Tag Archives: single-season touchdown record

H2H 36: Tony Gonzalez vs. Rob Gronkowski – Who was Better?

Note: Updated in 2023.

Throughout football history, the role of the tight end has evolved from a lumbering extra blocker on the offensive line to a dynamic, multi-faceted weapon with the ability to create mismatches on defense and dominate as a pass-catcher in the red zone while also contributing to the running game.  From the early days of tight ends like Mike Ditka and John Mackey to Ozzie Newsome and Shannon Sharpe, football fans have been witnesses to a tight end revolution over the past couple of decades, with two notable names in Tony Gonzalez and Rob Gronkowski at the vanguard of the “new age” tight end.  With Gronkowski’s recent retirement, a natural debate arises between Gonzalez’s long-term brilliance and Gronkowski’s epic zenith:

Who was better – Tony Gonzalez or Rob Gronkowski?

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H2H 6: Marshall Faulk vs. LaDainian Tomlinson – Who was Better?

Running backs come in all shapes and sizes – big bruisers, shifty speedsters, goal-line specialists, third-down pass-catching backs, etc.  In an era of increasing specialization and running backs by committee, the most coveted backs are still the ones that can play all three downs and represent both a rushing and receiving threat.  Any list of the most dangerous all-purpose backs in NFL history who were equally good at running between the tackles and catching a screen pass in the flat would include Marshall Faulk and LaDainian Tomlinson.  As football fans and fantasy players of the last 20 years will remember, in their prime, Faulk and Tomlinson were elite offensive weapons who racked up yards, catches, and perhaps most importantly, touchdowns at an extraordinary rate, on their way to Hall of Fame careers.  With both players having hung up their cleats and been immortalized in Canton, the question is:

Who was better – Marshall Faulk or LaDainian Tomlinson?

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