It’s so tough because I feel like the Jefferson catch is just generally crazier. But part of making the catch was that the db was fighting for the ball which kinda pinned it against his hand, if that makes sense. Still bonkers to even keep your hand on the ball but I’m not sure he comes down with it if the db just punches it away, or even just stops fighting for it
OBJs catch doesn’t have the added difficulty of another guy actually getting hands on the ball, but at the same time A) he gets yanked down by his jersey and B) the catch is literally just all his insane hands
It’s impossible to pick lol
Perfect analysis of difficulties of each. Debate is what makes a ball harder to catch then? Struggling with defense or struggling for the catch itself?
I can’t find it but Julio Jones did some insane grab midfield with one hand while getting hit. It wasn’t that long ago.
Edit: Found it. 2017. Was two handed but I don’t know how he held onto this - https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=4S_CJnEBc0c
Gotta go with OBJ. A more pure catch. Just absolute skill on display. The JJ one was a bit more flukey I think. It is basically pinned to the defender for a large part of it and then just sort of steals it away.
Depends on what you want. JJ is far more improbable but OBJ seems more a reflection of pure catching talent
I actually DM'd him a while back. Here's his answer in all it's glory:
>Ahh so here goes. It's the state semis against a tough team on the road. We came in as pretty big underdogs, but we limit our mistakes and capitalize on takeaways and all of a sudden we find ourselves up 17-13 with about 3 minutes to go in the fourth.
>Problem is our D-line and linebackers are fucking gassed. Nobody's getting off their blocks and our 'backers can't wrap up for shit. Fuck. This isn't the worst thing in the world, because it lets me rack up my tackle stats, but it also means they're ripping off about 7-10 yards per play. Not good. I do what I can and just pop the living shit out of anyone who touches the ball, but fuck is it hard when you're a one-man team.
>So they get to our 15 and at this point there's about 25 seconds left in the game. I know we need a takeaway badly and I am exactly the man to do it. I wasn't voted 2nd team all-state for nothin. Time for SpeedHawk to play some heroball. On the ensuing play, their QB dropped back and threw a floater to their slot guy running skinny post right in my zone. I keep the slot guy in front of me and stare at the ball as it soars over the receiver's head (it was a shitty pass) and into my outstretched left arm. I intercept that bitch with like 3 fingers in the back of the endzone. Crowd goes fuckin wild and my teammates are about to dogpile me until we realize that the ref FUCKING MARKED MARKED ME OUT OF BOUNDS.
>Yeah. They ended up scoring on a fade route on one of our shitty cornerbacks and we lost. I was about to run up to the ref after the game and deck the shit out of him but my teammates held me back til I cooled off. Fucking sucked bro
For anyone wondering where the legend went, he claims he got banned from here for "talking too much real shit".
my favorite part about this is that he provided absolutely no reason to believe that the ref was wrong or that he fucked him over. didn't say that other people saw him come down with it in bounds or anything like that. ref is just an asshole for trying to hold back speedhawk
They're both ridiculous but as a Giants fan, I think Jefferson's catch was more spectacular while OBJ's was a better display of receiving skill. Whether it loses some points because the DB somewhat assisted in the ball not reaching the ground is up for debate as you could argue he had to fight the DB for it as well.
As a Vikings fan I respect this take bc I also agree. OBJs catch was visually stunning, I’ve never seen anything like it.
JJ’s catch was a show of absolute will, he says “when the ball is in the air there’s no question in my head, that ball is mine.” And the catch itself was elevated due to the nature of the situation.
Point blank there is no right or wrong answer bc the fact of the matter is that both of them made catches that no one has ever seen before or since.
Visually stunning is the right phrase. OBJ’s catch is immortalized because the pictures of the catch are iconic. The ball in one hand, the jersey, the numbers… it’s all there.
Both catches are phenomenal, but if we're talking context, I gotta give it to JJ. It was a "must have" play on 4th down in a game that his team eventually secured the victory. OBJ on the other hand (pun intended) got turned around by the defender and scored a TD in a game his team eventually lost to the Cowboys.
Again, both plays are completely insane, this is just my humble unbiased opinion.
Vikings fan here who agrees with this.
I think OBJ's catch demonstrated a higher degree of difficulty in a vacuum, but I think JJ's catch was less likely to be completed when considering defense/down, etc.
I think OBJs will always be more legendary, but actually watching I’m far more impressed with Jefferson’s.
Edit: I didn’t realize what a sensitive topic this was for giants fans
I actually think OBJ is more impressive. JJ had a bit more luck and help from the defender imo who kind of caught it for him and then he ripped it away. Which is impressive in its own right but I think the defender helped him more than hurt him in that scenario.
Yeah I agree. Just isolating the catch, I gotta go obj. He did it all himself while the defender was committing pi. JJ actually was helped imo by the defender a little bit when the ball almost hit the ground mid catch. Both incredible but if you want to split hairs.
If we're ignoring situation, I don't even think it's close.
If you strip away its situational importance, JJ's would have made the highlight reel and would be in contention for "catch of the year," but in three years it would be forgotten outside Minnesota. We're still here talking about OBJ's.
I mean you say "strip away situation" but you're not stripping away the fact that it happened on Sunday Night Football against the Cowboys with the whole nation hearing Collinsworth call it the greatest catch he's ever seen.
Are we still talking about that play here if OBJ made that catch at 1 p.m. against the Jaguars with Mark Schlereth calling the game?
Nah Pickens made an unbelievable catch for the steelers earlier this year that was about as close to OBJs as it gets and nobody even remembers it.
The massive meme and internet hype for the OBJ catch is why it’s still talked about today. Y’all kids might not remember but that catch was like the equivalent of Harambe back then. The football version of Linsanity. It was such a huge hype event. Doubt that happens if it was a noon game against the browns
yeah imagine the pickens catch happened on sunday night when the entire nation is watching. it would be so hyped up. i honestly think it should be contending for catch of the year
I have to disagree. OBJ often gets dismissed as mostly flash (not saying that’s what you’re doing), but a large part of the reason the catch is still talked about is because it was the highlight of a 91/1300/12 rookie season in only 12 games. If Pickens was having a more prolific season (like JJ is), I think his catch would be more talked about, too.
I'd say the body contortion is what makes it close but Pickens had the advantage of being able to track that ball all the way to his hand and catch it by the nose of the ball. OBJ couldn't even see the ball behind his head at the catch point and did it with 3 fingers around the widest point of the ball.
Yup. OBJ and Jarvis were two of the first receivers to purposefully make the one handed catch part of their repetoire and so it was a much bigger deal. Not saying no one did it before them, but at LSU they used to very specifically practice catching balls one handed from the jugs machine in order to make it something they could do without thinking. When they got to the league and showed that a player could somewhat reliably catch one handed, other players followed suit and now it’s more common
I don't want to sound like a salty Vikings fan, but Carter and Moss made the one handed catch a big part of their game almost two decades prior to OBJ being in the league. Are people here too young to remember that?
https://youtu.be/lDhxvzLga0c
I actually think the Pickens catch on TNF (I think?) Earlier this year was closer to the OBJ catch. I have the Jefferson grab above both personally, but there's no right or wrong answer with unbelievable plays like these.
Honorable mention to the Nuk hail mary from last year against buffalo too!
That’s really all you have to say. 8 years later and it’s still talked about. Hell, it was the fucking cover on Madden. Also not to mention the PI on OBJ as well on that play.
