List of NFL 1,000-yard receiving trios

In American football, passing, along with running, is one of the two methods of advancing the ball downfield.[1] In order to advance the ball via passing, the ball must be caught by a receiver, tallying a reception. In addition to seven pairs of teammates who have rushed for 1,000 yards each in a season, there are five trios of teammates who have caught 1,000 yards each in a season.[2]

Arizona Cardinals wide receiver Larry Fitzgerald recorded 1,431 receiving yards in 2008, the most yards of any member of a 1,000-yard receiving trio.

Player positions

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Every member of the trios has been a wide receiver, with the exception of Kellen Winslow, a hall of fame tight end, and Eric Metcalf, a multi-purpose running back who set records as a return specialist.[3][4] Wide receivers usually line up on or near the line of scrimmage, and their principal role is to catch passes.[5] Wide receivers usually have fewer blocking roles in addition to advancing the ball down the field through receptions and rush attempts, unlike tight ends and running backs.[6]

Furthermore, while a rushing play simply involves a handoff, snap, or pitch to a player, a passing requires a quarterback or other passer to throw the ball to the receiver.[1] Every team that had a 1,000-yard receiving trio also had at least 4,000 team passing yards, with the remaining yards to other receivers on the team.

History

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Atlanta Falcons running back Eric Metcalf recorded 104 receptions in 1995, the most receptions of any member of a 1,000-yard receiving trio.

The 1980 San Diego Chargers produced first 1,000-yard trio, consisting of John Jefferson, and Hall of Famers Winslow and Charlie Joiner. Their 3,762 combined yards are the highest total of any 1,000-yard trio. During this season, quarterback Dan Fouts passed for a then-record 4,715 yards under the Air Coryell system instituted by head coach Don Coryell.[7][8]

The 1989 Washington Redskins produced the second 1,000-yard trio, consisting of wide receivers Art Monk, Gary Clark, and Ricky Sanders.[9] Nicknamed "The Posse", this trio is the only trio who did not have a 4,000-yard quarterback, with two quarterbacks, Mark Rypien (3,768 yards) and Doug Williams (585 yards), needed to break the 4,000 yards passing mark (though Rypien only played 14 games of a 16-game season).[10][11]

The 1995 Atlanta Falcons produced the third 1,000-yard trio, consisting of running back/wide receiver/return specialist Eric Metcalf and wide receivers Terance Mathis and Bert Emanuel.[12] Metcalf's 104 receptions are the most by any member of a 1,000-yard trio. Quarterback Jeff George passed for 4,143 yards, the only time he passed for over 4,000 yards in his career.[13]

The 2004 Indianapolis Colts produced the fourth 1,000-yard trio, consisting of wide receivers Marvin Harrison, Reggie Wayne, and Brandon Stokley.[14] During this season, quarterback Peyton Manning passed for 4,557 yards and broke the season passing touchdown record of 48 touchdowns, held by Dan Marino, with 49 (which would be broken during the 2007 NFL season by Tom Brady, with 50, but then reclaimed by Manning in the 2013 NFL season).[15][16][17] Harrison's 15 touchdowns are the most of any single receiver and the trio's 37 combined touchdowns are the most of a 1,000-yard trio.

The 2008 Arizona Cardinals produced the fifth and most recent 1,000 yard trio, consisting of wide receivers Larry Fitzgerald, Anquan Boldin, and Steve Breaston. Quarterback Kurt Warner's 4,583 yards were second only to Drew Brees's 5,069 passing yards (which fell 15 yards short of Dan Marino's then-record 5,084 yards).[18][19] The Cardinals posted a 9-7 record, and advanced to Super Bowl XLIII, losing 27-23 to the Pittsburgh Steelers.[20] Fitzgerald's 1,431 yards are the most of any member of a 1,000-yard trio. Their 262 combined receptions are the most of any 1,000-yard trio.

