Tyreek Hill and Jaylen Waddle are quite a combo. It’s unusually for a team to have two wide receivers putting up those kind of numbers at the same time.
They’re just the fourth pair of receivers to go over 3,000 yards, and they did it efficiently. Both averaged over 10 yards per pass play (not yards per catch, but also factoring in incompletions). They shredded defenses.
In the 32-team era, only 55 wide receivers have had at least 100 targets and averaged over 10 yards per target. It’s hard to do. Miami is one of just three teams to do it with two receivers in the same season. (The other two such teams both had Hall of Fame quarterbacks – Peyton Manning in 2004 and Aaron Rodgers in 2014.)
In the case of Waddle, he averaged 11.6 yards per target last year, 3rd-best by anyone in the last 20 years.
I’m not guaranteeing they’ll do this again. Defensive coordinators no doubt are considering their options, figuring out what the Dolphins are doing. And Miami has a quarterback who’s had problems staying healthy. If Tua Tagovailoa misses a big chunk of games, they’ll be down to Mike White (who had a couple of good games with the Jets but hasn’t actually played all that much).
Regardless, what those wide receivers did last year was very impressive.
100+ TARGETS AND 10 YARDS PER TARGETS | |||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Year | Player | Tgt | Rec | Yds | Avg | TD | YPT |
2011 | Victor Cruz, NYG | 131 | 82 | 1536 | 18.7 | 9 | 11.7 |
2021 | Deebo Samuel, S.F. | 121 | 77 | 1405 | 18.3 | 6 | 11.6 |
2022 | Jaylen Waddle, Mia. | 117 | 75 | 1356 | 18.1 | 8 | 11.6 |
2021 | JaMarr Chase, Cin. | 128 | 81 | 1455 | 18.0 | 13 | 11.4 |
2017 | Tyreek Hill, K.C. | 105 | 75 | 1183 | 15.8 | 7 | 11.3 |
2020 | Justin Jefferson, Min. | 125 | 88 | 1400 | 15.9 | 7 | 11.2 |
2005 | Santana Moss, Was. | 134 | 84 | 1483 | 17.7 | 9 | 11.1 |
2018 | Mike Evans, T.B. | 138 | 86 | 1524 | 17.7 | 8 | 11.0 |
2019 | Chris Godwin, T.B. | 121 | 86 | 1333 | 15.5 | 9 | 11.0 |
2008 | Steve Smith, Car. | 129 | 78 | 1421 | 18.2 | 6 | 11.0 |
2021 | Tyler Lockett, Sea. | 107 | 73 | 1175 | 16.1 | 8 | 11.0 |
2016 | Julio Jones, Atl. | 129 | 83 | 1409 | 17.0 | 6 | 10.9 |
2008 | Vincent Jackson, S.D. | 101 | 59 | 1098 | 18.6 | 7 | 10.9 |
2009 | Sidney Rice, Min. | 121 | 83 | 1312 | 15.8 | 8 | 10.8 |
2011 | Steve Smith, Car. | 129 | 79 | 1394 | 17.7 | 7 | 10.8 |
2009 | Vincent Jackson, S.D. | 108 | 68 | 1167 | 17.2 | 9 | 10.8 |
2018 | Tyreek Hill, K.C. | 137 | 87 | 1479 | 17.0 | 12 | 10.8 |
