Every now and then, it’s important to explore the supporting cast around the stars of our Air and Space show. How much support, or lack thereof, are NFC North quarterbacks getting from their wide receivers?
ESPN Stats & Information has tracked drops by every full-time receiver in the NFL this season. Below, you’ll see a chart documenting their totals for the top three receivers on each NFC North offense.
Keep in mind that drops are both subjective and subject to the total number of passes thrown. Obviously, James Jones' five drops in 29 opportunities is a worse statistic than Bryant Johnson’s seven drops in 56 chances.
I realize this analysis leaves out tight end and running backs, removing important players like Matt Forte, Greg Olsen, Brandon Pettigrew, Chester Taylor and Visanthe Shiancoe from the mix. But on average, receivers have a higher degree of difficulty on the sum of their routes, putting a premium on their ball skills.
By this account, here is how the four primary NFC North quarterbacks have fared in terms of drops by receivers:
Matthew Stafford: 13
Brett Favre: 11
Aaron Rodgers: 10
Jay Cutler: 9
Every now and then you’ll hear someone suggest that a quarterback throws an “easy” ball to catch, or perhaps that his passes are more difficult to catch than other quarterbacks’ passes. I’ve generally discounted these theories as misguided comments on accuracy and timing. A pass is “easy” to catch when it’s in the right place at the right time. I don’t think velocity, spiral or trajectory has as much to do with it.
In this comparison, Stafford clearly has been let down the most when you consider he’s missed two starts. Is this a reflection of his accuracy and/or timing with receivers? Based on what I saw Sunday at the Metrodome, I would put much more of the blame on his receivers and Johnson in particular.
ESPN Stats & Information has tracked drops by every full-time receiver in the NFL this season. Below, you’ll see a chart documenting their totals for the top three receivers on each NFC North offense.
Keep in mind that drops are both subjective and subject to the total number of passes thrown. Obviously, James Jones' five drops in 29 opportunities is a worse statistic than Bryant Johnson’s seven drops in 56 chances.
I realize this analysis leaves out tight end and running backs, removing important players like Matt Forte, Greg Olsen, Brandon Pettigrew, Chester Taylor and Visanthe Shiancoe from the mix. But on average, receivers have a higher degree of difficulty on the sum of their routes, putting a premium on their ball skills.
By this account, here is how the four primary NFC North quarterbacks have fared in terms of drops by receivers:
Matthew Stafford: 13
Brett Favre: 11
Aaron Rodgers: 10
Jay Cutler: 9
Every now and then you’ll hear someone suggest that a quarterback throws an “easy” ball to catch, or perhaps that his passes are more difficult to catch than other quarterbacks’ passes. I’ve generally discounted these theories as misguided comments on accuracy and timing. A pass is “easy” to catch when it’s in the right place at the right time. I don’t think velocity, spiral or trajectory has as much to do with it.
In this comparison, Stafford clearly has been let down the most when you consider he’s missed two starts. Is this a reflection of his accuracy and/or timing with receivers? Based on what I saw Sunday at the Metrodome, I would put much more of the blame on his receivers and Johnson in particular.
Kevin Seifert | email
NFL- ESPN NFC North Blogger
- Joined ESPN in 2008
- Covered the Minnesota Vikings for the Minneapolis Star Tribune for eight years
ABOUT THIS BLOG
Kevin Seifert
Seifert joined ESPN.com in 2008 after covering the Minnesota Vikings for the Minneapolis Star Tribune for eight years. He lives in the Twin Cities with his wife and children.
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