Fansided

Best quarterback/wide receiver duos in NFL history

By Staff

INDIANAPOLIS - NOVEMBER 16: Peyton Manning No. 18 of the Indianapolis Colts celebrates the touchdown of Marvin Harrison No. 88 for a 30-20 lead over the Houston Texans during the fourth quarter at Lucas Oil Stadium on November 16, 2008 in Indianapolis, Indiana. (Photo by Harry How/Getty Images)
INDIANAPOLIS - NOVEMBER 16: Peyton Manning No. 18 of the Indianapolis Colts celebrates the touchdown of Marvin Harrison No. 88 for a 30-20 lead over the Houston Texans during the fourth quarter at Lucas Oil Stadium on November 16, 2008 in Indianapolis, Indiana. (Photo by Harry How/Getty Images) /
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EAST RUTHERFORD, UNITED STATES: The Saint Louis Rams’ Torry Holt (L) raises his arms in jubilation following the touchdown of running back Trung Canidate (No. 24) as quarterback Kurt Warner (2nd R) and wide receiver Ricky Proehl (R) walk off the field in the third quarter of their game with the New York Jets 21 October 2001 at Giants Stadium in East Rutherford, NJ. The Rams won 34-14. AFP PHOTO/TOM MIHALEK (Photo credit should read TOM MIHALEK/AFP/Getty Images)
EAST RUTHERFORD, UNITED STATES: The Saint Louis Rams’ Torry Holt (L) raises his arms in jubilation following the touchdown of running back Trung Canidate (No. 24) as quarterback Kurt Warner (2nd R) and wide receiver Ricky Proehl (R) walk off the field in the third quarter of their game with the New York Jets 21 October 2001 at Giants Stadium in East Rutherford, NJ. The Rams won 34-14. AFP PHOTO/TOM MIHALEK (Photo credit should read TOM MIHALEK/AFP/Getty Images) /

16. Kurt Warner and Torry Holt

There’s a reason why Kurt Warner went from being an undrafted Arena Football League quarterback from Northern Iowa to being a Super Bowl-winning quarterback in charge of the “Greatest Show on Turf.”

Yeah, for six magical seasons, Warner orchestrated one of the most prolific offenses in NFL history. After a disappointing first season in 1998 when he only played in one game, Warner claimed 1999 as the year of the St. Louis Rams.

He tossed a league-leading 41 touchdowns and completed 65 percent of his passes, which also led the NFL. Warner would finish with 102 touchdowns passes in those six seasons, and one of his favorite targets to sling the rock to was Torry Holt, a 6-foot wide receiver from North Carolina State.

Holt was the sixth-overall pick in the 1999 NFL Draft and answered the high expectations he entered the league with. During the Rams’ Super Bowl season in ’99, Holt caught 52 passes for six touchdowns for 788 receiving yards.

He responded with a breakout performance in year two putting up another six touchdowns with a league-leading 1,635 receiving yards on 82 receptions. Holt and Warner were on the same page, and Warner trusted Holt. That’s why Holt averaged 142 targets in each year they played together.

The only problem was Holt wasn’t the only quality wide receiver on that Rams team. Holt had a counterpart named Issac Bruce who demanded the ball just as much as Holt did, and Warner was forced to share the ball with him.

Marshall Faulk also established himself as legitimate pass-catching threat out of the backfield and not only received a share of the passing pie but also changed the way the game was played.

If it weren’t for Faulk and Bruce, Holt would have ended up with more than the 74 career touchdowns he retired with.

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