The following question was asked on my social media page: "Which wide receiver trio would you take?" The choices were Minnesota's Randy Moss, Cris Carter, and Justin Jefferson, or San Francisco's Jerry Rice, Deebo Samuel, and Terrell Owens.
Since the 49ers and Vikings will play on Monday night, let's have some fun. One person says the 49ers have two G.O.A.T.s.
This not really a debate. Bottom has the #1 and #2 GOATs. https://t.co/hiFnstZY4J
— PRIME (@NinerLogic) October 19, 2023
At least he told the truth.
Huge 9er fan & Jerry is my favorite of all-time, that being said, this is a hell of a choice. Owens and Rice I think are 2 of the greatest downfield blockers ever, Moss may be the best pure pass-catcher ever, all 6 are incredibly productive. I take the 9ers trio, but I'm biased
— Jesse R. (@JesseRUSerious) October 19, 2023
This fan at least went beyond the athletic ability and talked football.
Not only were the niners trio more productive (cuz who cares who is more athletically gifted) in the pass game, they also are heads and shoulders better blockers in the run game and overall just more physical players. Niners all day long, but that's a hell of trio for Minnesota.
— Michael Nelson (@Michael37816025) October 19, 2023
Here is a good comparison when you go one-on-one.
49ers.
Jerry > *
— G V (@gv49ers) October 19, 2023
TO on same level as Moss who is Vikings best one on the list(at least at this point)
Deebo better than Carter and a whole lot more versatile.
If you compare each trio's stats and respective accomplishments, they are the same.
Both have two Hall of Fame receivers and a young, up-and-coming pass catcher who has the potential to follow alongside their predecessor.
Here is the tale of the tape:
49er Wide Receivers
Rice: 19,247 receiving yards, 176 receiving touchdowns, 10x All-Pro, 12 Pro Bowls, Super Bowl XXIII MVP, 3x Super Bowl Champ, 2010 NFL Hall of Fame
Owens: 8,572 receiving yards, 81 receiving touchdowns, 3x All-Pro, 4x Pro Bowler, 2018 NFL Hall of Fame
Samuel: 3,532 Receiving yards, 13 receiving touchdowns, 1x All-Pro, 1x Pro Bowler
Viking Receivers
Carter: 12,383 receiving yards, 110 receiving touchdowns, 2x first-team All-Pro, 8x Pro Bowler, 2013 NFL Hall of Fame
Moss: 9,316 Receiving yards, 92 receiving touchdowns, 3x first-team All-Pro, 1998 Rookie of the Year, 5x Pro Bowler, 2018 NFL Hall of Fame
Jefferson: 5,396 receiving yards, 28 receiving touchdowns, 1x first-team All-Pro, 3x Pro Bowler
Jerry Rice, Cris Carter, and Terrell Owens are on my top-five wide receivers list, with Randy Moss being number seven because of how they dominated opposing secondaries. Samuel and Jefferson have a couple of games in their young careers.
On December 18, 1995, Rice and Carter met on the Monday night stage, with the 49ers great getting the better of his Vikings counterpart in the matchup.
Rice scorched the Viking secondary with 14 receptions, 289 yards, and three touchdowns, while Carter finished with 12 receptions for 88 yards and two touchdowns.
Watch: Jerry Rice Dominates - Vikings vs. 49ers (Week 16, 1995)
Moss got the better of Owens in a Week 4 matchup on September 28, 2003.
Moss lit up the 49ers' secondary with eight receptions for 172 receiving yards and three touchdowns. In comparison, Owens finished with five receptions for 55 yards, no touchdowns, and a memorable sideline blowup directed at offensive coordinator Greg Knapp.
Samuel and Jefferson met in a Week 12 matchup on November 28, 2021, where the 49ers beat the Vikings 34-26. Jefferson had four receptions for 83 yards, while Samuel had one reception for 12 yards but did more damage on the ground with six carries for 66 yards and two rushing touchdowns.
Watch: Vikings vs. 49ers Week 12 Highlights | NFL 2021
You can't always rely on stats to tell the truth or the whole picture. When you look at a player's numbers, you should ask, did they dominate or get their numbers when it mattered less?
When a running back rushes for over 100 yards, did he dominate throughout the game, or did he break an 80-yard touchdown run, barely surpassing the century mark? Did a quarterback have a 300-yard passing game by dominating the secondary, or was the team down by 30, and he got "empty calories" yards?
Despite that analogy, both trios have resumes that speak for themself. When asking which set is better, you must look at it unbiasedly.
Unfortunately, the Vikings' trio does not have that dominating playoff performance. Still, Moss did have a two-reception, 121-yard, and two-touchdown performance in a 34-16 blowout against the New Orlean Saints in the 2000 NFC Divisional Round and a nine-reception, 188-yard performance in a 49-37 loss against the St. Louis Rams in the 2001 NFC Divisional Round.
Before Moss was drafted, Carter's best playoff performance was a six-reception, 93-yard, and two-touchdown game against the 49ers in the 1997 NFC Divisional Round, where San Francisco beat Minnesota 38-22.
Moss was drafted in 1998. Carter went over the century mark twice, when his young sidekick went off in the same game.
The former Buckeye had an eight-reception, 120-yard, and one-touchdown game against the Saints in the 2000 NFC Divisional Round, and seven receptions, 106 yards, and one touchdown against the Rams in the 2001 NFC Divisional Round.
Watch: Cris Carter || "Odell Who?" ||HD CAREER HIGHLIGHTS
Jefferson had a forgettable seven-reception, 47-yard, and zero-touchdown outing in a 31-24 loss against the New York Giants on January 15, 2023, in the Wildcard Round.
The 49ers trio has players that stood out. While Owens' postseason performances are not as great, he was on the receiving end of the "Catch II" against the Green Bay Packers in the 1998 Wildcard Game. He was the focal point of the fifth-largest playoff comeback victory in a game against the New York Giants on January 5, 2003, earning nine receptions for 177 yards and two touchdowns.
Watch: Terrell Owens destroying the Giants in '03
Samuel only has one 100-receiving-yard playoff game, but because he can also carry the ball, he has helped the 49ers make it to two NFC Championship Games.
The 49ers were able to put Deebo in the running back position, and it was key when he rushed for 72 yards on 10 carries and a touchdown in a 23-16 victory on January 16, 2022, in a Wildcard victory against the Dallas Cowboys. He rushed for a key first down to set up a game-winning 45-yard Robbie Gould field goal against the Green Bay Packers in the NFC Divisional Round and helped the 49ers advance to the NFC Championship game against the Los Angeles Rams.
Jerry Rice's playoff resume destroys the Vikings trio all by himself. It isn't about the numbers but the domination in the postseason games, from the NFC Championship Game against the Bears with five receptions for 133 yards and two touchdowns to his Super Bowl XXIII performance with 11 receptions for 215 yards and one touchdown, earning Super Bowl MVP honors. Rice also has a seven-reception, 148-yard, and three-touchdown game against the top-rated Broncos defense in a 55-10 Super Bowl XXIV blowout, and 10 receptions, 149 yards, and three touchdowns in a Super Bowl XXIX 49-26 shellacking of the San Diego Chargers.
Watch: Jerry Rice Super Bowl XXIII Highlights (1988)
This is a debatable question, and you can easily make the case for the Vikings trio. Both mirror each other, but when you have arguably the greatest receiver of all time on your side, it makes the case for the 49ers.
Do you agree? If not, please respond.
Pro Football Reference provided all the stats.