A couple of weeks ago, I looked at the longest team streaks without a 1,000-yard rusher . Today’s post examines the teams that went the longest stretch without boasting a 1,000-yard receiver. I’m only going to look at things starting in 1978 (with one caveat), however, as 1,000-yard seasons were much rarer before then. The Redskins and Cardinals didn’t even have a 1,000-yard receiver until 1962, when Bobby Mitchell and Sonny Randle hit those marks for Washington and St. Louis, respectively.

The Jaguars and Raiders have each gone seven straight seasons without a 1,000-yard receiver. Jimmy Smith, one of the most underrated receivers in NFL history, was the last Jacksonville player to gain 1,000 receiving yards in a season. Fortunately for Jaguars fans, there’s a good chance the streak ends in 2013. Cecil Shorts missed two full games due to injury and finished with 979 receiving yards during his breakout season last year, and should be even better this year. He also could benefit from Justin Blackmon being out for the first four games of this season. As for Oakland, the last receiver … well, see if you can remember who was the last Raider with 1,000 receiving yards in a season. Answer is at the end of this post.

The table below shows all teams since 1978 to go at least seven straight years without a 1,000-yard receiver. The one caveat from above? I’ll include pre-1978 seasons for any team that also failed to produce a 1,000-yard receiver from ’78 to ’84, too.



That Bears streak is incredible. For the thirty-year period starting in 1965, only one Bear — Dick Gordon in 1970 — hit the 1,000-yard mark. More recently, Chicago went nine years between Marty Booker in 2002 and Brandon Marshall last season. The Colts streak also pre-dates 1978, as the franchise spanned two cities and nine years between Roger Carr and Bill Brooks gaining 1,000 receiving yards.

Who was the last Raider to record 1,000 yards in a season?

It’s been a very dark decade in Oakland.