Tannehill Shares Credit for Superlative Statistic
NASHVILLE – Among traditional football statistics, it is the most complex.
Passer rating is not a simple accumulation of yards, points, first downs or any of the other sport’s basic metrics. Instead, it is an esoteric equation that takes into account all of the basic numbers most commonly associated with the position and delivers a single figure that provides a performance ranking.
And right now it says that Ryan Tannehill is the NFL’s best quarterback of 2019. In seven starts and one relief appearance for the Tennessee Titans, Tannehill has amassed a 118.5 rating that tops all others at his position, including two who are at the forefront of the NFL’s Most Valuable Player conversation, Baltimore’s Lamar Jackson (fourth, 109.2) and Seattle’s Russell Wilson (fifth, 107.5).
“It’s a reflection of the offense as a whole,” Tannehill said Wednesday. “I think there’s a lot that goes into an offense, obviously. And then throwing the football, you have to have time. You have to have guys open. Guys making tough catches. Run after catches. Fifty-fifty balls, guys going up and making plays [like tight end] Jonnu (Smith) in the end zone last week. There’s a lot that goes into that, and I think it’s a reflection on the whole offense.”
It is certainly a departure from what he has done throughout his career.
In seven seasons with the Miami Dolphins his best passer rating was 93.5 (2016) and his career rating was 87.0. Tannehill never has finished among the top 10 in that regard and his career passer rating (it is now up to 89.1) ranks 17 among all active NFL quarterbacks.
So, what is he doing so well with Tennessee? Well, pretty much everything.
The passer rating is determined through a combination of four smaller formulas. To start, you figure completions per attempts, subtract .3 and multiply the result by 5. Next, figure yards per attempt, subtract 3 and multiply the result by .25. Then figure touchdowns per attempts and multiply the result by 20. After that, take 2.375 minus the result of interceptions per attempts multiplied by 25. Finally, add the results of those four equations and divide by 6. Multiply that result by 100 and you have a quarterback’s passer rating.
Simple right?
Well, maybe not as simple as it is to understand that Tannehill currently is on pace for career-highs in completion percentage (73.4), yards-per-attempt (9.8) and touchdown percentage (7.4) and one of his lower interception percentages (2.5). Each number figures into the formula.
“Ryan just tries to stay consistent and continue to improve,” coach Mike Vrabel said. “I think he’s been decisive. I think he’s probably just being a little bit more comfortable each and every week trying to see where we’re operating offensively and trying to get us into the right play.”
It is difficult to imagine that he could do much better.
The franchise’s single-season passer rating record is 100.4, set by Steve McNair in 2003, his MVP season. Aaron Rodgers holds the NFL record of 122.5 (2011) and Tannehill’s current number – if it holds – would rank fourth all-time. In all, four players have finished a season with a passer rating of 116 or better – Rodgers, Peyton Manning (121.1 in 2004), Nick Foles (119.2 in 2013), Tom Brady (117.2 in 2007) and Matt Ryan (117.1 in 2016). Of that group, all but Foles was named NFL MVP in that season.
All five have started Super Bowls at some point in their respective careers and all but Ryan won at least one.
Tannehill’s chances to maintain his current passer rating – or something close to it – look promising given that two of the remaining three games, including this Sunday’s, are against the Houston Texans. Opposing quarterbacks have combined for a 101.7 rating against Houston’s defense. Only three teams have a worse opponent’s rating.
“I’m confident,” Tannehill said. “I’m confident in the guys that are in the locker room. The guys are playing at an extremely high level. … I’m excited about the opportunity in front of us here against the Texans. I feel great with what we have and the guys that we’re doing it with. Like I said, we just need to keep doing it the way we’re doing it and getting a little better every week.”
