Miami Dolphins wide receiver Tyreek Hill expressed his goal to achieve a groundbreaking feat by becoming the first player to amass 2,000 receiving yards in a single season. As the 2023 campaign progressed, Hill demonstrated remarkable progress, staying on course to potentially break the single-season receiving yards record. His impressive combination of yards and touchdowns harkens back to the exceptional performance of Torry Holt and the “Greatest Show on Turf” St. Louis Rams from two decades ago.
In the recent Week 12 matchup against the New York Jets on Black Friday, Hill contributed significantly with nine catches, 102 yards, and a touchdown. This stellar performance elevated his season totals to 88 catches for 1,324 yards and 10 touchdowns. Notably, both his receiving yards and touchdowns lead the NFL, along with an outstanding average of 120.4 receiving yards per game.
The historical context adds to Hill’s achievement, as the last wide receiver to surpass 1,300 receiving yards and 10 receiving touchdowns before December was Torry Holt in 2003, taking him 12 games to reach that milestone. In contrast, Hill achieved this feat in just 11 games.
If Hill maintains his impressive average of 120 yards per game, he is poised to surpass the single-season receiving yards record of 1,964 yards set by Calvin Johnson of the Detroit Lions in 2012, reaching a remarkable 2,046 receiving yards for the season.
Reflecting on Torry Holt’s extraordinary 2003 campaign, where he concluded with 1,696 yards, ranking as the 13th-best season in league history, Hill’s current performance draws comparisons. Holt led the league that year in receptions with 117 and yards per game with 106.0, earning him a well-deserved first-team All-Pro season.
As the Dolphins monitor Hill’s exceptional season, there is a cautionary note about the fate of the 2003 Rams. Despite finishing the regular season with a 12-4 record, tied for the best in the NFL with the Philadelphia Eagles, they faced an unexpected loss in their first playoff game to the Carolina Panthers. The Panthers subsequently made it to the Super Bowl, only to lose to the New England Patriots.
