In American football, passing, along with running, is one of the two methods of advancing the ball downfield. In order to advance the ball via passing, the ball must be caught by a receiver, tallying a reception. In addition to seven pairs of teammates who have rushed for 1,000 yards each in a season, there are five trios of teammates who have caught 1,000 yards each in a season.

Player positions Every member of the trios has been a wide receiver, with the exception of Kellen Winslow, a hall of fame tight end, and Eric Metcalf, a multi-purpose running back who set records as a return specialist. Wide receivers usually line up on or near the line of scrimmage, and their principal role is to catch passes. Wide receivers usually have fewer blocking roles in addition to advancing the ball down the field through receptions and rush attempts, unlike tight ends and running backs.

Furthermore, while a rushing play simply involves a handoff, snap, or pitch to a player, a passing requires a quarterback or other passer to throw the ball to the receiver. Every team that had a 1,000-yard receiving trio also had at least 4,000 team passing yards, with the remaining yards to other receivers on the team.

History

The 1980 San Diego Chargers produced first 1,000-yard trio, consisting of John Jefferson, and Hall of Famers Winslow and Charlie Joiner. Their 3,762 combined yards are the highest total of any 1,000-yard trio. During this season, quarterback Dan Fouts passed for a then-record 4,715 yards under the Air Coryell system instituted by head coach Don Coryell.

The 1989 Washington Redskins produced the second 1,000-yard trio, consisting of wide receivers Art Monk, Gary Clark, and Ricky Sanders. Nicknamed "The Posse", this trio is the only trio who did not have a 4,000-yard quarterback, with two quarterbacks, Mark Rypien (3,768 yards) and Doug Williams (585 yards), needed to break the 4,000 yards passing mark (though Rypien only played 14 games of a 16-game season).

The 1995 Atlanta Falcons produced the third 1,000-yard trio, consisting of running back/wide receiver/return specialist Eric Metcalf and wide receivers Terance Mathis and Bert Emanuel. Metcalf's 104 receptions are the most by any member of a 1,000-yard trio. Quarterback Jeff George passed for 4,143 yards, the only time he passed for over 4,000 yards in his career.

The 2004 Indianapolis Colts produced the fourth 1,000-yard trio, consisting of wide receivers Marvin Harrison, Reggie Wayne, and Brandon Stokley. During this season, quarterback Peyton Manning passed for 4,557 yards and broke the season passing touchdown record of 48 touchdowns, held by Dan Marino, with 49 (which would be broken during the 2007 NFL season by Tom Brady, with 50, but then reclaimed by Manning in the 2013 NFL season). Harrison's 15 touchdowns are the most of any single receiver and the trio's 37 combined touchdowns are the most of a 1,000-yard trio.

The 2008 Arizona Cardinals produced the fifth and most recent 1,000 yard trio, consisting of wide receivers Larry Fitzgerald, Anquan Boldin, and Steve Breaston. Quarterback Kurt Warner's 4,583 yards were second only to Drew Brees's 5,069 passing yards (which fell 15 yards short of Dan Marino's then-record 5,084 yards). The Cardinals posted a 9-7 record, and advanced to Super Bowl XLIII, losing 27-23 to the Pittsburgh Steelers. Fitzgerald's 1,431 yards are the most of any member of a 1,000-yard trio. Their 262 combined receptions are the most of any 1,000-yard trio.

1,000 yard receiving trios

+ Key Symbol MeaningPOSThe player's position REC Receptions YDS Receiving yards AVG Yards per reception TD Receiving 1st, 2nd, 3rdReceiver as ranked by number of receptionsPro Bowl playerPro Football Hall of Fame member *Active NFL player

+List of trios with at least 1,000 receiving yards eachYearTeam1stPOSRECYDSAVGTD2ndPOSRECYDSAVGTD3rdPOSRECYDSAVGTD1980SDKellen WinslowTE891,29014.59John JeffersonWR821,34016.313Charlie JoinerWR711,13215.941989WASArt MonkWR861,18613.88Ricky SandersWR801,13814.24Gary ClarkWR791,22915.691995ATLEric MetcalfRB/WR1041,18911.48Terance MathisWR781,03913.39Bert EmanuelWR741,03914.052004INDMarvin HarrisonWR861,11312.915Reggie WayneWR771,21015.712Brandon StokleyWR681,07715.8102008ARILarry FitzgeraldWR961,43114.912Anquan BoldinWR891,03811.711Steve BreastonWR771,00613.13

List of trios with at least 900 receiving yards each YearTeam1stPOSRECYDS2ndPOSRECYDS3rdPOSRECYDS1985SDLionel JamesRB861,027Wes ChandlerWR671,199Charlie JoinerWR599321990HOUHaywood JeffiresWR751,048Drew HillWR741,019Ernest GivinsWR729791991HOUHaywood JeffiresWR1001,181Drew HillWR901,109Ernest GivinsWR709961994NEBen CoatesTE961,174Michael TimpsonWR74941Vincent BrisbyWR589042002OAKJerry RiceWR921,211Charlie GarnerRB91941Tim BrownWR819302011NEWes WelkerWR1221,569Rob GronkowskiTE901,327Aaron HernandezTE799102012DALJason WittenTE1101,039Dez BryantWR921,382Miles AustinWR669432012ATLTony GonzalezTE93930Roddy WhiteWR921,351Julio JonesWR791,1982012NOJimmy Graham*TE85982Marques ColstonWR831,154Lance MooreWR651,0412014NEJulian EdelmanWR92972Rob GronkowskiTE831,124Brandon LaFellWR749532019LACKeenan Allen*WR1041,199Austin Ekeler*RB92993Mike Williams*WR491,0012023MINT. J. Hockenson*TE95960Jordan Addison*WR70911Justin Jefferson*WR681,074

References

External links National Football League