Harrison or Rice?

[capone0]

I know Marvin is only 11 years in. But he is passing Rice on the years to 1000 reps. Him and Peyton have also eclipsed Rice with respect to TDs from 1 QB I believe last year.

Do you guys think Marvin is going to finish with all the records? Personally I think it'll be tough with Reggie coming on and that Rice lasted till he was 42 in the league.

Rice also has a HUGE edge in titles. 3 to 0.

http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/200...son/index.html

Marvin Harrison will probably have the right to stage a celebration as elaborate as a Broadway show on Sunday. But knowing Harrison, he almost certainly will not do anything to draw attention to himself, even though he's about to catch the 1,000th pass of his career.

The NFL's least demonstrative receiver needs just five catches to become just the fourth player in NFL history reach that milestone, and he'll almost certainly be the fastest to do so. The great Jerry Rice took 181 games to reach 1,000, while Harrison will play his 167th game Sunday against the Jags.

The 6-foot, 185-pound receiver recently told SI.com that his latest individual achievement is, well, his grandest yet.

"That's something that you can look back on," said Harrison, 34. "When I look at the other three guys who have done it -- Jerry, Tim Brown, Cris Carter -- those guys were in the league for 15-plus years, and have had tremendous careers. To be in a class with those guys in my 11th season is going to make me scratch my head and wonder: 'How did it happen?'"

Harrison -- who craves at least one Super Bowl to complete his career -- will likely produce some more head-scratching achievements next season: He should catapult Brown (who's third on the all-time list with 1,094 catches) and Carter (second at 1,101). Rice's 1,549 catches are in another stratosphere -- for now.

Rice's record is considered as untouchable as Joe DiMaggio's 56-game hitting streak, but Harrison is catching passes at a faster clip. In Rice's first 10 seasons, he caught 820 passes; Harrison 927. So it's tempting to get ahead of ourselves, no?

"You'd have to be out of your mind to think you're going to chase Jerry Rice. He's played 20 seasons," said Harrison, who amassed 176 receiving yards last week in a loss against Tennessee. "It would be a reach. Right now, we can talk about 1,000 because you can bet that's going to happen."

But I wouldn't bet against Harrison challenging Rice if he plays for at least six more years. Rice retired before the 2005 season at 42 as the league's oldest player. Despite scoffing at the notion he could catch Rice, Harrison conceded: "It still seems so early in my career. There's no end any time soon."

Many elite receivers, such as Buffalo's Andre Reed -- who Harrison eclipsed this season for fourth on the all-time list -- flourished into their late 30s. "I hope [Harrison] plays long enough to become No. 1," Cardinals tailback Edgerrin James said. "Rice put up some crazy numbers, man."

But Harrison has some crazy numbers, too. His 143 catches in 2002 seem as unbreakable as Rice's all-time mark. Harrison also has the most catches in an NFL career over the first seven seasons (665), eight seasons (759), nine (845), 10 and 11.

Randy Moss was once considered the receiver who would eventually challenge Rice's mark. But Moss' production has swooned in the past two seasons, and he recently conceded that his athleticism has diminished. Harrison remains at his peak -- cornerback Champ Bailey told me he's as quick as any receiver -- and is one of the best-conditioned NFL players.

"Because of his physique, consistency and the quarterback that he has with him, he could possibly do it," Indy coach Tony Dungy said of Harrison. "I thought Rice's numbers were really untouchable and they probably are. But he's the only guy I see that would have a shot."

Like Rice with Joe Montana and Steve Young, Harrison has a superstar quarterback in Peyton Manning. But Manning is quick to credit Harrison for their Penn-and-Teller-like synchronicity. And let's not overlook the fact that Harrison flourished in his first two seasons in the NFL without Manning. In his rookie season in 1996, Harrison had team highs with 64 catches for 836 yards with Jim Harbaugh and Paul Justin as quarterbacks. The next year, Harrison led the Colts with 73 catches, the sixth-best in franchise history at the time.

