While sifting through different stats & sites that break down stats I came across what Brian Burke of advancedstats.com is coining as “Air Yardsâ€. To get to the hidden stat within the game of football he subtracts the total number of YAC yards a team generates throughout the course of a game or season from the total number of passing yards to come up with his “Air Yard†stats. So after tracking down the necessary stats to run the equation, I have also broken down the percentage of YAC Yards & Air Yards per team then came up with the adjusted average for the entire NFL.
Also in the chart you will find Yards per completion through the air for each team along with YAC yards per reception and TD’s per completion.
While many fans were hoping the team would swing a trade for Matt Cassel, he was one of only four quarterbacks who relied on his receiving corps for more then 50% of his total yards and was the most dependent of all with 57% of his total yards coming in the form of YAC. Where as Eli Manning was the least dependent on his receiving corps as only 37% of his total yards came in the form of YAC. The NFL average for YAC per reception was 5.18 yards, where as the Patriots receivers averaged 6.35 YAC yards per receptions which was the highest for any team in the league or 1.17 yards above average. Cassel or this case “ Captain Checkdown†as he averaged 4.83 yards per pass through the air before the football was caught which was 31st in the NFL with only one team doing worse, which was the Bengals at 4.75 yards through the air before the football was caught.
I am sure some of you are wondering how well the Buccaneers passing game faired, well with the NFL average for YAC yards being 1,633 last season the Bucs managed to gain 1,736 which is 103 YAC yards better then the average.. The Air yard league average was 1,954 yards and the Bucs managed 2,052 or 98 yards above league average. As far as the league percentage for YAC yards and Air yards the team cam e in 46% of there yards coming in the form of YAC and 54% of them coming in the form of Air Yards which is also the league average.
The NFL average for yards through the air before the football is caught translated to 6.21 yards and the passing attack of the Bucs came in at 5.78 yards almost a half yard short to the league average.
On a side note the quarterback who averaged the highest yards through the air before the football was caught was Jake Delhomme with an average of 8.21 yards. Which is remarkable, to think of considering he was coming off of surgery to repair his shoulder.
Link to better view of statsTeam Comp Passing Yards YAC Yards Air Yards % YAC Yards % Air Yards Average Comp. through Air Average Comp. Average YAC Yards Per Rec TD Rec Per TD
Giants 298 3353 1250 2103 37% 63% 7.06 11.25 4.19 23 13
Panthers 246 3288 1269 2019 39% 61% 8.21 13.37 5.16 15 16
Falcons 265 3440 1404 2036 41% 59% 7.68 12.98 5.30 16 17
Packers 343 4044 1656 2388 41% 59% 6.96 11.79 4.83 28 12
Lions 281 3299 1353 1946 41% 59% 6.93 11.74 4.81 18 16
Jaguars 335 3620 1494 2126 41% 59% 6.35 10.81 4.46 15 22
Steelers 303 3607 1498 2109 42% 58% 6.96 11.90 4.94 19 16
Broncos 386 4545 1891 2654 42% 58% 6.88 11.77 4.90 25 15
Dolphins 330 3761 1566 2195 42% 58% 6.65 11.40 4.75 20 17
Colts 393 4180 1748 2432 42% 58% 6.19 10.64 4.45 27 15
Chiefs 310 3358 1452 1906 43% 57% 6.15 10.83 4.68 23 13
Seahawks 262 2831 1251 1580 44% 56% 6.03 10.81 4.77 18 15
Browns 238 2537 1136 1401 45% 55% 5.89 10.66 4.77 11 22
Buccaneers 355 3788 1736 2052 46% 54% 5.78 10.67 4.89 18 20
Chargers 312 4009 1840 2169 46% 54% 6.95 12.85 5.90 34 9
Cowboys 328 3988 1831 2157 46% 54% 6.58 12.16 5.58 29 11
Eagles 362 4060 1876 2184 46% 54% 6.03 11.22 5.18 23 16
Bengals 303 2677 1238 1439 46% 54% 4.75 8.83 4.09 11 28
Cardinals 418 4875 2294 2581 47% 53% 6.17 11.66 5.49 31 13
Ravens 261 3085 1454 1631 47% 53% 6.25 11.82 5.57 16 16
Saints 413 5069 2398 2671 47% 53% 6.47 12.27 5.81 34 12
Vikings 267 3217 1525 1692 47% 53% 6.34 12.05 5.71 22 12
Bills 309 3302 1569 1733 48% 52% 5.61 10.69 5.08 14 22
Texans 367 4474 2134 2340 48% 52% 6.38 12.19 5.81 21 17
49ers 309 3724 1782 1942 48% 52% 6.28 12.05 5.77 21 15
Bears 304 3229 1564 1665 48% 52% 5.48 10.62 5.14 20 15
Raiders 222 2639 1302 1337 49% 51% 6.02 11.89 5.86 13 17
Rams 292 3268 1615 1653 49% 51% 5.66 11.19 5.53 11 27
Titans 265 2902 1459 1443 50% 50% 5.45 10.95 5.51 13 20
Jets 347 3516 1808 1708 51% 49% 4.92 10.13 5.21 22 16
Redskins 318 3291 1699 1592 52% 48% 5.01 10.35 5.34 14 23
Patriots 339 3790 2154 1636 57% 43% 4.83 11.18 6.35 21 16
NFL Average 315 3586 1633 1954 46% 54% 6.21 11.40 5.18 20 17
