It’s early, but here’s a look at the passing numbers around the goal line. It’s down inside the 10 where quarterbacks really make a living – that’s where you’ve got to convert the big plays and get touchdowns rather than field goals.
Andrew Luck has been the big surprise down here, with 19 plays inside the 10. Thru Week 3, only five other guys had even hit double digits. Until Eli Manning had a big game on Thursday night, Luck in that part of the field had twice as many touchdowns as all quarterbacks except Peyton Manning (6) and Philip Rivers (5).
If you want to look at effectiveness, than Luck gets more average. Only three quarterbacks have gotten the ball in the end zone on at least half of their pass plays inside the 10 – Eli Manning, Jay Cutler and Colin Kaepernick.
The worst quarterbacks in that part of the field include three former No. 1 overall draft picks. Matthew Stafford is 2 of 10, with 2 sacks. Carson Palmer is 3 of 6, but with just 1 touchdown. Alex Smith has gone only 4 of 10, with just 2 TDs.
Some surprising names haven’t been used much in that part of the field yet. Drew Brees, Andy Dalton, Matt Ryan, Nick Foles and Russell Wilson are all averaging under 2 pass attempts per game inside the 10.
| QB -- SCORING RATES INSIDE 10 | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Player | TD | Plays | Pct | (C-A-I-S) |
| Eli Manning, NYG, NYG | 8 | 13 | 62% | (8-13-1-0) |
| Jay Cutler, Chi. | 4 | 8 | 50% | (4-8-0-0) |
| Colin Kaepernick, S.F. | 3 | 6 | 50% | (4-6-0-0) |
| Philip Rivers, S.D. | 5 | 11 | 45% | (7-11-0-0) |
| Peyton Manning, Den. | 6 | 14 | 43% | (10-14-0-0) |
| Tom Brady, N.E. | 3 | 7 | 43% | (4-7-0-0) |
| Andrew Luck, Ind. | 8 | 19 | 42% | (13-17-0-2) |
| Aaron Rodgers, G.B. | 5 | 15 | 33% | (8-15-0-0) |
| Joe Flacco, Balt. | 3 | 9 | 33% | (4-9-0-0) |
| Ryan Tannehill, Mia. | 3 | 9 | 33% | (5-9-0-0) |
| Ben Roethlisberger, Pitt. | 2 | 6 | 33% | (4-6-0-0) |
| Jake Locker, Tenn. | 2 | 6 | 33% | (2-6-0-0) |
| Tony Romo, Dall. | 2 | 7 | 29% | (2-6-1-1) |
| Alex Smith, K.C. | 2 | 10 | 20% | (4-10-0-0) |
| Matthew Stafford, Det. | 2 | 12 | 17% | (2-10-0-2) |
| Carson Palmer, Ariz. | 1 | 6 | 17% | (3-6-0-0) |
On these charts, I’ve combined touchdowns and 2-point conversions into one scoring (“TD”) category. “Plays” includes sacks. So “percentage” is number of scoring plays per pass plays. In the right column, you’ve got some of the more traditional numbers – completions, attempts, interceptions and sacks.
| FEWER THAN 6 PASS PLAYS | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Player | TD | Plays | Pct | (C-A-I-S) |
| Austin Davis, St.L. | 2 | 5 | 40% | (2-5-0-0) |
| Brian Hoyer, Clev. | 3 | 5 | 60% | (4-5-0-0) |
| Drew Brees, N.O. | 3 | 5 | 60% | (5-5-0-0) |
| Geno Smith, NYJ | 1 | 5 | 20% | (2-5-0-0) |
| Andy Dalton, Cin. | 1 | 4 | 25% | (1-4-0-0) |
| EJ Manuel, Buff. | 1 | 4 | 25% | (1-4-0-0) |
| Josh McCown, T.B. | 1 | 4 | 25% | (2-4-1-0) |
| Kirk Cousins, Wash. | 3 | 4 | 75% | (3-4-0-0) |
| Matt Ryan, Atl. | 4 | 4 | 100% | (4-4-0-0) |
| Nick Foles, Phil. | 1 | 4 | 25% | (2-4-1-0) |
| Ryan Fitzpatrick, Hou. | 1 | 4 | 25% | (1-4-0-0) |
| Russell Wilson, Sea. | 2 | 4 | 50% | (3-4-0-0) |
| Cam Newton, Car. | 1 | 2 | 50% | (1-1-0-1) |
| Derek Anderson, Car. | 1 | 2 | 50% | (1-2-0-0) |
| Drew Stanton, Ariz. | 0 | 2 | 0% | (2-2-0-0) |
| Matt Cassel, Minn. | 2 | 2 | 100% | (2-2-0-0) |
| Blake Bortles, Jac. | 1 | 1 | 100% | (1-1-0-0) |
| Chad Henne, Jac. | 0 | 1 | 0% | (0-0-0-1) |
| Derek Carr, Oak. | 1 | 1 | 100% | (1-1-0-0) |
| Mike Glennon, T.B. | 1 | 1 | 100% | (1-1-0-0) |
| Michael Vick, NYJ | 0 | 1 | 0% | (0-1-0-0) |
| Teddy Bridgewater, Minn. | 0 | 1 | 0% | (0-0-0-1) |
—Ian Allan