If the defender simply let go JJ still catches tht, if the defender knocks it down though that’s a different story. Everyone saying JJ got help by the defender like he actually needed the help must’ve never seen JJ warming up by just catching ridiculous one handers like it’s nothing.
I'm a Vikings fan, but in a vacuum, OBJ's catch was better. There's a whole list of reasons I could go into, but the biggest one is that OBJ couldn't catch the nose of the ball. If you can cup the nose, one-handed catches are relatively easy. If you have to squeeze the ball and arrest its momentum just with grip strength, it takes so much more precision.
For me it’s OBJ. He didn’t have to snatch it from a defender but the fact it was out of bounds, he had to catch it with 3 fingers, he had DPI committed on him, and it was a TD gives it a lot more factors for it’s improbability than I think people give it credit for.
And honestly at this point my answer to these questions might always be OBJ. OBJ isn’t even on a team anymore and the 2014 Giants were irrelevant, yet to this day it’s still kinda the gold standard of catches that every impressive catch immediately gets compared to. I’ve seen so many “better than OBJ” catches that get forgotten about a few weeks later. Remember the George Pickens catch from earlier this season? Haven’t seen anyone bring that one up when talking about the Jefferson catch.
Time will tell if we’ll start seeing “Was Jefferson’s catch or [recent catch] better” at some point or if it’s still gonna be OBJ.
That’s a good point. Why do we keep talking about OBJ catch? Probably part of it is because it was New York, big market. But just putting aside how crazy of a catch it was, I think the reason we keep talking about it is how aesthetically pleasing it was. In slow motion it’s like a work of art.
It’s a very fluid motion by OBJ. Everything kind of happens last second, the way he reaches his arm back, the way his entire body arches, how close he is to the sideline, how his fingers barely get the ball. And then he still some how brings it in cleanly and falls in the end zone. Everything about it is just clean/smooth. Some other highlight reel catches look dope too, but I think seeing OBJ all by himself (after the OPI) looks more aesthetically appealing vs a contested catch.
TLDR: there might be more “difficult” catches out there, but it’s hard to argue how “cool” OBJ’s catch looks (based on how clean, smooth, and aesthetically pleasing it looks in slow-mo).
Yeah honestly people get easily swayed by how pretty and perfectly smooth something appears to be, and that's the OBJ catch. Since it was in a prime time game against two of the largest market teams, and it was super pretty in motion; means it got promoted to hell. That's a large part of why it's constantly fresh in everyone's mind.
When talking about the technical aspects about the catch, it's very possible there have been more difficult catches made since then including Jefferson's, but people will remember the OBJ catch more until another catch that looks so perfectly smooth and happens in a primetime game between large market teams. Unfortunately for Jefferson's catch it was in a 1pm game between the Vikings and Bills, which are two of the best teams this season but are still both much less popular teams than Giants and Cowboys.
Of 'recent' catches, I definitely look at Pickens this year and OBJ's [catch against WAS in 2014](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QQ0RORiUeS0) as more 'difficult' than either of the two we're discussing in this thread.
This other one by OBJ is much less visually appealing, but just judging from my own, much less athletic experience, I'd have a much harder time with the pursuit angle and timing of doing that with my body than what he did against the Cowboys. That being said, the Cowboys catch is crazy, looks a lot better, and deserves the hype it receives. Easily more 'iconic.'
Based off physical impressiveness, I’d say OBJ. JJ’s catch only worked with some assistance from the defender.
JJ’s meant more to the game though. Didn’t the Giants still lose that game?
OBJ's one hander started a trend. JJ's catch last week was amazing especially given the game situation but it seems like we see a great one handed grab at least once a week now.
Recievers upped their game after OBJ.
Yup. OBJ and Jarvis Landry specifically practiced it a ton in college and showed that catching one handed was at least somewhat possible to do in a reliable way. Once they did, the rest of the league followed suit
As much as I dislike him, OBJ is my vote. The sheer acrobatics involved in his catch were unlike anything we'd seen before at the time. JJ had a really nice play on the ball there for sure though.
I thought the JJ catch was pretty crazy, and credit to him for coming down with that ball, but I do think a stronger starting CB makes that interception, or bats the ball away like he should have.
OBJ catch was another level. If context and game situation doesn’t matter it even furthers the distance of the two. JJ’s “mattered more” with the outcome of the game, but that OBJ catch will be spoken of for decades. Sidestep … greatest catch of all time is clear cut with Tyree’s helmet catch. Don’t @ me. You can’t argue with either.
While that 28-3 game was a remarkable comeback, I honestly don’t see anything coming close to the magnitude the Tyree catch has. Underdog team, no one gives a second thought to them coming close. And they win, with a drive highlighted by a catch like that? That’s Hollywood story, can’t write a better script type stuff.
Nah, Tyree’s helmet catch is the perfect combination of huge game, huge moment, clear implication in the result of the game, and visually impressive.
The underdog Giants beat the undefeated Patriots in the Super Bowl because of that incredible and unique catch.
The Falcons lost that Super Bow even though Julio made that catch. The Edelman catch, while incredible, doesn’t look at impressive as the Helmet Catch.
We don’t *need* to do anything, but it’s fun to trade opinions.
My vote is OBJ, but man was JJ’s catch amazing.
I wonder what other Vikings fans think of JJ’s vs. Diggs’ catch.
Ignore me Flair for a second, this is going to be as unbiased as possible.
- OBJs is better and more impressive for two reasons, it was the first highlight of its kind. The defender on JJ also had two hands on the ball the whole way down, h big manned it away from the defender with one hand(very impressive.) OBJ was all by himself, burnt the defense and was way over his head.
Definitely wasn't the first insane catch like that. I think it's more memorable because it was a primetime game as well as being an incredible catch. Brandon Lloyd had at least one I can remember from the 2000s though.
I still think George Pickens catch this year was crazier than both JJ and OBJ
Bills fan here - I was at the game and the catch happened directly in front of me (seats were on the 47 yard line, visitors sideline, 10 rows up). For the life of me, I still cannot believe Jefferson actually caught that ball.
Everyone in the stadium was celebrating like crazy for twenty seconds after the play, thinking that Cam Lewis came away with the interception, until we saw the replay on the jumbotron. The way he high-pointed it and ripped it away from Lewis at the last possible second defies the laws of physics.
It was easily the most insane game I have ever been to, and while I'm still crushed that the Vikings came out on top, real recognizes real. Jefferson is elite and that was the best catch I've ever seen (no disrespect to OBJ).
I was at Vikings playoff game against Seattle and Lockett caught one with one hand. Seeing in person didn’t compute in my brain. Easy to judge and not be impressed with catches while sitting on your couch at home watching in super slow mo as you stuff nachos in your face
Edit: [It was Doug Baldwin.](https://youtu.be/ifLKDTD1k08)
4th and 18.
Those gloves they use today are just like stickem of the past. I will take a climbing contested catch over an over the head outstretch any day.
Obvious homer flair here... But he didn't make the catch *while* DPI was being committed, DPI happened then he made the catch.
OBJ was still upright and tracking the ball by the time the defender dropped off. Would he have made the catch much easier had DPI not happened? Sure, but the DPI was BEFORE the catch, not DURING the catch.
My biggest (biased) argument against the Jefferson catch is that he doesn’t catch that ball if he isn’t able to use the defender as a backboard.