1,000 yard receiving trios

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Indianapolis Colts wide receiver Marvin Harrison recorded 15 receiving touchdowns in 2004, the most touchdowns of any member of a 1,000-yard receiving trio.
Key
Symbol Meaning
POS The player's position
REC Receptions
YDS Receiving yards
AVG Yards per reception
TD Receiving
1st, 2nd, 3rd Receiver as ranked by number of receptions
Pro Bowl player
Pro Football Hall of Fame member
* Active NFL player
List of trios with at least 1,000 receiving yards each
Year Team 1st POS REC YDS AVG TD 2nd POS REC YDS AVG TD 3rd POS REC YDS AVG TD
1980 SD[21] Kellen Winslow†‡[3] TE 89 1,290 14.5 9 John Jefferson WR 82 1,340 16.3 13 Charlie Joiner†‡[22] WR 71 1,132 15.9 4
1989 WAS[10] Art Monk[23] WR 86 1,186 13.8 8 Ricky Sanders WR 80 1,138 14.2 4 Gary Clark WR 79 1,229 15.6 9
1995 ATL[24] Eric Metcalf RB/WR 104 1,189 11.4 8 Terance Mathis WR 78 1,039 13.3 9 Bert Emanuel WR 74 1,039 14.0 5
2004 IND[25] Marvin Harrison†‡[26] WR 86 1,113 12.9 15 Reggie Wayne WR 77 1,210 15.7 12 Brandon Stokley WR 68 1,077 15.8 10
2008 ARI[27] Larry Fitzgerald* WR 96 1,431 14.9 12 Anquan Boldin WR 89 1,038 11.7 11 Steve Breaston WR 77 1,006 13.1 3

List of trios with at least 900 receiving yards each

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Year Team 1st POS REC YDS 2nd POS REC YDS 3rd POS REC YDS
1985 SD[28] Lionel James RB 86 1,027 Wes Chandler WR 67 1,199 Charlie Joiner[22] WR 59 932
1990 HOU[29] Haywood Jeffires WR 75 1,048 Drew Hill WR 74 1,019 Ernest Givins WR 72 979
1991 HOU[30] Haywood Jeffires WR 100 1,181 Drew Hill WR 90 1,109 Ernest Givins WR 70 996
1994 NE[31] Ben Coates TE 96 1,174 Michael Timpson WR 74 941 Vincent Brisby WR 58 904
2002 OAK[32] Jerry Rice†‡[33] WR 92 1,211 Charlie Garner RB 91 941 Tim Brown[34] WR 81 930
2011 NE[35] Wes Welker WR 122 1,569 Rob Gronkowski TE 90 1,327 Aaron Hernandez TE 79 910
2012 DAL[36] Jason Witten* TE 110 1,039 Dez Bryant WR 92 1,382 Miles Austin WR 66 943
2012 ATL[37] Tony Gonzalez†‡ TE 93 930 Roddy White WR 92 1,351 Julio Jones* WR 79 1,198
2012 NO[38] Jimmy Graham* TE 85 982 Marques Colston WR 83 1,154 Lance Moore WR 65 1,041
2014 NE[39] Julian Edelman* WR 92 972 Rob Gronkowski TE 83 1,124 Brandon LaFell* WR 74 953
2019 LAC[40] Keenan Allen* WR 104 1,199 Austin Ekeler* RB 92 993 Mike Williams* WR 49 1,001
2023 MIN[41] T.J. Hockenson* TE 95 960 Jordan Addison* WR 70 911 Justin Jefferson* WR 68 1,074

