Tua Tagovailoa – The NFL’s best downfield passer

On a person stage, Miami Dolphins quarterback Tua Tagovailoa had an especially profitable yr in 2022, irrespective of the way you spin it.

However, critics proceed to level to Tagovailoa’s supposed incapacity to push the ball downfield, pointing to Mike McDaniel’s system (in addition to the likes of Tyreek Hill and Jaylen Waddle) as an evidence for his performances.

Nonetheless, a deeper dive into the numbers present that this isn’t the case.

Credit score – @SharpFootball.

As per Warren Sharp on Twitter, final season, Tagovailoa threw 64% of his passes 5+ yards downfield, which was the best fee within the NFL (out of 29 QBs with over 300 makes an attempt). This quantity, measured towards his EPA/try (anticipated factors added per try), blows the remainder of the NFL out of water, placing him above the likes of Patrick Mahomes, Joe Burrow, and Josh Allen.

In 2022, when he threw 5+ yards downfield, Tagovailoa ranked #1 in EPA/try, #1 in success fee, #1 in first-down fee, #1 in YPA (yards per try), and #1 in passer score. Tagovailoa’s 0.59 EPA/try was additionally the very best of any NFL quarterback since Drew Brees in 2019, and he additionally averaged 11.7 YPA when throwing at the very least 5 yards downfield, the Third-highest YPA out of each QB season since 2000. The one 2 QBs with a greater season? Oh, simply Drew Brees in 2006 (11.9 YPA), who completed #2 in MVP votes that yr, and Aaron Rodgers in 2011 (11.8 YPA), the MVP that yr.

The very fact is, Tagovailoa pushed the ball downfield extra usually and extra aggressively than every other quarterback within the NFL final season, and was additionally extra profitable in doing so. The numbers converse for themselves, and proper now, it’s inarguable that the NFL’s greatest downfield passer is none aside from Miami Dolphins quarterback, Tua Tagovailoa.

How impressed had been you by Tua’s performances final yr? Give us your ideas within the feedback under!