Jerry Rice-When did he cease to be the best WR (1 Viewer)

[This_Is_Not_VRR]

What year did Rice finally lose the title of best WR in the NFL (excluding the '97 season that he missed due to injury)? And which WR was the first to take that honor away from him?

Do you think Cris Carter, Michael Irvin, or Sterling Sharpe ever managed to surpass Rice in their playing days? Or do we have to look to guys like Moss and TO who started to dominate when Rice's career was winding down?

http://www.pro-football-reference.com/players/CartCr00.htm

Cris Carter had his best year in '95 (17 TD's, 1,371 yards) but Rice put up a career best 1,848 yards and 15 TD's that year.

http://www.pro-football-reference.com/players/IrviMi00.htm

Irvin's numbers really don't compare favorably to Rices at all (not that he wasn't better than his stats suggest).

http://www.pro-football-reference.com/players/SharSt00.htm

Sterling Sharpe was simply awesome in '94 (18 TD's, 1119 yards) but Rice was no slouch either with 1499 yards and 13 TD's.

*edit*: here's a link to Rice's career stats:

http://www.nfl.com/players/playerpage/1291

 

[TommyGilmore]

1998, the year after his injury and Moss' first year in the league.

 

[aposulli]

The moment T.O. caught that TD against GB in, I believe it was 1998

 

[msommer]

thought he was the goat?

 

[This_Is_Not_VRR]

thought he was the goat?

Obviously he's the greatest WR of all time. But he wasn't the best WR in the league every single year, just as Michael Jordan wasn't the best SG in the NBA every single year. If you play until you're 40, somebody will eventually surpass you...I was just curious as to who everyone thought was the first WR to do it.

 

[Maurile Tremblay]

Rice was the best from 1986 through 1996. His injury was in 1997, and he was never the best WR in the league again after that.

Randy Moss came into the league in 1998, and that's also when Terrell Owens started to shine (with Harrison coming on a year later).

 

[dgreen]

1998, the year after his injury and Moss' first year in the league.

1995 was Rice's last great year, 1996 was very good, and 1997 was the injury. However, in 96 and 97, no single person took hold of that #1 spot so we can't really crown someone over Rice there, IMO. Then, as you said, Moss broke on the scene in 1998 and held the top spot for several years.

 

[Ozymandias]

Rice was the best from 1986 through 1996. His injury was in 1997, and he was never the best WR in the league again after that.

Randy Moss came into the league in 1998, and that's also when Terrell Owens started to shine (with Harrison coming on a year later).

By 1998, he wasn't even the best receiver for the Niners. Owens was, and yes, that was the year Owens made the catch against GB.

 

[diesel7982]

1998, the year after his injury and Moss' first year in the league.

 

[dgreen]

Rice was the best from 1986 through 1996.

The only WRs to have more FP in a season from 1986-1995 were Henry Ellard (1988) and Shannon Sharpe (1992). Pretty good trivia there.

 

[This_Is_Not_VRR]

I thought for sure someone would make a case for Carter or Sharpe. Guess not.

 

[cstu]

1998, the year after his injury and Moss' first year in the league.

1995 was Rice's last great year, 1996 was very good, and 1997 was the injury. However, in 96 and 97, no single person took hold of that #1 spot so we can't really crown someone over Rice there, IMO. Then, as you said, Moss broke on the scene in 1998 and held the top spot for several years.

In 1996 he was starting to slip and finished as the #4 WR behind Michael Jackson, Tony Martin and Carl Pickens. He was still a great receiver but if you watched him that year he didn't have the explosiveness that he had before. In the playoffs he was little more than a possession receiver so you could see the end coming for him. A lot of people think it was the knee injury in 1997 that caused him to decline (it contributed to it), but he was already past his prime. Not to take anything away from him since he was very successful even after much of his physical ability was gone.One of my first fantasy football memories was of the magazine I bought in 1997 when I started playing and the cover asked the question "Who should you take #1 - Rice or Pickens?".

 

[aposulli]

I thought for sure someone would make a case for Carter or Sharpe. Guess not.

