OT: Was Randy Moss better than Jerry “Sticky Fingers” Rice?

[Froob]

Seen this debate surface recently, I thought it was an open and shut case that Rice was best ever but interested to hear from others especially those that saw both in their primes.

Never saw Rice play, just know he did it for a very long time and did it in the playoffs too (granted Moss did it without cheating). Never really saw Moss much in his Minnie hay days either but watched some old highlights.

 

[primetime]

No. Rice is the greatest non-quarterback in the history of the game. The stickum thing is a non-story that Patriots fans understandably harp on because Rice threw shade at Brady for the other non-story of Deflategate.

But being the second greatest wide receiver of all-time behind Rice is nothing to sneeze at.

(I also think the giant sticky gloves receivers wear today are probably better at sticking balls than stickum ever was.)

 

[Bradyking12]

Fantasy universe, imagine Brady with a Prime Jerry Rice and Prime Randy Moss and Prime Calvin Johnson on the same team along with Gronk And Edleman

Tom Brady
Jerry Rice
Randy Moss
Calvin Johnson
Julian Edleman
Rob Gronkowski

 

[PatsWSB47]

Rice because his talent was close but he was a better team mate. Also Moss would take plays off too much.

 

[Hael]

Moss might have been the most naturally gifted wr of all time, but Rice was an inch better.

In his prime Jerry created an absurd amount of separation, frequently splitting double teams and wearing multiple defenders out. Short of Barry Sanders, he is probably the most elusive player ever. DBs had no idea where he was going bc his route tree, moves and quickness were so perfected. Add to that some great hands, and GOAT level YAC ability and he was just a nightmare.

Moss on the other hand created problems for defensive coordinators in very different ways. He created huge amounts of space in the backside of a D, and could never be left alone without safety help.

 

[BaconGrundleCandy]

There isn't anything Jerry could do that Randy couldn't but Moss had freak ability Rice didn't.
Moss is the greatest deep threat ever but was also a great route runner, great hands, body control, +blocking & 1,000 other things.
It's almost embarrassing how many people don't know just how great he was besides being a deep threat.

Tony Dungy changed his defense for Randy.

If Randy had played w Young-Montana-Gannon for 14 years he'd have well over 200 TD'S.

 

[RobertWeathers]

Seen this debate surface recently, I thought it was an open and shut case that Rice was best ever but interested to hear from others especially those that saw both in their primes.

Never saw Rice play, just know he did it for a very long time and did it in the playoffs too (granted Moss did it without cheating). Never really saw Moss much in his Minnie hay days either but watched some old highlights.

Always a challenging discussion/debate.

I'm not big into longevity as a metric which should be factored into determining greatness. For example, anyone who says Gayle Sayers, Sandy Koufax, Bo Jackson, JR Richard, Roy Campanella, Bobby Orr were not greatness personified do not have any credibility with me. Greatness is greatness. As it pertains to comparing the two, I set aside Rice's 600 more catches and 7700 yards more he netted after the 218 games Rand played (Rice 303 games).

On a per game average, Rice averaged 1/2 a catch and 5 more yards a game more than Rand. They averaged the same # of TDs per game. Randy averaged more yards per catch. I call it even.

This may be unfair but Jerry played for better teams. His playoff totals are amazing and he delivered on the biggest stage. Randy was an OK playoff performer.

When it comes down to versatility, Rice was able to run a more diverse set of routes.

Both of these guys are the on the Mt Rushmore of receivers (Rice, Moss, Fitzgerald, Huston) but based on diversity and playoff performance I'd have to give the edge to Mr. Sticky Hands.

 

[Froob]

Always a challenging discussion/debate.

I'm not big into longevity as a metric which should be factored into determining greatness. For example, anyone who says Gayle Sayers, Sandy Koufax, Bo Jackson, JR Richard, Roy Campanella, Bobby Orr were not greatness personified do not have any credibility with me. Greatness is greatness. As it pertains to comparing the two, I set aside Rice's 600 more catches and 7700 yards more he netted after the 218 games Rand played (Rice 303 games).

On a per game average, Rice averaged 1/2 a catch and 5 more yards a game more than Rand. They averaged the same # of TDs per game. Randy averaged more yards per catch. I call it even.

This may be unfair but Jerry played for better teams. His playoff totals are amazing and he delivered on the biggest stage. Randy was an OK playoff performer.

When it comes down to versatility, Rice was able to run a more diverse set of routes.

Both of these guys are the on the Mt Rushmore of receivers (Rice, Moss, Fitzgerald, Huston) but based on diversity and playoff performance I'd have to give the edge to Mr. Sticky Hands.

TO deserve a shout out for being a monster in the playoffs. Insane Marvin Harrison made it first.

 

[DarrylS]

Moss was hampered by his emotional outbursts, moodiness and playing for different teams... if he was a "traditional NFL guy" he would have been considered the best, but he chose a different path..

Rice caught 197 TD's and 22 Td's in the post season, Moss caught 156 TD's and 10 TD's in the post season..

IMO it is either or as to who is the best, would like either one on the NEP...

 

[BaconGrundleCandy]

When people don't know Randy was a great route runner

 

[Uptown]

Simple: “Pure talent-wise” yes; but work ethic & all the other intangibles no.

You know what you’re getting everyday with Rice.

 

[Ring 6]

Seen this debate surface recently, I thought it was an open and shut case that Rice was best ever but interested to hear from others especially those that saw both in their primes.

