More Kicking Around of Easterbrook

Table 1: Top Ten Quarterbacks Under Pressure
PLAYER	Plays	Yards	DVOA	PYD	YAC
Aaron Rodgers	131	6.5	61.8%	9.6	5.3
Donovan McNabb	86	7.7	41.0%	9.1	6.9
Ben Roethlisberger	93	7.2	40.6%	10.6	3.8
Matt Leinart	20	5.4	28.8%	9.0	3.8
Tony Romo	95	5.4	24.7%	7.2	5.2
Bruce Gradkowski	47	6.4	20.9%	10.1	6.9
Seneca Wallace	28	4.9	16.5%	8.4	4.4
Peyton Manning	78	6.8	16.2%	9.7	3.0
Jason Campbell	133	6.5	10.7%	8.6	8.8
Carson Palmer	96	5.2	10.7%	6.9	4.4

The huge problem with this table, though, is that this stat doesn’t take sacks into account (or scrambles).  Here’s what you get when you take sacks into account (I didn’t bother to do Gradkowski, Seneca Wallace, or Carson Palmer):

Quarterback	Plays	Yards	Sacks	Sack yards	Actual YPA, including sacks
Aaron Rodgers	131	6.5	50	306	3.01
Donovan McNabb	86	7.7	35	264	3.3
Ben Roethlisberger	93	7.2	50	348	2.2
Tony Romo	95	5.4	34	196	2.5
Peyton Manning	78	6.8	10	74	5.2
Jason Campbell	133	6.5	43	285	3.3

Unfortunately, that still doesn’t include scrambles because I can’t get a good stat on that.  Aaron Rodgers, for example, is good about running for first downs, but his rushing stats will include QB sneaks and scrambles he does even without facing pressure.  If you include all of Rodgers’ rushing yards as coming against the rush, however, his yards per attempt go up to 3.6 or so–good, but nowhere near Manning.  Also, these yards per attempt don’t include interceptions, which is a big part of the story, but again, I don’t know how many interceptions come under pressure.

I wish I could see Brady, Brees, and Rivers, but Football Outsiders didn’t include under-pressure stats for anyone not in the top or bottom ten.

 Either way, it’s pretty clear–Manning isn’t just good under pressure: he’s head and shoulders above the other guys