 2.

Owens has more receptions, more yardage, and the same exact number of receiving TDs as Moss (plus a handful of rushing TDs).

Harrison is in right in this discussion: 2nd in receptions, 5th in TDs, 6th in yardsLet's compare them in terms of how they finished at their position in fantasy since we are talking production:Moss Top 10: 9x Top 5: 8x First: 4xTO: Top 10: 8x Top 5: 7x First: 0xHarrison: Top 10: 8x Top 5: 7x First: 4xFrom 96-06, Harrison or Moss finished as the top WR every year except 04 and 05.

 

[jurb26]

Moss was a game changing player. He is one of the very few players to have ever come into the NFL and revolutionized the way his position was played and forced opposing defenses to create specific game plans to try and stop him. His physical abilities where a marvel of human engineering and a he is widely regarded as the most physically talented WR to have ever lived. He was not only that, but should also be in contention for one of the best overall athletes to ever play in the NFL. Sure, others like Bo Jackson and Deion Sanders have very compelling arguments as well. I'm sure many would say they were better athletes due to their success in other sports outside of football (baseball). Consider this however, Moss may in fact be the only player who athletically could have translated his talents over to the NBA and probably had a successful career there as well. Bobby Bowden stated that Deion Sanders was head and shoulders the best athlete he had ever seen in his life or coached, and he coached many great ones. That was until Randy Moss walked onto the FSU campus. As a true freshman Moss was the best player on a National Championship team and everyone knew it from day one. Bobby said Moss was athletically just as good as Deion, only 4 inches taller. Pretty remarkable!

In his prime, no player was ever more terrifying to cover than Randy Moss. He was simply capable of things no other player or human being could do. When playing at his highest level Moss was the best WR to ever play. Unfortunately playing at that level is something that he didn't do nearly consistent enough. Had he, there is a good chance he would be considered the best WR to ever play and broken several receiving records. This is terribly unfortunate for Randy and his legacy as a player because there are many people who will simply not see beyond the warts to appreciate the greatness with which he still played. He is IMO one of the most misunderstood players of his generation and the perceptions that surrounded him almost had their own life force.

Moss for me is easily the the best WR of his generation. He is not only the best of his generation but at worst the 2nd best WR to ever play. I feel lucky to have been able to watch Randy Moss and experience a transcending player of his ability. Love him or hate him, Randy Moss will be missed.

 

[Ilov80s]

Moss was a game changing player. He is one of the very few players to have ever come into the NFL and revolutionized the way his position was played and forced opposing defenses to create specific game plans to try and stop him. His physical abilities where a marvel of human engineering and a he is widely regarded as the most physically talented WR to have ever lived. He was not only that, but should also be in contention for one of the best overall athletes to ever play in the NFL. Sure, others like Bo Jackson and Deion Sanders have very compelling arguments as well. I'm sure many would say they were better athletes due to their success in other sports outside of football (baseball). Consider this however, Moss may in fact be the only player who athletically could have translated his talents over to the NBA and probably had a successful career there as well. Bobby Bowden stated that Deion Sanders was head and shoulders the best athlete he had ever seen in his life or coached, and he coached many great ones. That was until Randy Moss walked onto the FSU campus. As a true freshman Moss was the best player on a National Championship team and everyone knew it from day one. Bobby said Moss was athletically just as good as Deion, only 4 inches taller. Pretty remarkable!In his prime, no player was ever more terrifying to cover than Randy Moss. He was simply capable of things no other player or human being could do. When playing at his highest level Moss was the best WR to ever play. Unfortunately playing at that level is something that he didn't do nearly consistent enough. Had he, there is a good chance he would be considered the best WR to ever play and broken several receiving records. This is terribly unfortunate for Randy and his legacy as a player because there are many people who will simply not see beyond the warts to appreciate the greatness with which he still played. He is IMO one of the most misunderstood players of his generation and the perceptions that surrounded him almost had their own life force.Moss for me is easily the the best WR of his generation. He is not only the best of his generation but at worst the 2nd best WR to ever play. I feel lucky to have been able to watch Randy Moss and experience a transcending player of his ability. Love him or hate him, Randy Moss will be missed.

