Before fantasy football judged NFL teams by their quarterback-running back-wide receiver combinations, the Cowboys set the bar.
Troy Aikman, Emmitt Smith and Michael Irvin were dubbed “The Triplets” on the way to three Super Bowls in the 1990s. Ever since, trios are a measure of explosiveness.
The Post ranked the 16 most dynamic “triplets” in 2020:
1. Saints (Drew Brees, Alvin Kamara, Michael Thomas): Thomas criticized Brees for insensitive remarks on racism protests, then accepted his apology. Will it alter their on-field chemistry? Thomas set the NFL record with 470 receptions through his first four seasons playing with the NFL’s career leader in passing yards and touchdowns. Kamara averages 100 yards per game from scrimmage.
2. Cowboys (Dak Prescott, Ezekiel Elliott, Amari Cooper): Does Prescott benefit more from his top two playmakers or vice versa? Prescott is still seeking a long-term contract like Elliott and Cooper. Elliott won two rushing titles in four seasons. The Cowboys overpaid to keep Cooper.
3. Chiefs (Patrick Mahomes, Damien Williams, Travis Kelce): Mahomes-Kelce might be the best duo. Or it could be Mahomes-Tyreek Hill. But the Chiefs didn’t have a 500-yard rusher in 2019. Rookie Clyde Edwards-Helaire could supplant Williams.
4. Ravens (Lamar Jackson, Mark Ingram, Mark Andrews): They averaged 204.8 rushing yards per game, 51 more than any other team. Jackson set the quarterback rushing record (1,206 yards) on his way to MVP. Andrews is his favorite receiving target, especially in the red zone (10 touchdowns).
5. Browns (Baker Mayfield, Nick Chubb, Odell Beckham Jr.): Chubb’s near-1,500-yard rushing season was No. 2 in the NFL. Mayfield (21 interceptions) and Beckham both had down years but could explode if they get on the same page — and the oft-injured OBJ stays healthy.
6. Packers (Aaron Rodgers, Aaron Jones, Davante Adams): The Packers are under fire for not adding a receiver in the draft, instead putting pressure on Adams and putting Rodgers on the clock by drafting Jordan Love. Jones became the first Packer to reach 1,000 rushing yards since 2014.
7. Seahawks (Russell Wilson, Chris Carson, Tyler Lockett): Lockett slid into the No. 1 role after Doug Baldwin retired. Carson rushed for 2,381 yards the past two seasons, keeping first-rounder Rashaad Penny on the bench. Wilson is an annual MVP frontrunner.
8. Buccaneers (Tom Brady, Ronald Jones, Mike Evans): Brady dragged Rob Gronkowski out of retirement to join the best receiver duo he has had since Randy Moss-Wes Welker. Evans has six straight 1,000-yard seasons to start his career and Chris Godwin is emerging. Jones just needs to keep defenses honest.
9. Cardinals (Kyler Murray, Kenyan Drake, DeAndre Hopkins): Larry Fitzgerald no longer is the No. 1 target after they stole Hopkins from the Texans. Murray was the 2019 Offensive Rookie of the Year and the Cardinals traded for and franchise-tagged Drake with big expectations.
10. Panthers (Teddy Bridgewater, Christian McCaffrey, D.J. Moore): McCaffrey had a 1,000/1,000 season rushing and receiving, but Moore is no slouch with 1,175 yards on 87 catches. Bridgewater, who succeeds former MVP Cam Newton, has not been a full-time starter since 2015.
11. Titans (Ryan Tannehill, Derrick Henry, A.J. Brown): The uniquely bruising Henry (1,540 yards) won the rushing title, allowing Tannehill’s resurgence. Can either duplicate their 2019 success? Brown led all 1,000-yard receivers with a 20.2-yard average per catch as a rookie.
12. Falcons (Matt Ryan, Todd Gurley, Julio Jones): Nobody knows what to expect from the injury-plagued Gurley, who led the NFL in yards from scrimmage in 2017 and rushing touchdowns in 2018. Jones is the NFL’s all-time leader in receiving yards per game. Ryan has fallen off since his 2016 MVP season.
13. Steelers (Ben Roethlisberger, James Conner, Juju Smith-Schuster): Injury concerns across the board as the trio combined to miss 25 games last season. They were near the top of this list last preseason, but replacing Le’Veon Bell and Antonio Brown is harder than it looked.
14. Eagles (Carson Wentz, Miles Sanders, Zach Ertz): Sanders will shoulder the load after the Eagles traded Jordan Howard. Ertz led the Eagles in receiving yards in each of his first four seasons with Wentz, who faces as much pressure as any player in the NFL
15. Giants (Daniel Jones, Saquon Barkley, Golden Tate): Jones was the first rookie ever with three games of four touchdown passes and no interceptions, but he led the NFL with 18 fumbles. Barkley ran for 1,000 yards on a bum ankle. The Giants have three No. 2-caliber receivers, but Tate has done it the longest.
16. Texans (Deshaun Watson, David Johnson, Brandin Cooks): Watson-Hopkins was special. Time will tell if he can muster the same magic with Cooks, who has had 1,000-yard seasons for three different teams in six years. The injury-prone Johnson has 363 total rushing yards since he dominated in 2016.
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