Thursday, Dec. 9, 1999

By the Numbers

A look at quarterbacks

By Ron Pollack, Editor-in-chief

This week I am taking a look at statistics for quarterbacks:

• Quiz question that I think you will have a hard time answering: Who are the league’s two best quarterbacks when it comes to percentage of passes intercepted? (Answer at end of story.)

• Here is a scary thought: Peyton Manning still has a lot of room to improve. He ranks only 20^th in the NFL in percentage of passes intercepted (3.5 percent, 14 interceptions/397 pass attempts). When he cuts down on those interceptions in a couple of years, he will be completely unstoppable.

• There have been a number of comparisons made between the present-day performance of Seattle’s Jon Kitna and Brett Favre’s early days in Green Bay. The comparisons were inevitable insofar as both have been under the tutelage of Mike Holmgren. Here’s a statistic that compares the present-day Kitna to the present-day Favre. Favre is ninth-worst in the league in percentage of passes intercepted (3.9 percent, 17/437) and Kitna is 10^th-worst (3.8 percent, 13/338).

• Tim Couch has had a respectable rookie season, which is all the more impressive when you consider that he has been sacked more often than any other quarterback in the NFL (49 times). Carolina’s Steve Beuerlein and Oakland’s Rich Gannon have both had very strong seasons, yet they are the second- and third-most frequently sacked quarterbacks. Beuerlein has been sacked 40 times. Gannon has been sacked 37 times.

• Beuerlein has been a fast starter. He has thrown 13 touchdowns in the first halves of games this season, placing him second in the NFL in that category behind Kurt Warner’s outrageous total of 23. Although Carolina has only played six of its 12 games vs. NFC West opponents this season, 12 of Beuerlein’s 15 interceptions have come in games against teams from the division. Beuerlein has been sensational in the second quarters of games this season, posting a TD-interception ratio of 12-3 in that period.

• Detroit QB Gus Frerotte’s passer rating in the first halves of games is 117.4, second in the NFL behind Warner’s mark of 118.4. To show you how unbelievable those ratings are, no one else in the NFL is above 99.0 in first-half passer rating.

• Fittingly, Buffalo QB Doug Flutie, a master of the comeback, leads the NFL in TD passes in the second halves of games with 11.

• Minnesota QB Jeff George is keeping the chains moving, a key aspect of quarterbacking. He leads the NFL in percentage of first downs converted when passing on third downs. He has done so 53.2 percent of the time (33/62), placing him just ahead of Warner.

• People don’t seem to be talking about Cowboys QB Troy Aikman as often as they used to, but here’s proof that he is still earning his money: Aikman leads the NFL in passer rating inside the opponents’ 20-yard line. His passer rating in the red zone is 107.6. Warner’s is 106.1. No other quarterback in the NFL has a passer rating of 100 or better in that area.

• The AFC West isn’t exactly known for glitzy quarterbacks these days, but four of the 10 longest passes thrown this season were tossed by quarterbacks from that division.

• Bengals QB Jeff Blake’s TD-interception ratio is a sparkling 10-2 at home, compared to 5-6 on the road. Six of Blake’s eight interceptions have come on pass attempts of between 11 and 20 yards.

• The arrow is pointing down on Chiefs QB Elvis Grbac. Even though you have to take the December total with a grain of salt since there has been only one December game, look at the declining passer-rating numbers for Grbac: September (86.2), October (80.4), November (75.8) and December (71.1). The same is true of Washington QB Brad Johnson: September (114.2), October (101.3), November (70.6), December (65.0).

• Seahawks QB Jon Kitna threw only two interceptions in his first six games this season, but he has tossed 11 interceptions in his last five games. Kitna does have a positive TD-interception ratio both at home and on the road this season (11-9 at home, 7-4 on the road).

• Falcons QB Chris Chandler threw only three interceptions in the first five games he played in this season, but he has tossed seven interceptions in the last four games in which he saw action.

Answer to quiz question: Detroit’s Frerotte and Baltimore’s Tony Banks have been the league’s two best quarterbacks at avoiding interceptions. In percentage of passes intercepted, Frerotte ranks No. 1 (1.0 percent, two interceptions/192 pass attempts), and Banks is No. 2 (1.5 percent, 3/199)

Editor's note: To see the NFL statistical section that Pollack refers to, click here, and to see the NCAA statistical section that is also available, click here.

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