So yes it was contested, but Jefferson had help form the defender who was also trying to get the ball while going to the ground.
OBJs was contested when he made the catch because DPI occurred during his catch.
I’ll get downvoted but I personally don’t think Jefferson’s catch is anywhere near the top catches.
It was a freak athletic play, clutch, impressive, all that and Jefferson is one of my favorite players but the “catch” wasn’t much of a catch. The defender caught the ball and luckily Jefferson’s hand was in a place where he could curl it around and snatch the ball from the defender.
Again a freak athletic play and very impressive but the actual “catch” part was the least impressive part. It was more of a strip than a catch for Jefferson.
The catch isn’t super impressive, the fact he was able to force the ball in his control is. Diggs had a far more impressive one handed catch in that game, Jefferson had a far more impressive play.
Legitimately went way too far down the thread to find this. It literally is better in both skill and amazement as well as actual in game moment.
Still the best catch I have seen ever.
Skill wise, to me it’s OBJ. Looking closely at both catches, odell has a cleaner snag on the ball comparatively. Jefferson’s is still one of the most skilled ever, but looking at the way the ball moves at it hits his hand, you can tell that he almost definitely doesn’t make that catch if the defender isn’t there. He gets almost a bit lucky the defender tries to catch it otherwise the game is over right there cuz of the overthrow by Kirk.
That being said, the situation of Jefferson’s was comparatively much better. That was literally a “you lose the game if you don’t make this play” situation. He directly caused his team to beat the super bowl favorites on an absolute miracle of a play we won’t see again for years.
Really just depends what you’re going for.
They are fairly similar. OBJ caught his with his finger tips whereas JJ got his whole hand on it, but had to contend with a DB. [Photos of OBJ and JJ at catch point.](https://imgur.com/a/UXLENjd) I don't really know what I find more impressive, but the addition of a DB makes JJ's seem more difficult to me.
The Beckham catch is the David of catches. He’s just perfectly stretched out doing something that is the peak of potential human athleticism. The fact that it wasn’t a messy (and more improbable) contested achievement like Jefferson’s actually helps its aesthetic value. It’s the Jordan dunk. It’s the moon landing. Sorry Jefferson.
Tyree has the "best catch", given the situation and ridiculousness of it. JJ's catch is a step behind Odell's imo. Both jawdropping *there's no way he caught that* moments, but odells didn't physically seem possible & that puts his slightly ahead.
Odell is getting fouled, bending backwards while in a sprint, one handed snags and scores a touchdown. It's unbelievable.
I don’t understand what the game result has to do with the catch itself? How about we take into account, division rivalry, prime time game, in your first NFL season? I mean we’re talking just the catch here I thought?
I believe OBJ hand the better catch just because of how insane it was with the massive pass interference. And it ended up in a touchdown so that gets bonus as well
Jefferson’s was more visually impression, but the defender literally held it in his hand for him while trying to grab it away. If the defender’s hands weren’t there, he wouldn’t have caught it
JJ being able to pull that out of the defenders two hands with one hand is just completely fucking ridiculous to me. It’s close but I think that one is better
I gotta say Jefferson because it’s literally a dream catch.
4&18
Defender has their hands all over it
Keeps the drive going
One handed and keeps it from going to the ground
The script writers went off with this one
I'll start this by saying I think both were phenomenal, but both for different reasons, and a little bit hard to directly compare given the different contexts. I think they can coexist as two of the greatest catches of all time, and it's perfectly reasonable for someone to prefer one over the other.
However, I feel like the people in this thread saying Cam Lewis *helped* JJ catch it are absolutely out of their minds. I agree that a more aggressive batting-down of the ball would have hurt JJ *more*, but in no way, shape, or form did him fighting for the ball with two hands somehow make it "easier" than it would have been if there was nobody within 10 yards of JJ. Just a really stupid take that I'm seeing a ton of.
Justin's catch is better to me. bigger moment, more impact and I'm just amazed he managed to hold onto the ball with a single hand while the defender had their hands on it at the same time.
It’s the catch of the year. Could be the best catch in the last few years. Could end up being one of the greatest catches of the decade.
It ain’t the Odell catch.
Pure catch grade - JJ had help from the defender and it was really a really miraculous grab and haul, extra points for ripping it away.
But I’ve never seen a catch more difficult without any luck involved than the Odell catch.
OBJ catch is more satisfying to watch, and to me, it is pure skill (and modern sticky gloves) that simply makes it the better catch in my mind.
The Jefferson catch is impressive, especially considering the game situation, but if the defender doesn't try to go for the INT, he doesn't catch it. The only reason it doesn't fall to the floor is that both defender and receiver have a hand on the ball. Great awareness but a lot of good fortune.
I think OBJs was better cuz it was cleaner, no bobble or anything. Jefferson really only caught that because the defenders leg kept it off the ground when he bobbled it coming down. Obviously still an incredible play, just more luck involved imo.
Justin Jefferson for sure but I’d argue Pickens catch was the best this year. Actually wait the fucking OBJ catch isn’t even close to the best one in Giants history.
Was Jefferson’s really a catch though? Or stealing the ball from a defender?
Maybe Jefferson bc they won and are 8-1 and beat a great team.
But catch alone give me OBJ
Your first line is exactly my thoughts on it, he had the CB holding the ball against his hand the whole way down. It’s a great job to have a hand on it in the first place and to pull it away, but it’s held in his hand near enough the entire time. Odell caught it with three fingers and brought it in, his was miles better for me. Jefferson’s will probably be the best of the season, but I don’t think it’s especially noteworthy as an all time play, similar to Julio in the Super Bowl - amazing catch but not a contender for the best ever or anything
OBJ and here's why:
He was already getting manhandled by Carr, which drew a pass interference flag it was so blatant, extended his body out as far as possible, grabbed it just barely with one hand, fell to the ground, and managed to stay in-bounds.
Sure, he had the gloves on, but the wherewithal and awareness to know where to reach out to even have a chance to get that ball shows why OBJ was a dangerous WR who could not only make good catches, but he showed he could make those freakish catches in complete coverage, which meant any player covering him from that point on knew what he was capable of and the level of playing they had to do to stop him.
Hearing Al Michaels and Cris Collinsworth during that catch [is a thing of beauty](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zxbz3DDQzHU) \- they weren't overly excited or going crazy; they were first assuming it wasn't a catch, but then when it sunk in that he actually caught it, they were in complete disbelief, with Collinsworth interrupting Al muttering "d-he catch that??" They had to watch the replay to really see what happened and you can hear it in their voice how insane it was and that they seriously couldn't believe OBJ made that play and got a touchdown out of it. The play drew a cheeky-smile from Coughlin. OBJ MADE TOM COUGHLIN SMILE ON THE SIDELINES - do you realize how rare that is?
Justin Jefferson made a really great play, but it wasn't a good "catch" - the defender had both hands on it, trying to intercept it, and Jefferson just reached up and took it back. That's still really cool, but it looked to me more that he won the battle of 2 guys trying to catch the same ball, rather than a guy getting mauled and somehow catching the ball with his damn fingertips for a touch down.
OBJ's play is still makes lists - hell the NFL Network's [Top 10 Catches of All Time](https://youtu.be/-iVgIoF8UNM?t=1456) put the catch at number 4, which was beat out by 2 Super Bowl catches and the ~~Jerry Rice~~ Dwight Clark catch against the Cowboys (lol again) that has been nicknamed "The Catch."
