Some Receiving Stats

One week of games remain in the 2020 NFL regular season. It’s a week early to be looking at the receiving statistics that some of the league’s best receivers have produced but I couldn’t help myself. 

First of all, Green Bay Packers receiver Davante Adams joined a very exclusive pass catching club. 100 catches and 17 touchdowns. That club now includes just three players.

1995 Cris Carter: 122 catches, 17 TDs

2003 Randy Moss: 111 catches, 17 TDs

2020 Davante Adams: 109 catches, 17 TDs 

A Packer joins a couple Vikings.

Moss was two catches short of doing it a second time during his ridiculous 2007 season. That’s the season that he set the league record for touchdown catches in a season with 23. 

Congratulations Davante Adams. The Fresno State kid makes good. 

The main reason I was looking at the receiving stats was to check on the disparity between the number of 1000-yard receivers and 1000-yard rushers. When I was first becoming aware of the happenings in the NFL (1970s) there was annually a handful of 1000-yard rushers but 1000-yard receivers were few. Or none. Drew Pearson’s 870 yards paced the league in 1977. That’s flipped in more recent years. The number of 1000-yard rushers seems to fall each season while 1000-yard receivers increases. With a week to go, there are currently five 1000-yard rushers.

1777  Derrick Henry

1557  Dalvin Cook

1070  James Robinson

1062  Aaron Jones

1001  David Montgomery

That number will probably more than double after the final week as eight more backs have gained at least 900 yards with a game to go. Maybe the 1000-yard rusher numbers haven’t dropped as much as I’d thought.

The rushing title race has been between Derrick Henry and Dalvin Cook for nearly the entirety of the season. Thanks in part to Cook missing a game to injury the race has become one between Henry and history in recent weeks. 

Even with several more backs probably joining the 1000-yard club this weekend, the number won’t come close to the number of 1000-yard receivers. 

1459  Stefon Diggs

1416  Travis Kelce

1372  DeAndre Hopkins

1328  Davante Adams

1322  Calvin Ridley

1282  DK Metcalf

1276  Tyreek Hill

1267  Justin Jefferson

1213  Allen Robinson

1092  D.J. Moore

1079  Darren Waller

1078  Terry McLaurin

1073  Amari Cooper

1056  Robby Anderson

Another dozen pass-catchers are within reach of the 1000-yard receiving mark. 20 1000-yard pass catchers? It’s possible. Even probable.

Travis Kelce seriously contending for the receiving yardage title is amazing. A tight end! He probably has my vote for offensive player of the year. Or Davante Adams. Or Stefon Diggs.

Speaking of awards for receiving accomplishments, Justin Jefferson has my vote for Rookie of the Year. It’ll probably go to Justin Herbert. When a quarterback is in the running for an award it goes to the quarterback. If the Rookie of the Year award goes to the rookie that least plays like a rookie, Jefferson is the Justin that should take home the award. Herbert has often shown unique passing talent. He’s also often played like a rookie quarterback. From his first NFL snap, Jefferson has played the receiver position like a five-year veteran. He has the route-running skills and nuanced receiving traits rarely seen in young receivers, let alone rookies. 

Anyway, this little look at some receiving stats is a look at the terrific receivers doing terrific things across the league. With the NFL leaning more on passing with each passing season there’s an ever-increasing need for pass catchers. The league is loaded at the position and there’s a steady stream of talented receivers coming from colleges and high schools. Pass-catching is a booming business.