danish-pride Posted May 24, 2012 Share Posted May 24, 2012 http://www.nfl.com/news/story/09000d5d82948965/article/rob-gronkowskiaaron-hernandez-among-leagues-top-10-duos?module=HP11_hot_topicsBy Daniel Jeremiah NFL.comAnalystPublished: May 23, 2012 at 11:49 a.m.Updated: May 23, 2012 at 02:16 p.m.Liked: 0 | Comments: 395EmailPrintReadDiscussGreg M. Cooper/US PresswireAaron Hernandez (left) and Rob Gronkowski combined to make 169 catches for 2,237 yards and 24 TDs in 2011.Watching television, it's almost impossible to go 15 minutes without seeing a preview for the movie "The Avengers." The trailers all show various clips of the Marvel Comics superheroes joining forces. I still have yet to see the film, but it looks like I might be in the minority. ("Avengers" just finished No. 1 at the box office for the third straight weekend.)What does this have to do with football? Well, it got me thinking ... Instead of just focusing on individual players, I should compile a list of the top duos in the NFL. So, here goes nothing: the five best offensive and defensive tandems in the league.OffenseVictor Cruz and Hakeem NicksNew York Giants WRs (two years together)In my opinion, this is currently the top receiver duo in the NFL. Both guys are complete receivers with an outstanding mix of size, explosiveness, reliable hands and elusiveness after the catch. Last season, they combined for 2,728 yards receiving and 16 touchdowns.Michael Roos and David StewartTennessee Titans OTs (seven years together)The Titans have several holes in their roster, but they are in good shape at offensive tackle. In the past three seasons, Tennessee ranked second, sixth and third in sacks allowed. Roos and Stewart are a large part of that success. This pair also helped pave the way for Chris Johnson's 2,000-yard season in 2009.Ray Rice and Vonta LeachBaltimore Ravens RBs (one year together)This is the best RB/FB tandem in the NFL. Rice finished second in the NFL in rushing yards (1,364) last season while running behind the crushing lead blocks of Leach. Following the 2011 season, both players were named to the All-Pro team for the second time in their respective careers.Debate: Most indispensable playerWhich player means more to his team than anyone else? Our analysts debate, with Drew Brees getting plenty of attention. More ...Roddy White and Julio JonesAtlanta Falcons WRs (one year together)The Falcons paid dearly to move up in the draft to select Julio Jones. So far, it's hard to argue with the results. Jones posted 959 receiving yards and eight touchdowns, while averaging almost 18 yards per catch last season. And he did all of that damage despite only playing in 13 contests. Meanwhile, over the past two seasons, Roddy White has caught 215 balls.Rob Gronkowski and Aaron HernandezNew England Patriots TEs (two years together)What these two players have done in their brief careers is nothing short of amazing. Gronkowski has already established himself as the premier tight end in the entire league, while Hernandez is the best H-back to enter the NFL in a long time. Last season, they combined for 169 catches and 24 touchdowns. Those numbers are ridiculous!Just missed the cut: Mike Wallace and Antonio Brown, Pittsburgh Steelers WRs; DeAngelo Williams and Jonathan Stewart, Carolina Panthers RBs; Greg Jennings and Jordy Nelson, Green Bay Packers WRs; Arian Foster and Ben Tate, Houston Texans RBs; DeSean Jackson and Jeremy Maclin, Philadelphia Eagles WRs; Dez Bryant and Miles Austin, Dallas Cowboys WRsVery happy to see our players make it, i really hope that D.Koetter can get the best out of this offense! Can't wait for the preseason to get a look at our guys. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jluk Posted May 24, 2012 Share Posted May 24, 2012 Nice Post. But Julio is all you need.This article should have been written:DUOs: Julio and his Oline. Because if you have give Juilo enough time to run his route, its game over...this guy is magic like Vick. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
blizzard_falcon Posted May 24, 2012 Share Posted May 24, 2012 I think both Jones and White have the potential to hit 1200 yards this season... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Magic Man Posted May 24, 2012 Share Posted May 24, 2012 Good to see the Falcons and Roddy White mentioned, and the word Twitter not be mentioned in the article. Good job JJ and Roddy Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Willy monday Posted May 24, 2012 Share Posted May 24, 2012 I don't see how cruz and nicks are the number 1 duo they arnt even close to the best Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Delusion Debunker Posted May 24, 2012 Share Posted May 24, 2012 I don't see how cruz and nicks are the number 1 duo they arnt even close to the bestI agree. If they traded places with roddy and julio they wouldnt exist while julio and roddy are studs regardless of who throws at them. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pzummo Posted May 24, 2012 Share Posted May 24, 2012 Call me a homer but I'd take Roddy and Julio before Nicks and Cruz all day long without a second thought. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ATL575 Posted May 24, 2012 Share Posted May 24, 2012 I agree. If they traded places with roddy and julio they wouldnt exist while julio and roddy are studs regardless of who throws at them.For people that do not see Roddy White weak in and weak out, they remember him for some of the mistakes that he has made in the past, i.e his drops. People are always remembered for there mistakes. For us Falcon fans we get to see some of the great catches that he makes, this season I am going to keep count of the number of diving catches that Roddy makes. It will always be easier for people to rank Hicks and Cruz above Roddy and JJ after they just won a super bowl. If the Falcons were to win a superbowl this year, and have a great season from both, then people will be saying that Roddy and JJ are one of the best receiver tandems of all time (or close to it) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sandiegofalcon Posted May 25, 2012 Share Posted May 25, 2012 I think any reasonable person would choose Roddy and Julio... Very surprised that these duos beat out Jennings and Nelson. Not that I think the pair are even close to the best, but I would have guessed NFL.com would have them up there. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Delusion Debunker Posted May 25, 2012 Share Posted May 25, 2012 Call me a homer but I'd take Roddy and Julio before Nicks and Cruz all day long without a second thought.Thats not homerism thats reality. Roddy and julio are certified monsters. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JayOzOne Posted May 25, 2012 Share Posted May 25, 2012 SMH @ Nicks/Cruz over Roddy/Julio AND Williams/Stewart. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sandiegofalcon Posted May 25, 2012 Share Posted May 25, 2012 how about gronk and hernandez? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
