Analytics Reveal QB Russell Wilson's Statistical Target to Get Broncos to Playoffs
Russell Wilson is a perennial playoff quarterback, and there are immediate Super Bowl aspirations when a team like the Denver Broncos adds him to the roster. But as new Broncos head coach Nathaniel Hackett said, you must make it to the playoffs to win the Super Bowl.
So what kind of stats must Wilson put up to get the Broncos back into those critical January football games?
For starters, let's break down how we got the numbers. The numbers came from all quarterbacks who made the playoffs over the last three seasons that played at least 13 games.
There were 36 different seasons to analyze, spanning 22 quarterbacks. Five quarterbacks appeared and competed in all three seasons, four quarterbacks were in two, including Wilson, and 13 had just one season in the playoffs over the last three years.
So from all these playoff seasons, what did those quarterbacks put up statistically on average?
- Completion Percentage: 66.45%
- Yards: 4,016
- TDs: 30
- INTs: 10
- QB Rating: 97.7
Those averages might seem daunting based on what Broncos Country has seen statistically over the past several seasons, but let's look at what Wilson has done on average for his career.
- Completion Percentage: 65%
- Yards: 3,706
- TDs: 29
- INTs: 9
- QB Rating: 101.8
Wilson hits or is just off in all categories. However, much of that data came early in his career when he didn't throw the ball nearly as much as he does now.
So let's look at what Wilson has done over the past three seasons.
- Completion Percentage: 66.57%
- Yards: 3,812
- TDs: 32
- INTs: 8
- QB Rating: 104.8
Those stats are even more impressive when you consider that Wilson missed time last season and, even after returning, was still not entirely healthy. Throughout most of his time in Seattle, the Seahawks had a bottom-tier offensive line, and it was widely debated whether head coach Pete Carroll allowed him to throw as much as a quarterback of his caliber should be throwing.
It's safe to say that if Wilson and Hackett can figure things out early and get on the same wavelength, the Broncos have a great shot at going to the playoffs. It will be fascinating to see whether this new coaching staff and situation can finally get his first MVP vote — if he is allowed to 'cook.'
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