References

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  1. ^ a b "Beginner's Guide to Football". National Football League. Retrieved September 18, 2016.
  2. ^ "1,000+ yards receiving – Cards trio in '08 joins elite group". Pro Football Hall of Fame. Retrieved September 18, 2016.
  3. ^ a b "Kellen Winslow". Pro-Football-Reference.com. Retrieved September 18, 2016.
  4. ^ "History Remembered: The Day Eric Metcalf Destroyed the Raiders". Bleacher Report. Retrieved September 18, 2016.
  5. ^ "WR Basics: Stance, Lining Up, and Getting off the Ball at the Snap". Shakin' the Southland, SBNation. March 6, 2010. Retrieved September 18, 2016.
  6. ^ "Signature Stats: Pass Blocking Efficiency, RBs and TEs". Pro Football Focus. December 12, 2013. Retrieved September 18, 2016.
  7. ^ Kindred, Dave (January 8, 1981). "Chargers: Life in the Air Lanes". The Washington Post. Washington, D.C. Retrieved September 18, 2016.
  8. ^ "The Air Coryell offense stands out as a rare highlight for the title-less Chargers". CBS Sports. June 29, 2016. Retrieved September 18, 2016.
  9. ^ Kindred, Dave (December 21, 1989). "MONK, CLARK, SANDERS DEALT PRO BOWL SNUB". The Washington Post. Washington, D.C. Retrieved September 18, 2016.
  10. ^ a b "1989 Washington Redskins". Pro-Football-Reference.com. Retrieved September 18, 2016.
  11. ^ "Flashback: Sanders Sparked 'The Posse'". Washington Redskins. Retrieved September 18, 2016.
  12. ^ "Sunday, Dec, 31 Atlanta (9-7) at Green Bay (11-5)". United Press International. Retrieved September 18, 2016.
  13. ^ "Jeff George". Pro-Football-Reference.com. Retrieved September 18, 2016.
  14. ^ "Stokley Gives Colts a Triple Double". Washington Post. Retrieved September 18, 2016.
  15. ^ "Peyton Manning". Pro-Football-Reference.com. Retrieved September 18, 2016.
  16. ^ "Third-quarter shovel pass equals 1984 mark". ESPN.com. December 26, 2004. Retrieved September 18, 2016.
  17. ^ "Peyton Manning throws 51st TD pass of season, breaking Tom Brady's record". Sports Illustrated. December 22, 2013. Retrieved September 18, 2016.
  18. ^ "2008 NFL Leaders and Leaderboards". Pro-Football-Reference.com. Retrieved September 18, 2016.
  19. ^ "VIDEO: Drew Brees Makes History, Breaks Dan Marino's Passing Record With A Touchdown". SB Nation. December 26, 2011. Retrieved September 18, 2016.
  20. ^ "Let's learn from the past: Super Bowl XLIII". Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. Retrieved September 18, 2016.
  21. ^ "1980 San Diego Chargers". Pro-Football-Reference.com. Retrieved September 18, 2016.
  22. ^ a b "Charlie Joiner". Pro-Football-Reference.com. Retrieved September 18, 2016.
  23. ^ "Art Monk". Pro-Football-Reference.com. Retrieved September 18, 2016.
  24. ^ "1995 Atlanta Falcons". Pro-Football-Reference.com. Retrieved September 18, 2016.
  25. ^ "2004 Indianapolis Colts". Pro-Football-Reference.com. Retrieved September 18, 2016.
  26. ^ "Marvin Harrison". Pro-Football-Reference.com. Retrieved September 18, 2016.
  27. ^ "2008 Atlanta Falcons". Pro-Football-Reference.com. Retrieved September 18, 2016.
  28. ^ "1985 San Diego Chargers". Pro-Football-Reference.com. Retrieved September 18, 2016.
  29. ^ "1990 Houston Oilers". Pro-Football-Reference.com. Retrieved September 18, 2016.
  30. ^ "1991 Houston Oilers". Pro-Football-Reference.com. Retrieved September 18, 2016.
  31. ^ "1994 New England Patriots". Pro-Football-Reference.com. Retrieved September 18, 2016.
  32. ^ "2002 Oakland Raiders". Pro-Football-Reference.com. Retrieved September 18, 2016.
  33. ^ "Jerry Rice". Pro-Football-Reference.com. Retrieved September 18, 2016.
  34. ^ "Tim Brown". Pro-Football-Reference.com. Retrieved September 18, 2016.
  35. ^ "2011 New England Patriots". Pro-Football-Reference.com. Archived from the original on January 27, 2012. Retrieved September 18, 2016.
  36. ^ "2012 Dallas Cowboys". Pro-Football-Reference.com. Retrieved September 18, 2016.
  37. ^ "2012 Atlanta Falcons". Pro-Football-Reference.com. Retrieved September 18, 2016.
  38. ^ "2012 New Orleans Saints". Pro-Football-Reference.com. Retrieved September 18, 2016.
  39. ^ "2014 New England Patriots". Pro-Football-Reference.com. Retrieved September 18, 2016.
  40. ^ "2019 Los Angeles Chargers". Pro-Football-Reference.com. Retrieved January 2, 2020.
  41. ^ "2023 Minnesota Vikings". Pro-Football-Reference.com. Retrieved January 8, 2024.
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