Those are some sick receiving numbers they’ve been putting up in Detroit recently. The ball doesn’t hit the ground often.
Jared Goff finished the season at 72 percent, No. 2 in the league, and he was particularly good when connecting with Amon-Ra St. Brown and David Montgomery. They both finished with historically good catch rate numbers.
St. Brown caught almost 82 percent of what was thrown his way. The league started officially tracking targets in the early ‘90s, and only one wide receiver with over 100 targets in all of the ensuring years has finished with a higher catch rate: Michael Thomas, in his record-setting receiving season.
Only one other player has finished a season at 78-plus percent. (Hunter Renfrow, who is hoping to get back into the game.)
| WIDE RECEIVERS CATCHING 75 PERCENT OF TARGETS | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Year | Player | Tgt | Rec | Yards | Avg | TD | Pct |
| 2018 | Michael Thomas, N.O. | 147 | 125 | 1,405 | 11.2 | 9 | 85.0% |
| 2024 | Amon-Ra St. Brown, Det. | 141 | 115 | 1,263 | 11.0 | 12 | 81.6% |
| 2019 | Michael Thomas, N.O. | 185 | 149 | 1,725 | 11.6 | 9 | 80.5% |
| 2021 | Hunter Renfrow, L.V. | 128 | 103 | 1,038 | 10.1 | 9 | 80.5% |
| 2023 | Rashee Rice, K.C. | 102 | 79 | 938 | 11.9 | 7 | 77.5% |
| 2007 | Wes Welker, N.E. | 145 | 112 | 1,175 | 10.5 | 8 | 77.2% |
| 2022 | JuJu Smith-Schuster, K.C. | 101 | 78 | 933 | 12.0 | 3 | 77.2% |
| 2020 | Davante Adams, G.B. | 149 | 115 | 1,374 | 11.9 | 18 | 77.2% |
| 2021 | Chris Godwin, T.B. | 127 | 98 | 1,103 | 11.3 | 5 | 77.2% |
| 2012 | Randall Cobb, G.B. | 104 | 80 | 954 | 11.9 | 8 | 76.9% |
| 2017 | Golden Tate, Det. | 120 | 92 | 1,003 | 10.9 | 5 | 76.7% |
| 2020 | Cole Beasley, Buff. | 107 | 82 | 967 | 11.8 | 4 | 76.6% |
| 2020 | Stefon Diggs, Buff. | 166 | 127 | 1,535 | 12.1 | 8 | 76.5% |
| 2016 | Michael Thomas, N.O. | 121 | 92 | 1,137 | 12.4 | 9 | 76.0% |
| 2024 | • Khalil Shakir, Buff. | 100 | 76 | 821 | 10.8 | 4 | 76.0% |
| 2009 | Wes Welker, N.E. | 162 | 123 | 1,348 | 11.0 | 4 | 75.9% |
| 2021 | Cooper Kupp, LAR | 191 | 145 | 1,947 | 13.4 | 16 | 75.9% |
| 2020 | JuJu Smith-Schuster, Pitt. | 128 | 97 | 831 | 8.6 | 9 | 75.8% |
| 2020 | Tyler Lockett, Sea. | 132 | 100 | 1,054 | 10.5 | 10 | 75.8% |
| 2015 | Doug Baldwin, Sea. | 103 | 78 | 1,069 | 13.7 | 14 | 75.7% |
| 2021 | Amon-Ra St. Brown, Det. | 119 | 90 | 912 | 10.1 | 5 | 75.6% |
| 2016 | Doug Baldwin, Sea. | 125 | 94 | 1,128 | 12.0 | 7 | 75.2% |
| 2023 | Adam Thielen, Car. | 137 | 103 | 1,014 | 9.8 | 4 | 75.2% |
| 2015 | Larry Fitzgerald, Ari. | 145 | 109 | 1,215 | 11.1 | 9 | 75.2% |
| 2016 | Stefon Diggs, Min. | 112 | 84 | 903 | 10.8 | 3 | 75.0% |
| 2014 | Jarvis Landry, Mia. | 112 | 84 | 758 | 9.0 | 5 | 75.0% |
With Montgomery, he caught 36 of the 38 passes thrown his way last year. That’s almost 95 percent. Among backs with at least 30 targets, he comes in at No. 2 since the early ‘90s. He comes in just one play behind 2021 James Conner.
Admittedly, this one isn’t as impressive, with the low threshold of only 30 pass targets. But Montgomery is a capable pass catcher. They probably should be using him more.
| RUNNING BACKS CATCING 90 PERCENT OF TARGETS | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Year | Player | Tgt | Rec | Yards | Avg | TD | Pct |
| 2021 | James Conner, Ari. | 39 | 37 | 375 | 10.1 | 3 | 94.9% |
| 2024 | David Montgomery, Det. | 38 | 36 | 341 | 9.5 | 0 | 94.7% |
| 1992 | Cleveland Gary, LAR | 55 | 52 | 293 | 5.6 | 3 | 94.5% |
| 1996 | Dorsey Levens, G.B. | 33 | 31 | 226 | 7.3 | 5 | 93.9% |
| 2010 | Felix Jones, Dall. | 52 | 48 | 450 | 9.4 | 1 | 92.3% |
| 2020 | Jonathan Taylor, Ind. | 39 | 36 | 299 | 8.3 | 1 | 92.3% |
| 2021 | AJ Dillon, G.B. | 37 | 34 | 313 | 9.2 | 2 | 91.9% |
| 1999 | Curtis Martin, NYJ | 49 | 45 | 259 | 5.8 | 0 | 91.8% |
| 2013 | Pierre Thomas, N.O. | 84 | 77 | 513 | 6.7 | 3 | 91.7% |
| 2006 | DeAngelo Williams, Car. | 36 | 33 | 313 | 9.5 | 1 | 91.7% |
| 2023 | Rachaad White, T.B. | 70 | 64 | 549 | 8.6 | 3 | 91.4% |
| 2017 | Dion Lewis, N.E. | 35 | 32 | 214 | 6.7 | 3 | 91.4% |
| 1994 | Natrone Means, S.D. | 43 | 39 | 235 | 6.0 | 0 | 90.7% |
| 2024 | • Bucky Irving, T.B. | 52 | 47 | 392 | 8.3 | 0 | 90.4% |
| 2021 | Christian McCaffrey, Car. | 41 | 37 | 343 | 9.3 | 1 | 90.2% |
| 2002 | Michael Bennett, Min. | 41 | 37 | 351 | 9.5 | 1 | 90.2% |
| 1995 | Harvey Williams, Oak. | 60 | 54 | 375 | 6.9 | 0 | 90.0% |
| 1998 | Dorsey Levens, G.B. | 30 | 27 | 162 | 6.0 | 0 | 90.0% |
—Ian Allan