Receiver ratings index

A new and improved way to rank receivers’ statistics

By Ron Pollack, Editor-in-chief
As published in print July 16, 2001

Vikings WR Randy Moss

The manner in which receivers are ranked statistically has always bugged me. Total number of catches has always been the measuring stick, which seems flawed to me.

A journalist doesn’t win the Pulitzer based upon total number of stories written. An actor doesn’t win an Oscar based upon most lines in a movie. A chef doesn’t earn four stars for his restaurant based upon most ingredients used. Quality needs to be the measuring stick, not quantity.

In football terms, a running back doesn’t win the rushing title based upon most carries in a season. Yards rushing determines the king of the hill among running backs.

This is not to say that the receiving champ should be based solely on total receiving yards. I will grant you that total catches for a receiver is more significant than total carries is for running backs. After all, it is no accomplishment for a running back to carry the ball. It is an accomplishment, however, when a receiver makes a catch since the defense can prevent a reception but cannot prevent a rushing attempt. That said, total catches alone do not tell the whole story.

With this in mind, I have created a statistical system that puts receivers numbers into what I believe to be proper perspective. I am calling it the Receiver Ratings Index. It is somewhat like passer ratings in that numerous statistical categories are used to come up with the final rankings. The categories included are total catches, total receiving yards, TD catches, catches that resulted in a first down, catches that resulted in a first down on a third-down play and drops.

Receiving yards were weighted heavier than catches since they are the more significant statistic. TD catches were weighted very heavily since the elite pass catchers tend to hit paydirt more often than run-of-the-mill receivers. Receptions for first downs were included since moving the chains is an important part of a receiver’s job. First-down receptions that came on third-down plays were also included since this shows a player’s ability to deliver at clutch times. Drops are the one category that results in points being taken away from a player’s Receiver Ratings Index total.

Wide receivers, tight ends and running backs were all included.

Three catches per game in a 16-game season (48 catches) was the minimum for a player to be considered.

Players who jump out from the 2000 Receiver Ratings Index are as follows:

• Muhsin Muhammad is seen in a more proper perspective. He tied for the most catches in the NFL last season, but he is not one of the truly elite wide receivers in the game. NFL scouts rank him among the top 8-15 wideouts in the NFL. His catch total was impressive, but his receiving yards and touchdowns were not what you’d expect from a 100-plus-catch season. Muhammad ranks No. 17 on the Receiver Ratings Index.

• Critics need to stop complaining about Randy Moss. Yes, it’s true that he could be even better than he is if he had the hunger, work ethic and maturity of Jerry Rice, but the fact remains that Moss is unbelievably productive. Moss ranked No. 21 in total catches last season (due in great part to the fact that Cris Carter also catches so many balls) but was No. 2 on the Receiver Ratings Index. NFL scouts rank Moss as the No. 1 wideout in the game.

• The Receiver Ratings Index puts into perspective just how dominant TE Tony Gonzalez and RB Marshall Faulk are in the passing game at their respective positions. Gonzalez is the No. 1-rated tight end, finishing 12th on the Receiver Ratings Index. The next-highest tight end is Shannon Sharpe at No. 28. Faulk is the No. 1-rated running back, finishing 21st on the Receiver Ratings Index. The next-highest running back is Richie Anderson at No. 33. Keep in mind that Anderson is a receiving specialist. The all-purpose running back most compared to Faulk is Edgerrin James, who is 52nd on the Receiver Ratings Index — well behind Faulk.

• One of the more underrated seasons in football last year may have belonged to Derrick Alexander. He only finished in a tie for 19th in total catches last season, resulting in insufficient hype for his accomplishments. He posted huge numbers in receiving yards and TD catches, however, and finished in ninth place on the Receiver Ratings Index.

• Tim Brown is not out of gas just yet. In his 13th NFL season he may have only finished 22nd in total catches, but he moved up the charts to No. 13 in the Receiver Ratings Index.

To chart

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