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 | |||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Year | Player | Att | Comp | Yards | Avg |
2000 | Kurt Warner, St.L. | 347 | 235 | 3,429 | 9.88 |
2016 | Matt Ryan, Atl. | 534 | 373 | 4,944 | 9.26 |
2011 | Aaron Rodgers, G.B. | 502 | 343 | 4,643 | 9.25 |
2004 | Peyton Manning, Ind. | 497 | 336 | 4,557 | 9.17 |
2013 | Nick Foles, Phil. | 317 | 203 | 2,891 | 9.12 |
2005 | Ben Roethlisberger, Pitt. | 268 | 168 | 2,385 | 8.90 |
2004 | Ben Roethlisberger, Pitt. | 295 | 196 | 2,621 | 8.88 |
2001 | Kurt Warner, St.L. | 546 | 375 | 4,830 | 8.85 |
2009 | Philip Rivers, S.D. | 486 | 317 | 4,254 | 8.75 |
2013 | Aaron Rodgers, G.B. | 290 | 193 | 2,536 | 8.74 |
2010 | Philip Rivers, S.D. | 541 | 357 | 4,710 | 8.71 |
2015 | Carson Palmer, Ariz. | 537 | 342 | 4,671 | 8.70 |
2006 | Tony Romo, Dall. | 337 | 220 | 2,903 | 8.61 |
2004 | Daunte Culpepper, Minn. | 548 | 379 | 4,717 | 8.61 |
2000 | Trent Green, St.L. | 240 | 145 | 2,063 | 8.60 |
2011 | Tom Brady, N.E. | 611 | 401 | 5,235 | 8.57 |
2009 | Ben Roethlisberger, Pitt. | 506 | 337 | 4,328 | 8.55 |
2009 | Drew Brees, N.O. | 514 | 363 | 4,388 | 8.54 |
2002 | Marc Bulger, St.L. | 214 | 138 | 1,826 | 8.53 |
2014 | Tony Romo, Dall. | 435 | 304 | 3,705 | 8.52 |
2011 | Matt Schaub, Hou. | 292 | 178 | 2,479 | 8.49 |
2014 | Aaron Rodgers, G.B. | 520 | 341 | 4,381 | 8.43 |
2015 | Andy Dalton, Cin. | 386 | 255 | 3,250 | 8.42 |
2015 | Ben Roethlisberger, Pitt. | 469 | 319 | 3,938 | 8.40 |
2011 | Carson Palmer, Oak. | 328 | 199 | 2,753 | 8.39 |
2008 | Philip Rivers, S.D. | 478 | 312 | 4,009 | 8.39 |
2014 | Kirk Cousins, Wash. | 204 | 126 | 1,710 | 8.38 |
2006 | Donovan McNabb, Phil. | 316 | 180 | 2,647 | 8.38 |
2011 | Eli Manning, NYG | 589 | 359 | 4,933 | 8.38 |
2011 | Drew Brees, N.O. | 657 | 468 | 5,476 | 8.33 |
2015 | Russell Wilson, Sea. | 483 | 329 | 4,024 | 8.33 |
2012 | Colin Kaepernick, S.F. | 218 | 136 | 1,814 | 8.32 |
2007 | Tom Brady, N.E. | 578 | 398 | 4,806 | 8.31 |
2013 | Peyton Manning, Den. | 659 | 450 | 5,477 | 8.31 |
2000 | Daunte Culpepper, Minn. | 474 | 297 | 3,937 | 8.31 |
2005 | Peyton Manning, Ind. | 453 | 305 | 3,747 | 8.27 |
2004 | Donovan McNabb, Phil. | 469 | 300 | 3,875 | 8.26 |
2004 | Trent Green, K.C. | 556 | 369 | 4,591 | 8.26 |
2010 | Aaron Rodgers, G.B. | 475 | 312 | 3,922 | 8.26 |
2013 | Russell Wilson, Sea. | 407 | 257 | 3,357 | 8.25 |
2013 | Philip Rivers, S.D. | 544 | 378 | 4,478 | 8.23 |
2016 | Tom Brady, N.E. | 432 | 291 | 3,554 | 8.23 |
2010 | Ben Roethlisberger, Pitt. | 389 | 240 | 3,200 | 8.23 |
2009 | Aaron Rodgers, G.B. | 541 | 350 | 4,434 | 8.20 |
2009 | Matt Schaub, Hou. | 583 | 396 | 4,770 | 8.18 |
2004 | Marc Bulger, St.L. | 485 | 321 | 3,964 | 8.17 |
2013 | Josh McCown, Chi. | 224 | 149 | 1,829 | 8.17 |
2009 | Tony Romo, Dall. | 550 | 347 | 4,483 | 8.15 |
2014 | Ben Roethlisberger, Pitt. | 608 | 408 | 4,952 | 8.14 |
2012 | Robert Griffin III, Wash. | 393 | 258 | 3,200 | 8.14 |
2016 | Kirk Cousins, Wash. | 606 | 406 | 4,917 | 8.11 |
2010 | Michael Vick, Phil. | 372 | 233 | 3,018 | 8.11 |
2007 | Tony Romo, Dall. | 520 | 335 | 4,211 | 8.10 |
2003 | Steve McNair, Tenn. | 400 | 250 | 3,215 | 8.04 |
2009 | Donovan McNabb, Phil. | 443 | 267 | 3,553 | 8.02 |
2011 | Tony Romo, Dall. | 522 | 346 | 4,184 | 8.02 |
2008 | Matt Schaub, Hou. | 380 | 251 | 3,043 | 8.01 |
2005 | Marc Bulger, St.L. | 287 | 192 | 2,297 | 8.00 |
2000 | Brian Griese, Den. | 336 | 216 | 2,688 | 8.00 |
—Ian Allan
(On the chart, I’m showing only quarterbacks who attempted at least 200 passes in a season.)