Where Ryan Fitzpatrick ranks in total QBR in the NFL
“Ryan Fitzpatrick is a terrible quarterback”
That is the sentiment of the New York quarterback around the NFL. Why don’t we find out what how valuable “the Beard” is to Gang Green?
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NFL Total Quarterback Rating – National Football League – ESPN Check out ESPN.com’s NFL total quarterback rating. |
| Source: www.espn.com/nfl/qbr | |
Disrespect has always followed Ryan Fitzpatrick around the league.
“He doesn’t have the gunslinger arm that can hit the deep throw”
“He has a low completion percentage”
People have criticized his faults on every team that he has been on since 2005. However, Ryan is in the top tier in Total Quarterback Rating(QBR), which measures the performance of a quarterback. His 64.6 QBR ranks 12th in the NFL, ahead of Matt Ryan of the Atlanta Falcons and San Diego’s Phillip Rivers.
One of the stats that Fitzpatrick excels in is avoiding the sack. When the QB is taken down behind the line of scrimmage, it results in a loss of down and yardage. 3rd and long is very hard to convert into a first down and so many teams end up punting the ball and giving the other team another possession. Ryan has only been sacked 3.1 % of his dropbacks in 2015, which was the lowest rate among all the QBs (The NFL average is 5.7 percent). Other passers would have been sacked more in his place, costing their offense valuable yards. By avoiding the loss of down and yards, the Beard gives the Jets offense another opportunity to get a 1st down and drive up the field.
Another miscue that Fitzpatrick avoids is tackles, which costs the offense downs and distance. His 270 rushing yards in 2015(60 attempts for a 4.5 average) were the reason why he picked up crucial 1st downs to sustain drives and score points. Who can forget Ryan rushing for a 18 yards and a touchdown against the Washington Redskins in October 18? His big scramble gave Gang Green a boost and led to a 34-20 win, one of their 10 wins of the season. By getting out of the reach of the arms of defenders, he picks up precious yards and avoids the would be sack.
By not taking sacks or getting tackled by the defense, Fitzpatrick saves downs and yards. He makes plays only when he has to and gets the Jets closer to the endzone. His legs are a major reason why defenders are not able to reach him and grasp at thin air. Critics may look at his weak arm and low completion percentage but there are other aspects to his game. Avoiding mistakes also count towards Gang Green’s success.
