Can Antonio Brown and Julio Jones Rewrite the Record Books This Season?

In recent years, we've seen passing records demolished, sometimes over and over again, as NFL football has evolved into its most pass-heavy era in history. But because part of that evolution has meant more multi-receiver sets and fewer snaps for fullbacks, we've yet to see this era's wide receivers make major dents in the record books at that position. 

Calvin Johnson set the new single-season receiving yardage record in 2012, but the next four receivers on that list had their big campaigns more than a decade ago. Randy Moss set a new single-season touchdown record with 23 in 2007, but the three other players in NFL history with more than 17 hit those marks at least 20 years ago. And two of the three most prolific seasons in terms of receptions took place prior to 2003. 

But while we're only three weeks into the 2015 season, it's beginning to look as though Julio Jones of the Atlanta Falcons and Antonio Brown of the Pittsburgh Steelers could both have chances to assault the single-season receiving record books this year. 

Dilip Vishwanat/Getty Images

Three games in, Jones has a league-high 34 receptions, a league-high 440 yards and four touchdowns, while Brown ranks third with 29 catches, is second to only Jones with 436 yards and has also scored twice. 

They're two of only four receivers with over 25 catches, and both are more than 85 yards clear of the league's No. 3 yardage guy, Steve Smith. 

Hot starts happen, and we'd be crazy to start extrapolating in extreme fashion by telling you that Jones is on pace to shatter the single-season records for receptions and yards while Brown is nearly on the same yardage pace, but in modern NFL history only three wideouts have started stronger. 

Receiver	Year	Yards
1. Wes Welker	2011	458
2. Jerry Rice	1989	449
3. Chad Johnson	2007	442
4. Julio Jones	2015	440
5. Antonio Brown	2015	436
6. Harold Jackson	1972	430
7. Marvin Harrison	1999	422

And just for fun, here's what the all-time catches and yards record books would look like if Jones and Brown were to continue on these paces: 

Rank	Receptions	Receiving yards
1st	Julio Jones (181)	Julio Jones (2346)
2nd	Antonio Brown (155)	Antonio Brown (2325)
3rd	Marvin Harrison (143)	Calvin Johnson (1964)
4th	Antonio Brown (129)	Jerry Rice (1848)
5th	Herman Moore (123)	Isaac Bruce (1781)

That 129-catch 2014 campaign is important to note for Brown, because it establishes that this isn't a flash in a pan. The man already has the second most-prolific season in NFL history in terms of receptions, and his 2014 yardage total of 1,698 also ranks sixth all-time. And at the age of 27, he should only be getting better. 

Same applies to Jones, who is 26 and coming off a season in which he put up 1,593 yards (the 21st-highest total in NFL history) despite the fact he missed a game and parts of another due to foot and hip injuries.

He's healthy now, though, and so is Brown. And considering how damn consistent both of them are, there's no counting either out. 

Jones had 50-plus yards in all 15 games he played in last season and has surpassed the 50-yard mark in 27 consecutive games dating back to 2012. Meanwhile, Brown has now registered at least five catches and 50 yards in a ridiculous 35 straight games dating back to the opening week of the 2013 season. 

But of course, they can also explode. Jones, Brown and Odell Beckham Jr. of the New York Giants are the only three receivers in the game with more than three 130-yard performances since the start of last season. 

Rank	50-yard games	130-yard games
1st	Antonio Brown (19)	Odell Beckham (7)
2nd	Julio Jones (18)	Julio Jones (6)
3rd	Emmanuel Sanders (17)	Antonio Brown (5)
4th	Demaryius Thomas (16)	8 players tied (3)

That isn't to say this will be easy, because both face major questions entering October. 

For Jones, we have to see if he'll be capable of holding up. He missed a game last year, 11 in 2013 and has played only one complete season in his five-year career. He's a lot more physical than your typical home run-hitting receiver, and he has already taken plenty of big shots early this season. 

And Brown will have to try to remain on pace without quarterback Ben Roethlisberger, who was the NFL's third highest-rated passer last season but is out four to six weeks with a knee injury. It's tough to tell whether backup Michael Vick will have a good rapport with Brown, but the uncertainty exists because the two have never played together and 408 of Brown's 419 career receptions (97 percent) have come on passes thrown by Roethlisberger. 

It's been three years since Brown has caught a pass from a quarterback not named Roethlisberger, and now he'll be forced to play without Big Ben for at least a month. 

But considering how much they've done this season and in years past, as well as the fact they play for teams with frequently maligned defenses that have given up plenty of points the last couple of years, it's fair to wonder if this may indeed be an extra special season for Jones, Brown, or both of them.

Brad Gagnon has covered the NFL for Bleacher Report since 2012.

Follow @Brad_Gagnon