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15 Greatest QB/WR Duos of All Time

By Nicholas Valdez

Aug 8, 2015; Canton, OH, USA; Fred Biletnikoff during the 2015 Pro Football Hall of Fame enshrinement at Tom Benson Hall of Fame Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports
Aug 8, 2015; Canton, OH, USA; Fred Biletnikoff during the 2015 Pro Football Hall of Fame enshrinement at Tom Benson Hall of Fame Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports /
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2013: Fresno State

Derek Carr and Davante Adams

Derek Carr and Davante Adams. Household NFL names now.

Both came from a Central Valley program in California. Fresno State. Home of the Bulldogs. Home of such quarterback-receiver combinations as Jeff Tedford and Henry Ellard, Kevin Sweeney and Stephen Baker, Trent Dilfer and Malcolm Seabron, David Carr and Bernard Berrian–all perhaps worthy of this list.

Fresno State, it seems, has a tradition of QB/WR tandems.

In 2013, Derek Carr and Davante Adams were almost never stopped.

Carr finished the season first in the nation pass completions (454), passing yards (5,083), and passing touchdowns (50), and he was second in pass attempts (659) and eighth in pass completion percentage (68.9).

Carr finished eighth in the Heisman voting, won Mountain West Offensive Player of the Year–for the second straight year–and the Sammy Baugh Trophy.

Adams was his favorite target. Of course he was. It doesn’t take long for him to become a favored target on whatever team he plays for. Ask Aaron Rodgers how much he likes Davante Adams. You’ll get an ear full.

That season, more than one out of every four passes Carr completed went to Adams, and half of Carr’s touchdown passes went to him as well. Adams led the NCAA in receptions (131) and receiving touchdowns (24), and he was second in the nation in receiving yards (1,719).

With that kind of an aerial attack, the Bulldogs went 11-2 and made coach Tim DeRuyter look pretty darn good, even though Carr was inherited from the Pat Hill era.

After beating Utah State, 24-17, in the Mountain West Championship Game, the Bulldogs met up with USC in the Las Vegas Bowl and lost 45-20.

The bowl loss did nothing to stop the Oakland Raiders from stealing Carr in the NFL draft, nor did it keep the Green Bay Packers from scooping up Adams soon after.

Both are highlight makers for their respective NFL teams, and one fine day perhaps they will play together again, and we’ll be able to witness what the people of Fresno saw in 2013–just how unstoppable they can be.

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