youngbloodz Posted May 25, 2012 Share Posted May 25, 2012 Nicks and Cruz are a beast of a combo. So I don't know why the homers are upset they are first. Those two are monsters. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mrfahaji Posted May 25, 2012 Share Posted May 25, 2012 Although he rarely comes out as a winner with the likes of Calvin and Andre Johnson around, Roddy White is often given a mention when it comes to discussion about the NFL's best receiver. The fact that on these boards he is sometimes viewed as a #2 and/or a 'safety net' for Matt Ryan (a la Tony G) must say a lot about what Julio Jones has shown so far!Dirk Koetter's biggest repsonsibility/challenge is giving Matt Ryan the confidence to make big throws and to take chances, whether that's psychologically or through the playbook - with Jones and White on the field some risks are worth taking. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
vel Posted May 25, 2012 Share Posted May 25, 2012 To be honest, I can see us making a SB run ala Arizona Cardinals. Almost same exact team. Two dominating WRs, yea they had Warner but Ryan can definitely take that step with a better OLine. The defense was tenacious and aggressive. We have a DC who will definitely make that side of the ball tough to handle every week. Pat Hill needs to shape up the OLine and Koetter needs to open up the offense. The rest hinges on Ryan and Smitty stepping up. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AtlantaFalconPokerPro Posted May 25, 2012 Share Posted May 25, 2012 I expect big things from the Matt/Roddy-Julio duo this year. The three of them are too talented to not dominate lists like this. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
don.reese Posted May 25, 2012 Share Posted May 25, 2012 White and Jones are by far the best duo. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Magic Man Posted May 25, 2012 Share Posted May 25, 2012 Nicks and Cruz are a beast of a combo. So I don't know why the homers are upset they are first. Those two are monsters.they are monsters, and a great duo...they are just not deserving of the number one ranking over two guys like the grizzled vet, Roddy and the explosive playmaker Julio. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Delusion Debunker Posted May 25, 2012 Share Posted May 25, 2012 they are monsters, and a great duo...they are just not deserving of the number one ranking over two guys like the grizzled vet, Roddy and the explosive playmaker Julio.cruz and nicks are exceeding their potential While roddy and julio are stuck with Who they are stuck with. No fault of theirs. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Delusion Debunker Posted May 25, 2012 Share Posted May 25, 2012 Although he rarely comes out as a winner with the likes of Calvin and Andre Johnson around, Roddy White is often given a mention when it comes to discussion about the NFL's best receiver. The fact that on these boards he is sometimes viewed as a #2 and/or a 'safety net' for Matt Ryan (a la Tony G) must say a lot about what Julio Jones has shown so far!Dirk Koetter's biggest repsonsibility/challenge is giving Matt Ryan the confidence to make big throws and to take chances, whether that's psychologically or through the playbook - with Jones and White on the field some risks are worth taking.If you have julio and roddy to throw too and yet you still need a coach to get your confidence up, there might be a problem. Im just sayin. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Magic Man Posted May 25, 2012 Share Posted May 25, 2012 If you have julio and roddy to throw too and yet you still need a coach to get your confidence up, there might be a problem. Im just sayin.If you've had 5-10+ screen names in the past year, that may be a problem with the content you're posting...just saying. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Delusion Debunker Posted May 25, 2012 Share Posted May 25, 2012 If you've had 5-10+ screen names in the past year, that may be a problem with the content you're posting...just saying.Truth and reality have a way of getting under peoples skin, or so ive noticed. If cruz and nicks had ryan throwing to them they wouldnt even make the list. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
vel Posted May 25, 2012 Share Posted May 25, 2012 Truth and reality have a way of getting under peoples skin, or so ive noticed. If cruz and nicks had ryan throwing to them they wouldnt even make the list.Yet, Roddy and Julio made the list with Ryan throwing to them. So, you're saying Eli made Nicks and Cruz better than they really are, that's why if a lesser QB was throwing to them, they wouldn't make the list, hence validating his opinion that Roddy and Julio are a better duo than Nicks and Cruz. Do better at trolling. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mrfahaji Posted May 25, 2012 Share Posted May 25, 2012 If you have julio and roddy to throw too and yet you still need a coach to get your confidence up, there might be a problem. Im just sayin.Confidence is psychological and can be influenced by a range of factors. Even the best athletes and sportsman can have dips in form and belief. Yes, I do think a coach has a responsibility to motivate his players. And if your O-Line had the resistance of a big blancmange you'd probably lack a bit of confidence too, no matter whom you were throwing it to. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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