He had all those amazing athletic skills and still couldn't run a route half as good as Marvin Harrison. Moss was flashy and the greatest deep threat ever. However, there is much more to being a WR than a fly pattern or a fade.

 

[jurb26]

He had all those amazing athletic skills and still couldn't run a route half as good as Marvin Harrison. Moss was flashy and the greatest deep threat ever. However, there is much more to being a WR than a fly pattern or a fade.

There is more to playing WR than lining up on the same side of the field and only running your routes from the same direction every time....I'm being sarcastic of course. Moss ran more than fly patterns. That is one of the many misconceptions that people refuse to overlook. He was probably the most dynamic and best deep WR to ever play the game so that portion is what everyone chooses to focus on and his teams (rightly so) asked him to do a great amount. Never in my life have I seen a WR get triple covered other than Randy Moss. I simply made good strategic sense to run Moss deep as often as possible seeing that he was likely taking at least 2 defenders with him every time.

 

[DesmondBishop]

Moss was a game changing player. He is one of the very few players to have ever come into the NFL and revolutionized the way his position was played and forced opposing defenses to create specific game plans to try and stop him. His physical abilities where a marvel of human engineering and a he is widely regarded as the most physically talented WR to have ever lived. He was not only that, but should also be in contention for one of the best overall athletes to ever play in the NFL. Sure, others like Bo Jackson and Deion Sanders have very compelling arguments as well. I'm sure many would say they were better athletes due to their success in other sports outside of football (baseball). Consider this however, Moss may in fact be the only player who athletically could have translated his talents over to the NBA and probably had a successful career there as well. Bobby Bowden stated that Deion Sanders was head and shoulders the best athlete he had ever seen in his life or coached, and he coached many great ones. That was until Randy Moss walked onto the FSU campus. As a true freshman Moss was the best player on a National Championship team and everyone knew it from day one. Bobby said Moss was athletically just as good as Deion, only 4 inches taller. Pretty remarkable!In his prime, no player was ever more terrifying to cover than Randy Moss. He was simply capable of things no other player or human being could do. When playing at his highest level Moss was the best WR to ever play. Unfortunately playing at that level is something that he didn't do nearly consistent enough. Had he, there is a good chance he would be considered the best WR to ever play and broken several receiving records. This is terribly unfortunate for Randy and his legacy as a player because there are many people who will simply not see beyond the warts to appreciate the greatness with which he still played. He is IMO one of the most misunderstood players of his generation and the perceptions that surrounded him almost had their own life force.Moss for me is easily the the best WR of his generation. He is not only the best of his generation but at worst the 2nd best WR to ever play. I feel lucky to have been able to watch Randy Moss and experience a transcending player of his ability. Love him or hate him, Randy Moss will be missed.

He had all those amazing athletic skills and still couldn't run a route half as good as Marvin Harrison. Moss was flashy and the greatest deep threat ever. However, there is much more to being a WR than a fly pattern or a fade.

Moss never took the time to be as great as Jerry, despite a far superior skill set. I hate T.O. and all his stupid crap he has done over the years, but if I had to pick for my team between T.O. and Moss, it is not even a debate, T.O. easily, he gave 110% all the time and he was far superior after the catch.Tim Brown should at least be an option, he put up pretty consistent/good numbers and rarely played with a good QB till Gannon joined the team.

 

[Ignoratio Elenchi]

Tim Brown should at least be an option, he put up pretty consistent/good numbers and rarely played with a good QB till Gannon joined the team.

Brown is an all-time great, but he was probably already 30+ years old by the time this generation entered the league. He's more in the Rice/Carter/Irvin generation imo.

 

[sihaokills]

Moss

 

[Kenny Powers]

As far as raw talent, easily Moss. Who Id consider the best of this group, Id give a slight edge to TO (lets not forget TO can still add to his numbers as well, more than likely). Really though, its splitting hairs and IMO this is the best generation of WRs ever, which is argubly a more telling thought when you might have 3 Top 5 WRs ever in their prime in the same 15 year span, not to mention a guy like Holt as #4.

