Matt Ryan had a big year last year. He threw for a bunch of yards and touchdowns, and he consistently challenged defenses downfield, ripping off chunks of yardage. He was all-time good.

Typically with quarterbacks, we tend to look at touchdowns, yardage, passer rating, completion percentage and ratio of touchdowns to interceptions. And Ryan was very good in all of those categories. But for a moment instead, consider average yards per pass play.

Ryan averaged 9.3 yards per pass attempt last year. Not per completion, but for every time he threw the ball (including incompletions). That’s a very large number.

In this century (the 17 seasons including 2000), only one quarterback has finished with a better yards-per-attempt figure. That would be Kurt Warner, when they had the Greatest Show on Turf rolling in 2000. Since then, 543 other quarterbacks have started games for teams on opening day.

I’m not guaranteeing Ryan will do it again. They’ve got to work in a new offensive coordinator, and they’ve got to keep Julio Jones healthy. But Ryan sure was special last year.

QUARTERBACKS AVERAGING 8 YARDS PER ATTEMPT
YearPlayerAttCompYardsAvg
2000Kurt Warner, St.L.3472353,4299.88
2016Matt Ryan, Atl.5343734,9449.26
2011Aaron Rodgers, G.B.5023434,6439.25
2004Peyton Manning, Ind.4973364,5579.17
2013Nick Foles, Phil.3172032,8919.12
2005Ben Roethlisberger, Pitt.2681682,3858.90
2004Ben Roethlisberger, Pitt.2951962,6218.88
2001Kurt Warner, St.L.5463754,8308.85
2009Philip Rivers, S.D.4863174,2548.75
2013Aaron Rodgers, G.B.2901932,5368.74
2010Philip Rivers, S.D.5413574,7108.71
2015Carson Palmer, Ariz.5373424,6718.70
2006Tony Romo, Dall.3372202,9038.61
2004Daunte Culpepper, Minn.5483794,7178.61
2000Trent Green, St.L.2401452,0638.60
2011Tom Brady, N.E.6114015,2358.57
2009Ben Roethlisberger, Pitt.5063374,3288.55
2009Drew Brees, N.O.5143634,3888.54
2002Marc Bulger, St.L.2141381,8268.53
2014Tony Romo, Dall.4353043,7058.52
2011Matt Schaub, Hou.2921782,4798.49
2014Aaron Rodgers, G.B.5203414,3818.43
2015Andy Dalton, Cin.3862553,2508.42
2015Ben Roethlisberger, Pitt.4693193,9388.40
2011Carson Palmer, Oak.3281992,7538.39
2008Philip Rivers, S.D.4783124,0098.39
2014Kirk Cousins, Wash.2041261,7108.38
2006Donovan McNabb, Phil.3161802,6478.38
2011Eli Manning, NYG5893594,9338.38
2011Drew Brees, N.O.6574685,4768.33
2015Russell Wilson, Sea.4833294,0248.33
2012Colin Kaepernick, S.F.2181361,8148.32
2007Tom Brady, N.E.5783984,8068.31
2013Peyton Manning, Den.6594505,4778.31
2000Daunte Culpepper, Minn.4742973,9378.31
2005Peyton Manning, Ind.4533053,7478.27
2004Donovan McNabb, Phil.4693003,8758.26
2004Trent Green, K.C.5563694,5918.26
2010Aaron Rodgers, G.B.4753123,9228.26
2013Russell Wilson, Sea.4072573,3578.25
2013Philip Rivers, S.D.5443784,4788.23
2016Tom Brady, N.E.4322913,5548.23
2010Ben Roethlisberger, Pitt.3892403,2008.23
2009Aaron Rodgers, G.B.5413504,4348.20
2009Matt Schaub, Hou.5833964,7708.18
2004Marc Bulger, St.L.4853213,9648.17
2013Josh McCown, Chi.2241491,8298.17
2009Tony Romo, Dall.5503474,4838.15
2014Ben Roethlisberger, Pitt.6084084,9528.14
2012Robert Griffin III, Wash.3932583,2008.14
2016Kirk Cousins, Wash.6064064,9178.11
2010Michael Vick, Phil.3722333,0188.11
2007Tony Romo, Dall.5203354,2118.10
2003Steve McNair, Tenn.4002503,2158.04
2009Donovan McNabb, Phil.4432673,5538.02
2011Tony Romo, Dall.5223464,1848.02
2008Matt Schaub, Hou.3802513,0438.01
2005Marc Bulger, St.L.2871922,2978.00
2000Brian Griese, Den.3362162,6888.00

—Ian Allan

(On the chart, I’m showing only quarterbacks who attempted at least 200 passes in a season.)