If tall receivers are so important, how do explain the Pats and Steelers winning 5 Super Bowls with guys 6′0″ and under?

If you want me to write an article about the upside of having a #1 receiver in the playoffs, maybe I will. But the point of this article was to reveal it’s not necessary to have an elite #1 to win a Super Bowl. I think that’s pretty clear, if you put aside your preconceived notions and read what I wrote. And again, how can it be uninformed if I used the NFL record book to support my argument?

You can disagree with me. I have no problem with that. But to call me uninformed is not accurate. If it was uninformed as you suggest, I would have stated that an elite No. 1 receiver is not important without backing it up with solid evidence. If I was uninformed, I wouldn’t have proven that 8 of 9 Champs this decade have won it all without one of those super-stud guys like Moss and TO.

As far as Plax and Keyshawn go, I’ll pose this question to you. Do you really think either one of them belongs in the same category as Moss, TO and Harrison? They don’t have the career numbers or consistency to be among the very best.

We can agree on Maclin. He has the makings of being a Reggie Wayne type player. It will take a couple years, but he and Jackson will cause some serious problems for years to come. Provided McNabb still has something left in the tank

That being said, I think you have the number 1 type receiver in Maclin. He’ll demand doubles in the postseason. He might not be that 1500 yard, 10 touchdown guy (the last guy to do that was Steve Smith in 2005 btw, turn those no. 1 receiver numbers down), but he’ll cause enough problems just by being on the field late in the year where you SOB’s might have a chance to get you a ring.

Wayne and Harrison play on the same team and have Manning as their quarterback. They are clearly in the elite category, but the Colts represent 1 out of 9 Super Bowl Champs, or 11% of Champs this decade. So, 89% of Super Bowl winners fielded average to great receivers, but no one I would compare to either Wayne or Harrison.

Plax was/is a legit red zone threat, but I think he’s a notch below. Keyshawn’s numbers in 2002 are well within reach by either Jackson or Curtis. Curtis had 1110 and 6 in 2007, when he was healthy.
Hines Ward is a solid player who does everything well, but I still wouldn’t place him in a group with Harrison in his prime, Fitzy, Moss and Owens.

DeSean and Curtis’ TD numbers in ‘08 are irrelevant this season. DJax was a rookie still learning the offense and Curtis missed 7 games and was never fully healthy in the games he played. You can’t use last season’s stats as a fair barometer to measure what they will do this season.

Perhaps it’s wishful thinking on my part, but I believe DeSean can post an 1100-1200, 5-7 TD season, which if you look at the majority of Super Bowl winners this decade is more than enough to fill the No. 1 role.

If DeSean and Curtis both tank this season, and Maclin looks like a bust, then the argument about needing an elite receiver is appropriate to table. But let’s see what these kids can do before we start recruiting Edwards or Marshall.

By the way, Marshall, for all his skill, has 15 TDs in three seasons. Not exactly a big time red zone threat, in my opinion.

“If you throw out Petyon Manning’s Colts from 2006, you have a group of average to good receivers, but none that I would – based on their regular season statistics – place in the elite category.”

you can’t “throw out” 1/9th of the statistics that you based your argument on and have it hold up. if you were to look at all of the receivers, 6 out of the 11 you listed are over 1,000 yards. more importantly, 8 out of the 11 receivers have 5 or more td receptions. djax and curtis combined for 4 tds last year.

the eagles might not need a legitimate #1, but it would definitely help if they had a receiver who was a threat in the EZ.