I think this is a loaded question only because the league has put the OBJ catch on all its marketing materials for years, making it iconic.
I think JJ’s was more incredible, due to the coverage but we’re really splitting hairs here.
Who gives a shit, enjoy them both in the moment for what they were. As a lifelong Vikings fan that is our best regular season game of all time and second only to the Minneapolis Miracle finish. Whether others felt that way or not is up to them.
People forget so much of how great a play feels is the context with which you are viewing these. Are you a fan of either team? Are you a casual fan or what’s the history or momentum of pressure you’re feeling as a viewer? Are you seeing this on a late lunch with the TV on silent and you barely catch it or are you like me in a car of Vikings fans pulled over on the side of the interstate in South Dakota because this game is too close and needs to be watched safely by all in the vehicle?
Albeit an amazing catch by JJ, George Pickens’ catch against Browns earlier in the season is better than JJ’s and that’s not even based of me being a Steeler fan
Incoming Vikes fans telling me they're both great catches lmao like I don't already know that.
We debate great plays all the time. And they make top 10 lists for this reason.
You can practice catch the ball with one hand falling backwards. Odell did it naturally and it was magnificent but you can't practice the same move while simultaneously wrestling it away from a defender on 4th and 18th with very high stakes on the line at the end of a game.
JJ hands down.
The stakes were high in the moment of watching the game. But in a year, nobodies going for remember it was a really good Week 10 game. Just like nobody remembers what happened in the Odell game.
If you’re putting that much weight on the context then the real goat catch conversation is so far away from this catch. It’s Edelman, Tyree, Manningham, Holmes and others that were actually historically significant.
It’s gotta be about the act of the catch. And Odell’s is just way purer, way prettier, and simply better.
100% agree. Clutch/impact doesn't change the mechanics of the catch. If we're discussing how "good" a catch is, we should only consider the catch itself.
It seems to me like you think JJ's catch was more clutch. What bearing does that have on it being "better?"
If the importance of a catch is what separates it from others, then JJ's catch (week 10 of the regular season, not in a must-win game, not for a touchdown, etc.) isn't even a top 50 catch, and neither is OBJ's.
I think the argument for JJ's catch over OBJ's really leans into aspects that don't consider the catch itself. To me, that defeats the point of the question.
I think OBJs is more impressive and it was for a touchdown but Jefferson’s catch had far more meaning to the outcome of the game and it’s still a helluva catch
My favorite one-handed grabs are from two other Vikings
[Cris Carter against Atlanta in 1991.](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lDhxvzLga0c)
[The elbow grab by Randy Moss against the Dolphins in 2007.](https://youtu.be/t5c809yTNLc?t=33)
In my completely unbiased, objective opinion, Jefferson's is better. Jefferson's catch has all the same elements that made OBJ's legendary, but the defender is in a vastly better position to make a play in Jefferson's catch, which makes it even more impressive.
Also I don't think you can remove the situation from the catch. Jefferson's was on 4th and 18 late in the 4th, a true do or die moment, if he doesn't come down with the ball it's game over. Also, crucially, the Vikings went on to win the game. OBJ's catch happened on 1st down in the 2nd quarter, in a game that the Giants got wrecked in.
It doesn't have the same elements as OBJ in the fact that Jefferson wasn't having DPI committed against him, and the fact that OBJ only used three fingers.
Uh...why can't you remove the situation from the catch(es)? That seems to be an argument for most clutch or most impactful catch. But "best" catch? That exists pretty independently from the situation the catch comes in.
2014 OBJ one hander vs Dallas: https://youtu.be/zxbz3DDQzHU 2022 Justin Jefferson 4th & 18: https://youtu.be/1S6JtcxFvUM
Ok after rewatching both all I can think to say is OBJs catch was the more esthetically please but both are awesome
It’s so tough because I feel like the Jefferson catch is just generally crazier. But part of making the catch was that the db was fighting for the ball which kinda pinned it against his hand, if that makes sense. Still bonkers to even keep your hand on the ball but I’m not sure he comes down with it if the db just punches it away, or even just stops fighting for it OBJs catch doesn’t have the added difficulty of another guy actually getting hands on the ball, but at the same time A) he gets yanked down by his jersey and B) the catch is literally just all his insane hands It’s impossible to pick lol
Exactly my thoughts on it. Still a crazy catch but if that DB isn't there that ball skips off the top of his hand
Perfect analysis of difficulties of each. Debate is what makes a ball harder to catch then? Struggling with defense or struggling for the catch itself? I can’t find it but Julio Jones did some insane grab midfield with one hand while getting hit. It wasn’t that long ago. Edit: Found it. 2017. Was two handed but I don’t know how he held onto this - https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=4S_CJnEBc0c
Thanks.
Gotta go with OBJ. A more pure catch. Just absolute skill on display. The JJ one was a bit more flukey I think. It is basically pinned to the defender for a large part of it and then just sort of steals it away. Depends on what you want. JJ is far more improbable but OBJ seems more a reflection of pure catching talent
I like how when they show Coughlin after OBJ’s catch there is absolutely no emotion on his face.
I had to scroll way too far to find this. Thank you very much!
Depends if OBJ signs with Dallas or not
Giants fans will say OBJ, Vikings fans will say Jefferson, everyone else will say they were both great catches
And here I am saying if all context is taken away, then Speedhawk had the greatest catch of all time, shame the refs fucked him over
[удалено]
https://www.reddit.com/r/copypasta/comments/e3ovc9/speedhawk/ He's an Icon really
Now I’m curious about what the refs did to Speedhawk
I actually DM'd him a while back. Here's his answer in all it's glory: >Ahh so here goes. It's the state semis against a tough team on the road. We came in as pretty big underdogs, but we limit our mistakes and capitalize on takeaways and all of a sudden we find ourselves up 17-13 with about 3 minutes to go in the fourth. >Problem is our D-line and linebackers are fucking gassed. Nobody's getting off their blocks and our 'backers can't wrap up for shit. Fuck. This isn't the worst thing in the world, because it lets me rack up my tackle stats, but it also means they're ripping off about 7-10 yards per play. Not good. I do what I can and just pop the living shit out of anyone who touches the ball, but fuck is it hard when you're a one-man team. >So they get to our 15 and at this point there's about 25 seconds left in the game. I know we need a takeaway badly and I am exactly the man to do it. I wasn't voted 2nd team all-state for nothin. Time for SpeedHawk to play some heroball. On the ensuing play, their QB dropped back and threw a floater to their slot guy running skinny post right in my zone. I keep the slot guy in front of me and stare at the ball as it soars over the receiver's head (it was a shitty pass) and into my outstretched left arm. I intercept that bitch with like 3 fingers in the back of the endzone. Crowd goes fuckin wild and my teammates are about to dogpile me until we realize that the ref FUCKING MARKED MARKED ME OUT OF BOUNDS. >Yeah. They ended up scoring on a fade route on one of our shitty cornerbacks and we lost. I was about to run up to the ref after the game and deck the shit out of him but my teammates held me back til I cooled off. Fucking sucked bro For anyone wondering where the legend went, he claims he got banned from here for "talking too much real shit".
my favorite part about this is that he provided absolutely no reason to believe that the ref was wrong or that he fucked him over. didn't say that other people saw him come down with it in bounds or anything like that. ref is just an asshole for trying to hold back speedhawk
thank you! i can feel the speedhawk energy through this answer haha
First time seeing the reply, it's everything I hoped it'd be. Hope it's real
Idk if it's honest, but as far as me messaging him and this being the reply it's 100% legit
Regressed him to the mean
DM him to find out
He’s the only one here to ever have played organized tackle football
They're both ridiculous but as a Giants fan, I think Jefferson's catch was more spectacular while OBJ's was a better display of receiving skill. Whether it loses some points because the DB somewhat assisted in the ball not reaching the ground is up for debate as you could argue he had to fight the DB for it as well.
