With quarterbacks, I like to look at what happens inside the 10. That’s a telling part of the field.
For starters, you can see which quarterbacks simply are running the most plays down there. More plays tends to result in more touchdowns.
You can also look at effectiveness. Which quarterbacks are completing the highest percentage of passes? And which ones are doing the best job of putting it in the end zone.
No huge surpises for number of plays run. Luck, Rodgers and Manning are the top 3. But note that Jay Cutler comes in at No. 4, with 30 plays, and Ryan Tannehill is one of the nine overall who’ve had over 25 plays.
| Most Pass Plays Inside 10 | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Player | Plays | Comp | Att | Pct |
| IND Luck | 39 | 21 | 35 | 60.0% |
| GB Rodgers | 31 | 16 | 29 | 55.2% |
| DEN P.Manning | 31 | 20 | 30 | 66.7% |
| CHI Cutler | 30 | 16 | 30 | 53.3% |
| SD Rivers | 29 | 17 | 29 | 58.6% |
| NYG E.Manning | 28 | 15 | 28 | 53.6% |
| PIT Roethlisberger | 27 | 18 | 26 | 69.2% |
| MIA Tannehill | 26 | 12 | 26 | 46.2% |
| NE Brady | 26 | 18 | 25 | 72.0% |
| DET Stafford | 25 | 7 | 23 | 30.4% |
| KC A.Smith | 20 | 11 | 19 | 57.9% |
| BLT Flacco | 19 | 8 | 18 | 44.4% |
| CLV Hoyer | 18 | 10 | 17 | 58.8% |
| STL A.Davis | 16 | 10 | 14 | 71.4% |
| NO Brees | 16 | 12 | 15 | 80.0% |
| SF Kaepernick | 14 | 8 | 14 | 57.1% |
| NYJ G.Smith | 14 | 6 | 14 | 42.9% |
| ARZ Palmer | 13 | 6 | 13 | 46.2% |
| ATL Ryan | 13 | 10 | 13 | 76.9% |
| SEA Wilson | 13 | 6 | 13 | 46.2% |
| DAL Romo | 13 | 7 | 12 | 58.3% |
| OAK Carr | 12 | 9 | 12 | 75.0% |
| PHI Foles | 11 | 3 | 11 | 27.3% |
| TB Glennon | 10 | 6 | 10 | 60.0% |
| HST Fitzpatrick | 10 | 5 | 9 | 55.6% |
| CIN Dalton | 9 | 2 | 9 | 22.2% |
| CAR Newton | 9 | 4 | 8 | 50.0% |
Next, we can look at which quarterbacks are doing the best job of getting it into the hands of their guys down in that area. Five quarterbacks have completed at least 70 percent in that part of the field, and two of them are surprises (Derek Carr and Austin Davis). Drew Brees and Matt Ryan lead the way; they’re both over 75 percent.
Three have completed under a third of their passes inside the 10, and all are notable names. Andy Dalton (God, he was awful on Thursday night), Nick Foles and Matthew Stafford. The numbers here, by the way, don’t include Thursday night for Hoyer or Dalton.
For this one, I’m only including guys with at least 9 pass plays. Please note that Kyle Orton has been great in this part of the field, but he’s started only four games. Orton is 7 for 7 inside the 10, with 6 scores.
| COMPLETION PERCENTAGE INSIDE 10 | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Player | Plays | Comp | Att | Pct |
| NO Brees | 16 | 12 | 15 | 80.0% |
| ATL Ryan | 13 | 10 | 13 | 76.9% |
| OAK Carr | 12 | 9 | 12 | 75.0% |
| NE Brady | 26 | 18 | 25 | 72.0% |
| STL A.Davis | 16 | 10 | 14 | 71.4% |
| PIT Roethlisberger | 27 | 18 | 26 | 69.2% |
| DEN P.Manning | 31 | 20 | 30 | 66.7% |
| IND Luck | 39 | 21 | 35 | 60.0% |
| TB Glennon | 10 | 6 | 10 | 60.0% |
| CLV Hoyer | 18 | 10 | 17 | 58.8% |
| SD Rivers | 29 | 17 | 29 | 58.6% |
| DAL Romo | 13 | 7 | 12 | 58.3% |
| KC A.Smith | 20 | 11 | 19 | 57.9% |
| SF Kaepernick | 14 | 8 | 14 | 57.1% |
| HST Fitzpatrick | 10 | 5 | 9 | 55.6% |
| GB Rodgers | 31 | 16 | 29 | 55.2% |
| NYG E.Manning | 28 | 15 | 28 | 53.6% |
| CHI Cutler | 30 | 16 | 30 | 53.3% |
| CAR Newton | 9 | 4 | 8 | 50.0% |
| MIA Tannehill | 26 | 12 | 26 | 46.2% |
| ARZ Palmer | 13 | 6 | 13 | 46.2% |
| SEA Wilson | 13 | 6 | 13 | 46.2% |
| BLT Flacco | 19 | 8 | 18 | 44.4% |
| NYJ G.Smith | 14 | 6 | 14 | 42.9% |
| DET Stafford | 25 | 7 | 23 | 30.4% |
| PHI Foles | 11 | 3 | 11 | 27.3% |
| CIN Dalton | 9 | 2 | 9 | 22.2% |
And finally, we can look at EFFECTIVENESS inside the 10. That is, which quarterbacks successfully put the ball in the end zone on the highest percentage of their plays. For this one, I’m dividing touchdowns (and I’m also including 2-point conversions in there) by the total number of pass plays (including sacks).
