The page turns from July to August, and just like that, NFL training camps are in full swing. If you're like the rest of us, your mind is on one thing, wiping the Minnesota Vikings' January loss to the New York Giants from memory. It won't be easy. The Detroit Lions are improving and the Chicago Bears and Green Bay Packers are both pesky. Make no mistake about it though. The Vikes are the cream of the NFC North's crop, so forgive us if we're battling urges to be excited.
August symbolizes new beginnings, but it also leads us down roads to nostalgia. Then, the mind wanders and those roads intersect. What if we could fire up the time travel devices and place Randy Moss and Cris Carter on the current roster WITH Justin Jefferson? Kirk Cousins wouldn't have any issues then!
Recently, Randy and Cris earned a nice nod. This one most certainly grabbed our attention and deserves a mention.
Pro Football Hall of Famers/Vikings legends Cris Carter and Randy Moss are named as the best wide receiver duo in NFL history.
The NFL has thrilled fans for more than a century. During that time we have been introduced to legends (or, we have at least seen a few highlights by way of NFL Films), but even if you were fortunate enough to live for another 100 years, you may never see more than ten wideouts with as much natural talent as Randy Moss and Cris Carter.
Recently, Elliott Kalb of the 33rd Team placed them atop his list of the best WR duos of all time. Here's some of the explanation for his decision to do so.
"This was the easiest decision when ranking the great wide receiver duos. The 1998 Vikings were 15-1 and rolled over opponents because Carter (12 TDs) and Moss (17 TDs) were destroying defenses. They combined for 24 touchdowns in each of their next two seasons, as well."
In eight seasons as a member of the Minnesota Vikings, Moss appeared in 113 regular-season games with 108 starts. 587 receptions for 9,316 yards and 92 TDs were the result. Not to be outdone, Carter played in Vikings purple for 12 seasons (188 regular-season games with 177 starts) and collected 1,004 receptions, 12,383 receiving yards, and 110 receiving TDs.
No one should argue with their spot on this list OR the decision to place them in the top spot.
Rounding out the rest of the top five were Jerry Rice and John Taylor (San Francisco 49ers), Randy Moss and Wes Welker (New England Patriots), Larry Fitzgerald and Anquan Boldin (Arizona Cardinals), and Ja’Marr Chase and Tee Higgins (Cincinnati Bengals). These things are always subjective, but it's hard to believe another pair of Hall of Famers (Lynn Swann and John Stallworth) don't crack the list until the eighth slot. That's another story for another day though.