RSS FeedQuarterback Rating Great Predictor of Playoff Bound Teams
By Chris Malumphy
The much maligned quarterback rating system proved to be a great indicator of which teams would be in the playoffs in 2012. The top 8 ranked quarterbacks all are playoff bound. Eleven of the top 15 are still in the Super Bowl hunt. Only two playoff-bound starting quarterbacks (Christian Ponder and Andrew Luck) finished outside the top 15.
If regular season QB rating prevails in the playoffs, we'll be watching Aaron Rodgers beat Peyton Manning in the Super Bowl. Of course, Robert Griffin, Russell Wilson, Matt Ryan, Colin Kaepernick/Alex Smith, Matt Schaub and Tom Brady will each have their say in the matter. Even Joe Flacco, Andy Dalton, Christian Ponder and Andrew Luck will try to unseat those who will be more heavily favored.
Just three quarterbacks with a QB rating of 90 or more failed to reach the playoffs: Ben Roethlisberger, Drew Brees and Tony Romo. Only two more with rating of at least 87 failed to make it: Philip Rivers and Eli Manning. Those are all some damn good quarterbacks. The table below shows how much many teams must improve at the quarterback position before they can become playoff and Super Bowl contenders.
| 2012 Starting Quarterbacks (Minimum 200 Attempts; Playoff QBs in Red) | |||||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Team | Name | Att | C | Pct | Avg | TD | Int | Sack | Sack Pct | Rating | Rush | Yds | Avg | TD | Draft | Team | Rnd | Plyr | College |
| Packers | Aaron Rodgers | 552 | 371 | 67.2 | 7.8 | 39 | 8 | 51 | 8.5 | 108.0 | 54 | 259 | 4.8 | 2 | 2005 | Packers | 1 | 24 | California |
| Broncos | Peyton Manning | 583 | 400 | 68.6 | 8.0 | 37 | 11 | 21 | 3.5 | 105.8 | 23 | 6 | 0.3 | 0 | 1998 | Colts | 1 | 1 | Tennessee |
| 49ers | Alex Smith | 218 | 153 | 70.2 | 8.0 | 13 | 5 | 24 | 9.9 | 104.1 | 31 | 132 | 4.3 | 0 | 2005 | 49ers | 1 | 1 | Utah |
| Redskins | Robert Griffin III | 393 | 258 | 65.6 | 8.1 | 20 | 5 | 30 | 7.1 | 102.4 | 120 | 815 | 6.8 | 7 | 2012 | Redskins | 1 | 2 | Baylor |
| Seahawks | Russell Wilson | 393 | 252 | 64.1 | 7.9 | 26 | 10 | 33 | 7.7 | 100.0 | 94 | 489 | 5.2 | 4 | 2012 | Seahawks | 3 | 75 | Wisconsin |
| Falcons | Matt Ryan | 615 | 422 | 68.6 | 7.7 | 32 | 14 | 28 | 4.4 | 99.1 | 34 | 141 | 4.1 | 1 | 2008 | Falcons | 1 | 3 | Boston College |
| Patriots | Tom Brady | 637 | 401 | 63.0 | 7.6 | 34 | 8 | 27 | 4.1 | 98.7 | 23 | 32 | 1.4 | 4 | 2000 | Patriots | 6 | 199 | Michigan |
| 49ers | Colin Kaepernick | 218 | 136 | 62.4 | 8.3 | 10 | 3 | 16 | 6.8 | 98.3 | 63 | 415 | 6.6 | 5 | 2011 | 49ers | 2 | 36 | Nevada |
| Steelers | Ben Roethlisberger | 449 | 284 | 63.3 | 7.3 | 26 | 8 | 30 | 6.3 | 97.0 | 26 | 92 | 3.5 | 0 | 2004 | Steelers | 1 | 11 | Miami (OH) |
| Saints | Drew Brees | 670 | 422 | 63.0 | 7.7 | 43 | 19 | 26 | 3.7 | 96.3 | 15 | 5 | 0.3 | 1 | 2001 | Chargers | 2 | 32 | Purdue |
| Texans | Matt Schaub | 544 | 350 | 64.3 | 7.4 | 22 | 12 | 27 | 4.7 | 90.7 | 21 | -9 | -0.4 | 0 | 2004 | Falcons | 3 | 90 | Virginia |
| Cowboys | Tony Romo | 648 | 425 | 65.6 | 7.6 | 28 | 19 | 36 | 5.3 | 90.5 | 30 | 49 | 1.6 | 1 | 0 | 0 | Eastern Illinois | ||
| Chargers | Philip Rivers | 527 | 338 | 64.1 | 6.8 | 26 | 15 | 49 | 8.5 | 88.6 | 27 | 40 | 1.5 | 0 | 2004 | Giants | 1 | 4 | North Carolina State |
