Factoid

May 09, 2022

Pocket passers

Quarterbacks who don't run face uphill fantasy battle

I get a little nervous with immobile quarterbacks. When a player isn’t doing anything as a runner, it makes it harder for him to stack up statistically against the more mobile players at the position.

With rushing production tending to be worth about twice as much in typical fantasy scoring systems, it’s a huge edge to run for 700 yards. That’s statistically equivalent to throwing for 1,400. If a player runs in 6 TDs, that’s like throwing 9 touchdowns.

Many times over the years, I have noticed quarterbacks like Philip Rivers and Eli Manning seeming to have had good seasons, only to show up in the teens via the numbers – in large part because of their limited mobility.

So as I put together my own draft board, I tend to be leery of the pocket passers who don’t much with their legs. Guys like Matthew Stafford (pictured), Derek Carr, Kirk Cousins and Matt Ryan. There will be passing yards and touchdowns, but it will be offset somewhat by the lack of anything on the ground.

It’s tough for those kind of quarterbacks to get in my top 5.

I played around with some numbers on this. I pulled up the stats for the last 20 years for all quarterbacks who started at least half of a season – about 650 quarterbacks.

There were 127 quarterbacks who averaged fewer than 5 rushing yards and didn’t score a rushing touchdown all year. Only 17 of those quarterbacks (about one per season) finished with top-5 per-game numbers. Another 20 finished in the back half of the top 10 (again, using per-game numbers).

The other 90 didn’t finish with top-10 numbers. (Many of those quarterbacks, of course, weren’t just unproductive runners but were also lesser passers.)

I’ve got the 37 with top-10 numbers listed below. Stafford is on it twice, with his two 40-touchdown seasons. He was the No. 5 quarterback in 2011 (using per-game numbers). Despite his huge passing numbers last year, he finished as just the 9th-best quarterback per game.

POCKET PASSER QUARTERBACKS (last 20 yrs)
Year	Team	St	Pass	TDP	Run	TDR	FPG	Rk
2008	Drew Brees, N.O.	16	317	2.13	0	.00	24.3	1
2004	Peyton Manning, Ind.	16	285	3.06	2	.00	26.7	2
2005	Marc Bulger, St.L.	8	287	1.75	4	.00	21.7	2
2014	Peyton Manning, Den.	16	295	2.44	-2	.00	24.6	3
2010	Peyton Manning, Ind.	16	294	2.06	1	.00	23.1	3
2006	Drew Brees, N.O.	16	276	1.63	2	.00	20.8	3
2010	Drew Brees, N.O.	16	289	2.06	0	.00	22.7	4
2009	Matt Schaub, Hou.	16	298	1.81	4	.00	22.6	4
2008	Kurt Warner, Ariz.	16	286	1.88	0	.00	21.8	4
2003	Peyton Manning, Ind.	16	267	1.81	2	.00	20.9	4
2011	Matthew Stafford, Det.	16	315	2.56	5	.00	26.7	5
2014	Ben Roethlisberger, Pitt.	16	310	2.00	2	.00	24.0	5
2017	Tom Brady, N.E.	16	286	2.00	2	.00	22.7	5
2010	Philip Rivers, S.D.	16	294	1.88	3	.00	22.7	5
2009	Peyton Manning, Ind.	16	281	2.06	-1	.00	22.2	5
2007	Kurt Warner, Ariz.	11	258	2.09	1	.00	21.4	5
2005	Peyton Manning, Ind.	16	234	1.75	3	.00	19.0	5
2015	Ben Roethlisberger, Pitt.	11	324	1.64	3	.00	24.3	6
2017	Ben Roethlisberger, Pitt.	15	283	1.87	3	.00	22.2	6
2008	Tony Romo, Dall.	13	265	2.00	3	.00	21.6	6
2012	Peyton Manning, Den.	16	291	2.31	0	.00	24.0	7
2006	Marc Bulger, St.L.	16	269	1.50	3	.00	19.8	7
2015	Eli Manning, NYG	16	277	2.19	4	.00	23.0	8
2013	Philip Rivers, S.D.	16	280	2.00	5	.00	22.4	8
2016	Philip Rivers, S.D.	16	274	2.06	2	.00	22.2	8
2009	Brett Favre, Min.	16	263	2.06	0	.00	21.4	8
2004	Brett Favre, G.B.	16	256	1.88	2	.00	20.8	8
2007	Brett Favre, G.B.	16	260	1.75	1	.00	20.1	8
2006	Carson Palmer, Cin.	16	252	1.75	2	.00	19.8	8
2021	Matthew Stafford, LAR	17	287	2.41	3	.00	24.3	9
2017	Philip Rivers, LAC	16	282	1.75	0	.00	21.1	9
2016	Derek Carr, Oak.	15	262	1.87	5	.00	21.7	10
2013	Tony Romo, Dall.	15	255	2.07	3	.00	21.5	10
2004	Brian Griese, T.B.	10	247	1.90	2	.00	20.1	10
2007	Carson Palmer, Cin.	16	258	1.63	1	.00	19.5	10
2003	Brett Favre, G.B.	16	210	2.00	1	.00	18.8	10
2005	Kurt Warner, Ariz.	10	271	1.10	3	.00	18.2	10

—Ian Allan

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Aaron Jones has run for 1,046 yards for the 13-2 Vikings, positioning himself to join the small fraternity of players who’ve run for 1,000 yards for two different playoff teams in the same division. (He went over 1,000 yards for two Green Bay teams that went 13-3.) In the 32-team era (that is, since 2002) who is the only other running back who’s done this? (Need not just multiple 1,000-yard seasons, but for playoff teams in the same division.)

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