Totally agree with Ignoratio's thoughts on who should and shouldnt be considered in this generation as well

 

[Kenny Powers]

As much as I like Harrison I think its fair to point out that he was able to play with the same hall of fame qb for nearly his entire career. Moss and TO didnt have that advantage.

One could argue that is a knock against Moss and TO since they both got themselves run out of town when they were playing with All-Pro QB's.Its not like either Moss or Owens were playing with bums. Owens had: Young, Garcia, McNabb and Romo who all are multiple time Pro-Bowlers.Moss had: Cunningham, Culpepper and Brady who were all MVP caliber players at the time.

Id actually say looking at it from this view is something that supports an argument for TO. As stated, Harrison had maybe the best QB ever throwing to him all but 2 years of his career. Culpepper and Brady won MVP's when Moss was there and were considered elite QBs at that time. As for Owens, Young only had 1 above average season when Owens was there, and the rest of the QBs have never been really considered Top 5 QBs yet posted their best seasons when Owens was there and made pro bowls. I dont believe the pro bowl numbers in the post before yours are correct (Seasons playing without a pro bowl QB: Moss (2.5), Owens (1)), in fact I know thats not correct because TO hasnt been with a pro bowl QB the last 2 seasons, but I guarantee those 3 QBs made more pro bowls when TO was playing with them than without TO.

 

[FUBAR]

In a 3 dog race, I took Marvin. Mostly because he helped peyton develop and wasn't a distraction on the field. Top 3 is easy, probably ward #4.

 

[spider321]

I think Holt was very impressive, but I actually don't think he was even the best WR on his team. Now, Holt was better come 2003, but for overall careers, I think Isaac Bruce was the superior WR.

Bruce was a great receiver, but Holt was better for 8 of the 9 years they played together.The only exception being Holt's rookie season.

 

[SWC]

he wasnt the best but my favorite was don beebee because his helmet was all crazy and if the thread was aobut wrs with crazy helmets he would win by a mile

 

[kinglochness]

Production??? This is shtick right? He's 8th in receptions, 5th in yardage and 2nd in TD's alltime. The only debate here is who is number 2.

Owens has more receptions, more yardage, and the same exact number of receiving TDs as Moss (plus a handful of rushing TDs).

In more games. Moss did as much or more with less. Owens is #2.

Owens started 10 more games than Moss. Give Moss 10 more starts and he's still not going to catch Owens in receptions or receiving yards.And I think we all agree that Owens isn't as naturally gifted as Moss. So if anything, I'd say Owens is the one who did as much or more with less. Based on their talent levels, Moss probably should have put up better numbers than Owens. But he didn't.

I don't really have a horse in this race but using 10 starts is misleading, Owens actually played in 17 more games than Moss. The fact that Owens wasn't good enough to start a higher percentage shouldn't be used in his favor. Moss has played 2.5 years without a QB that has made the pro bowl vs Owens 1 so I would have to agree that Moss has done as much with less. The most important number, 153 TDs each.

I always try to view these "who's the best" questions by one criteria. I'm the D Coordinator trying to gameplan the guy this week. Who do I not want to see? I'd say Moss.

 

[Truman]

Voted for Keyshawn.

 

[spider321]

Voted for Keyshawn.

Why?

 

[FUBAR]

Production??? This is shtick right? He's 8th in receptions, 5th in yardage and 2nd in TD's alltime. The only debate here is who is number 2.

Owens has more receptions, more yardage, and the same exact number of receiving TDs as Moss (plus a handful of rushing TDs).

In more games. Moss did as much or more with less. Owens is #2.

Owens started 10 more games than Moss. Give Moss 10 more starts and he's still not going to catch Owens in receptions or receiving yards.And I think we all agree that Owens isn't as naturally gifted as Moss. So if anything, I'd say Owens is the one who did as much or more with less. Based on their talent levels, Moss probably should have put up better numbers than Owens. But he didn't.

