Top QB/RB/WR Tandems

So...Tom Brady retired again.  He says it's "for real" this time, but he said that last year too, when his retirement lasted all of six weeks!  Sorry, but I don't want to see another Brett Favre situation emerging here.  Let's not have the "will he or won't he" every offseason.  Hopefully Brady means it when he says it's "for real" this time.  I'll believe it when I see it, though.

Anyway, Brady's "permanent" retirement actually works well into the blog I was already planning on doing today.  It was inspired by something I saw on Facebook the other day asking who the best quarterback/running back/wide receiver combo in NFL history is.  It's an interesting question that's obviously incredibly subjective and doesn't have one "right" answer.  Especially because there are plenty of franchises that have their quarterback, running back and wide receiver from the same era enshrined in Canton.  It shouldn't come as a surprise, then, that those teams either won or reached multiple Super Bowls during that span.

Some teams were spoiled in that they had multiple Hall of Fame receivers to go along with the Hall of Fame QB and running back.  There are also teams that had two of the three, and others, like Brady's Patriots, who continued to win with a continually changing cast.  All of which means coming up with a list of the top 10 QB/RB/WR trios gets a little tricky once you get past the easy ones with three Hall of Famers.

I'm also limiting the list to the Super Bowl Era.  Football wasn't really a passing game in the early years, so aren't many candidates from before then to begin with.  Although, the Cleveland Browns' dynasty from 1946-55 would certainly fit the bill.  They aren't on here, though.  Because this list begins with the 1966 season.  So, with that, here we go...

10. 2000s Patriots (Tom Brady/James White/Julian Edelman): One of the remarkable things about the Patriots dynasty is that Brady was the only real constant on offense.  White and Edelman were with him the longest, though, so they get the distinction of the No. 10 spot.  Edelman may end up joining Brady in Canton one day, but that's by no means a guarantee.  White almost certainly will not.  But it wouldn't have felt right to keep the Patriots off this list entirely.

9. 1990s Broncos (John Elway/Terrell Davis/Rod Smith): Every other team on this list has at least two players who are already in the Hall of Fame.  The Broncos teams that won back-to-back Super Bowls had one of the greatest quarterbacks of all-time in Elway and a running back in Davis who was enshrined in Canton despite a brief career.  Rod Smith was the No. 1 receiver on those Denver teams and nearly as good as his Hall of Fame teammates.

8. 2000s Steelers (Ben Roethlisberger/Jerome Bettis/Hines Ward): Technically, only one of these three Steelers is in the Hall of Fame, but we all know Ben Roethlisberger will be there as soon as he's eligible.  Pittsburgh, incredibly, only won the one Super Bowl with Roethlisberger, Bettis and Ward.  Ward was the MVP of that game, which was the last of Bettis' career.  He and Roethlisberger won another three years later.

7. 1970s Dolphins (Bob Griese/Larry Csonka/Paul Warfield): While the Dolphins of the 70s were known mainly for their defense, they did have a Hall of Fame trio in Griese, Csonka and Warfield.  They were still a little run-heavy, with Jim Kiick and Mercury Morris, but they were one of the first with all-time greats at all three offensive skill positions.

6. 1980s 49ers (Joe Montana/Roger Craig/Jerry Rice): Joe Montana is on the short list of the greatest quarterbacks of all-time and Jerry Rice is the greatest wide receiver of all-time.  So why do I have the 1980s 49ers only at No. 6?  Because Roger Craig isn't (although, I've long said he should be and still think he eventually will be).  Craig was Marshall Faulk before Marshall Faulk.  Let's not forget, these 49er teams also had John Taylor.  They were really good!

5. 1990s Bills (Jim Kelly/Thurman Thomas/Andre Reed): The only trio on this list who never won a Super Bowl, but they went to four in a row, so I think we can let that slide.  They've also all have busts in Canton, which is something they have in common with all of the teams above them on this list.  Buffalo's K-Gun offense is nowhere near what it was without Kelly, Thomas and Reed, and the Bills certainly don't go to four straight Super Bowls without them.

4. 1990s Cowboys (Troy Aikman/Emmitt Smith/Michael Irvin): There are probably a lot of people who'd put The Triplets at No. 1.  And I wouldn't argue with them if they did.  After all, the Aikman/Emmitt/Irvin Cowboys who won three out of four Super Bowls in the mid-90s are usually the first team people think of when coming up with a list like this.  So, any of the top four spots would be OK with me.

3. 1970s Steelers (Terry Bradshaw/Franco Harris/Lynn Swann): Why do I have the 70s Steelers ranked ahead of the 90s Cowboys?  Because of John Stallworth!  So, Bradshaw was handing off to a Hall of Fame running back while throwing to not one, but two Hall of Fame wide receivers!  They were the first team to really utilize both the running and passing game equally.

2. 2000s Rams (Kurt Warner/Marshall Faulk/Isaac Bruce): They were called the "Greatest Show On Turf," and there was a good reason why.  Seriously, how much fun to watch were those Rams teams of the early 2000s?!  I still contend that Marshall Faulk is the greatest dual-threat running back in NFL history, we all know Kurt Warner's story, and it took much longer than it should have for Isaac Bruce to also take his rightful place in the Hall of Fame.  Hopefully, Torry Holt will join them in Canton soon. 

1. 2000s Colts (Peyton Manning/Edgerrin James/Marvin Harrison): Talk about an offense that was fun to watch!  I give you the Peyton Manning-led Indianapolis Colts.  Manning to Harrison was the most successful QB-receiver connection in NFL history.  They hold the records for most receptions, yards and TDs.  Then, when the Colts wanted to mix it up with the run game, they threw Edgerrin James at you.  (Fun fact: James was no longer on the team when Indianapolis won Super Bowl XLI.)  The reason why they get the No. 1 spot, though, is because of Reggie Wayne, the greatest No. 2 receiver in NFL history who'll hopefully be announced as a member of the Pro Football Hall of Fame Class of 2023 next week.  This wasn't a trio.  It was a foursome.