Most sure-handed pass-receiving TEAMS (1 Viewer)

[Doug B]

All the talk about the Falcons trio of stone-handed wonders has made me wonder about something: which teams in contemporary NFL history have had the greatest collective assembly of sure-handed pass receivers (TEs and RBs included)? Not just one guy, but at least two ... if not three or more.

Some off the top of my head:

70s - 80s Raiders: Cliff Branch and Fred Biletnikoff's career's overlapped for seven seasons ... that was pretty darned solid right there. Dave Casper and Todd Christensen are all-time hands guys at TE, too. Marcus Allen certainly didn't suck coming out of the bacckfield.

Early 80s Chargers - Winslow and Joiner rocked ... Chandler and Jefferson I'm less sure about

1984 Dolphins - As third and fourth targets, Nat Moore and Jim Jensen were very sure-handed and tough. I remember one of the "Marks Brothers" being a vacuum cleaner (Clayton, IIRC), and the other being less than stellar.

Mid-80s 49ers - The brief time when Dwight Clark and Jerry Rice played together ... I think John Taylor was a step down from Clark in the hands department. Roger Craig was developing his formidable receiving rep at this time, too. I don't remember any of the other wideouts (guys like Nehemiah & Solomon) being special. Russ Francis was a solid TE ... trying to remember the quality of his hands.

1998 Broncos - Rod Smith, Ed McCaffery, and Shannon Sharpe was a nice troika. Smith was no slouch, but he was probably the weak link. The RBs didn't get a lot of targets.

Can we come up with some others? Missed any obvious ones?

 

[dagogrease]

All the talk about the Falcons trio of stone-handed wonders has made me wonder about something: which teams in contemporary NFL history have had the greatest collective assembly of sure-handed pass receivers (TEs and RBs included)? Not just one guy, but at least two ... if not three or more.

Some off the top of my head:

70s - 80s Raiders: Cliff Branch and Fred Biletnikoff's career's overlapped for seven seasons ... that was pretty darned solid right there. Dave Casper and Todd Christensen are all-time hands guys at TE, too. Marcus Allen certainly didn't suck coming out of the bacckfield.

Early 80s Chargers - Winslow and Joiner rocked ... Chandler and Jefferson I'm less sure about

1984 Dolphins - As third and fourth targets, Nat Moore and Jim Jensen were very sure-handed and tough. I remember one of the "Marks Brothers" being a vacuum cleaner (Clayton, IIRC), and the other being less than stellar.

Mid-80s 49ers - The brief time when Dwight Clark and Jerry Rice played together ... I think John Taylor was a step down from Clark in the hands department. Roger Craig was developing his formidable receiving rep at this time, too. I don't remember any of the other wideouts (guys like Nehemiah & Solomon) being special. Russ Francis was a solid TE ... trying to remember the quality of his hands.

1998 Broncos - Rod Smith, Ed McCaffery, and Shannon Sharpe was a nice troika. Smith was no slouch, but he was probably the weak link. The RBs didn't get a lot of targets.

Can we come up with some others? Missed any obvious ones?

70's Steelers of Swann, Stallworth and Randy Grossman. Grossman was the quintessential pass receiving TE.

 

[Doug B]

70's Steelers of Swann, Stallworth and Randy Grossman. Grossman was the quintessential pass receiving TE.

Swann made some highlight-reel catches over the years ... but I had always thought his hands were actually average. Didn't he have dropsies at times during his career?

 

[Workhorse]

Missing a VERY obvious one:

The Colts from 2002-2004 (at least)

Wayne, Harrison, Edge and Pollard, with other capable guys pitching in as well (Walters, Stokely)

 

[redman]

The Redskins Posse from the mid-80's to the early-90's: Monk, Clark and Sanders.

 

[Workhorse]

Another good one is the Oilers of early 90s:

Jeffires, Hill, Givins, Lorenzo White, Curtis Duncan, Webster Slaughter towards the end of that run...

 

[Chocolate Thunder]

Do the 98 Vikings count with Carter, Moss and Jake Reed?

 

[Godsbrother]

70's Steelers of Swann, Stallworth and Randy Grossman. Grossman was the quintessential pass receiving TE.

Swann made some highlight-reel catches over the years ... but I had always thought his hands were actually average. Didn't he have dropsies at times during his career?

I saw pretty much every NFL game Swann played and I don't ever remember him as having anything but great hands.

 

[Woz]

Do the 98 Vikings count with Carter, Moss and Jake Reed?

Beat me to it. Smith was no slouch either in the backfield.ETA: Even Walsh had pretty good hands.

 

[Doug B]

I saw pretty much every NFL game Swann played and I don't ever remember him as having anything but great hands.

Thanks for helping to provide a road map of memory lane.

 

[Godsbrother]

I saw pretty much every NFL game Swann played and I don't ever remember him as having anything but great hands.

Thanks for helping to provide a road map of memory lane.

That said, I don't know if the Steelers of the 70s threw enough for their receivers to be highly ranked. They were great receivers but didn't have nearly the number of targets as teams in the 80s and beyond.

 

[Bowbiejuke]

How can 1990's Dallas Cowboys not be listed

Emmitt Smith

Michael Irvin

Alvin Harper

Jay Novacek

Daryl Johnson

they all made great and timely catches

 

[Bowbiejuke]

Here's another somewhat recent one

1999 - Marshall Faulk, Issac Bruce, Torry Holt, Rickey Prohel

they weren't call fast show on turf for nothing

 

[redman]

Smith and McCardell in Jax were very respectable.