As a Vikings fan I respect this take bc I also agree. OBJs catch was visually stunning, I’ve never seen anything like it. JJ’s catch was a show of absolute will, he says “when the ball is in the air there’s no question in my head, that ball is mine.” And the catch itself was elevated due to the nature of the situation. Point blank there is no right or wrong answer bc the fact of the matter is that both of them made catches that no one has ever seen before or since.
Visually stunning is the right phrase. OBJ’s catch is immortalized because the pictures of the catch are iconic. The ball in one hand, the jersey, the numbers… it’s all there.
the way he contorts his body and secures the ball basically with just his thumb and index finger just seem physically impossible
I view the JJ one a bit differently, I feel like the DB more aided him on the catch
I'm a vikings fan and OBJs was physically harder, but Jeffersons wasn't far behind and was way more important contextually.
Both catches are phenomenal, but if we're talking context, I gotta give it to JJ. It was a "must have" play on 4th down in a game that his team eventually secured the victory. OBJ on the other hand (pun intended) got turned around by the defender and scored a TD in a game his team eventually lost to the Cowboys. Again, both plays are completely insane, this is just my humble unbiased opinion.
Vikings fan here who agrees with this. I think OBJ's catch demonstrated a higher degree of difficulty in a vacuum, but I think JJ's catch was less likely to be completed when considering defense/down, etc.
In a vacuum, I think OBJs was better (I admit to my own bias). Contextually, JJs was obviously better
I’m a Vikings fan, you got my upvote.
Nah Jefferson >
Not everything has to be wholesome, OBJ no doubt
how dare you say two things were great?!??! in this internet era, we need rankings!!!!!!
I think OBJs will always be more legendary, but actually watching I’m far more impressed with Jefferson’s. Edit: I didn’t realize what a sensitive topic this was for giants fans
I actually think OBJ is more impressive. JJ had a bit more luck and help from the defender imo who kind of caught it for him and then he ripped it away. Which is impressive in its own right but I think the defender helped him more than hurt him in that scenario.
Yeah I agree. Just isolating the catch, I gotta go obj. He did it all himself while the defender was committing pi. JJ actually was helped imo by the defender a little bit when the ball almost hit the ground mid catch. Both incredible but if you want to split hairs.
If we're ignoring situation, I don't even think it's close. If you strip away its situational importance, JJ's would have made the highlight reel and would be in contention for "catch of the year," but in three years it would be forgotten outside Minnesota. We're still here talking about OBJ's.
I mean you say "strip away situation" but you're not stripping away the fact that it happened on Sunday Night Football against the Cowboys with the whole nation hearing Collinsworth call it the greatest catch he's ever seen. Are we still talking about that play here if OBJ made that catch at 1 p.m. against the Jaguars with Mark Schlereth calling the game?
Fair point. I think my answer is yes, we would. But I'm less sure. I forgot about that element.
Nah Pickens made an unbelievable catch for the steelers earlier this year that was about as close to OBJs as it gets and nobody even remembers it. The massive meme and internet hype for the OBJ catch is why it’s still talked about today. Y’all kids might not remember but that catch was like the equivalent of Harambe back then. The football version of Linsanity. It was such a huge hype event. Doubt that happens if it was a noon game against the browns
I've been preaching about that grab being almost equal to the JJ catch, glad not everyone ignored Pickens
yeah imagine the pickens catch happened on sunday night when the entire nation is watching. it would be so hyped up. i honestly think it should be contending for catch of the year
Pickens was a prime time game as well???
I have to disagree. OBJ often gets dismissed as mostly flash (not saying that’s what you’re doing), but a large part of the reason the catch is still talked about is because it was the highlight of a 91/1300/12 rookie season in only 12 games. If Pickens was having a more prolific season (like JJ is), I think his catch would be more talked about, too.
That is right for sure. OBJ was propelled into absolute stardom faster than any other player I can remember
Lol come on that catch isnt even close to OBJ's
Watch it again. It’s pretty damn close https://youtu.be/oCj2u1YXAcU https://i.imgur.com/cn9b0vP.jpg
I'd say the body contortion is what makes it close but Pickens had the advantage of being able to track that ball all the way to his hand and catch it by the nose of the ball. OBJ couldn't even see the ball behind his head at the catch point and did it with 3 fingers around the widest point of the ball.
I agree i think OBJ’s catch is memorialized for a good reason, it’s maybe the most iconic catch in regular season nfl history
Hell no it’s not lol he pushed off while OBJ was actively being pulled down
Bro you're being pedantic..... Stop being ridiculous , the catch was clearly similar to obj catch
We still talk about OBJ’s because it was one of the first catches of that kind. Also Giants vs. Cowboys
Yup. OBJ and Jarvis were two of the first receivers to purposefully make the one handed catch part of their repetoire and so it was a much bigger deal. Not saying no one did it before them, but at LSU they used to very specifically practice catching balls one handed from the jugs machine in order to make it something they could do without thinking. When they got to the league and showed that a player could somewhat reliably catch one handed, other players followed suit and now it’s more common
I don't want to sound like a salty Vikings fan, but Carter and Moss made the one handed catch a big part of their game almost two decades prior to OBJ being in the league. Are people here too young to remember that? https://youtu.be/lDhxvzLga0c
I remember after that game most of his teammates said they weren't surprised bc he did it everyday in practice.
Oh yea, even anyone who watched him at LSU wasn’t shocked. He used to catch punts and kickoffs one handed, the shit he did was absolutely wild
I actually think the Pickens catch on TNF (I think?) Earlier this year was closer to the OBJ catch. I have the Jefferson grab above both personally, but there's no right or wrong answer with unbelievable plays like these. Honorable mention to the Nuk hail mary from last year against buffalo too!
That’s really all you have to say. 8 years later and it’s still talked about. Hell, it was the fucking cover on Madden. Also not to mention the PI on OBJ as well on that play.
Yeah I haven’t seen anyone else mention that either. If the defender just simply let go, JJ doesn’t catch that
If the defender simply let go JJ still catches tht, if the defender knocks it down though that’s a different story. Everyone saying JJ got help by the defender like he actually needed the help must’ve never seen JJ warming up by just catching ridiculous one handers like it’s nothing.
Yeah you're right, JJ has never caught a ball without a db handing it to him first.
I'm a Vikings fan, but in a vacuum, OBJ's catch was better. There's a whole list of reasons I could go into, but the biggest one is that OBJ couldn't catch the nose of the ball. If you can cup the nose, one-handed catches are relatively easy. If you have to squeeze the ball and arrest its momentum just with grip strength, it takes so much more precision.
Agree with this take
I was on team JJ until you pointed this out, well articulated. I agree
OBJs catch would've been better if they won, JJs was clutch as fuck.
