Best Deep Passers in the NFL.

[NFSeahawks]

I feel like this is a thing that has gone ignored with Wilson, however the one thing he has been able to do without problems in his early career is throw the long ball.

Wilson ranks 2nd, 1st and 2nd respectively in deep pass attempts per throw, deep pass accuracy, and deep pass yards/att.

I know it's deadspin but it's an interesting read.

http://regressing.deadspin.com/charts-w ... socialflow

 

[HawkFan72]

Sexy deep ball.

 

[sutz]

Interesting read. What isn't stated but I think has a great influence on those stats is that most of the top deep passers come from teams with good to great running games.

In today's NFL it is really difficult to generate the time for such plays to develop without a credible play action fake to slow the pass rush, particularly in the 'success' area of accuracy and YPA. I'm certainly not surprised at most of the teams at the top of that chart. The more pass happy teams almost have to sink on those charts just because they pass too often. The precision timing of a WCO passing game tends to come unraveled after 6-7 seconds or so.

Nice article, though.

 

[c_hawkbob]

Interesting read. What isn't stated but I think has a great influence on those stats is that most of the top deep passers come from teams with good to great running games.

In today's NFL it is really difficult to generate the time for such plays to develop without a credible play action fake to slow the pass rush, particularly in the 'success' area of accuracy and YPA. I'm certainly not surprised at most of the teams at the top of that chart. The more pass happy teams almost have to sink on those charts just because they pass too often. The precision timing of a WCO passing game tends to come unraveled after 6-7 seconds or so.

Nice article, though.

Agreed. You gotta be able to spring someone deep in order to connect deep, and a real threat of the run to keep the second level (as well as maybe a Safety) planted for that half a beat is critical to the ability to spring a receiver deep.

Then still it takes a QB with arm, nerve and accuracy to complete the deal and Russ has got that in spades!

 

[sutz]

Interesting read. What isn't stated but I think has a great influence on those stats is that most of the top deep passers come from teams with good to great running games.

In today's NFL it is really difficult to generate the time for such plays to develop without a credible play action fake to slow the pass rush, particularly in the 'success' area of accuracy and YPA. I'm certainly not surprised at most of the teams at the top of that chart. The more pass happy teams almost have to sink on those charts just because they pass too often. The precision timing of a WCO passing game tends to come unraveled after 6-7 seconds or so.

Nice article, though.

Agreed. You gotta be able to spring someone deep in order to connect deep, and a real threat of the run to keep the second level (as well as maybe a Safety) planted for that half a beat is critical to the ability to spring a receiver deep.

Then still it takes a QB with arm, nerve and accuracy to complete the deal and Russ has got that in spades!

Agreed. Many teams have one or the other. The Seahaawks have both, and it makes us lethal.

 

[Anthony!]

Interesting read. What isn't stated but I think has a great influence on those stats is that most of the top deep passers come from teams with good to great running games.

In today's NFL it is really difficult to generate the time for such plays to develop without a credible play action fake to slow the pass rush, particularly in the 'success' area of accuracy and YPA. I'm certainly not surprised at most of the teams at the top of that chart. The more pass happy teams almost have to sink on those charts just because they pass too often. The precision timing of a WCO passing game tends to come unraveled after 6-7 seconds or so.

Nice article, though.

Agreed. You gotta be able to spring someone deep in order to connect deep, and a real threat of the run to keep the second level (as well as maybe a Safety) planted for that half a beat is critical to the ability to spring a receiver deep.

Then still it takes a QB with arm, nerve and accuracy to complete the deal and Russ has got that in spades!

Yup Gotto agree on all points, take the run game or threat of it to give the extra time, and takes a great QB to take advantage of it.

 

[RolandDeschain]

When Russell was on with Dave Dameshek earlier this week for his podcast, it was determined that he had the best sexy deep ball. 8)

http://davedameshek.nfl.com/2013/11/20/ ... casts_shek

 

[Mick063]

He is great at the deep ball for three reasons:

1) He extends plays by scrambling, allowing the receivers to not only get deep, but to improvise once they get there.

2) He throws on the run as well as any quarterback I have ever seen. He runs to buy time for the forward pass. The more time he buys, the deeper his receiver can go. He only runs past the line of scrimmage if he is out of passing options. He is always looking downfield to throw. Deep downfield.

3) Once he "settles down" from the early game adrenaline rush (ceases to throw high), his accuracy is off the charts. It takes him about a quarter to get there, but once he is on, his ball placement is as good as anyone in the league. If he is off, the ball is placed where the defender can't get to it. A large number of Wilson's very few interceptions come off of the hands of his own receivers. His own players "tip" the ball to the opponent.


I don't know if anyone remembers Jeff Blake of the Cincinnati Bengals, but I always thought he threw the prettiest deep ball. Russell's deep throws look like a Jeff Blake ball. Just beautiful to look at.

A YouTube clip of Blake. Looks eerily similar:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U11SmWC_UNY


I was a big, big fan of Jeff Blake. If you would have told me three years ago that Seattle would acquire a quicker, better, Jeff Blake, I would have told you that my wildest dream had come true.

Now if we only had a Carl Pickens clone.

 

[SeaWolv]

What isn't stated but I think has a great influence on those stats is that most of the top deep passers come from teams with good to great running games.

Of the 3 teams that are at the top of all 3 charts (Sea, SF & NYJ) they were all top 10 in team rushing.

Of the 4 teams at the top of the first 2 charts for attempts and accuracy (Sea, SF, NYJ & NYG) the NYG were the only team not in the top 10 in team rushing.

http://espn.go.com/nfl/statistics/team/_/stat/rushing

Of the 3 & 4 teams in both categories only Seattle and SF have top 10 rushers. So the Jets are doing it by committee (Ivory/Powell) and the Giants are barely doing it at all.

 

[45Hawker]

I think the first chart, "Rate", doesn't tell a whole lot. It doesn't take much time for a QB with a canon-arm, and some scrambling ability to chuck the ball 20+ yards downfield. Look at some of the guys on the top of that list: Locker, Wilson, Kaep, Newton, G. Smith, Manuel. All scramblers with big arms.

The second chart, "accuracy", confirms what I think of the best deep passers: Wilson (#1!!!), Brees, Rodgers, Eli, even Kaepernick. But, I was surprised to see G. Smith and Glennon on there. The 3rd chart helps confirm the 2nd - and Wilson and Brees are the best deep passers.

I live in New Orleans, and I've watched Brees a lot over the last 7 years. The guy throws darts - consistently. I thought that Rodgers might be more accurate, but after seeing these stats, it appears that Brees and Wilson are THE deep passers in the NFL. (it also tells me I need to watch Geno Smith play.)

GO HAWKS!!!

 

[Hawks46]

Funny, in watching Wilson I find that he underthrows a lot of his deep balls and his WRs go up and make the play. It would look a lot easier if he led guys more and didn't let the DBs get in on the play.

Then I was talking to another Hawks fan, and I mentioned Wilson underthrew a couple of passes. The guys goes "look man, both of those passes went over 50 yards in the air!". I hadn't realized that until I rewatched it. Sure enough, Wilson drops some huge bombs. Not a lot of guys in the league can do that.