By Perry Green and Stephen D. Riley, AFRO Sports Desk
Terrell Owens and Randy Moss both offered different versions of the prototype late-90s wide receiver and they both crushed it. The lanky Moss was nicknamed ‘The Freak’ for his combination of height (6-foot-4-inches) and 40 time (4.25 seconds), but his circus catches made him a legend. Moss’ only rival during his prime was arguably Owens, whose strength and on field tenacity made him a nightmare to defenders. Both receivers were enshrined this weekend into the Hall of Fame and it led to the obvious question: who was the better receiver, Moss or Owens?
Former wide receiver Terrell Owens (l) holds a street sign after a road was named for him following his Pro Football Hall of Fame speech, Saturday, Aug. 4, 2018, in Chattanooga, Tenn.; Former NFL wide receiver Randy Moss poses with a bust of himself during inductions at the Pro Football Hall of Fame, Saturday, Aug. 4, 2018 in Canton, Ohio. (AP Photos/Mark Humphrey and Ron Schwane)
Riley: From 1996 to 2010, there wasn’t a tougher receiver to take down than Owens. The magic happened once Owens caught the ball and Owens had every maneuver to get an opponent off of him from the jukes to the stiff arms. He may have been outcasted from several teams but he was dominant on several teams. He had memorable stints in San Francisco, Philadelphia and Dallas giving each team a dominant campaign that fueled deep playoff runs. Opinions during his playing career swayed but if we knew nothing else about Owens the one thing that was always clear was that he wanted to win and that made Owens a favorite for me over Moss.
Green: From 1998 to 2012, ‘The Freak’ was the premiere wideout in the NFL and it wasn’t that close. Owens was dominant but Moss became the clear prototype for all receivers. The size and speed ratio became must-have factors for many teams when it came to drafting receivers and the acrobatic catches became trademarked as “Mossed” whenever a receiver straight embarrassed a defender. Moss changed the game, literally. He became a idol to amateur receivers and a prototype for scouts. People weren’t looking for the next Owens, they were looking for the next Moss.
Riley: Owens never stood a chance in a popularity contest against Moss but his numbers were dominant. Comparing him to other prime receivers during that stretch was a joke and only Moss could legitimately say he was better. The antics, touchdown celebrations and criticism gave him a bad name to the media but turned him into a favorite with fans. Moss could run like the wind but he couldn’t do what Owens could with the ball in his hands on the run. Moss was the vertical receiver and Owens was the horizontal one. Both scored a lot of touchdowns but preference depends on what brand of football you prefer. Owens’ physicality made him a bull.
Green: One of Moss’ college clips shows him hurdling a defender in the open field before racing 90 yards for a touchdown. He was as much an open field threat as he was a downfield one. Of course you run fly routes for lanky receivers with wide catch radiuses and low 40 times but when the ball went to Moss in the open field, he still had the ability to dominate. There wasn’t a weakness in Moss’ game. Owens was great but Moss was a true ‘Freak’ and that was the separating factor.
