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Final episode of the 'trilogy'


NFC guard officially has changed

SUWANEE, Ga. -- Can you name the second-most productive pair of receivers in the NFL behind Minnesota's Randy Moss and Cris Carter?

	Tony Martin had 66 receptions for 1,181 yards in Atlanta's run-based offense.

No, it's not Jerry Rice and Terrell Owens. Or Keyshawn Johnson and Wayne Chrebet.

Try Tony Martin and Terance Mathis, who somehow have managed to thrive in the Atlanta Falcons' run-oriented offense, even though few people seem to notice.

"Nobody gives us any credit," Mathis said. "I think it's because of our running game. Everyone knows we have a smash-mouth, running type of offense."

In an All-Pro year for Jamal Anderson, who set a team rushing record with 1,846 yards and an NFL mark for most carries in a season, Mathis and Martin have quietly put together 1,000-yard seasons of their own.

Moss and Carter are the league's most productive duo, combining for 2,324 yards receiving, but Martin and Mathis accounted for only seven fewer yards between them.

Martin led the Falcons with 66 receptions for 1,181 yards, while Mathis had 64 receptions for 1,136 yards. Mathis had 11 touchdowns -- four of them covering at least 55 yards -- while Martin scored six times. Martin averaged 17.9 yards per catch to rank seventh in the league; Mathis was next with a 17.8-yard average. The 5-foot-10, 185-pound Mathis also is a key blocker in the running game.

"We just go out there and get the job done," Martin said. "Are we one of the top duos in the league? Yeah, without a doubt."

Still, their accomplishments were hardly noted in the flurry of awards and all-star teams. Mathis, 31, was a second alternate for the NFC's Pro Bowl team, while the 33-year-old Martin wasn't even mentioned. Neither received a vote for All-Pro.

Maybe it's because they both entered the league as obscure players who needed a few years to make their mark. They've been playing a futile game of catch-up ever since.

"We've had to work for everything we've gotten," Mathis said. "We still have to prove ourselves. People have started talking about our ages now. It seems like a constant thing to prove yourself year after year."

Martin was cut by the New York Jets after being drafted in the fifth round in 1989, then waited another year to play in his first NFL game with Miami. He didn't become a full-time starter until age 30 with the San Diego Chargers.

Mathis was a sixth-round pick by the Jets in '90, but started only one game during four years in New York. He had a breakthrough season in 1994 after being traded to the Falcons, catching a team-record 111 passes for 1,342 yards and 11 touchdowns to earn his only trip to the Pro Bowl.

Atlanta dumped the run-and-shoot offense after Dan Reeves was hired as coach in 1997, but Mathis remained a productive player. He had 62 receptions for 802 yards last season.

"It's funny," Mathis said. "When I played in the run-and-shoot, I did pick up some big numbers. Well, as you can see, we're out of the run-and-shoot now, and basically I'm doing the same thing. I don't know what it is. I guess sooner or later I'll get my respect."

After his lone Pro Bowl appearance to conclude the '96 season, Martin slumped to 63 receptions a year ago with the Chargers. The Falcons, needing a receiver when Bert Emanuel signed with Tampa Bay, acquired Martin basically out of desperation for a mere second-round draft pick.

It was turned out to be yet another steal for Atlanta (14-2), which built the NFC West champions with castoffs from other teams and low-round draft picks. The Falcons meet San Francisco in a divisional playoff Saturday.

"We ended up with about the same amount of catches and the same amount of yards," Mathis said. "Our average per catch was basically the same. You can't ask for anything better than that."

Atlanta's passing game is in good hands with Chris Chandler throwing to the '90s version of the M&M Boys.

"It just shows you what tremendous confidence Chris has in both of them," Reeves said. "He'll go to them in tough situations, and he knows he can count on them. They're just two great receivers."