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I can't remember a receiving duo with the Jets as talented as Marshall/Decker. Coles and Moss were decent, Keyshawn and Chrebet were excellent (although they couldn't stand each other). I'm too young to remember the combinations involving Toon, Walker, Maynard or Schuler. However Decker/Marshall is a combination that's tough to beat. With pure physical domination by both, the receiving duo are set to break several Jets records this season.
Decker and Marshall were the first Jets receiving tandem to each reach 100 yards in a "road" win since Walker and Toon did it in 1986. The 18 touchdowns are the most for a receiving duo with the Jets since Chrebet and Keyshawn put up 18 TD's in 1998, and we still have 4 games to play.
Someone asked me if they were the best receiving duo in the league, and I had to settle down and think about that. I immediately thought of Brown and Bryant in Pittsburgh, and I have little doubt that had they had a full season together, they would have eclipsed the mark currently being set by Decker and Marshall.
However, I wanted to take a closer look. So I picked out the top two receivers from each team, as the question that was posed to me was "Are they the best wide receiver duo in the league", I only included wide receivers.
For the sake of this discussion we're focusing just on wide receivers. So for this article, we're not looking at Gronk or Eifert, Delanie Walker or Greg Olsen, or even Freeman for Atlanta. I want to look at wide receiver tandems. The best 1/2 punch in the league.
Now obviously you need to take a lot of situational statistics into consideration. This isn't supposed to be an exhaustive study of the receiving threats, merely a highlight of the elite performers.
Some teams elect to spread the ball around more. Some receiving cores have been dealing with injuries or suspensions, like the Cowboys with Bryant or the Steelers with Martavis Bryant.
Also you have to consider injuries, but being productive, reliable and durable all make up what a players value. So I'm keeping guys like Keenan Allen and Julian Edelman in here, mainly because they still lead their teams in several categories.
Decker/Marshall are #2 in receptions, #3 in yards and #1 in touchdowns. So statistically..yes, you probably would consider them one of the best receiving tandems in the league so far this year, if not the best, although Bryant/Brown are pretty special and Jacksonville have an incredible 1/2 punch down there with Robinson and Hurns
Team | Players | Receptions | Yards | Touchdowns |
Jets | Marshall/Decker | 142 | 1,863 | 18 |
Bills | Watkins/Woods | 72 | 1,037 | 9 |
Patriots | Edelman/Amendola | 117 | 1,274 | 10 |
Dolphins | Landry/Matthews | 121 | 1,483 | 8 |
Steelers | Brown/Bryant | 124 | 1,933 | 13 |
Bengals | Green/Jones | 117 | 1,632 | 11 |
Ravens | Smith/Aiken | 95 | 1,254 | 7 |
Browns | Benjamin/Hartline | 92 | 1,242 | 7 |
Broncos | Thomas/Sanders | 133 | 1,743 | 7 |
Chiefs | Maclin/Wilson | 87 | 1,146 | 6 |
Chargers | Allen/Johnson | 112 | 1,222 | 7 |
Raiders | Cooper/Crabtree | 128 | 1,680 | 11 |
Texans | Hopkins/Shorts | 126 | 1,644 | 12 |
Colts | Hilton/Moncrief | 107 | 1,472 | 10 |
Jaguars | Robinson/Hurns | 113 | 1,838 | 18 |
Titans | Wright/Green-Beckham | 99 | 752 | 6 |
Giants | Beckham-Junior/Randle | 120 | 1,687 | 14 |
Eagles | Matthews/Cooper | 77 | 938 | 6 |
Cowboys | Bryant/Williams | 61 | 896 | 5 |
Redskins | Jackson/Garcon | 72 | 854 | 6 |
Packers | Cobb/Jones | 88 | 1,267 | 13 |
Vikings | Diggs/Wallace | 72 | 987 | 3 |
Bears | Jeffrey/Wilson | 75 | 1,154 | 3 |
Lions | Johnson/Tate | 137 | 1,580 | 9 |
Panthers | Ginn/Cotchery | 62 | 877 | 8 |
Buccaneers | Evans/Jackson | 86 | 1,388 | 6 |
Falcons | Jones/White | 132 | 1,685 | 7 |
Saints | Cooks/Snead | 106 | 1,516 | 10 |
Cardinals | Fitzgerald/Brown | 142 | 1,864 | 11 |
49'ers | Boldin/Smith | 72 | 1,124 | 5 |
Seahawks | Baldwin/Lockett | 90 | 1,214 | 11 |
Rams | Austin/Britt | 64 | 812 | 5 |