In the NFL, the quarterback is undisputedly the star. However, no matter how good he is, he can’t do anything if he doesn’t have someone to catch his passes. After the success of Attacking playerNetflix is introducing Receivera new eight-episode documentary series that promises to show the other side of the story with some of the best wide receivers in the NFL.
RECEIVERSTREAM IT OR SKIP IT?
Opening shot: “They say there’s no tougher position in sports than NFL quarterback,” says Hall of Famer Peyton Manning, recognizable even before his face appears onscreen, over a montage of quarterbacks dropping back and getting sacked. “But the truth is, throwing a pass is only half the story. With all due respect to offensive linemen, a quarterback’s best friend is this guy.” We see a highlight from Manning’s time with the Indianapolis Colts, throwing a pass that Marvin Harrison Sr. catches for a touchdown. “The receiver. The lightning-fast wide receiver, screaming down the field…” Before Peyton can go on too long, he’s interrupted by someone more appropriate to the season: Randy Moss, one of the greatest receivers of all time.
The essence: As the name suggests, Receiver The show will feature some of the best wide receivers in the NFL today. The show’s roster includes five star receivers: Davante Adams of the Las Vegas Raiders, Amon-Ra St. Brown of the Detroit Lions, Justin Jefferson of the Minnesota Vikings, and Deebo Samuel and George Kittle of the San Francisco 49ers. As Moss suggests in his introduction, we’ll follow these five through the 2023 season “as they balance their daily grind with their pursuit of greatness,” through a combination of game footage and interviews with the players and their teammates.
What shows will it remind you of? There couldn’t be a more obvious parallel here, as Receiver is, by design, a copy of the hit Netflix show Attacking player. (I hope they keep this up long enough so we can do a series called Long Snapper.)
Our opinion: There’s a popular tweet from a few years ago, from Twitter user Denny Carter, that comes to mind when I think about the difference in personalities between quarterbacks and receivers. “Typical QB tweet: I love my teammates, God is good! Receiver tweet: The enemy speaks nicely and holds a knife.”
Obviously, it’s exaggerated for comedic effect, but it’s often true that NFL quarterbacks are, well, kind of boring in real life. This was evident in the Netflix series Attacking playerwhere, despite their huge success on the pitch, we got confirmation that stars like Kirk Cousins are just a step above the typical characters in terms of personality.
On the other hand, wide receivers are typically known for their big personalities – we’re talking about players like Chad Ochocino, Terrell Owens, Randy Moss, Antonio Brown, Odell Beckham Jr., etc. If the Netflix wide receiver is going to shine, in my opinion, we need to see some monstrous intensity on display.
Thankfully, we don’t have to wait long. After the first episode’s segments introducing us to the already familiar George Kittle and Deebo Samuel, we jump to the Lions’ Amon-Ra St. Brown. He recalls a story from youth football, where he and his father learned another player was catching 200 passes a day off a JUGS machine, so he quickly decided to catch 202 — a practice he’s kept up all the way to the NFL. He recalls his anger at being selected in the fourth round of the 2021 NFL Draft and suggests that he can remember all sixteen receivers taken before him in that draft. He then demonstrates by reciting all sixteen names in order and shows the handwritten list of those names that he keeps in a notebook and reads before every practice and every game. “Once I read that notebook, I’m ready to go.”
That’s the thing!
If you are familiar with Attacking playerso Receiver It’ll feel pretty familiar: It’s a highly polished mix of interviews, off-field reality TV segments, and game footage. To some extent, it’s an extended ad for the players (and the league), but it’s a well-made ad, on par with classic NFL Films segments and a big draw for football fans. Releasing in July, with just under two months to go until the season, is a great way to prepare ahead of time.
Sex and skin: There is some uncensored language in the camp, but there is no sex.
Parting shot: George Kittle celebrates his birthday on a party bus, shortly after a blowout win over the hated Dallas Cowboys in which he scored three touchdowns and revealed a “F**k Dallas” T-shirt under his jersey, an act that earned him a $15,000 fine from the NFL. “I don’t regret it one bit,” Kittle recalls. “Not one bit. I might do it again if I had the chance.”
Sleeping Star: While George Kittle — an energetic, positive, camera-friendly player — seems like the receiver most primed to make it onto reality TV (he and his wife Claire have their own line of eyewear under the brand name “Kittles”), the real breakout star in the pilot episode has to be St. Brown, who has the hunger and intensity that future NFL legends are made of. He also shows off his fluency in German and a great sense of humor, the latter of which is evident when he recalls an incident in Green Bay, where he celebrated a touchdown with a Lambeau Leap, only to be doused in beer by an angry Packers fan.
Pilot’s most typical phrase: “I really like to say things happen,” says George Kittle, reflecting on the 49ers’ loss to the Kansas City Chiefs in Super Bowl LIV in 2020. “Otherwise, they might never happen.” We see him on the sideline in the final seconds of that game, expressing his frustration at the time. “I’ll be back here. I’ll be back here and I’ll be back with a fucking vengeance. You’re not going to be able to get the best of me, you’ll see.” It’s good drama!
Our calling: STREAM IT. If you liked it Attacking playerso Receiver It’s a perfect sequel, and if you didn’t know, it has a much more interesting roster than the quarterbacks it offers. For an avid NFL fan, it’s a great way to kill time until the fall.
Scott Hines, editor of the much-loved Action Cookbook Newsletter,is an architect, blogger, and Internet user based in Louisville, Kentucky.
