OT: Randy Moss says he is the GOAT WR

[Nehalem]

The age old debate.

I'm probably biased because I'm a big Randy Moss fan, but his receiving skills and physical attributes are why I would pick Randy in his prime for any one game.

Jerry Rice does seem like he worked harder, may have been a better teammate, and still put up stats (and rings).

Randy Moss is the Aaron Rodgers of WRs

Jerry Rice is the Tom Brady of WRs

 

[BaconGrundleCandy]

Most will bring up stats. Who their QB's were. One played on all-star teams with two top ten QB'S. At times the other was catching passes from guys who didn't belong on the field. Yet Moss is still in the convo?

One thing that always gets me is the fact that Moss had defensive minds like Tony Dungy creating a new defense to counter Moss (T2). As great as Rice was that just wasn't the case for him.

No wrong answer

 

[PatsRebuild]

Most will bring up stats. Who their QB's were. One played on all-star teams with two top ten QB'S. At times the other was catching passes from guys who didn't belong on the field. Yet Moss is still in the convo?

One thing that always gets me is the fact that Moss had defensive minds like Tony Dungy creating a new defense to counter Moss (T2). As great as Rice was that just wasn't the case for him.

No wrong answer

Millennial Alert! haha

Saw Moss play in NE, but didn't see Rice.

What a horrible argument. I mean, BB once talked about his defensive gameplan vs SF and a late game TD at the Meadowlands I think in '86, Rice's second year, where he had this special D on Rice and still didn't work.

BB would pick Rice over Moss.

No one who knows the game is picking Moss over Rice. It's not going to happen.

 

[Ice_Ice_Brady]

Moss was great at catching high contested balls which showed off his other worldly jumping ability, length, and hands, which combined with ridiculous speed made him the greatest deep threat ever and on the short list of greatest overall.

But the idea that Rice was merely “really good” at everything but really successful primarily due to precise routes, work ethic, the system, HoF QBs, etc., and not freakish athleticism, is absurd. Sure, all of those factors are the reason why he basically lapped the field in career production, but he physically dominated the competition as well.

If you look at a lot of these highlights, a few things stand out:

• Speed. Rice wasn’t known as a “speedster” yet he’s really, really fast, particularly after the catch. Many players could best Rice in a 40 yard dash; few receivers in history can match his “game speed” in terms of beating a defender to a spot or outrunning defenders downfield.
• Acceleration. They say guys have “an extra gear” but Rice really did have extra gear. Look at the way he immediately speeds up as he’s hauling in these passes (on a bunch of these plays). Incredibly fast defenders are left in the dust on plays where 99.9% of WRs would have made the catch and gotten tackled. The quick feet are unreal.
• Balance/center of gravity. This sort of connects all the strengths together. He uses this to also rack up YAC by making defenders miss. It isn’t really about juking and misdirection but about the incredible quickness in immediately getting into full speed and racing to a spot. He’s doing this while already running fast.

I’d take Rice over Moss without question. Not because of attitude, work ethic, wins, accomplishments, stats, etc. I’d take Rice because he‘s better.

If Moss had played with HoF QBs his whole career, had Rice’s work ethic. played as long as Rice, stayed great for so many years, then I still don’t think he would have matched Rice’s overall greatness.

Simply put: Rice’s skills are more valuable and lead to a greater impact on an offense. He’ll kill you short. He’ll catch balls over the middle and then run past defenders. He’ll move the chains. And he’ll also beat you over the top and get behind the defense better than almost anyone else in history. Rice owns every inch of the field. Coaches can gameplan almost anything with him as a dominant force. Moss is great but not in the same way.

 

[DropKickFlutie]

Moss has most TDs ever in 1 season. So prime Moss maybe. But Jerry Rice is like Gretzky. The records Rice has are so far ahead of anyone in 2nd place

 

[MrTibbs]

I think he was the most feared. 0 Super Bowl rings though.

TO as the second best over Rice? That's a really warm take.

Rice clearly THE GOAT

Moss CLEARLY #2 all time.......T.O. is in the top 5 regardless of what anyone says...the guy was simply DAMN GOOD.

 

[fightingirish595]

Jerry Rice could beat you deep, intermediate, and could take a slant 80 yards to the house at any time. Randys haters often overplayed the whole doesn’t wanna go over the middle narrative though. He was very good at all levels(obviously >20 yards he’s better than just very good) but rice was different

Jerry’s got the rings and the durability/longevity. Dude was balling at 40 which is unheard of.

 

[fightingirish595]

Rice 1200+ yards for the Raiders at age 40. That’s not like Brady in his 40s but still really impressive. Rice and Tim Brown were a good receiving duo for that team.

Megatron would be way up there if his career didn’t prematurely end.

It’s more impressive than brady in his 40s honestly

 

[Ice_Ice_Brady]

Rice clearly THE GOAT

Moss CLEARLY #2 all time.......T.O. is in the top 5 regardless of what anyone says...the guy was simply DAMN GOOD.

