Ian Allan

We all commonly look at yards-per-carry data for running backs. If a guy averages up around 5 yards per carry, we figure he’s pretty good and should be getting the ball more. If he’s down around 3.5, then something’s wrong – either the blocking isn’t there or the running back isn’t creating enough on his own.

For whatever reason, however, we rarely use the similar approach with quarterbacks – yards per attempt. You take the total yards of a quarterback, divide it by his pass attempts, and it gives you the average yards produced each time the quarterback drops back to pass.

Those stats for the 2008, therefore, appear below. At the top, we’ve got Philip Rivers, Matt Schaub and Drew Brees. Rivers and Brees, all would agree, were two of the best quarterbacks last year. And the guys are the bottom – Ryan Fitzpatrick, Derek Anderson, Matt Hasselbeck and Marc Bulger – were about the worst.

I believe the Texans run some kind of passer-friendly scheme, because Sage Rosenfels (who did not attempt 200 passes, so he’s not listed) was right up there with Schaub, at 8.2. That system tends to inflate the quarterback’s ability.

Some will be surprised to see Jake Delhomme up at No. 4 on this list. By most measures, he had a lousy year. But while Delhomme had a low completion percentage, he threw downfield a lot more often than other quarterbacks – and it’s much harder to complete 20-yard passes downfield, rather than dumping off passes to running backs and tight ends for short gains.

QUARTERBACKS: YARDS PER PASS ATTEMPT
Includes the 34 who attempted at least 200 passes.

  Per Att
  8.4  Philip Rivers, S.D.
  8.0  Matt Schaub, Hou.
  8.0  Drew Brees, N.O.
  7.9  Jake Delhomme, Car.
  7.9  Matt Ryan, Atl.
  7.7  Chad Pennington, Mia.
  7.7  Kurt Warner, Ariz.
  7.7  Tony Romo, Dall.
  7.6  J.T. O'Sullivan, S.F.
  7.5  Aaron Rodgers, G.B.
  7.3  Jay Cutler, Den.
  7.2  Trent Edwards, Buff.
  7.2  Jeff Garcia, T.B.
  7.2  Peyton Manning, Ind.
  7.2  Gus Frerotte, Minn.
  7.2  Matt Cassel, N.E.
  7.1  Shaun Hill, S.F.
  7.0  Ben Roethlisberger, Pitt.
  6.9  Joe Flacco, Balt.
  6.9  Donovan McNabb, Phil.
  6.8  David Garrard, Jac.
  6.8  Eli Manning, NYG
  6.7  Brett Favre, NYJ
  6.6  JaMarcus Russell, Oak.
  6.4  Kerry Collins, Tenn.
  6.4  Jason Campbell, Wash.
  6.4  Kyle Orton, Chi.
  6.3  Dan Orlovsky, Det.
  6.3  Seneca Wallace, Sea.
  6.2  Tyler Thigpen, K.C.
  6.2  Marc Bulger, St.L.
  5.8  Matt Hasselbeck, Sea.
  5.7  Derek Anderson, Clev.
  5.1  Ryan Fitzpatrick, Cin.

—Ian Allan

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