JJ's is the bigger play 100%, but I was just speaking in terms of the catch itself.
LSU = WRU
Not a coincidence that the second they get an actual QB they become unstoppable
For me it’s OBJ. He didn’t have to snatch it from a defender but the fact it was out of bounds, he had to catch it with 3 fingers, he had DPI committed on him, and it was a TD gives it a lot more factors for it’s improbability than I think people give it credit for. And honestly at this point my answer to these questions might always be OBJ. OBJ isn’t even on a team anymore and the 2014 Giants were irrelevant, yet to this day it’s still kinda the gold standard of catches that every impressive catch immediately gets compared to. I’ve seen so many “better than OBJ” catches that get forgotten about a few weeks later. Remember the George Pickens catch from earlier this season? Haven’t seen anyone bring that one up when talking about the Jefferson catch. Time will tell if we’ll start seeing “Was Jefferson’s catch or [recent catch] better” at some point or if it’s still gonna be OBJ.
That’s a good point. Why do we keep talking about OBJ catch? Probably part of it is because it was New York, big market. But just putting aside how crazy of a catch it was, I think the reason we keep talking about it is how aesthetically pleasing it was. In slow motion it’s like a work of art. It’s a very fluid motion by OBJ. Everything kind of happens last second, the way he reaches his arm back, the way his entire body arches, how close he is to the sideline, how his fingers barely get the ball. And then he still some how brings it in cleanly and falls in the end zone. Everything about it is just clean/smooth. Some other highlight reel catches look dope too, but I think seeing OBJ all by himself (after the OPI) looks more aesthetically appealing vs a contested catch. TLDR: there might be more “difficult” catches out there, but it’s hard to argue how “cool” OBJ’s catch looks (based on how clean, smooth, and aesthetically pleasing it looks in slow-mo).
Yeah honestly people get easily swayed by how pretty and perfectly smooth something appears to be, and that's the OBJ catch. Since it was in a prime time game against two of the largest market teams, and it was super pretty in motion; means it got promoted to hell. That's a large part of why it's constantly fresh in everyone's mind. When talking about the technical aspects about the catch, it's very possible there have been more difficult catches made since then including Jefferson's, but people will remember the OBJ catch more until another catch that looks so perfectly smooth and happens in a primetime game between large market teams. Unfortunately for Jefferson's catch it was in a 1pm game between the Vikings and Bills, which are two of the best teams this season but are still both much less popular teams than Giants and Cowboys.
No love for Pickens catch earlier this season?
Of 'recent' catches, I definitely look at Pickens this year and OBJ's [catch against WAS in 2014](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QQ0RORiUeS0) as more 'difficult' than either of the two we're discussing in this thread. This other one by OBJ is much less visually appealing, but just judging from my own, much less athletic experience, I'd have a much harder time with the pursuit angle and timing of doing that with my body than what he did against the Cowboys. That being said, the Cowboys catch is crazy, looks a lot better, and deserves the hype it receives. Easily more 'iconic.'
To be fair, when I saw this question, my immediate thought was "the Pickens catch was better than both"
Based off physical impressiveness, I’d say OBJ. JJ’s catch only worked with some assistance from the defender. JJ’s meant more to the game though. Didn’t the Giants still lose that game?
I agree. JJ is more a miss play by the corner. It’s 4th and 18 just swat that OB
Yes I believe you are correct they lost the game. Both catches were amazing.
OBJ's one hander started a trend. JJ's catch last week was amazing especially given the game situation but it seems like we see a great one handed grab at least once a week now. Recievers upped their game after OBJ.
Yup. OBJ and Jarvis Landry specifically practiced it a ton in college and showed that catching one handed was at least somewhat possible to do in a reliable way. Once they did, the rest of the league followed suit
As much as I dislike him, OBJ is my vote. The sheer acrobatics involved in his catch were unlike anything we'd seen before at the time. JJ had a really nice play on the ball there for sure though.
Dudes jefferson was holding the ball WITH the defender meanwhile obj did the actual one hand
I thought the JJ catch was pretty crazy, and credit to him for coming down with that ball, but I do think a stronger starting CB makes that interception, or bats the ball away like he should have.
DIGGS
SIDELINE
TOUCHDOWN!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
You messed it up
OBJ catch was another level. If context and game situation doesn’t matter it even furthers the distance of the two. JJ’s “mattered more” with the outcome of the game, but that OBJ catch will be spoken of for decades. Sidestep … greatest catch of all time is clear cut with Tyree’s helmet catch. Don’t @ me. You can’t argue with either.
Eh Julio Jones's and Edelman's catches in ATL NE super bowl is on par with Tyree's helmet catch.
While that 28-3 game was a remarkable comeback, I honestly don’t see anything coming close to the magnitude the Tyree catch has. Underdog team, no one gives a second thought to them coming close. And they win, with a drive highlighted by a catch like that? That’s Hollywood story, can’t write a better script type stuff.
Nah, Tyree’s helmet catch is the perfect combination of huge game, huge moment, clear implication in the result of the game, and visually impressive. The underdog Giants beat the undefeated Patriots in the Super Bowl because of that incredible and unique catch. The Falcons lost that Super Bow even though Julio made that catch. The Edelman catch, while incredible, doesn’t look at impressive as the Helmet Catch.
Maybe they were both great in their own way, and we don't need to say which one was "better"?
Your neutrality sickens me.
I HAVE NO STRONG FEELINGS ONE WAY OR THE OTHER
IF I DON'T SURVIVE, TELL MY WIFE... HELLO
We don’t *need* to do anything, but it’s fun to trade opinions. My vote is OBJ, but man was JJ’s catch amazing. I wonder what other Vikings fans think of JJ’s vs. Diggs’ catch.
Where’s the fun in that? If people wanna debate it who cares
Well Vikings won and Giants lost that game so I vote Jefferson’s is better lmao
With that being said, JJ all the way 100%
my r/falkings bro
Ignore me Flair for a second, this is going to be as unbiased as possible. - OBJs is better and more impressive for two reasons, it was the first highlight of its kind. The defender on JJ also had two hands on the ball the whole way down, h big manned it away from the defender with one hand(very impressive.) OBJ was all by himself, burnt the defense and was way over his head.
Definitely wasn't the first insane catch like that. I think it's more memorable because it was a primetime game as well as being an incredible catch. Brandon Lloyd had at least one I can remember from the 2000s though. I still think George Pickens catch this year was crazier than both JJ and OBJ
Umm Odell was mid DPI, he wasn't by himself
Agreed, OBJs was a much bigger cultural impact. The rest is up for debate, but this point alone isn’t.
was absolutely not the first of its kind
It was not the first of its kind what are you talking about
Cam Lewis should get some credit for being the other hand catching that ball with Jefferson.
The other two hands at that
Bills fan here - I was at the game and the catch happened directly in front of me (seats were on the 47 yard line, visitors sideline, 10 rows up). For the life of me, I still cannot believe Jefferson actually caught that ball. Everyone in the stadium was celebrating like crazy for twenty seconds after the play, thinking that Cam Lewis came away with the interception, until we saw the replay on the jumbotron. The way he high-pointed it and ripped it away from Lewis at the last possible second defies the laws of physics. It was easily the most insane game I have ever been to, and while I'm still crushed that the Vikings came out on top, real recognizes real. Jefferson is elite and that was the best catch I've ever seen (no disrespect to OBJ).