I’m not even sure TO is top 5 since 1990. In parentheses, pro bowl selections and all-decade honors.

Rice (13, 80s Decade 1st Team, 90s Decade 2nd Team, NFL 100)
Fitzgerald (11, 10s Decade Team, NFL 100)
Harrison (8, 00s Decade 1st Team, NFL 100)
Moss (6, 00s Decade 1st Team, NFL 100)
Holt (7, 00s Decade 1st Team)
Antonio Brown (7, 10s Decade Team)
Jones (7, 10s Decade Team)
Tim Brown (9, 90s Decade 2nd Team)
Carter (8, 90s Decade 2nd Team)
Owens (6, 00s Decade 2nd Team)

Owens is 3rd all-time in yards, but a handful of guys from 1990-present are in the same ballpark, so that isn’t going to put him over the top. I do think his TD mark (also 3rd all-time but far ahead of his peers besides Moss) is his most impressive accomplishment and possibly puts him in the top 5 from this era, but that’s debatable.

But then you’re talking about all-time where guys like Alworth, Hutson, Berry, and Warfield dominated the league and their peers. Plus other guys who were at least as good as TO relative to their peers: Swann, Pearson, Largent, etc.

Top 10 all-time is generous.

 

[Patriot_fan989]

I mean I know basically nothing about the other guys and I'm a massive homer, so SURE....Moss all day!!!!

Harry is 4th

How do I react with AnakinIhateYou? Wish that was one of the emojiis lmao. I think there might be too many older folks on this forum for there to be many prequel bois here though.

 

[Twentytothree]

The age old debate.

I'm probably biased because I'm a big Randy Moss fan, but his receiving skills and physical attributes are why I would pick Randy in his prime for any one game.

Jerry Rice does seem like he worked harder, may have been a better teammate, and still put up stats (and rings).

"in his prime for any one game" - I used to think that Moss is the obvious answer, and if the goal is to have the most spectacular athletic feats and a blowout, that's probably still true. But if you're in a low-scoring dogfight, where nothing works, and you somehow have to figure our how to make a few plays and get some points - maybe Rice would be the better person for the job (sorry if that triggers painful flashbacks).

 

[Ice_Ice_Brady]

 

[Triumph]

Really? Moss often checked out during games. Rice gave 110 percent every play.

Spot on.

They interviewed Rice while working out just after the season ended. The media person asked "what drives you?" Rice responded "the fear of failure" Thats not Moss.

 

[Soliel]

I’m the goat WR! Moss is the devil!

 

[amfootball]

Spot on.

They interviewed Rice while working out just after the season ended. The media person asked "what drives you?" Rice responded "the fear of failure" Thats not Moss.

Rice and Brady are built the same way. Unbelievable drive to succeed, relentless pursuit of their craft, precise execution every Sunday.
That is how one becomes the GOAT.

 

[Patriot Missile]

I love Moss and think he is one of the most electric players to put on a uniform in any sport. I get the qb argument. However for those who lived the 80’s and 90’s era and watched both play in their peaks you give the nod to Rice. Regardless of him losing some of his class over the last 10 or so years.

Watch the route tree and ask yourself: What could Rice do with Bradys skill set? He would of been Welker, Edelman, Morgan in one receiver.

Not questioning Moss’s toughness either, he was pretty much healthy his whole career but Rice played in the era where you could mame the receiver over the middle with a lot of hand fighting at the line of scrimmage. Late hit were common, so common due to concussion pandemic NFL films locked all the footage away. Funny thing is Rice was able to stay healthy because he didn’t take the big hits, he was really that great of a route runner. Although you can’t deny he did get special treatment from the refs and league, Jordan treatment so to speak. Well earned though.

It’s easy for a generation to watch greatness at its peak and declare goat status while disregarding past decades.
Barry Sanders is to me the best rb I ever watched. Maybe not the best, but for sure without a doubt, the most exciting. And he retired young in his prime. Yet I’ve never watched Jim Brown play a game. Same, retired young in his prime.

 

[PF_SU]

That was Grbac to Rice... unreal.

Pretty crazy to think that the 49ers were going into Dallas to face the 8-1 Cowboys without Steve Young and stomped them 38-20. Granted, Troy Aikman only last a quarter in that game, but by the time he was out Dallas was already trailing 17-0.

 

[Uptown]

Randy Loss..

 

[notex]

If I had one play to win a game and had to throw it to either Rice or Moss in single coverage......... Moss.

but Rice clearly had the better career

 

[Boomer B]

This is not even debatable. Rice clearly had the better career in every aspect. Stats, rings, and all around dominance. I would say Moss was the best deep ball receiver I’ve seen but Rice is by far the best and most dominant all around receiver the game has seen. I’d put Jerry Rice right behind Tom Brady as the 2nd best NFL player.