Johnson only AFC receiver having big season

Updated: November 5, 2005, 10:05 AM ET

A look at the statistics shows that it's a down year in the AFC for wide receivers.

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By John Clayton
ESPN.com
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Midseason is this week or next -- depending on how you look at it, with the NFL season now 17 weeks long -- and the usual scramble for Pro Bowl honors has started.

Edgerrin James appears to be the MVP and Dwight Freeney appears to be the leading candidate for Defensive Player of the Year. But in reviewing many of the categories, one big void emerges. What's happened to the top wide receivers in the AFC?

Only one of the NFL's top-10 leaders in receiving yards is from the AFC (Chad Johnson).

It's a strange imbalance, and it shows again how quickly the NFC is catching up to the AFC. The AFC has had an advantage over the NFC because it's done a better job of developing quarterbacks through the draft. By no accident, the eight AFC teams with winning records each have established, quality quarterbacks.

The wide-receiver void in the AFC is baffling, though. The Raiders pulled off the biggest steal of the year by getting Randy Moss from the Vikings, but he only ranks third on the Raiders in pass receptions with 25. Moss is Moss, so he's going to make his share of big plays. He's averaging 21.4 yards per catch and has three touchdowns. But his 25 catches doesn't even put him in the top 50 for receptions.

Chad Johnson is standing out as the lone AFC wide receiver having a monster year. He has 48 catches for 717 yards and five touchdowns. Many of the other numbers are unexciting. Derrick Mason of the Ravens is tied for fourth with 44 catches, but his 11.2 yards per catch and one touchdown reception are below league averages. Rod Smith has had a great year in Denver with 42 catches for 559 yards.

The Colts and Patriots have a number of receivers having solid seasons. But Deion Branch (40 catches for 529 yards) and David Givens (38 for 413) of the Patriots and Marvin Harrison (37 for 388) and Reggie Wayne (37 for 437) aren't lighting up the scoreboards. Combined, those four players have just 10 touchdowns.

Fantasy players have probably been noticing all season that the AFC is in a drought and that the fantasy receiving numbers are in the NFC. It can be suggested that the AFC's top tight ends -- Antonio Gates, Tony Gonzalez, Todd Heap, Heath Miller and Erron Kinney -- may be more deserving of midseason Pro Bowl votes at wide receiver than most of the receivers in the AFC.

What's happened to the AFC wide receivers?

One explanation is that the NFC remains the conference filled with more West Coast offenses. West Coast offenses depend on big possession receivers to cross the middle of the field and make the quick turn-in receptions. It's no surprise that Terrell Owens, who has one of the great West Coast offense bodies, is having another huge season this year for the Eagles (47 catches for 763 yards and six touchdowns).

The NFC took what could have been two Pro Bowlers away from the AFC in offseason moves. The Santana Moss-for-Laveranues Coles trade has turned into a bonanza for the Redskins. Santana Moss has had more impact than Randy Moss, with 42 catches, an 18.5-yard average and five touchdown catches for the Redskins. The Plaxico Burress signing has Giants GM Ernie Accorsi among the leaders for NFL executive of the year. Burress has 40 catches for 577 yards and five touchdown catches, but his big body has allowed Manning to look downfield and stretch the field.

The slip in numbers for Wayne and Harrison is understandable. Defenses are dropping seven and eight into coverage and leaving only short, underneath passes for them. While Peyton Manning is moving the chains, they are only getting 10 and 11 yards at a time. Unless defenses turn their focus to stopping Edgerrin James, it's not out of the question for the Colts not to have a 1,000-yard receiver. Last year, they had three.

The AFC has been successful running the ball. James, Willis McGahee, LaDainian Tomlinson, Rudi Johnson and Mike Anderson are all on pace for 1,200-yard seasons, and a few teams (Broncos and Chiefs) are pounding it successfully with two backs. The success some teams have had running the ball has certainly had an impact on receiving stats.

"You look at the backs in the AFC West and you can see why some of the [receiving] numbers are down," Chiefs offensive coordinator Al Saunders said. "The backs are setting up a lot of second-and-5, third-and-2 and third-and-1 situations. In those passing situations, you tend to throw more to the running back or the tight end to get the first down."

More AFC coaches are focusing on the run. Mike Shanahan has taken the air out of Denver's passing offense, trying his best to limit Jake Plummer to 26 or less passes and let Anderson and Tatum Bell wear defenses down with their varied running styles. Ben Roethlisberger rarely gets 20 passing attempts in the Steelers' grounded offenses. Nick Saban's goal in Miami is to give Ronnie Brown and Ricky Williams 15 to 20 rushes per game each to take pressure off the passing game.

It hasn't helped the AFC for former first-round receivers such as Burress and Moss to leave for the NFC just as they were reaching their prime. Wayne is a free agent next year, and the Colts need to keep him.

In the AFC, I guess, it's better to run than receive.

John Clayton is a senior writer for ESPN.com.