Average Passer Ratings Continue Decades-Long Rise

[DFWJC]

To probably nobody's surprise, 2020 saw the average NFL Passer Rating continue to rise.

Here's an update of the average of the top 15 passer ratings in the league.
Just to keep it short, I'll post every 5th year from 1980 to 2020


2020___104.3
2015___99.0
2010___95.1
2005___92.1
2000___90.6
1995___90.9
1990___86.6
1985___82.4
1980___82.1

 

[JJHLH1]

Passer rating inflation is real.

Winning matters more than stats.

 

[DFWJC]

A fast way (one of many ways) to get a general idea of what a past player's rating would be in today's world is to find

1) their career QB rating
2) their average year of service (ex. if they played 1980-1989 that would be 1985)
3) divide the average QB rating in 2020 by the average QB rating that year...in this case 104.3/82.4 = 1.265
4) then just multiply that result by their career average.

Rodger Staubach's career 83.4 QB averages adjusts all the way to 110.07 in 2020, for example.

 

[Redline360]

Ahh the good old days when you could maul the recievers, get blown up on hits, and actually hit the quarterback.

 

[Typhus]

To probably nobody's surprise, 2020 saw the average NFL Passer Rating continue to rise.

Here's an update of the average of the top 15 passer ratings in the league.
Just to keep it short, I'll post every 5th year from 1980 to 2020


2020___104.3
2015___99.0
2010___95.1
2005___92.1
2000___90.6
1995___90.9
1990___86.6
1985___82.4
1980___82.1

But @2021 SB saw a Defense totally destroy the theory.
I love Todd Bowles for that.
One man that can bring this game back around ,, its just the history of the game, it cycles,, but have to admit and give respect to those that succeed in the process.

 

[erod]

Because the NFL is trying to make the NFL like Madden to lure casual fans and disinterested young boys to watch games.

Television ratings are awful among the sub-25 crowd.

 

[DFWJC]

But @2021 SB saw a Defense totally destroy the theory.
I love Todd Bowles for that.
One man that can bring this game back around ,, its just the history of the game, it cycles,, but have to admit and give respect to those that succeed in the process.

You seem to be making inferences into what this thread is saying.

There is no "theory" to blow up....because this was just raw facts....not theory

The QB ratings are going up pretty much every year, and that was all this thread was showing.

It didn't comment at all on one game here or there or even how big a role defense plays in todays game.
That's an entirely different thread that you are free to start.

 

[kskboys]

You seem to be making inferences into what this thread is saying.

There is no "theory" to blow up....because this was just raw facts....not theory

The QB ratings are going up pretty much every year, and that was all this thread was showing.

It didn't comment at all on one game here or there or even how big a role defense plays in todays game.
That's an entirely different thread that you are free to start.

Yeah, it's more about how you simply cannot compare different eras using stats/ratings.

 

[ondaedg]

There is is a legitimate business reason why they're trying to make the game safer. Could it be less kids are playing football now even before covid than in the last 30 years? The sport is f'ing dangerous and I don't need to see young men risk their lives in order for me to enjoy myself.

 

[Oz-of-Cowboy-Country]

New rules, a lot of short passes and run after catch yards.

I still say give me a pure pocket passer and a defense. Screw the stats.

 

[buybuydandavis]

A fast way (one of many ways) to get a general idea of what a past player's rating would be in today's world is to find

1) their career QB rating
2) their average year of service (ex. if they played 1980-1989 that would be 1985)
3) divide the average QB rating in 2020 by the average QB rating that year...in this case 104.3/82.4 = 1.265
4) then just multiply that result by their career average.

Rodger Staubach's career 83.4 QB averages adjusts all the way to 110.07 in 2020, for example.

Pro Football Reference has a Passer Rating Index where they seem to normalize by season, though I can't find an explanation of the calculation.
https://www.pro-football-reference.com/leaders/pass_rating_index_single_season.htm

Staubach's QB rating in 1971 was 12th all time.

 

[Turk]

Ahh the good old days when you could maul the recievers, get blown up on hits, and actually hit the quarterback.

yeah, none of this 'defenseless player' horse crap.

 

[Aviano90]

Romo’s greatest accomplishment diminishing by the year.

 

[AbeBeta]

To probably nobody's surprise, 2020 saw the average NFL Passer Rating continue to rise.

Here's an update of the average of the top 15 passer ratings in the league.
Just to keep it short, I'll post every 5th year from 1980 to 2020


2020___104.3
2015___99.0
2010___95.1
2005___92.1
2000___90.6
1995___90.9
1990___86.6
1985___82.4
1980___82.1

Here's a lesson folks.

Average passer rating here is defined as "top 15."

In the last 20 years, the top 15 has featured 2-4 1st ballot HOF QBs with long careers mostly devoid of injury. P Manning. Rodgers. Brees. Brady.

So that's about 20% of the QBs sampled in the last 20 being amongst the best ever. If you know anything about averages the conclusion is simple. They search for a cutoff that fit their narrative.

 

[Turk]

Romo’s greatest accomplishment diminishing by the year.

Marino as well to be brutally honest. Now to me accomplishing what he did when he did was tremendous.

But now average QBs are starting to approach his stats.

Ken Anderson was a very under rated QB; his misfortune was to be in the same division as the Squealers were during their 'great' period.
He was for his time incredibly accurate. a truly excellent QB that actually was in the conversation as one of the best of that period.
Now his stats, like Rogers and others of that period look pathetic.

 

[Dre11]

Passer rating inflation is real.

Winning matters more than stats.

Yep, but it takes a team to win

 

[irishline]

Here's a lesson folks.

Average passer rating here is defined as "top 15."

In the last 20 years, the top 15 has featured 2-4 1st ballot HOF QBs with long careers mostly devoid of injury. P Manning. Rodgers. Brees. Brady.

So that's about 20% of the QBs sampled in the last 20 being amongst the best ever. If you know anything about averages the conclusion is simple. They search for a cutoff that fit their narrative.

Well 25 years ago we had what at the time was 2-4 first ballot hall of famers with long careers devoid of injury in the top 15 (Marino, Farve, Moon, Elway, Young), and 10 years before that the same (Marino, Montana, Fouts, Elway, Moon), and 10 years before that (Tarkenton, Staubach, Dawson, Griese).

To say that phenomenon is only true of the last 20 years is either someone trying to fit a narrative or simply ignoring the history of the game.

And it doesn't change the fact that despite having 2-4 first round hall-of-famers, consistently every decade, passer rating has been increasing steadily over the span he is using.

 

[csirl]

There must be a safe way of rebalancing the WR advantage over DBs. Most DPIs nowdays are not dangerous play.

 

[Established1971]

Pro Football Reference has a Passer Rating Index where they seem to normalize by season, though I can't find an explanation of the calculation.
https://www.pro-football-reference.com/leaders/pass_rating_index_single_season.htm

Staubach's QB rating in 1971 was 12th all time.

ha! the most overrated qb of all time, Eli Manning, isnt on the list at all and its a long long list. Not surprised

 

[DFWJC]

Here's a lesson folks.

Average passer rating here is defined as "top 15."

In the last 20 years, the top 15 has featured 2-4 1st ballot HOF QBs with long careers mostly devoid of injury. P Manning. Rodgers. Brees. Brady.

So that's about 20% of the QBs sampled in the last 20 being amongst the best ever. If you know anything about averages the conclusion is simple. They search for a cutoff that fit their narrative.

Take the top 25, top30, top 32......
The results are THE SAME
What narrative?

really, what the hell are you talking about?
Honest question

You are completely off base