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- Chris Russo is making headlines for his latest QB-TE rankings
- Mad Dog is taking heat for ranking Tom Brady and Gronk 5th all-time
- The rest of his list is filled with players from the 60s and 70s
There is such a thing as recency bias. We see it all the time in sports. When folks debate the top athletes or teams of all-time, fans often remember the last thing they saw.
But in Chris “Mad Dog” Russo’s case, he seems to do the opposite.
In his latest episode of First Take, the host was asked to give his top five all-time QB-TE duos. This, of course, coming after the announced retirement of star pass catcher Rob Gronkowski.
Gronk, who teamed up with Tom Brady throughout his career, was one of the scariest receivers on the planet. The Brady-Gronk tag team connected for the most scores in playoff history (15), and they hooked up for touchdowns more than 100 times over their careers.
The two finished second all-time in touchdown connections, trailing only Peyton Manning and Marvin Harrison.
Both Brady and Gronkowski are arguably the greatest to ever play their position, yet Chris Russo ranks them fifth among all-time QB-TE combos.
And if that wasn’t enough, his top four have everyone scratching their heads.
Chris Russo unveils his top QB-TE rankings
Here is Mad Dog Russo's list of the top QB-TE duos ever. He's not even trying anymore. pic.twitter.com/hTbXBwCV3g
— Funhouse (@BackAftaThis) June 22, 2022
Chris Russo is being blasted for his ridiculous QB-TE rankings. The No. 5 ranking of Brady and Gronk was already criminal, but the rest of his list equally as awful.
It’s filled with guys who haven’t played the game in 40 years. Much before the passing era really took off. Just looking at the No. 4 ranking disqualifies this list.
Bart Starr and Ron Kramer had four seasons where they didn’t connect for a single score. They played together seven years.
We know folks are often slow to accept the newer generation but come on. If Russo’s goal was to get folks talking then it worked.
Social media in an uproar over Russo’s awful take
Fans were quick to take Chris Russo to the woodshed for his awful rankings. Take a look at the immediate reaction.
That's a $10K list right there
— Chris Lopresti (@CLoprestiWFAN) June 22, 2022
This is absolutely the funniest thing I have ever seen. It cannot be real. https://t.co/mgnZKOId6Q
— Stephen Douglas (@Stephen_Douglas) June 22, 2022
Your dad just read this list and nodded his head knowingly. These names are the golden age of NFL Films. https://t.co/SkEhE44OTc
— Hank Greening (@hankgreening) June 22, 2022
absolute perfection. laughed out loud just reading the graphic. this production meeting must have been funnier than snl. they had to be dying. https://t.co/nbtcCQTxaR
— Joshua Brisco (@jbbrisco) June 22, 2022
Dog is committed to the bit. https://t.co/2EIok8HRkw
— Conor Gillis (@conor_gillis) June 22, 2022
Big yikes.