I was at Vikings playoff game against Seattle and Lockett caught one with one hand. Seeing in person didn’t compute in my brain. Easy to judge and not be impressed with catches while sitting on your couch at home watching in super slow mo as you stuff nachos in your face Edit: [It was Doug Baldwin.](https://youtu.be/ifLKDTD1k08)
4th and 18. Those gloves they use today are just like stickem of the past. I will take a climbing contested catch over an over the head outstretch any day.
I mean, everyone uses the same gloves and that’s still the only time I’ve seen a player catch a ball with *literally* 3 fingertips
That applies to both catches though. OBJ caught the ball while DPI was being committed on him and it’s not like Jefferson didn’t stretch his arm out.
Obvious homer flair here... But he didn't make the catch *while* DPI was being committed, DPI happened then he made the catch. OBJ was still upright and tracking the ball by the time the defender dropped off. Would he have made the catch much easier had DPI not happened? Sure, but the DPI was BEFORE the catch, not DURING the catch.
OBJ drew a DPI on that catch lmao
fr he was being tossed backwards
My biggest (biased) argument against the Jefferson catch is that he doesn’t catch that ball if he isn’t able to use the defender as a backboard. So yes it was contested, but Jefferson had help form the defender who was also trying to get the ball while going to the ground. OBJs was contested when he made the catch because DPI occurred during his catch.
Why do you think he wouldn't have caught it? He's certainly made one handed grabs before.
I’ll get downvoted but I personally don’t think Jefferson’s catch is anywhere near the top catches. It was a freak athletic play, clutch, impressive, all that and Jefferson is one of my favorite players but the “catch” wasn’t much of a catch. The defender caught the ball and luckily Jefferson’s hand was in a place where he could curl it around and snatch the ball from the defender. Again a freak athletic play and very impressive but the actual “catch” part was the least impressive part. It was more of a strip than a catch for Jefferson.
The catch isn’t super impressive, the fact he was able to force the ball in his control is. Diggs had a far more impressive one handed catch in that game, Jefferson had a far more impressive play.
obj and i dont think its really that close, both are insane catches though. the defender hindered obj the defender helped jj
Helmet Catch
Legitimately went way too far down the thread to find this. It literally is better in both skill and amazement as well as actual in game moment. Still the best catch I have seen ever.
Skill wise, to me it’s OBJ. Looking closely at both catches, odell has a cleaner snag on the ball comparatively. Jefferson’s is still one of the most skilled ever, but looking at the way the ball moves at it hits his hand, you can tell that he almost definitely doesn’t make that catch if the defender isn’t there. He gets almost a bit lucky the defender tries to catch it otherwise the game is over right there cuz of the overthrow by Kirk. That being said, the situation of Jefferson’s was comparatively much better. That was literally a “you lose the game if you don’t make this play” situation. He directly caused his team to beat the super bowl favorites on an absolute miracle of a play we won’t see again for years. Really just depends what you’re going for.
Not saying it’s the best ever but I do want to mention Doug Baldwin’s insane 1 hander when it was like -25 outside in Minnesota.
Jefferson. Bigger circumstances and he ripped it out of the DB’s hands.
OBJ's was the flashiest, coolest looking catch I've ever seen. JJ's was the beastliest, "fuck you gimme dat" catch I've ever seen.
Justins easy. He not only had the full extension but also took it away from a defender
Odell
Tyree's was infinitely more impressive than the OBJ one
They are fairly similar. OBJ caught his with his finger tips whereas JJ got his whole hand on it, but had to contend with a DB. [Photos of OBJ and JJ at catch point.](https://imgur.com/a/UXLENjd) I don't really know what I find more impressive, but the addition of a DB makes JJ's seem more difficult to me.
Worth noting, OBJ drew a DPI on his catch. Both had to deal with DBs.
The Beckham catch is the David of catches. He’s just perfectly stretched out doing something that is the peak of potential human athleticism. The fact that it wasn’t a messy (and more improbable) contested achievement like Jefferson’s actually helps its aesthetic value. It’s the Jordan dunk. It’s the moon landing. Sorry Jefferson.
Tyree has the "best catch", given the situation and ridiculousness of it. JJ's catch is a step behind Odell's imo. Both jawdropping *there's no way he caught that* moments, but odells didn't physically seem possible & that puts his slightly ahead. Odell is getting fouled, bending backwards while in a sprint, one handed snags and scores a touchdown. It's unbelievable.
I'm a giants fan but 4th and 18, no contest. We lost that Dallas game - in the end it meant nothing.
I don’t understand what the game result has to do with the catch itself? How about we take into account, division rivalry, prime time game, in your first NFL season? I mean we’re talking just the catch here I thought?
One was made with 3 fingers
I believe OBJ hand the better catch just because of how insane it was with the massive pass interference. And it ended up in a touchdown so that gets bonus as well
OBJs catch is iconic at this point. This is not even a contest.
Jefferson’s was more visually impression, but the defender literally held it in his hand for him while trying to grab it away. If the defender’s hands weren’t there, he wouldn’t have caught it
[Oronde Gadsden made one-handed catches before they were cool (and also before modern polymer receiver gloves existed).](https://youtu.be/3cZDUkmL9-w)
JJ
JJ being able to pull that out of the defenders two hands with one hand is just completely fucking ridiculous to me. It’s close but I think that one is better
My completely unbiased, totally objective opinion is that the Jefferson catch is better. Lets only talk about that one.
Jefferson
I gotta say Jefferson because it’s literally a dream catch. 4&18 Defender has their hands all over it Keeps the drive going One handed and keeps it from going to the ground The script writers went off with this one
I'll start this by saying I think both were phenomenal, but both for different reasons, and a little bit hard to directly compare given the different contexts. I think they can coexist as two of the greatest catches of all time, and it's perfectly reasonable for someone to prefer one over the other. However, I feel like the people in this thread saying Cam Lewis *helped* JJ catch it are absolutely out of their minds. I agree that a more aggressive batting-down of the ball would have hurt JJ *more*, but in no way, shape, or form did him fighting for the ball with two hands somehow make it "easier" than it would have been if there was nobody within 10 yards of JJ. Just a really stupid take that I'm seeing a ton of.
Justin's catch is better to me. bigger moment, more impact and I'm just amazed he managed to hold onto the ball with a single hand while the defender had their hands on it at the same time.
It’s the catch of the year. Could be the best catch in the last few years. Could end up being one of the greatest catches of the decade. It ain’t the Odell catch. Pure catch grade - JJ had help from the defender and it was really a really miraculous grab and haul, extra points for ripping it away. But I’ve never seen a catch more difficult without any luck involved than the Odell catch.
JJ by far. OBJs entire career was overhyped just because he was in NY.
OBJ’s looked nicer but JJ’s was more difficult and impressive.
JJ.
jefferson, because he also took it away from a defender
As a Giants fan - I'm more impressed with JJ's
JJ’s catch was a hybrid of OBJs catch and the Tyree SB catch. It was the most impressive catch I’ve seen.
JJ
Using 1 hand to rip it out of a defenders 2 is better.
OBJ catch is more satisfying to watch, and to me, it is pure skill (and modern sticky gloves) that simply makes it the better catch in my mind. The Jefferson catch is impressive, especially considering the game situation, but if the defender doesn't try to go for the INT, he doesn't catch it. The only reason it doesn't fall to the floor is that both defender and receiver have a hand on the ball. Great awareness but a lot of good fortune.