Only four quarterbacks have converted over half of their pass plays into scores, and two of them are big surprises. Matt Ryan and Tony Romo are up there, but those guys are veterans. The surprises are Mike Glennon and Derek Carr. Despite Glennon’s effectiveness in that part of the field, the Bucs are going back to Josh McCown this week. McCown in the first two games of the season went 1 of 4 in that part of the field, with one touchdown and one interception.
Kyle Orton, again, has actually been the best quarterback in the league in this part of the field but has started only four games. For this list, I went with guys with at least 9 pass attempts. Orton is 7 for 7 inside the 10, with 6 scores.
Nick Foles and Andy Dalton have been the worst quarterbacks in that part of the field. Matthew Stafford and Ryan Tannehill have also struggled (they’ve been less effective than Geno Smith, believe it or not).
Three quarterbacks have been sacked on over 10 percent of their plays in that part of the field: Austin Davis, Cam Newton, Andrew Luck and Ryan Fitzpatrick.
| SCORING PERCENTAGE INSIDE 10 | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Player | Plays | TD | TD% | Int | sack |
| ATL Ryan | 13 | 8 | 61.5% | 0 | 0 |
| TB Glennon | 10 | 6 | 60.0% | 0 | 0 |
| OAK Carr | 12 | 7 | 58.3% | 0 | 0 |
| DAL Romo | 13 | 7 | 53.8% | 1 | 1 |
| NE Brady | 26 | 13 | 50.0% | 0 | 1 |
| HST Fitzpatrick | 10 | 5 | 50.0% | 1 | 1 |
| NYG E.Manning | 28 | 13 | 46.4% | 1 | 0 |
| SD Rivers | 29 | 13 | 44.8% | 0 | 0 |
| CAR Newton | 9 | 4 | 44.4% | 0 | 1 |
| STL A.Davis | 16 | 7 | 43.8% | 0 | 2 |
| CHI Cutler | 30 | 13 | 43.3% | 0 | 0 |
| DEN P.Manning | 31 | 13 | 41.9% | 0 | 1 |
| CLV Hoyer | 18 | 7 | 38.9% | 0 | 1 |
| GB Rodgers | 31 | 12 | 38.7% | 1 | 2 |
| IND Luck | 39 | 15 | 38.5% | 1 | 4 |
| NO Brees | 16 | 6 | 37.5% | 0 | 1 |
| SF Kaepernick | 14 | 5 | 35.7% | 0 | 0 |
| KC A.Smith | 20 | 7 | 35.0% | 0 | 1 |
| PIT Roethlisberger | 27 | 9 | 33.3% | 0 | 1 |
| BLT Flacco | 19 | 6 | 31.6% | 0 | 1 |
| ARZ Palmer | 13 | 4 | 30.8% | 0 | 0 |
| SEA Wilson | 13 | 4 | 30.8% | 1 | 0 |
| NYJ G.Smith | 14 | 4 | 28.6% | 0 | 0 |
| MIA Tannehill | 26 | 7 | 26.9% | 1 | 0 |
| DET Stafford | 25 | 6 | 24.0% | 0 | 2 |
| CIN Dalton | 9 | 2 | 22.2% | 0 | 0 |
| PHI Foles | 11 | 2 | 18.2% | 1 | 0 |
—Ian Allan