Y2K: Dolphins' dynamic duo could dominate Bears' decimated defense
In the 102-year history of the NFL, no player has ever amassed 2,000 receiving yards in one season.
Not Calvin Johnson. Not Julio Jones. Not Cooper Kupp. Not even the greatest of all time - Jerry Rice.
Johnson (1,964) and Kupp (1,947) came tantalizingly close in 2012 and 2021, but they couldn't quite pull off the Herculean feat.
This milestone figures to be achieved one day, especially with the NFL adding a 17th regular-season game in last year.
That day may come at the end of this campaign if Miami's Tyreek Hill continues his torrid play down the stretch. Hill, who already has 961 yards on 69 catches, has abused the Ravens (11 catches, 190 yards, 2 TDs), the Bengals (10-160), the Vikings (12-177) and the Lions (12-188).
Up next for the speed demon out of West Alabama: The decimated defense of the Chicago Bears.
"He's been going crazy," said Bears cornerback Jaylon Johnson, who is looking forward to the challenge. "It's a prime-time matchup. ... Being able to limit him would definitely speak volumes to my game."
The problem for Dolphins opponents is they can't focus solely on Hill because teammate Jaylen Waddle is just as dangerous. Waddle has four 100-yard games and 5 TDs.
Hill enters Week 9 on pace to finish with 2,042 yards, and if the Bears aren't careful he could post some bombastic numbers.
So how do you contain these guys, especially now that defensive captains Robert Quinn and Roquan Smith have been traded?
First, the Bears must take care of the running game. Pretty obvious, right?
But what about on obvious passing downs? Seems to me defensive coordinator Alan Williams ought to bring some serious heat.
Let defensive backs Kyler Gordon and Jaquan Brisker, linebackers Nicholas Morrow and Jack Sanborn, and even safety Eddie Jackson disrupt and destroy the Dolphins' timing.
"You hit it on the head," Williams said when I suggested this tactic Thursday. "The best coverage is a great rush. So we have to make sure the quarterback is not back there just patting the ball and has all day to throw. ... You can't let it be 7 on 7. ...
"You have to make him feel uncomfortable."
It sounds easy, but Tua Tagovailoa has developed into a dangerous pocket passer who can pick apart suspect secondaries. The third-year vet out of Alabama completed 67.8% of his passes in 2021 and is connecting at a 69.9% clip this season.
Thus far, the Bears have done a good job of limiting opponents' top receivers, with only the Vikings' Justin Jefferson (12 catches, 154 yards) doing any serious damage.
Of course, Hill and Waddle are in a completely different stratosphere compared to Washington's Terry McLaurin, Houston's Chris Moore, and New England's DeVante Parker and Jakobi Meyers.
The unique challenge when it comes to both Hill and Waddle is they can take a 2-yard pass and turn it into an 80-yard TD; or they can take a quick slant and race untouched through the secondary; or they can fly by you on the outside.
"When you play off deep, they stop and catch the ball," Johnson said. "Now they're dynamic playmakers after the catch. Then if you scoot up, they try to throw the ball over your head.
"So there's some things you can't control and I feel like we can't control their speed. It just really forces you to play better technique, have better film studies (and) kind of know some tendencies of what they want to do."
Johnson would love to get in the faces of Hill and Waddle. Smacking them at the line might prove to be an effective tactic.
"My bread and butter is getting up and challenging guys," Johnson said. "You don't run as fast when you've got somebody bumping you and touching you down the field. That's what I do best."
He'd better be at his best. The whole defense better be, for that matter.
Or watch out below.
By the numberes
<b>Most receiving yards in one season</b>Player, year Yards
1. Calvin Johnson, 2012 1,964
2. Cooper Kupp, 2021 1,947
3. Julio Jones, 2015 1,871
4. Jerry Rice, 1995 1,848
5. Antonio Brown, 2015 1,834
<b>This year's leaders</b>Player, team Yards
1. Tyreek Hilll, Miami 961
2. Stefon Diggs, Buffalo 764
3. J. Jefferson, Minnesota 752
4. Jaylen Waddle, Miami 727
5. A.J. Brown, Philadelphia 718
Notes:
• Diggs and Jefferson have played 7 games; Hill, Waddle and Brown have played 8
• Hill is on pace for 2,042 yards