Never saw Rice play, just know he did it for a very long time and did it in the playoffs too (granted Moss did it without cheating). Never really saw Moss much in his Minnie hay days either but watched some old highlights.

Rice was better.

 

[Ring 6]

Always a challenging discussion/debate.

I'm not big into longevity as a metric which should be factored into determining greatness. For example, anyone who says Gayle Sayers, Sandy Koufax, Bo Jackson, JR Richard, Roy Campanella, Bobby Orr were not greatness personified do not have any credibility with me. Greatness is greatness. As it pertains to comparing the two, I set aside Rice's 600 more catches and 7700 yards more he netted after the 218 games Rand played (Rice 303 games).

On a per game average, Rice averaged 1/2 a catch and 5 more yards a game more than Rand. They averaged the same # of TDs per game. Randy averaged more yards per catch. I call it even.

This may be unfair but Jerry played for better teams. His playoff totals are amazing and he delivered on the biggest stage. Randy was an OK playoff performer.

When it comes down to versatility, Rice was able to run a more diverse set of routes.

Both of these guys are the on the Mt Rushmore of receivers (Rice, Moss, Fitzgerald, Huston) but based on diversity and playoff performance I'd have to give the edge to Mr. Sticky Hands.

Moss played in an era when trans threw 500-600 times a year. Rice played in an era where they threw 400 times a game.
You can’t really compare per game passing/receiving numbers across those eras like they are apples to apples.

 

[Hyped]

As much as I loved Moss when he was here....I gotta go with Rice. More consistency over his entire career and was a better receiver as an old man as well (his Oakland years) whereas Moss just wasn't the same with his 2nd tour of duty in MIN, TEN, and then SFO.

 

[Froob]

When people don't know Randy was a great route runner

Who said he wasn’t? Brady said he’s the smartest player he’s ever played with, that goes under the radar. Picked up our playbook easily.

 

[BaconGrundleCandy]

Moss played in an era when trans threw 500-600 times a year. Rice played in an era where they threw 400 times a game.
You can’t really compare per game passing/receiving numbers across those eras like they are apples to apples.

Comparing players, not eras.

 

[Boogs]

Prime Moss was the best receiver ever. Just an incredible weapon to have.

 

[jimnance]

No. Rice is the greatest non-quarterback in the history of the game. The stickum thing is a non-story that Patriots fans understandably harp on because Rice threw shade at Brady for the other non-story of Deflategate.

But being the second greatest wide receiver of all-time behind Rice is nothing to sneeze at.

(I also think the giant sticky gloves receivers wear today are probably better at sticking balls than stickum ever was.)

No, Jim Brown is the greatest non-qb of all time- and many more knowledgeable NFL people agree with me more than you. But I'd put Rice next right behind Brown.
Rice is w/o question the greatest wr of all-time- and it's not close.

 

[BobDigital]

IMO Rice was better.

The main reason for me is how Rice seemed keep up his level of play vs tough competition in the big moments and Moss didn't do that as much.

His 2 best playoff performances came in back to back games on his historically loaded Vikings team in 2000. One was for 127 yards against an 8-8 Dallas team and the other was for 188 yards vs the Rams. He got the majority of his stats in that game (including both TDs in the 4th when they were down about 30 points .

He did have a great game vs New Orleans for 2 good scores and he had other good games as well against solid teams. But that New Orleans game shows the problem with Moss. He was targeted 7 times and got 2 catches. Defenders took a bad angle for both and he took them both for 50+ yard TDs with his amazing speed and juke in the open field.

When it comes down to it IMO here is the essence of Moss. He is the ultimate punisher of mistakes on defense. If you screw up just once or take 1 bad angle and give him an open field he will take it to the house for 6. He can also make you pay if you cover him but give him a free path to a jump ball. It is not at all fair to say that this is all Moss could do but it what makes him one of the top WRs of all time. I don't want to say that this was all Moss could do as that wouldn't be true. He was a good all around WR. But this is what makes him an All time great and without it he would be just another good WR and probably not in the HOF if he game didn't have that component.

Rice was the ultimate gamer. He didn't have 1 single tool he but he had a bunch of very good tools. He was tall but not huge bodied. He was fast but not light speed fast. He was quick but not Edelman quick. Rice was a WR who could do it all well and played the game very smartly. He knew how to set guys up every way a WR could. He would set you up deep. If he couldn't beat with you his speed he would set you up with his quickness. If he couldn't beat you with his quickness he would use his length. If his length didn't work he would just use something else. Also he was crafty as hell.

Overall he couldn't abuse a single player or team as bad as Moss if Moss was just better but it made him matchup proof. There wasn't a style he couldn't play at a probowl level.

Simply put, Rice could still have a great game if you didn't let him get behind you or take a bad angle. Moss couldn't. On the flip side if you take a bad angle on Rice he isn't as likely to take it to the house as Moss. But it is the argument of consistency vs feast and famine. That is the difference between them IMO. (Again, I know it isn't fair to label Moss a feast or famine WR but the general idea how true to a degree when compared to Rice).

Personally I'll take rice. My top 5 WRs of recent times.

#1 Rice
#2 Calvin Johnson
#3 Moss
#4 Fitz
#5 TO

I know there are a lot of Modern WRs on that list but it's hard to rate guys back in the 70s to guys from the 80s and on.

 

[Observer]

Never saw Rice play but I have never seen anyone get routinely double-teamed and routinely beat double teams like Moss did.