After taking a week off, the 32 Observations returns and focuses completely on the quarterbacks. Here I look at the 32 quarterbacks I believe will be the starter this season once everyone is healthy (and E.J. Manuel, since Kyle Orton has yet to play in 2014), and look at how they perform in certain situations. For some quarterbacks their observation is a sign they have been playing very well in a situation. In other cases, it is simply an observation to how his play is unique.
AFC East
Buffalo Bills: No quarterback has thrown more passes to running backs than E.J. Manuel. He has completed 32 of 36 for 269 yards, which all lead the league.
Miami Dolphins: Ryan Tannehill has had 14 of his passes dropped this year, more than any other quarterback.
New England Patriots: No starting quarterback has been sacked quicker than Tom Brady this season. On average, his time to sack is 2.78.
New York Jets: On plays where Geno Smith holds onto the ball for at least 2.6 seconds, he has a completion percentage of 57.1%, which is the best among starters.
AFC North
Baltimore Ravens: Joe Flacco has more completions when not in shotgun than any other quarterback has pass attempts not in shotgun. He has 53 completions on 80 attempts for 542 yards and five touchdowns. No other quarterback has more than 400 yards from non-shotgun passes.
Cincinnati Bengals: Of Andy Dalton’s 722 passing yards, 495 of them have come after the catch. That is 68.6% of his yards which is the highest rate among starters.
Cleveland Browns: No quarterback has lined up more in the pistol then Brian Hoyer. He has 16 completions on 19 attempts for 137 yards and two touchdowns, all of which lead the league.
Pittsburgh Steelers: No quarterback has thrown more screen passes than Ben Roethlisberger. He has 23 attempts, and also has the most completions at 19. He has 167 yards on those passes.
AFC South
Houston Texans: Of Ryan Fitzpatrick’s pass attempts, only 1.8% were overthrown and led to incompletions. That is the lowest for starters with at least 50 attempts.
Indianapolis Colts: When the Colts have 1 or 2 yards to go for a touchdown, Andrew Luck has attempted five passes. All five have been for touchdowns.
Jacksonville Jaguars: Only seven of Blake Bortles 61 pass attempts have gone to the left side. That rate of 11.5% is the lowest in the league, and well below the league average of 21%.
Tennessee Titans: Jake Locker’s average drop-back reaches 8.4 yards behind the line of scrimmage. That is the deepest in the league.
AFC West
Denver Broncos: Although Peyton Manning is tied for the lowest average time to throw at 2.12 seconds, when he does need to hold onto the ball he has still been successful. On passes where throws in 2.6 seconds or more, he has an NFL Passer Rating of 127.2 which is the best in the league.
Kansas City Chiefs: Alex Smith has only attempted eight passes where the ball is in the air 20 or more yards. That is just 6.3% of his pass attempts which is the lowest rate in the league.
Oakland Raiders: Derek Carr is the only starting quarterback who has yet to have an attempt more than 30 yards in the air.
San Diego Chargers: The leader in Accuracy Percentage in 2014 has been Philip Rivers at 81.3%. He led the league in 2013 as well, and has been in the Top 10 for each year since 2008.
NFC East
Dallas Cowboys: On 87% of Tony Romo’s completions, the offense gained at least 5 yards. That is the highest rate for any quarterback.
New York Giants: There are 10 quarterbacks who have 10 or more passing attempts within 10 yards of the goal line. The only one who has converted over half of his attempts into touchdowns is Eli Manning. He has completed nine of 14 passes with eight going for scores.
Philadelphia Eagles: Of Nick Foles' 166 pass attempts, 39 have been thrown in the air for 20 or more yards. That is a rate of 23.5% with the next highest for a QB being 18.8%. He has 17 more of those attempts than any other quarterback.
Washington: Only one quarterback has attempted more than three passes in the pistol and kept a perfect completion percentage. That quarterback is Robert Griffin III who has completed all 11 of his passes for 70 yards from the pistol.
NFC North
Chicago Bears: No quarterback has more passing yards in the red zone than Jay Cutler. He has completed 16 of 28 passes for 133 yards for 10 touchdowns and no interceptions.
Detroit Lions: On third downs, Matthew Stafford has 573 passing yards. No other quarterback has more than 400.
Green Bay Packers: No quarterback has held onto the ball for at least four seconds and still completed a pass more times than Aaron Rodgers. He has attempted 20 passes where the time to throw was more than four seconds and has completed 10 of them for 184 yards.
Minnesota Vikings: The Vikings have gained 10 yards or more on 63.6% of Teddy Bridgewater’s completions. The next highest for starters is 55.7%, and league average is 46.5%.
NFC South
Atlanta Falcons: When the Falcons have been within 10 yards of the end zone, Matt Ryan has only attempted five passes. All five have gone for touchdowns.
Carolina Panthers: Of Cam Newton’s incomplete passes, none have been because of an underthrow. He is one of six starting quarterbacks to say that, but he is the one with the most passing attempts.
New Orleans Saints: On non-play-action passes, Drew Brees has completed 71.6%, which is the best among starters.
Tampa Bay Buccaneers: Of Josh McCown’s 420 passing yards, only 149 have come after the catch. That is just 35.5% of his yards which is the lowest percentage in the league.
NFC West
Arizona Cardinals: Of Carson Palmer’s 37 pass attempts, 16 have been to the right side. That is 43.2% of his passes. The next highest is 31.7%, and league average is 22.5%.
St. Louis Rams: Before getting hurt, 30.8% of Shaun Hill’s pass attempts were thrown behind the line of scrimmage. That is nearly twice as high as the league average of 15.5%.
San Francisco 49ers: Of Colin Kaepernick’s 124 pass attempts, only nine have been behind the line of scrimmage. That is a rate of 7.3% which is the lowest rate in the league.
Seattle Seahawks: When Russell Wilson has been under pressure, he has an Accuracy Percentage of 82.6%. He has completed 53.1% of his passes when under pressure, and has thrown eight passes away.
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