Receiver

Thoroughly enjoyed this documentary series. I'm a 49ers fan which explains part of the reason why I loved this series but also, my grandfather was a professional football coach and I grew up with football. Especially NFL football. Obviously, it was awesome seeing DeeBo and George here and leaving more about them. I absolutely love Claire Kittle. I love how loud and unapologetic she is as well as her husband. But I also loved learning more about JJ, Davonte, and Amon Ra St. Brown. Admittedly, I enjoyed Davonte the least out of the five "receivers." But that's because he comes off as a diva. Not that the other 4 don't have "diva moments" but Davonte spent a lot of time complaining and that got kind annoying quickly. The ending, though I knew it was coming, sucked cause I'm a Niners fan but all in all, I really enjoyed this series.

Nothing technical, took the all the Twitter nonsense that was minimally included in Quarterback and expanded it to fill all the time. This is trash for bored housewives who know nothing about football. Parties, what they spend money on, etc. Manning should have quit while ahead, and Netflix blew it big time.

As an example, in Quarterback much of the time was spent explaining how they need to study and plan for their games. A fair amount was also spent on the training and on how each QB planned to have a long career through careful attention to training and how they played.

This trash is just on their parties, their money, and their crews. Perfect for pre-teen slumber parties.

In the summer of 2023, I thoroughly enjoyed the behind-the-scenes look that Netflix's Quarterback gave to the NFL. In 2024, much of that same spirit was captured in this Receiver installment.

This time around, Peyton Manning's documentary crew follows wide receivers Justin Jefferson (MIN), Amon-Ra St. Brown (DET), Davante Adams (LVR), Deebo Samuel (SF), and George Kittle (SF) through the 2023 season, chronicling their on-field exploits as well as their home life.

Each wideout has an interesting story:

-Jefferson's ascension to the WR stratosphere and recovering from his first major injury

-St. Brown leading the Lions deeper into the playoffs than decades past

-Adams' struggle going from the perpetually-winning Packers to a more meager Vegas variety.

-Kittle and Samuel persevering through all the bumps and bruises it takes to make a Super Bowl run.

The first thing that will jump out at viewers here is that Kittle is the absolute star of the show. His personality is absolutely magnetic and one can't take eyes off him every time he's on screen. While Jefferson, Adams, and Brown are a bit more taciturn or reserved, Kittle (and to a lesser extent Deebo) make this whole sequel series work.

Is it as good as Quarterback? Well, I gave that initial effort 10/10 stars, so I'd have to say probably not quite. But the 9/10 rating here puts it close enough to still be extremely entertaining. The need to cover so many figures perhaps holds it back from realizing its true potential a little bit.

A small gripe, however, for what just may be turning into an annual "football is in the air" sort of summer series.

Really got a good appreciation for all of the players who were involved with this especially Amon Ra. I always thought him remembering all of the recievers drafted before him was kind of corny but knowing more about his mindset made me gain a lot more respect for him. And as a 49ers fan loved seeing even more Deebo & Kittle even though the ending brought back trauma. I also liked seeing Jefferson stripped back as a really chill dude and how a lot of the players battled injuries. Seeing insight into how Davante Adams & the raiders turned around their season (morally at least) was also really great to see. Overall was great getting a closer look into some of the leagues best.

Wow, I really appreciate the guys who took the time to be a part of this series, and the film crews that followed. Top tier storylines, filming, and editing.

I recently tore my Achilles and the frames of Kirk Cousins showed how humbly he took the injury and the different sides of the game that no one sees off of the TV screen. All of the athletes endured adversity and have fought to come back better and stronger. Cannot have been easy for Jettas or Deebo and I appreciate them bearing all for some great content for the fans.

Episode 7 has to be one of the best episodes of TV ever. No rooting stake in any of these teams but it had me tearing up over and over. These guys sacrifice so much for the game of football so that we can enjoy the product every Sunday.

Well done Netflix!