NFL’s Top QB - Pass Catcher Combos

Due to it’s absurdity, I’ve recently been seeing a lot of this graphic on the Socials.

Maurice Jones-Drew’s Top 10 QB-Pass Catcher Combos in ‘22

1.   Joe Burrow & J’Marr Chase

2.   Josh Allen & Stefon Diggs

3.   Matthew Stafford & Cooper Kupp

4.   Derek Carr & Davante Adams

5.   Patrick Mahomes & Travis Kelce

6.   Tom Brady & Mike Evans

7.   Dak Prescott & CeeDee Lamb

8.   Justin Herbert & Keenan Allen

9.   Kyler Murray & DeAndre Hopkins

10. Jameis Winston & Michael Thomas

Maurice Jones-Drew obviously crafted this ridiculous ranking before the start of the 2022 season. How else can you justify placing the combo of Jameis Winston and Michael Thomas anywhere on this list? Even with the benefit of 16 weeks of action and the injuries from that action, this ranking doesn’t feel right. Patrick Mahomes and Travis Kelce are too low. Tom Brady and Mike Evans are too high. Brady-Evans isn’t even the best combo on the Buccaneers. 

The most obvious problem with his ranking is the absence of Kirk Cousins and Justin Jefferson. Even before this season, Cousins-Jefferson was an easy Top-10 combo and arguably deserving of Top-5 status. Through 16 weeks, Cousins-Jefferson are the #1 combo. And it isn’t close. 

Jones-Drew was clearly on board with the fresh combo of Derek Carr and Davante Adams. After whiffing on the Cousins-Jefferson combo, it’s not surprising that he whiffed on the potential of the fresh combo of Tua Tagavailoa-Tyreek Hill. Through 16 weeks, the Cousins-Jefferson and Tagavailoa-Hill combos are statistically the best in the league. Another fresh combo that Jones-Drew dismissed is the terrific combo of Jalen Hurts and A.J. Brown. 

Here’s a more accurate (perhaps a bit biased) ranking of the league’s best QB-Pass Catcher Combos:

1.   Kirk Cousins & Justin Jefferson

2.   Patrick Mahomes & Travis Kelce

3.   Tua Tagavailoa & Tyreek Hill

4.   Joe Burrow & J’Marr Chase

5.   Josh Allen & Stefon Diggs

6.   Jalen Hurts & A.J. Brown

7.   Derek Carr & Davante Adams

8.   Tua Tagavailoa & Jaylen Waddle

9.   Dak Prescott & CeeDee Lamb

10. Jared Goff & Amon-Ra St. Brown

Half of those top combos weren’t even on the preseason ranking of Maurice Jones-Drew. Sure, this ranking takes advantage of 16 weeks of evidence. It’s easy to criticize his rankings from this perspective  but omitting Cousins-Jefferson, even if the omission was made before the season, is just stupid. I blame Jones-Drew’s UCLA education.