2004 | Ashley Lelie, Den. | 101 | 54 | 1084 | 20.1 | 7 | 10.7 |
2011 | Marques Colston, N.O. | 107 | 80 | 1143 | 14.3 | 8 | 10.7 |
2009 | Miles Austin, Dall. | 124 | 81 | 1320 | 16.3 | 11 | 10.6 |
2011 | Calvin Johnson, Det. | 158 | 96 | 1681 | 17.5 | 16 | 10.6 |
2018 | T.Y. Hilton, Ind. | 120 | 76 | 1270 | 16.7 | 6 | 10.6 |
2013 | DeSean Jackson, Phil. | 126 | 82 | 1332 | 16.2 | 9 | 10.6 |
2004 | • Brandon Stokley, Ind. | 102 | 68 | 1077 | 15.8 | 10 | 10.6 |
2004 | • Reggie Wayne, Ind. | 115 | 77 | 1210 | 15.7 | 12 | 10.5 |
2011 | Mike Wallace, Pitt. | 114 | 72 | 1193 | 16.6 | 8 | 10.5 |
2005 | Steve Smith, Car. | 150 | 103 | 1563 | 15.2 | 12 | 10.4 |
2015 | Doug Baldwin, Sea. | 103 | 78 | 1069 | 13.7 | 14 | 10.4 |
2013 | Josh Gordon, Cle. | 159 | 87 | 1646 | 18.9 | 9 | 10.4 |
2013 | Jordy Nelson, G.B. | 127 | 85 | 1314 | 15.5 | 8 | 10.3 |
2022 | A.J. Brown, Phil. | 145 | 88 | 1496 | 17.0 | 11 | 10.3 |
2018 | Brandin Cooks, LAR | 117 | 80 | 1204 | 15.1 | 5 | 10.3 |
2017 | Marvin Jones, Det. | 107 | 61 | 1101 | 18.1 | 9 | 10.3 |
2014 | T.Y. Hilton, Ind. | 131 | 82 | 1345 | 16.4 | 7 | 10.3 |
2019 | Kenny Golladay, Det. | 116 | 65 | 1190 | 18.3 | 11 | 10.3 |
2004 | Eddie Kennison, K.C. | 106 | 62 | 1086 | 17.5 | 8 | 10.2 |
2005 | Eddie Kennison, K.C. | 108 | 68 | 1102 | 16.2 | 5 | 10.2 |
2021 | Cooper Kupp, LAR | 191 | 145 | 1947 | 13.4 | 16 | 10.2 |
2004 | Torry Holt, St.L. | 135 | 94 | 1372 | 14.6 | 10 | 10.2 |
2020 | A.J. Brown, Ten. | 106 | 70 | 1075 | 15.4 | 11 | 10.1 |
2014 | • Randall Cobb, G.B. | 127 | 91 | 1287 | 14.1 | 12 | 10.1 |
2010 | Greg Jennings, G.B. | 125 | 76 | 1265 | 16.6 | 12 | 10.1 |
2020 | DJ Moore, Car. | 118 | 66 | 1193 | 18.1 | 4 | 10.1 |
2020 | DK Metcalf, Sea. | 129 | 83 | 1303 | 15.7 | 10 | 10.1 |
2013 | Demaryius Thomas, Den. | 142 | 92 | 1430 | 15.5 | 14 | 10.1 |
2014 | • Jordy Nelson, G.B. | 151 | 98 | 1519 | 15.5 | 13 | 10.1 |
2022 | Tyreek Hill, Mia. | 170 | 119 | 1710 | 14.4 | 7 | 10.1 |
2016 | DeSean Jackson, Was. | 100 | 56 | 1005 | 18.0 | 4 | 10.1 |
2014 | Odell Beckham, NYG | 130 | 91 | 1305 | 14.3 | 12 | 10.0 |
2009 | Marques Colston, N.O. | 107 | 70 | 1074 | 15.3 | 9 | 10.0 |
2012 | Demaryius Thomas, Den. | 143 | 94 | 1434 | 15.3 | 10 | 10.0 |
2016 | Brandin Cooks, N.O. | 117 | 78 | 1173 | 15.0 | 8 | 10.0 |
2002 | Amani Toomer, NYG | 134 | 82 | 1343 | 16.4 | 8 | 10.0 |
2012 | Dez Bryant, Dall. | 138 | 92 | 1382 | 15.0 | 12 | 10.0 |
2012 | Lance Moore, N.O. | 104 | 65 | 1041 | 16.0 | 6 | 10.0 |
—Ian Allan