| Ravens | Joe Flacco | 531 | 317 | 59.7 | 7.2 | 22 | 10 | 35 | 6.2 | 87.7 | 32 | 22 | 0.7 | 3 | 2008 | Ravens | 1 | 18 | Delaware |
| Bengals | Andy Dalton | 528 | 329 | 62.3 | 6.9 | 27 | 16 | 46 | 8.0 | 87.4 | 47 | 120 | 2.6 | 4 | 2011 | Bengals | 2 | 35 | Texas Christian |
| Giants | Eli Manning | 536 | 321 | 59.9 | 7.4 | 26 | 15 | 19 | 3.4 | 87.2 | 20 | 30 | 1.5 | 0 | 2004 | Chargers | 1 | 1 | Mississippi |
| Panthers | Cam Newton | 485 | 280 | 57.7 | 8.0 | 19 | 12 | 36 | 6.9 | 86.2 | 127 | 741 | 5.8 | 8 | 2011 | Panthers | 1 | 1 | Auburn |
| Raiders | Carson Palmer | 565 | 345 | 61.1 | 7.1 | 22 | 14 | 26 | 4.4 | 85.3 | 18 | 36 | 2.0 | 1 | 2003 | Bengals | 1 | 1 | USC |
| Bills | Ryan Fitzpatrick | 505 | 306 | 60.6 | 6.7 | 24 | 16 | 30 | 5.6 | 83.3 | 48 | 197 | 4.1 | 1 | 2005 | Rams | 7 | 250 | Harvard |
| Rams | Sam Bradford | 551 | 328 | 59.5 | 6.7 | 21 | 13 | 35 | 6.0 | 82.6 | 37 | 127 | 3.4 | 1 | 2010 | Rams | 1 | 1 | Oklahoma |
| Buccaneers | Josh Freeman | 558 | 306 | 54.8 | 7.3 | 27 | 17 | 26 | 4.5 | 81.6 | 39 | 139 | 3.6 | 0 | 2009 | Buccaneers | 1 | 17 | Kansas State |
| Bears | Jay Cutler | 434 | 255 | 58.8 | 7.0 | 19 | 14 | 38 | 8.1 | 81.3 | 41 | 233 | 5.7 | 0 | 2006 | Broncos | 1 | 11 | Vanderbilt |
| Vikings | Christian Ponder | 483 | 300 | 62.1 | 6.1 | 18 | 12 | 32 | 6.2 | 81.2 | 60 | 253 | 4.2 | 2 | 2011 | Vikings | 1 | 12 | Florida State |
| Titans | Matt Hasselbeck | 221 | 138 | 62.4 | 6.2 | 7 | 5 | 14 | 6.0 | 81.0 | 13 | 38 | 2.9 | 0 | 1998 | Packers | 6 | 187 | Boston College |
| Lions | Matthew Stafford | 727 | 435 | 59.8 | 6.8 | 20 | 17 | 29 | 3.8 | 79.8 | 35 | 126 | 3.6 | 4 | 2009 | Lions | 1 | 1 | Georgia |
| Eagles | Nick Foles | 265 | 161 | 60.8 | 6.4 | 6 | 5 | 20 | 7.0 | 79.1 | 11 | 42 | 3.8 | 1 | 2012 | Eagles | 3 | 88 | Arizona |
| Eagles | Michael Vick | 351 | 204 | 58.1 | 6.7 | 12 | 10 | 28 | 7.4 | 78.1 | 62 | 332 | 5.4 | 1 | 2001 | Falcons | 1 | 1 | Virginia Tech |
| Jaguars | Blaine Gabbert | 278 | 162 | 58.3 | 6.0 | 9 | 6 | 22 | 7.3 | 77.4 | 18 | 56 | 3.1 | 0 | 2011 | Jaguars | 1 | 10 | Missouri |
| Colts | Andrew Luck | 627 | 339 | 54.1 | 7.0 | 23 | 18 | 41 | 6.1 | 76.5 | 62 | 255 | 4.1 | 5 | 2012 | Colts | 1 | 1 | Stanford |
| Dolphins | Ryan Tannehill | 484 | 282 | 58.3 | 6.8 | 12 | 13 | 35 | 6.7 | 76.1 | 49 | 211 | 4.3 | 2 | 2012 | Dolphins | 1 | 8 | Texas A&M |
| Titans | Jake Locker | 314 | 177 | 56.4 | 6.9 | 10 | 11 | 25 | 7.4 | 74.0 | 41 | 291 | 7.1 | 1 | 2011 | Titans | 1 | 8 | Washington |
| Browns | Brandon Weeden | 517 | 297 | 57.4 | 6.5 | 14 | 17 | 28 | 5.1 | 72.6 | 27 | 111 | 4.1 | 0 | 2012 | Browns | 1 | 22 | Oklahoma State |
| Jaguars | Chad Henne | 308 | 166 | 53.9 | 6.8 | 11 | 11 | 28 | 8.3 | 72.2 | 19 | 64 | 3.4 | 1 | 2008 | Dolphins | 2 | 57 | Michigan |
| Jets | Mark Sanchez | 453 | 246 | 54.3 | 6.4 | 13 | 18 | 34 | 7.0 | 66.9 | 22 | 28 | 1.3 | 0 | 2009 | Jets | 1 | 5 | USC |
| Chiefs | Matt Cassel | 277 | 161 | 58.1 | 6.5 | 6 | 12 | 19 | 6.4 | 66.7 | 27 | 145 | 5.4 | 1 | 2005 | Patriots | 7 | 230 | USC |
| Cardinals | John Skelton | 201 | 109 | 54.2 | 5.6 | 2 | 9 | 15 | 6.9 | 55.4 | 4 | 5 | 1.3 | 0 | 2010 | Cardinals | 5 | 155 | Fordham |
