In Michael Vick and Geno Smith, do the Jets have two quarterbacks? Or do they have none? Both struggled for most of last year.
Playing around with the numbers, however, I notice that at least both were trying to throw downfield. There was some degree of difficulty there. These are not Trent Edwards or Blaine Gabbert types, happily taking a 5-yard completion on third-and-12. These guys are attempting the higher risk, more difficult downfield throws.
Vick averaged 15.8 yards on his 77 completions. That was No. 1 among all quarterbacks with at least 100 attempts. And Smith, while just a rookie, also showed up in the top 10 on this list. Smith definitely struggled at times in his first year, but way too early to think about giving up on him. For all the grief he takes, he managed to go 8-8 as a starter. And note that Smith actually completed a higher percentage of his passes than Vick.
I’m not saying this is a silver bullet indicator for quarterbacks. Notice that Matt McGloin and Case Keenum are also in the top 10, and a lot of teams wouldn’t be interested in either of those guys if they available on the waiver wire. Josh Freeman and Brandon Weeden also show up as above-average. The stat is a better indicator of playing STYLE rather than playing EFFECTIVENESS.
But with the kind of offense the Jets will run – heavily emphasizing the run – my initially leaning is that they’ll be OK at quarterback.
| QUARTERBACKS THROWING DOWNFIELD | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Players | Pct | Yards | YPC |
| Michael Vick, Phil. | 54.6% | 1215 | 15.78 |
| Nick Foles, Phil. | 64.0% | 2891 | 14.24 |
| Colin Kaepernick, S.F. | 58.4% | 3197 | 13.16 |
| Aaron Rodgers, G.B. | 66.6% | 2536 | 13.14 |
| Matt McGloin, Oak. | 55.9% | 1547 | 13.11 |
| Russell Wilson, Sea. | 63.1% | 3357 | 13.06 |
| Case Keenum, Hou. | 54.2% | 1760 | 12.85 |
| Matthew Stafford, Det. | 58.5% | 4650 | 12.53 |
| Geno Smith, NYJ | 55.8% | 3046 | 12.33 |
| Brandon Weeden, Clev. | 52.8% | 1731 | 12.28 |
| Josh McCown, Chi. | 66.5% | 1829 | 12.28 |
| Peyton Manning, Den. | 68.3% | 5477 | 12.17 |
| Josh Freeman, T.B.-Min. | 42.9% | 761 | 12.08 |
| Eli Manning, NYG | 57.5% | 3818 | 12.04 |
| Philip Rivers, S.D. | 69.5% | 4478 | 11.85 |
| Andy Dalton, Cin. | 61.9% | 4293 | 11.83 |
| Matt Cassel, Minn. | 60.2% | 1807 | 11.81 |
| Carson Palmer, Ariz. | 63.3% | 4274 | 11.81 |
| Kellen Clemens, St.L. | 58.7% | 1673 | 11.78 |
| Thaddeus Lewis, Buff. | 59.2% | 1092 | 11.74 |
| Jay Cutler, Chi. | 63.1% | 2621 | 11.70 |
| Robert Griffin III, Wash. | 60.1% | 3203 | 11.69 |
| Drew Brees, N.O. | 68.6% | 5162 | 11.57 |
| Cam Newton, Car. | 61.7% | 3379 | 11.57 |
| Terrelle Pryor, Oak. | 57.4% | 1798 | 11.53 |
| Tom Brady, N.E. | 60.5% | 4343 | 11.43 |
| Ben Roethlisberger, Pitt. | 64.2% | 4261 | 11.36 |
| Jake Locker, Tenn. | 60.7% | 1256 | 11.32 |
| Ryan Fitzpatrick, Tenn. | 62.0% | 2454 | 11.31 |
| Matt Flynn, Oak.-G.B. | 62.0% | 1392 | 11.23 |
| Jason Campbell, Clev. | 56.8% | 2015 | 11.19 |
| Tony Romo, Dall. | 63.9% | 3828 | 11.19 |
| Andrew Luck, Ind. | 60.2% | 3822 | 11.14 |
| Ryan Tannehill, Mia. | 60.4% | 3913 | 11.02 |
| E.J. Manuel, Buff. | 58.8% | 1972 | 10.96 |
| Christian Ponder, Minn. | 63.6% | 1648 | 10.84 |
| Joe Flacco, Balt. | 59.0% | 3912 | 10.81 |
| Alex Smith, K.C. | 60.6% | 3313 | 10.76 |
| Chad Henne, Jac. | 60.6% | 3241 | 10.63 |
| Sam Bradford, St.L. | 60.7% | 1687 | 10.61 |
| Mike Glennon, T.B. | 59.4% | 2608 | 10.56 |
| Matt Schaub, Hou. | 61.2% | 2310 | 10.55 |
| Kirk Cousins, Wash. | 52.3% | 854 | 10.54 |
| Matt Ryan, Atl. | 67.4% | 4515 | 10.28 |
—Ian Allan