Matt Ryan's Numbers May Be Deceiving On Deep Throws

On the surface, Atlanta Falcons quarterback Matt Ryan's 3:5 touchdown-to-interception ratio and 69.3 passer rating on deep passes looks very mediocre or even below-average. Atlanta's offense didn't live up to expectations in 2019, and Ryan threw into tight windows on 34.5 percent of his deep attempts. That partly helps explain his five picks. However, he […]

Ryan Fitzpatrick Not Afraid To Take Deep Shots

Miami Dolphins quarterback Ryan Fitzpatrick led the team in rushing last season, but he was also surprisingly effective taking shots deep down the field. The grizzled veteran wasn't afraid to throw the ball downfield, even if the coverage was tight, as 56.6 percent of his 53 deep pass attempts were into tight windows. Fitzpatrick had […]

Kirk Cousins Was Very Efficient On Deep Passes

Minnesota Vikings quarterback Kirk Cousins had a 9:1 touchdown-to-interception ratio on deep passes in 2019 and the highest passer rating (121.5) on such throws among NFL.com's Nick Shook's top-10 best deep passers last season. But his deep shots weren't nearly as risky as other QBs, as Cousins attempted deep shots into tight windows just 20.4 […]

Will Fuller V Critical To Deshaun Watson's Success Downfield

Houston Texans quarterback Deshaun Watson enjoyed throwing the ball deep in 2019, attempting a deep pass on 14 percent of his throws last year, the fifth-highest mark among signal-callers. With receiver Will Fuller V on the field, Watson attempted a deep pass on 17 percent of his throws since 2017, as opposed to 11 percent […]

Kyler Murray's Dual-Threat Ability Makes Him The Real Deal

Arizona Cardinals quarterback Kyler Murray benefitted from open receivers deep down the field in his rookie season and also had a very low pressure rate (13.1 percent) on his deep attempts, but it was his own dual-threat ability to use his legs as a rusher that afforded him the chance to excel deep down the […]

Tom Brady Was Fourth-Best Deep Passer In 2019

Despite having a down year in 2019 overall, Tampa Bay Buccaneers quarterback Tom Brady was actually the fourth-best deep passer, per Next Gen Stats. He had seven touchdowns and only two interceptions on deep balls with Julian Edelman as his top target. Brady was pressured often (40.7 percent) and was throwing to receivers that were […]

Trent Williams Praises Jimmy Garoppolo

San Francisco 49ers Pro Bowl left tackle Trent Williams blocked for nine different quarterbacks in the last decade with the Redskins, but he thinks quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo is among the best he's played with heading into the 2020 season. "I think Jimmy G is awesome," Williams said. "I think he has proven that he's a […]

Raheem Mostert Could Land Extension Soon

San Francisco 49ers running back Raheem Mostert could land a contract extension before tight end George Kittle does, in the opinion of The Athletic's Matt Barrows. Wide receiver Kendrick Bourne is another player that could be looking at an extension in the near future. Mostert stepped up down the stretch and in the postseason for […]

Boston Scott Expected To Compete For Offensive Role

Philadelphia Eagles running back Boston Scott is expected to compete for an offensive role in training camp instead of just competing for a roster spot. Miles Sanders will be the team's lead back in 2020, but even if the team adds a veteran backup, Scott is expected to compete for a role in Philly. The […]

Patrick Mahomes Has The Weapons To Beat Defenses Deep

Kansas City Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes' expected completion rate on deep passes is higher than most QBs in the league because of his speedy weapons, namely receiver Tyreek Hill, whose 18 touchdowns on deep targets since 2016 is second-most in the NFL behind Antonio Brown. Mahomes had a 30.3 percent rate of targets considered to […]

Russell Wilson Continues To Shine Down The Field

Seattle Seahawks quarterback Russell Wilson has been one of the best deep passers in the NFL since 2016. He threw 32 TD passes on deep throws from 2016 to 2018 and had 1.5 yards of target separation on deep passes last season, which was the lowest in the NFL. Wilson makes a habit of extended […]

Dak Prescott Listed As Top Deep Passer Of 2019

Dallas Cowboys quarterback Dak Prescott tops NFL.com's Nick Shook's list of the top-10 deep passers from the 2019 season. Prescott relied mostly on wide receiver Amari Cooper, who was efficient on deep targets by catching 12 passes for 386 yards and two touchdowns on passes 20-plus yards downfield. Prescott had a completion percentage of 44.4 […]

A.J. Brown Wins With Size And Strength

Tennessee Titans wide receiver A.J. Brown had an excellent rookie season and beat defenders with his combination of size and strength. Quarterbacks Ryan Tannehill and Marcus Mariota had a combined passer rating of 127.6 when targeting Brown in 2019. Brown faced pressure at the line of scrimmage 38.3 percent of the time but still had […]

Emmanuel Sanders Was Impressive In 2019

New Orleans Saints wide receiver Emmanuel Sanders posted a plus-7.2 percent catch-rate difference last year with the Broncos and 49ers and broke 850 receiving yards while fighting through press coverage on almost 30 percent of all routes run. He was also targeted in a tight window 20.6 percent of the time while covering an average […]

George Kittle A Master Of Yards After The Catch

San Francisco 49ers tight end George Kittle had just 5.7 air yards per target in 2019, as the 49ers looked to get him the ball early and often to utilize his yards-after-the-catch skills. He racked up 641 (60.9 percent) of his 1,053 receiving yards after the catch. Kittle's average yards-per-catch mark of 12.4 was better […]

