Will Dolphins star Tyreek Hill evoke memories of Wes Chandler?
A year ago, in his first season with his new teams, Miami Dolphins’ wide receiver Tyreek Hill set personal highs with 170 targets, 119 catches and 1,710 receiving yards. It resulted in a seventh straight Pro Bowl invitation while earning All-Pro accolades for the fourth time.
Quite the impressive start
Hill is at it again, off to an amazing start that could result in a record-breaking campaign. He’s played in all seven of Miami’s games. He’s third in the league with 53 catches, leads the NFL with 902 receiving yards and is tied for the league lead with seven TD receptions. That latter figure equals his 17-game total of 2022.
So, with 98 yards on Sunday against the rival Patriots in South Florida, Hill would reach the 1,000-yard mark. That would be quite an accomplishment, but not unprecedented. Let’s jump in the Delorian and set the year for 1982.
The NFL season would wind up being a nine-game campaign. That’s because there was a players’ strike after two weeks of action that lasted basically two months. When the 28 teams returned to action, they would play out the final six weeks of the NFL schedule and then the league tacked on one more week. A total of 16 teams would reach the “Super Bowl Tournament,” with the top eight teams in each conference advancing.
When it was all said and done, the then-Washington Redskins would rally to beat the Dolphins, 27-17, in Super Bowl XVII at the Rose Bowl at Pasadena. However, no team to bury the lead as there was one remarkable individual performance in that abbreviated season.
Wes is more!
Then-San Diego Chargers wide receiver Wes Chandler would actually wind up playing in only eight games for Don Coryell’s club that season. That would not stop him from leading the NFL with a remarkable 1,032 receiving yards on just 49 catches that year. Chandler caught a league-best nine TD passes that year and averaged an astounding 21.1 yards per grab.
Why bring this up? Because Hill leads the NFL with 902 receiving yards in seven contests this season. The prolific wideout missed practice on Wednesday but says he’ll be ready to go. So, what can be expected on Sunday. He’s totaled 150-plus yards receiving in four of his seven contests, but has also been limited to less than 100 yards in his other three games.
It’s worth noting that his season-low in terms of yards came on a Sunday in Week 2 at New England. Hill finished with 40 yards and one score on five receptions in the club’s 24-17 win. Can the Pats keep the explosive performer under wraps once again?