While NFL offenses have gotten better at creating quick and effective passing opportunities, the deep ball remains a crucial component to success.
NFL’s Nick Shook looked at NFL Next Gen Stats metrics to identify last season’s premier deep passers. He found 10 quarterbacks with the top passing scores on passing attempts of 20 yards or more by comparing their results to expected completions on those throws.
Josh Allen tops the list with a near-perfect 99 score.
While Allen isn’t a shocking leader, it’s surprising to see Matt Ryan also net a 99 score. After all, he fell short of 4,000 passing yards for the first time since 2010 despite the NFL expanding to a 17-game schedule. He averaged 7.3 yards per attempt, his lowest mark since 2013.
It’s worth noting that Matty Ice made far fewer deep attempts (42) than any other quarterback inside the top 10. However, he completed 20 of them for 718 yards, three touchdowns, and one interception despite playing behind a subpar offensive line without Calvin Ridley for most of the season.
Kyler Murray, Justin Herbert, and Matthew Stafford round out the top five. Seeing Patrick Mahomes right alongside Carson Wentz at sixth and seventh, respectively, is unexpected. New AFC West foes Russell Wilson and Derek Carr are next with 92 ratings, and MVP Aaron Rodgers rounds out the rankings.
Although Tom Brady accrued an NFL-high 5,316 passing yards in his 22nd season, he feasted more on quick strikes. Joe Burrow, Kirk Cousins, and Davis Mills also just missed the cut.