I don't really have a horse in this race but using 10 starts is misleading, Owens actually played in 17 more games than Moss. The fact that Owens wasn't good enough to start a higher percentage shouldn't be used in his favor. Moss has played 2.5 years without a QB that has made the pro bowl vs Owens 1 so I would have to agree that Moss has done as much with less. The most important number, 153 TDs each.

I always try to view these "who's the best" questions by one criteria. I'm the D Coordinator trying to gameplan the guy this week. Who do I not want to see? I'd say Moss.

It's a fair way to judge. But if I'm the head Coach. Qb or o coordinator, I want Marvin.

 

[DoubleG]

It's a fair way to judge. But if I'm the head Coach. Qb or o coordinator, I want Marvin.

Except that wasn't the question. The question is not "Who do you want as a teammate" or "Who would you like on your team" - it's "Who was best?" Harrison was an excellent WR - but in a pass-happy offense he still didn't put up the amazing numbers Moss and TO did. I am a huge Colts fan - but this really comes down to Moss vs. TO. Given the similarity of their numbers, I have to give a slight edge to TO because he was willing to do things that Moss couldn't or wouldn't (i.e. block, go over the middle, make a catch when he was about to get clobbered, etc) Moss had a tendancy to disappear for games - even seasons (Raiders?) at a time. I'll take the guy with a little less talent and a lot more heart every time.

 

[Apple Juice]

Moss and Owens are thugs. If they had the heart and grit of a Wes Welker they'd have changed the sport forever.

 

[FUBAR]

It's a fair way to judge. But if I'm the head Coach. Qb or o coordinator, I want Marvin.

Except that wasn't the question. The question is not "Who do you want as a teammate" or "Who would you like on your team" - it's "Who was best?" Harrison was an excellent WR - but in a pass-happy offense he still didn't put up the amazing numbers Moss and TO did. I am a huge Colts fan - but this really comes down to Moss vs. TO. Given the similarity of their numbers, I have to give a slight edge to TO because he was willing to do things that Moss couldn't or wouldn't (i.e. block, go over the middle, make a catch when he was about to get clobbered, etc) Moss had a tendancy to disappear for games - even seasons (Raiders?) at a time. I'll take the guy with a little less talent and a lot more heart every time.

sure it is.

Define "best WR" however you choose.

I define "best" as who I most want on my team. There's various reasons a coach can want a player on his team but they (almost) all come down to which player will help you win championships. I won't put any championship on any individual player but in a team game, the role a player plays on a team is vital. Moss and TO were highlight reels and incredible players, but they weren't individuals who would help win championships.

 

[pollardsvision]

As much as I like Harrison I think its fair to point out that he was able to play with the same hall of fame qb for nearly his entire career. Moss and TO didnt have that advantage.

One could argue that is a knock against Moss and TO since they both got themselves run out of town when they were playing with All-Pro QB's.Its not like either Moss or Owens were playing with bums.

Owens had: Young, Garcia, McNabb and Romo who all are multiple time Pro-Bowlers.

Moss had: Cunningham, Culpepper and Brady who were all MVP caliber players at the time.

Id actually say looking at it from this view is something that supports an argument for TO. As stated, Harrison had maybe the best QB ever throwing to him all but 2 years of his career. Culpepper and Brady won MVP's when Moss was there and were considered elite QBs at that time. As for Owens, Young only had 1 above average season when Owens was there, and the rest of the QBs have never been really considered Top 5 QBs yet posted their best seasons when Owens was there and made pro bowls. I dont believe the pro bowl numbers in the post before yours are correct (Seasons playing without a pro bowl QB: Moss (2.5), Owens (1)), in fact I know thats not correct because TO hasnt been with a pro bowl QB the last 2 seasons, but I guarantee those 3 QBs made more pro bowls when TO was playing with them than without TO.

Would Culpepper have ever been considered an elite QB if he'd never had the luxury of playing with the most talented WR in the history of the NFL? I highly doubt it.