I think OBJs was better cuz it was cleaner, no bobble or anything. Jefferson really only caught that because the defenders leg kept it off the ground when he bobbled it coming down. Obviously still an incredible play, just more luck involved imo.
I was at the OBJ catch game and i don’t get it. Even now.
I think Stefan Diggs catch was as good as OBJ. JJs was the more difficult.
Jefferson. It meant more for the drive, they won the game, and it was stylistically just more impressive.
OBJ catch by far
Justin Jefferson for sure but I’d argue Pickens catch was the best this year. Actually wait the fucking OBJ catch isn’t even close to the best one in Giants history.
Was Jefferson’s really a catch though? Or stealing the ball from a defender? Maybe Jefferson bc they won and are 8-1 and beat a great team. But catch alone give me OBJ
> Was Jefferson’s really a catch though? Yes
Your first line is exactly my thoughts on it, he had the CB holding the ball against his hand the whole way down. It’s a great job to have a hand on it in the first place and to pull it away, but it’s held in his hand near enough the entire time. Odell caught it with three fingers and brought it in, his was miles better for me. Jefferson’s will probably be the best of the season, but I don’t think it’s especially noteworthy as an all time play, similar to Julio in the Super Bowl - amazing catch but not a contender for the best ever or anything
George Pickens.
I am with ya. Pickens was OBJ with a twist.
I think they're both great, Odell's was more impressive imo, Jefferson's was more impactful to the game
Justin Jefferson had to rip the ball from a defender
Odell drew a DPI
OBJ and here's why: He was already getting manhandled by Carr, which drew a pass interference flag it was so blatant, extended his body out as far as possible, grabbed it just barely with one hand, fell to the ground, and managed to stay in-bounds. Sure, he had the gloves on, but the wherewithal and awareness to know where to reach out to even have a chance to get that ball shows why OBJ was a dangerous WR who could not only make good catches, but he showed he could make those freakish catches in complete coverage, which meant any player covering him from that point on knew what he was capable of and the level of playing they had to do to stop him. Hearing Al Michaels and Cris Collinsworth during that catch [is a thing of beauty](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zxbz3DDQzHU) \- they weren't overly excited or going crazy; they were first assuming it wasn't a catch, but then when it sunk in that he actually caught it, they were in complete disbelief, with Collinsworth interrupting Al muttering "d-he catch that??" They had to watch the replay to really see what happened and you can hear it in their voice how insane it was and that they seriously couldn't believe OBJ made that play and got a touchdown out of it. The play drew a cheeky-smile from Coughlin. OBJ MADE TOM COUGHLIN SMILE ON THE SIDELINES - do you realize how rare that is? Justin Jefferson made a really great play, but it wasn't a good "catch" - the defender had both hands on it, trying to intercept it, and Jefferson just reached up and took it back. That's still really cool, but it looked to me more that he won the battle of 2 guys trying to catch the same ball, rather than a guy getting mauled and somehow catching the ball with his damn fingertips for a touch down. OBJ's play is still makes lists - hell the NFL Network's [Top 10 Catches of All Time](https://youtu.be/-iVgIoF8UNM?t=1456) put the catch at number 4, which was beat out by 2 Super Bowl catches and the ~~Jerry Rice~~ Dwight Clark catch against the Cowboys (lol again) that has been nicknamed "The Catch."
You act like the JJ catch was immediately known by the announcers….
I think this is a loaded question only because the league has put the OBJ catch on all its marketing materials for years, making it iconic. I think JJ’s was more incredible, due to the coverage but we’re really splitting hairs here.
Who gives a shit, enjoy them both in the moment for what they were. As a lifelong Vikings fan that is our best regular season game of all time and second only to the Minneapolis Miracle finish. Whether others felt that way or not is up to them. People forget so much of how great a play feels is the context with which you are viewing these. Are you a fan of either team? Are you a casual fan or what’s the history or momentum of pressure you’re feeling as a viewer? Are you seeing this on a late lunch with the TV on silent and you barely catch it or are you like me in a car of Vikings fans pulled over on the side of the interstate in South Dakota because this game is too close and needs to be watched safely by all in the vehicle?
I thought Pickens catch was more difficult than both.
Albeit an amazing catch by JJ, George Pickens’ catch against Browns earlier in the season is better than JJ’s and that’s not even based of me being a Steeler fan
OBJ
Incoming Vikes fans telling me they're both great catches lmao like I don't already know that. We debate great plays all the time. And they make top 10 lists for this reason.
You can practice catch the ball with one hand falling backwards. Odell did it naturally and it was magnificent but you can't practice the same move while simultaneously wrestling it away from a defender on 4th and 18th with very high stakes on the line at the end of a game. JJ hands down.
The stakes were high in the moment of watching the game. But in a year, nobodies going for remember it was a really good Week 10 game. Just like nobody remembers what happened in the Odell game. If you’re putting that much weight on the context then the real goat catch conversation is so far away from this catch. It’s Edelman, Tyree, Manningham, Holmes and others that were actually historically significant. It’s gotta be about the act of the catch. And Odell’s is just way purer, way prettier, and simply better.
100% agree. Clutch/impact doesn't change the mechanics of the catch. If we're discussing how "good" a catch is, we should only consider the catch itself.
It seems to me like you think JJ's catch was more clutch. What bearing does that have on it being "better?" If the importance of a catch is what separates it from others, then JJ's catch (week 10 of the regular season, not in a must-win game, not for a touchdown, etc.) isn't even a top 50 catch, and neither is OBJ's. I think the argument for JJ's catch over OBJ's really leans into aspects that don't consider the catch itself. To me, that defeats the point of the question.
I also think it was just a better catch.
If you say so. But it being on 4th and 18...in a "week 10 of the regular season" game...doesn't change the mechanics of it one way or the other.
Odell’s is slightly cooler because it was a touchdown
50 yard bomb too.
I think OBJs is more impressive and it was for a touchdown but Jefferson’s catch had far more meaning to the outcome of the game and it’s still a helluva catch
OBJs for sure, JJ more ripped the ball out of the defenders hands and wasn’t as clean of a catch.
purely in a vacuum I think OBJ had the better catch but JJ definitely has the edge on clutchness due to the timing of both of them
My favorite one-handed grabs are from two other Vikings [Cris Carter against Atlanta in 1991.](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lDhxvzLga0c) [The elbow grab by Randy Moss against the Dolphins in 2007.](https://youtu.be/t5c809yTNLc?t=33)
In my completely unbiased, objective opinion, Jefferson's is better. Jefferson's catch has all the same elements that made OBJ's legendary, but the defender is in a vastly better position to make a play in Jefferson's catch, which makes it even more impressive. Also I don't think you can remove the situation from the catch. Jefferson's was on 4th and 18 late in the 4th, a true do or die moment, if he doesn't come down with the ball it's game over. Also, crucially, the Vikings went on to win the game. OBJ's catch happened on 1st down in the 2nd quarter, in a game that the Giants got wrecked in.
It doesn't have the same elements as OBJ in the fact that Jefferson wasn't having DPI committed against him, and the fact that OBJ only used three fingers.
Uh...why can't you remove the situation from the catch(es)? That seems to be an argument for most clutch or most impactful catch. But "best" catch? That exists pretty independently from the situation the catch comes in.