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Factoid

Megatron -- the intended target

No big news flash, but teams are passing more. This is allowing quarterbacks and wide receivers to have more success - put up better numbers, anyway.

Look at the chart below, which shows receivers seeing the most passes.

In 2004, the NFL started published "targets" in their boxscores. The number of balls thrown to each player (whether caught or not). In the first eight years of the target era, no player was the intended target on more than 181 passes.

Last year, three different receivers saw at least 192 pass attempts. Megatron, Reggie Wayne and Brandon Marshall.

It's a passing league. (On the chart below, I'm showing all receivers who've averaged at least 10 targets in a season - 160 in a 16-game season.)


AVERAGING 10 TARGETS PER GAME, 2004-12
   No   Year

   204   2012   Calvin Johnson (Det.)
   195   2012   Reggie Wayne (Ind.)
   192   2012   Brandon Marshall (Chi.)
   181   2008   Brandon Marshall (Den.)
   180   2011   Roddy White (Atl.)
   179   2010   Roddy White (Atl.)
   179   2006   Torry Holt (St.L.)
   176   2010   Reggie Wayne (Ind.)
   175   2012   Wes Welker (N.E.)
   173   2011   Wes Welker (N.E.)
   173   2010   Larry Fitzgerald (Ariz.)
   172   2006   Donald Driver (G.B.)
   171   2009   Andre Johnson (Hou.)
   171   2005   Anquan Boldin (Ariz.)
   170   2008   Andre Johnson (Hou.)
   170   2007   Brandon Marshall (Den.)
   170   2004   Chad Johnson (Cin.)
   169   2007   T.J. Houshmandzadeh (Cin.)
   168   2004   Laveranues Coles (Wash.)
   166   2007   Larry Fitzgerald (Ariz.)
   166   2005   Chris Chambers (Mia.)
   166   2005   Plaxico Burress (NYG)
   165   2005   Larry Fitzgerald (Ariz.)
   164   2012   A.J. Green (Cin.)
   164   2009   Roddy White (Atl.)
   164   2007   Derrick Mason (Balt.)
   164   2006   Andre Johnson (Hou.)
   163   2005   Torry Holt (St.L.)
   162   2012   Andre Johnson (Hou.)
   162   2009   Wes Welker (N.E.)
   161   2007   Chad Johnson (Cin.)
   160   2004   Muhsin Muhammad (Car.)

^aEUR"Ian Allan


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