"It pisses me off: a guy that just goes out and plays like hell and does his job can't get a headline," says NBC's John Madden, who considers Harrison to be the NFL's top receiver. "But Terrell Owens can get a headline for sleeping on the ball. Chad Johnson can get a headline for whatever he says."

Harrison will likely get his headlines this week, and who knows, this could just be another step toward a much bigger historical feat.

[NLSoldier]

Rice>Harrison.

I think we would prob. be saying Moss>Rice though if Moss was still on a good vikes offense or if he was playing for the colts.

[capone0]

I don't think he has the desire Rice had. I think Randy has the most talent but talent doesn't do everything. He could be much better on the Raiders even with a horrible set of QBs.

[Richard Tanner]

[ QUOTE ]
Rice>Harrison.

I think we would prob. be saying Moss>Rice though if Moss was still on a good vikes offense or if he was playing for the colts.

[/ QUOTE ]

Ummm, this is a joke right. I understand how this opinion could exist, but doesn't it break apart under the slightest scrutiny. I mean Moss was good because of his speed, and that was about it. Both Rice and Harrison were/are fast, but there were/are also excellent route runners, and their football IQ was/is so high they outsmart even the best corners.

That siad, even though they played in largely different areas, I'm going to give the edge to Harrison (based on projections) when his career is done (still by the slightest of margins though and I think it's really pointless to try and prove one's pick). I say this though, from what I've seen of Harrison and heard about him, the first 5-7 yards of every route is the same. He's gotten so good that as a DB you're left with "best guess" chances of picking his route because he gives off NO signs or indications of where he's going.

As a small aside, in the age of Barry Bonds "for god's sake don't break that record", it's great to see Harrison and Rice at the top of this field. The only thing that will surpass Rice's honor in eventually seeing his record broke is the humility with which Harrison will break it.

EDIT-I'm more then a little suprised by the results, especially the first poll. After 11 years Harrison is far ahead of Rice (almost a season ahead in catches) in both numbers and, given what the league says about him, in play (I understand these players can't comment on both, but the coaches can).

Also, someone has to find a clip of John Madden saying "Pisses me off", I've never heard him say anything remotely inappropriate, and this I gotta hear.

Cody

[MikeyPatriot]

Just because Harrison is ahead of Rice or even if he ends up owning all of his records doesn't mean he is the better receiver. Are you forgetting the fact that the NFL has changed rules that increase the passing game?

[WayAbvPar]

I love Marvin and hate Rice, but Rice was a far superior receiver.

[PITTM]

[ QUOTE ]
Rice was a far superior receiver.

[/ QUOTE ]

[capone0]

I don't think he's that much better. As a 9er fan, I think I'm going to side with Rice, careerwise, but Marvin's first 11 years are amazing.

995 catches, 116 TDs in 166 career games.

[AngusThermopyle]

League leaders, Receiving TD's
Rice (all in his first 11 yrs):
#1: 6 times
#2: 1 time
#3: 2 times
Harrison:
#1: 1
#2: 4
#3: 1
League leaders, Rush+Receiving TD's, so going against RB's too:
Rice :
#1 2 time
#2 3 times
#3 1 time
#4 2 times
Harrison:
#4 two times

1987 Rice:
65 receptions 1078 yds 16.6 ypr 22 TDs + 1 TD running
In only 12 games (strike season). LT2 has 26 TD's through 12 games this year as a comparison.

[Richard Tanner]

[ QUOTE ]
Just because Harrison is ahead of Rice or even if he ends up owning all of his records doesn't mean he is the better receiver. Are you forgetting the fact that the NFL has changed rules that increase the passing game?

[/ QUOTE ]

Irrelevent, Harrison plays under the rules that govern him at the time. Simply because the rules have made contact more of a penelty, doesn't mean Harrison is any more/less of a receiver.

Cody