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The closest matchups on the ladder
Last updated October 19, 2026 · 4 min read
These are the matchups that decide most Pigskin Ladder runs. In the upper tiers the game only offers pairs from the closest part of the list, so a small set of near-ties comes up over and over. Here are the five tightest pairs in every category, with the higher total listed first.
A few of them are almost absurdly close. Marcus Allen and Edgerrin James finished within three rushing yards of each other. Marvin Harrison and Cris Carter are separated by one reception. Philip Rivers threw one more touchdown than Dan Marino. At these margins, feel and reputation do not help. Only the number does.
Quarterbacks
Career passing yards
| Matchup (higher total first) | Totals | Difference | Relative gap |
|---|
| Peyton Manning vs. Brett Favre | 71,940 to 71,838 | 102 | 0.14% |
| Steve Young vs. Troy Aikman | 33,124 to 32,942 | 182 | 0.55% |
| Ben Roethlisberger vs. Philip Rivers | 64,088 to 63,440 | 648 | 1.01% |
| Philip Rivers vs. Matt Ryan | 63,440 to 62,792 | 648 | 1.02% |
| Ben Roethlisberger vs. Matt Ryan | 64,088 to 62,792 | 1,296 | 2.02% |
Career passing touchdowns
| Matchup (higher total first) | Totals | Difference | Relative gap |
|---|
| Philip Rivers vs. Dan Marino | 421 to 420 | 1 | 0.24% |
| Warren Moon vs. Johnny Unitas | 291 to 290 | 1 | 0.34% |
| Dan Marino vs. Ben Roethlisberger | 420 to 418 | 2 | 0.48% |
| Philip Rivers vs. Ben Roethlisberger | 421 to 418 | 3 | 0.71% |
| John Elway vs. Warren Moon | 300 to 291 | 9 | 3.00% |
Career interceptions thrown
| Matchup (higher total first) | Totals | Difference | Relative gap |
|---|
| Johnny Unitas vs. Dan Marino | 253 to 252 | 1 | 0.40% |
| Dan Marino vs. Peyton Manning | 252 to 251 | 1 | 0.40% |
| Tom Brady vs. Ben Roethlisberger | 212 to 211 | 1 | 0.47% |
| Johnny Unitas vs. Peyton Manning | 253 to 251 | 2 | 0.79% |
| Drew Brees vs. Dan Fouts | 244 to 242 | 2 | 0.82% |
Running backs
Career rushing yards
| Matchup (higher total first) | Totals | Difference | Relative gap |
|---|
| Edgerrin James vs. Marcus Allen | 12,246 to 12,243 | 3 | 0.02% |
| LaDainian Tomlinson vs. Jerome Bettis | 13,684 to 13,662 | 22 | 0.16% |
| Marshall Faulk vs. Edgerrin James | 12,279 to 12,246 | 33 | 0.27% |
| Marshall Faulk vs. Marcus Allen | 12,279 to 12,243 | 36 | 0.29% |
| Marcus Allen vs. Thurman Thomas | 12,243 to 12,074 | 169 | 1.38% |
Career rushing touchdowns
| Matchup (higher total first) | Totals | Difference | Relative gap |
|---|
| Marshall Faulk vs. Barry Sanders | 100 to 99 | 1 | 1.00% |
| Jerome Bettis vs. Curtis Martin | 91 to 90 | 1 | 1.10% |
| Jerome Bettis vs. Eric Dickerson | 91 to 90 | 1 | 1.10% |
| Fred Taylor vs. Thurman Thomas | 66 to 65 | 1 | 1.52% |
| Marcus Allen vs. Adrian Peterson | 123 to 120 | 3 | 2.44% |
Career receptions
| Matchup (higher total first) | Totals | Difference | Relative gap |
|---|
| Walter Payton vs. Curtis Martin | 492 to 484 | 8 | 1.63% |
| Steven Jackson vs. Edgerrin James | 442 to 433 | 9 | 2.04% |
| Curtis Martin vs. Thurman Thomas | 484 to 472 | 12 | 2.48% |
| Fred Taylor vs. Eric Dickerson | 290 to 281 | 9 | 3.10% |
| Walter Payton vs. Thurman Thomas | 492 to 472 | 20 | 4.07% |
Receivers and tight ends
Career receiving yards
| Matchup (higher total first) | Totals | Difference | Relative gap |
|---|
| Isaac Bruce vs. Tony Gonzalez | 15,208 to 15,127 | 81 | 0.53% |
| Randy Moss vs. Isaac Bruce | 15,292 to 15,208 | 84 | 0.55% |
| Steve Smith Sr. vs. Marvin Harrison | 14,731 to 14,580 | 151 | 1.03% |
| Randy Moss vs. Tony Gonzalez | 15,292 to 15,127 | 165 | 1.08% |
| Reggie Wayne vs. Andre Johnson | 14,345 to 14,185 | 160 | 1.12% |
Career receptions
| Matchup (higher total first) | Totals | Difference | Relative gap |
|---|
| Marvin Harrison vs. Cris Carter | 1,102 to 1,101 | 1 | 0.09% |
| Antonio Gates vs. Andre Reed | 955 to 951 | 4 | 0.42% |
| Cris Carter vs. Tim Brown | 1,101 to 1,094 | 7 | 0.64% |
| Steve Smith Sr. vs. Isaac Bruce | 1,031 to 1,024 | 7 | 0.68% |
| Marvin Harrison vs. Tim Brown | 1,102 to 1,094 | 8 | 0.73% |
Career receiving touchdowns
| Matchup (higher total first) | Totals | Difference | Relative gap |
|---|
| Reggie Wayne vs. Steve Smith Sr. | 82 to 81 | 1 | 1.22% |
| Cris Carter vs. Marvin Harrison | 130 to 128 | 2 | 1.54% |
| Randy Moss vs. Terrell Owens | 156 to 153 | 3 | 1.92% |
| Antonio Gates vs. Tony Gonzalez | 116 to 111 | 5 | 4.31% |
| Isaac Bruce vs. Andre Reed | 91 to 87 | 4 | 4.40% |
Pass rushers
Career sacks
| Matchup (higher total first) | Totals | Difference | Relative gap |
|---|
| Kevin Greene vs. Julius Peppers | 160 to 159.5 | 0.5 | 0.31% |
| Jason Taylor vs. Terrell Suggs | 139.5 to 139 | 0.5 | 0.36% |
| Terrell Suggs vs. DeMarcus Ware | 139 to 138.5 | 0.5 | 0.36% |
| Jason Taylor vs. DeMarcus Ware | 139.5 to 138.5 | 1.0 | 0.72% |
| DeMarcus Ware vs. Richard Dent | 138.5 to 137.5 | 1.0 | 0.72% |
How to use this list
You do not need to memorize all of it. Start with the pairs inside each category where the difference is under one percent, since those are the ones where guessing is worth about 50%. Then learn the direction of each: write down who is higher, not the totals themselves. “James edges Allen by three yards” is enough to turn a coin flip into a free rung.
Remember that players with exactly equal totals are never paired. John Randle and Richard Dent both finished with 137.5 sacks, so that matchup cannot appear. For the rules behind this ordering, read how the game picks its matchups.
Ready to test your memory? Play Pigskin Ladder.