We’re back at it again with a deep dive into the PFF Database as we continue to reveal a plethora of numbers regarding pressure and its effect on the quarterback. To recap, in the last few months we’ve looked at pressure’s impact on the passer from different angles and from that data, drew the conclusion that the left tackle might be overrated. From there, we broke it down by quarterback and revealed the league’s best and worst when pressure comes from different places. Now it’s time to take the next step and look at “pressure profiles” for every quarterback in the league.
As always, sample size caveats apply in some cases, but the numbers draw from our five years of data going back to 2008. There are certainly trends for some quarterbacks, while others are a bit more scattershot in their performance when pressure comes from different angles.
When looking at the numbers, keep in mind that the PFF Grade is the best indicator of a player’s performance, as we isolate the quarterback’s impact on every single play. If he throws a wide receiver screen that goes for an 80-yard touchdown, the numbers will look pretty, but the QB is credited with the same grade he would earn if it was stopped for no gain. Similarly, a perfectly thrown pass that should be a first down but is dropped and intercepted will likely earn a positive grade despite the ugly INT in the stats. All of the stats are nice to get some perspective, but PFF Grade always trumps as more reliable.
With that said, let’s take a look at the quarterbacks from the NFC East and how they fare under pressure. (You can check out the previous stops here: AFC East, AFC North, AFC South, AFC West)
Tony Romo, Dallas Cowboys
Strength: LT
Weakness: Interior Pressure
It may be surprising to see Romo near the bottom of the list of quarterbacks when pressured, but that’s where he finds himself and he’s particularly poor when pressure comes from the interior. He’s not nearly as bad against tackle pressure, and his +0.3 grade when it comes from left tackle is his only positive among the offensive line positions. Romo is one of the league’s best when given time to throw, but the numbers don’t back up his public perception as a playmaker under pressure.
[table id=57 /]
Michael Vick, Philadelphia Eagles
Strength: LG
Weakness: LT, C, RT
Another quarterback whose blindside and front side protection are of equal importance. Vick struggles when pressure comes off either tackle and, like most quarterbacks, he struggles when it comes through the center as well. The Eagles invested in first-round OT Lane Johnson who is projected to start at right tackle and if he lives up to the hype, they’ll have solid bookends with the return of LT Jason Peters. Interestingly enough, Vick’s best work comes when pressure comes through left guard, but Evan Mathis’ strong pass protection makes that a rare sight.
[table id=100 /]
Nick Foles, Philadelphia Eagles
Strength: Interior Pressure
Weakness: Edge Pressure
Foles shows more of a trend in his pressure numbers, though he has only 292 drop-backs in his short career. To this point, he’s shown well against interior pressure and posted negatives when under heat through the tackles. Perhaps even more importantly, Foles didn’t take full advantage of his opportunities in a clean pocket where he graded at only -0.9.
[table id=182 /]
Eli Manning, New York Giants
Strength: Left side pressure
Weakness: Middle, right side pressure
Perhaps the poster child for the exaggerated importance of left tackle, Manning excels when pressured from the “blindside” but things take a turn for the worse when he faces it from right tackle. No quarterback shows as drastic a difference in performance in this area and it certainly flies in the face of conventional wisdom. Manning’s trends go beyond just the tackles as he grades positive against left guard pressure while pulling a negative when it comes through center and right guard. Right side pressure is the way to get to Manning.
[table id=186 /]
Robert Griffin III, Washington Redskins
Strength: C, RG
Weakness: RT
As was the case with some of the other rookie signal callers, Griffin showed veteran poise when pressured and was one of the few quarterbacks to grade positively in such situations. Though he faced only 14 pressures through center and right guard, he posted a near-perfect QB Rating and a +5.4 PFF Grade. His most glaring weakness came through right tackle where, coincidentally, the Redskins’ biggest offensive line weakness also resided in Tyler Polumbus. Griffin faced 33 pressures through right tackle, compared to 41 from all other line positions, and posted a -2.0 grade and QB Rating of 28.5.
[table id=187 /]
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