1995 was Carters best year: 122 catches 1300+ yards and 17 TDs...GOAT in 1995: 122, 1850, 15 (eerily similar... but more fantasy points)

 

[aposulli]

In 1996 he was starting to slip and finished as the #4 WR behind Michael Jackson, Tony Martin and Carl Pickens.  He was still a great receiver but if you watched him that year he didn't have the explosiveness that he had before.  In the playoffs he was little more than a possession receiver so you could see the end coming for him.  A lot of people think it was the knee injury in 1997 that caused him to decline (it contributed to it), but he was already past his prime.  Not to take anything away from him since he was very successful even after much of his physical ability was gone.

One of my first fantasy football memories was of the magazine I bought in 1997 when I started playing and the cover asked the question "Who should you take #1 - Rice or Pickens?".

That reminds me of the first draft I had when Herman Moore went #2 overall in 1997 behind only Brett Favre. This happened to be becuase in 1995:Herman Moore: 123, 1686, 14

WHAT A GOLDEN YEAR FOR WRs!!!

Edit: just loook at the Numbers (INSANE!!!!!)

 

[dgreen]

I thought for sure someone would make a case for Carter or Sharpe. Guess not.

1995 was Carters best year: 122 catches 1300+ yards and 17 TDs...GOAT in 1995: 122, 1850, 15 (eerily similar... but more fantasy points)

Eerily similar except for those 500 extra yards that enabled Rice to set the single season record for receiving yards.

 

[This_Is_Not_VRR]

I'm still amazed that Rice was able to put together a 1,211 yard season in 2002 with the Raiders.

 

[-OZ-]

Rice was the best from 1986 through 1996. His injury was in 1997, and he was never the best WR in the league again after that.

Randy Moss came into the league in 1998, and that's also when Terrell Owens started to shine (with Harrison coming on a year later).

By 1998, he wasn't even the best receiver for the Niners. Owens was, and yes, that was the year Owens made the catch against GB.

Seems to me the answer is 1997, with the injury, but no WR was dominant in 97, Marvin's dominance begain in 1999.As good as TO is, he doesn't have any year where he was truly the dominant force.

 

[BigRed]

Obviously he's the greatest WR of all time.

Probably but not "obviously." That is unless you're one of the many here who think football didn't really begin until the 1980s.

 

[-OZ-]

Obviously he's the greatest WR of all time.

Probably but not "obviously." That is unless you're one of the many here who think football didn't really begin until the 1980s.

Change "all" to "our" or the modern era, and it's clear.

 

[This_Is_Not_VRR]

Obviously he's the greatest WR of all time.

Probably but not "obviously." That is unless you're one of the many here who think football didn't really begin until the 1980s.

I disagree. One look at the records books tells you all that you need to know about who the greatest WR of all time is.

 

[aposulli]

Obviously he's the greatest WR of all time. 

Probably but not "obviously." That is unless you're one of the many here who think football didn't really begin until the 1980s.

I disagree. One look at the records books tells you all that you need to know about who the greatest WR of all time is.

I think this guy was reffering to the players who played in an era where passing wasn't so affluent. Obviously receiving #s back then were not so gaudy.Although Don Hutson is pretty much the only guy I've heard a legitimate argument for #1 other than Rice.

 

[MarshallRob]

The moment T.O. caught that TD against GB in, I believe it was 1998

Don't forget T.O. had 4 drops and a fumble in that game before he redeemed himself with that final TD. Of course T.O. would never have had a shot at that TD if the officials hadn't missed Rice's earlier fumble.

 

[This_Is_Not_VRR]

Obviously he's the greatest WR of all time.

Probably but not "obviously." That is unless you're one of the many here who think football didn't really begin until the 1980s.

I disagree. One look at the records books tells you all that you need to know about who the greatest WR of all time is.

I think this guy was reffering to the players who played in an era where passing wasn't so affluent. Obviously receiving #s back then were not so gaudy.Although Don Hutson is pretty much the only guy I've heard a legitimate argument for #1 other than Rice.

I get what he was saying. And I tend to agree that it's really only fair to compare players from within their own era. That said, Rice was so good that labeling him the greatest WR of all time isn't doing a diservice to WR's from other eras. And while a case can certainly be made for Hutson, I think that the longevity and consistant brilliance Rice displayed over his 20 year career sets him apart from every other WR in NFL history.

 

[Black Box]

This needs to be rephrased to "When did Jerry Rice jump the shark?"

I would vote he never did