The Great Unknowns: Cris Carter and Homer Jones

In starting this project we wanted to compare and contrast two of the most under estimated and unknown wide receivers in NFL history. The two receivers in question are Homer Jones and Cris Carter. Both of them had great careers and ranked very high in many categories thought to be important in a wide receiver.

Although Homer Jones was the slightly better wide receiver ranking in the top ten in multiple categories such as yards per game and touchdowns per game. Cris Carter had a very prestigious ranking very high as well ranking in the top 20 in multiple categories such as yards per game and touchdowns per game as well.

Our group thought they would be a good comparison to use calculus to compare their respective careers. We began by comparing there ranks in categories in passing, rushing, and total overall performance. With each of those being broke down into categories ranging from yards per game, touchdowns per game, and yards per attempt. We put the data into x and y components so we could represent the differences in a graphical image.

The X axis served as the different categories they were being compared in. The Y axis served the purpose of their rank in the categories out of the total 33 players in the data. Explaining the concept isn’t very easy. The category served as the X component of the ordered pair and the Y being the rank in the given category.

For example, Homer Jones ranked third in receiving yards per reception. Therefore, the receiving yards per reception is the X axis represented as three and the rank being three as well so the ordered pair would be (3,3). This worked to an extent but we wanted the graph to represent graphical as more area meant a better wide receiver. So we inverted the rank of the Y axis. For example, ranked first in any category would result in a 33 for the Y axis that way the graph shows a greater area.

With this method we were able to show that Homer Jones was the better wide receiver because his graph had the larger area. Although Cris Carter was a good wide receiver in his own right the point of the project was to compare and contrast the two wide receivers and in this particularly case Homer Jones made a touchdown.

This project was completed by Joe, Ilean, Aldo, ROBERT.

All of us are college students and Bleacher Creatures.

All comments welcome.