How 'bout Reed, Lofton and Beebe for the Bills?

We need some older school candidates too. Raymond Berry, Lenny Moore, and John Mackey for Unitas' Colts.

 

[Garrett]

2002 Oakland Raiders

Rich Gannon

Tim Brown

Jerry Rice

Jerry Porter

4689 yards

67.6%

http://profootball-reference.com/teams/rai2002.htm

The Colts peaked at the same passing percentage recently, but with less total passing yards.

The 2001 Rams did beat this though.

 

[dagogrease]

I saw pretty much every NFL game Swann played and I don't ever remember him as having anything but great hands.

Thanks for helping to provide a road map of memory lane.

That said, I don't know if the Steelers of the 70s threw enough for their receivers to be highly ranked. They were great receivers but didn't have nearly the number of targets as teams in the 80s and beyond.

They not only made the routine catches but they made some of the toughest catches in the history of pro football. I agree that the opportunities were less than teams of the 80s and beyond but I believe they relate to the list of most sure-handed pass-receiving tandums. Just my opinion.

 

[dagogrease]

Do the 98 Vikings count with Carter, Moss and Jake Reed?

Beat me to it. Smith was no slouch either in the backfield.ETA: Even Walsh had pretty good hands.

Don't forget Steve Jordan. He was a highly underrated pass catching TE in my opinion.

 

[dagogrease]

Another good one is the Oilers of early 90s:Jeffires, Hill, Givins, Lorenzo White, Curtis Duncan, Webster Slaughter towards the end of that run...

Not sure if I am correct about this or not but I think remeber Jeffries made the great catch but dropped a lot of easy ones? I maybe wrong though?

 

[Marc Levin]

Does it have to be a team thing? I think Steve Largent might win this category "hands down" (sorry).

 

[dagogrease]

Does it have to be a team thing? I think Steve Largent might win this category "hands down" (sorry).

Absolutely....best I ever saw!!!!

 

[Workhorse]

Another good one is the Oilers of early 90s:Jeffires, Hill, Givins, Lorenzo White, Curtis Duncan, Webster Slaughter towards the end of that run...

Not sure if I am correct about this or not but I think remeber Jeffries made the great catch but dropped a lot of easy ones? I maybe wrong though?

Not that I remember -- He had 100 catches in '91 -- If he dropped a lot that year, he must have been targeted a record amount. I remember him catching damn near everything that Moon threw.

 

[Doug B]

Does it have to be a team thing? I think Steve Largent might win this category "hands down" (sorry).

Yeah ... was going for the team thing. Was trying to think of anyone with notable hands who played with Largent. It certainly wasn't Deep Heat Turner

 

[timintey]

how about the Vikings from the late 70's? White, Rashad, Foreman & McClanahan

 

[dagogrease]

how about the Vikings from the late 70's? White, Rashad, Foreman & McClanahan

The film of Sammy White hanging on to that pass after Jack Tatum hits him is priceless!!!!

 

[timintey]

how about the Vikings from the late 70's? White, Rashad, Foreman & McClanahan

The film of Sammy White hanging on to that pass after Jack Tatum hits him is priceless!!!!

I believe his chin strap is still somewhere buried in the Rose Bowl turf...

 

[Chocolate Thunder]

If you look at the numbers for the 1982 Packers, they will disagree (especially since it was a strike shortened season), but it is worth mentioning that the 1982 Green Bay had two pro bowl WR's and a pro bowl TE that year - James Lofton, John Jefferson and Paul Coffman. They combined for just 1435 yards and 6 touchdowns (in 9 games) but yet all made the Pro bowl.

 

[redman]

Does it have to be a team thing? I think Steve Largent might win this category "hands down" (sorry).

Steve Largent, Steve Largent, every time I try to talk receiving, some white guy's gotta pull Steve Largent out his ###! [/Michael Irvin]

 

[gigantor]

Tom Waddle.

 

[Doug B]

Steve Largent, Steve Largent, every time I try to talk receiving, some white guy's gotta pull Steve Largent out his ###!

[/Michael Irvin]

 

[sinatravolta]

The Redskins Posse from the mid-80's to the early-90's: Monk, Clark and Sanders.

Clint Didier was very sure handed on that team as well.

 

[redman]

The Redskins Posse from the mid-80's to the early-90's: Monk, Clark and Sanders.

Clint Didier was very sure handed on that team as well.

Agreed, although not utilized a tremendous amount. Kelvin Bryant was likewise an excellent receiver out of the backfield.

 

[Sea Bass]

1960's Baltimore Colts!

Ray Berry ran the best routes and had arguably the best hands of all time.

 

[RenegadeGM]

gotta be the 2000 Philadelphia Eagles

Torrance Small

Charles Johnson

Na Brown

Todd "Alligator Arms" Pinkston

These guys were money.

Chad Lewis was decent from the TE slot

Duce Staley was hurt in the backfield but Amp Lee, Darnell Autry, Brian Mitchell, Stanley Pritchett and Cecil Martin picked up the slack. Did they sign every poor rushing/decent receiving RB/FB out there or what?

In all seriousness, how about the '95 Lions?

Herman Moore - 123 catches, 14 TD

Brett Perriman - 108 catches, 8 TD

Johnnie Morton - 44 catches, 9 TD

Barry Sanders - 48 catches

Anthony Carter was on the roster but I don't see any recorded catches for him.

(side note: '96 Lions... Moore 106/9, Perriman 94/5, Morton 55/6)