Hunter Henry Excels In The End Zone

Los Angeles Chargers tight end Hunter Henry caught 72.4 percent of the passes intended for him last year in his first season after tearing his ACL in 2018. He had a positive catch-rate difference of over eight percent and caught 60 percent of his targets in the end zone for three of his five total […]

Amari Cooper Makes Dak Prescott Better

While opposing defenses often pressed Dallas Cowboys wide receiver Amari Cooper at the line of scrimmage last year, he had an average of 2.6 yards of separation by the time the ball arrived. He also had a tight-window percentage of 25.2, but for the most part, Cooper was able to successful beat press coverage. Quarterback […]

Luiz Gohara Among Angels Cuts

The Los Angeles Angels released 39 minor leaguers last week, according to the official minor league transaction pages. They released 29 minor leaguers from March to May of 2019 and 19 from the same time frame in 2018. Pitchers Luiz Gohara, Luis Pena and Jeremy Rhoades were among those cut in the process. Gohara, a […]

Calvin Ridley Shined Through Double Coverages

Atlanta Falcons wide receiver Calvin Ridley had a catch-rate difference of plus-8.7 percent last year and did it while seeing double teams 5.4 percent of the time. Ridley also had a nice cushion on his routes, with an average of 6.6 yards at the time of the snap. Because of his 4.43-second speed, opponents rarely […]

Marvin Jones Jr. Made The Most Of His Opportunities In 2019

Detroit Lions wide receiver Marvin Jones Jr. only had 779 receiving yards last season, but NFL.com's Nick Shook lists him as the fourth-best wide receiver from a year ago. Despite only having quarterback Matthew Stafford for half the season because of an injury, Jones had a catch rate of 68.1 percent and an expected catch […]

Stefon Diggs Listed Among 2019's Top Pass-Catchers

Buffalo Bills wide receiver Stefon Diggs caught just 63 passes in his final season with the Vikings, but he had a yards-per-reception rate of 17.9 on his way to 1,130 total yards. Diggs' catch rate of 67 percent wasn't as high as the top performers on NFL.com's Nick Shook's list, but Diggs had a plus-10.7 […]

Tyler Lockett Has A Knack For Making Tough Catches

Seattle Seahawks wide receiver Tyler Lockett is ranked second by NFL.com's Nick Shook among the best pass-catchers of 2019. Lockett had a catch rate of 74.5 percent and an expected catch rate of 61.9 percent. His catch-rate difference was nearly equal to Michael Thomas, who was ranked No. 1 on the list. Lockett had more […]

Manny Banuelos Among Mariners Minor League Cuts

The Seattle Mariners have released seven minor league players in the last week, which makes eight total players from March and May. The Mariners released 38 total minor league players in that time frame from 2019. The seven players released this week were outfielders Eliezer Alvarez, Ryan Ramiz and Luis Veloz, starting pitcher Manny Banuelos, […]

Cardinals Sign Dylan Cantrell

The Arizona Cardinals signed former Chargers wide receiver Dylan Cantrell to an undisclosed deal on Monday. Cantrell played for Arizona head coach Kliff Kingsbury at Texas Tech, and it sounds as though he might move to tight end with his new team. Cantrell was 6-foot-3, 226 pounds coming out of college and will be a […]

MLB Discussing Even Shorter Season, Prorated Salaries

Major League Baseball is discussing a shorter schedule in 2020 in which it would pay members of the Players Association their full prorated salaries, according to sources familiar with the situation. The possibility of a schedule of around 50 games that would start in July has been considered by the league as a last resort […]

Edwin Jackson, Travis Snider Among D-Backs Cuts

The Arizona Diamondbacks have released more than 60 minor league players over the last couple of weeks amid the coronavirus pandemic, with veteran right-handed pitcher Edwin Jackson and outfielder Travis Snider among them. Some of the other names include outfielder Dalton Pompey and pitchers Aaron Blair, Mauricio Cabrera, Damien Magnifico, Michael Tonkin and David Huff. […]

Henry Ruggs III OK After Off-Field Injury

Las Vegas Raiders first-round rookie wide receiver Henry Ruggs III (thigh) was involved in an off-the-field accident while helping a friend move, but sources say "he's OK." Ruggs was cut and received a puncture, but the wound isn't serious and it sounds as though he'll be completely fine for whenever teams are allowed to meet […]

Colts Have Respect For Marlon Mack's Veteran Standing

Indianapolis Colts head coach Frank Reich discussed whether running back Marlon Mack should have a lead on retaining the starting running back spot over rookie Jonathan Taylor in 2020. "There’s definitely inherent respect for the starter returning. And that’s the way I see this….I see it as a 1-1 (punch)," Reich said. Mack and Taylor […]

Michael Thomas The Cream Of The Pass-Catching Crop

New Orleans Saints wide receiver Michael Thomas set the single-season receptions record in 2019 with 149 catches. Thomas was also one of just four wideouts with at least 50 targets who posted a catch percentage that was 10 percent above expectation, according to Next Gen Stats. He also had the highest target total of 185, […]

Clelin Ferrell Bulks Up

Las Vegas Raiders defensive end Clelin Ferrell bulked up this offseason amid an 18-week workout regimen in Miami to put on 13 pounds after a disappointing rookie season that saw the fourth overall pick finish with 4.5 sacks, five deflected passes and 24 solo tackles. Ferrell was considered a reach in the top five of […]