by Vincent Verhei
It got lost in all the crazy offensive numbers of 2018, but Dak Prescott set an NFL record in Dallas' 13-10 win over New Orleans on Thursday night. Playing behind a threadbare offensive line that was missing several projected starters from the preseason, Prescott was thrown to the turf seven times by the Saints' ferocious pass rush. Amidst all that abuse, though, he was able to throw 28 passes, completing 24 of them. That's a completion rate of 85.7 percent, and that's the highest ever for a player who was sacked seven times in a game.
In fact, the seven-sack completion percentage leaderboard is littered with players from this season. Derek Carr also makes the top 20 for his 16-of-22, 72.7-percent, seven-sack game on Thursday night against San Francisco in Week 9. Players from 2018 make up four of the top 60 games, and six of the top 100.
No matter how you want to define a "high-sack game," players this season are re-writing the record books for completing lots of passes while eating lots of turf:
- Six sacks or more: Players from 2018 rank first and third and make up six of the top 20, and nine of the top 100.
- Five sacks or more: Players from 2018 rank first, third, and 15th, making up seven of the top 75.
- Four sacks or more: Players from 2018 make up five of the top 10 and nine of the top 100. Philip Rivers and Marcus Mariota rank first and second for what they did in about a 30-hour stretch last week.
On the surface, none of this should be surprising, because NFL quarterbacks are completing more passes than ever before. Basically, if you're not completing at least two-thirds of your passes this year, you're not a good quarterback. Going into Monday Night Football, 65.2 percent of all pass attempts have been completed this season. That would be a big jump for the all-time record, breaking the 63.0 percent mark set in 2013, but these numbers have been trending up fairly steadily ever since the 1930s.
What's new this year is the frequency of sacks. There have been 968 sacks this season, along with 13,334 pass attempts. That means quarterbacks have been sacked on 6.77 percent of all dropbacks, a step up from the 6.40 percent mark in 2017. In fact, that would be the highest rate since 2004. And that's very unusual, because as completion rates have gone up over time, sack rates have typically gone down. The following chart plots the average completion rates and sack rates for every season in the NFL since 1982, the first year that sacks became an official statistic. We've highlighted the marker for 2018, but we really didn't need to -- it's such an extreme outlier, it stands out on its own.

Here's another way to look at how strange this season has been: there are 13 quarterbacks this season who have completed at least 65 percent of their passes while being sacked on at least 6.7 percent of their dropbacks. Only 11 quarterbacks have done that over the course of a full season prior to 2018.
QBs with 65% Completion Rates and 6.7% Sack Rates | |||||||
Name | Year | Team | Cmp | Att | Cmp% | Sacks | Sack Rate |
Aaron Rodgers | 2011 | GB | 343 | 502 | 68.3% | 36 | 6.7% |
Aaron Rodgers | 2012 | GB | 371 | 552 | 67.2% | 51 | 8.5% |
Alex Smith | 2014 | KC | 303 | 464 | 65.3% | 45 | 8.8% |
Alex Smith | 2015 | KC | 307 | 470 | 65.3% | 45 | 8.7% |
Ben Roethlisberger | 2009 | PIT | 337 | 506 | 66.6% | 50 | 9.0% |
Carson Wentz | 2018 | PHI | 230 | 330 | 69.7% | 29 | 8.1% |
Dak Prescott | 2018 | DAL | 243 | 364 | 66.8% | 45 | 11.0% |
Daunte Culpepper | 2004 | MIN | 379 | 548 | 69.2% | 46 | 7.7% |
Derek Carr | 2018 | OAK | 292 | 423 | 69.0% | 38 | 8.2% |
Deshaun Watson | 2018 | HOU | 242 | 364 | 66.5% | 41 | 10.1% |
Eli Manning | 2018 | NYG | 296 | 436 | 67.9% | 41 | 8.6% |
Jameis Winston | 2018 | TB | 157 | 232 | 67.7% | 18 | 7.2% |
Marc Bulger | 2004 | STL | 321 | 485 | 66.2% | 41 | 7.8% |
Marcus Mariota | 2018 | TEN | 188 | 274 | 68.6% | 38 | 12.2% |
Matt Ryan | 2018 | ATL | 326 | 460 | 70.9% | 36 | 7.3% |
Matthew Stafford | 2015 | DET | 398 | 592 | 67.2% | 44 | 6.9% |
Matthew Stafford | 2018 | DET | 292 | 439 | 66.5% | 36 | 7.6% |
Philip Rivers | 2010 | SD | 357 | 541 | 66.0% | 38 | 6.6% |
Russell Wilson | 2015 | SEA | 329 | 483 | 68.1% | 45 | 8.5% |
Russell Wilson | 2018 | SEA | 217 | 326 | 66.6% | 37 | 10.2% |
Ryan Tannehill | 2014 | MIA | 392 | 590 | 66.4% | 46 | 7.2% |
Ryan Tannehill | 2018 | MIA | 118 | 178 | 66.3% | 15 | 7.8% |
Minimum 200 dropbacks |
Why is this happening? That's a longer and more complicated question than we have time to answer here, but we do have a few theories:
- While plays like run/pass options, bubble screens, and SHOVeLLs are boosting completion rates by making throws as easy as possible, the practice time devoted to those plays may be better spent on keeping quarterbacks upright in longer-yardage scenarios. It's also fair to ask whether defenses have caught up with RPOs after they played such a big role in Philadelphia's Super Bowl win last season. Mind you, we have no evidence this is happening -- it's a shot in the dark, a total guess -- but it might explain the pass protection issues a lot of teams seem to be having.
- As rules about illegal contact and hits on receivers make it more difficult than ever to play pass coverage, defenses might be willing to leave more receivers open for an increased chance of putting the quarterback on the ground before he can even throw the ball in the first place.
- As the value of each possession goes up, it's possible that quarterbacks are more willing to take sacks rather than risk a possible turnover on a pass under pressure. Better to eat the ball and try to convert a third-and-long than to put it in the air anywhere near a defender.
Quarterbacks | |||||||||||
Rk |
Player |
Team |
CP/AT |
Yds |
TD |
INT |
Sacks |
Total DYAR |
Pass DYAR |
Rush DYAR |
Opp |
1. |
Patrick Mahomes | KC | 23/38 |
295 |
4 |
0 |
0 |
150 |
141 |
9 |
OAK |
Mahomes loses 50 DYAR due to opponent adjustments, most of any quarterback this week, and still finishes on top of the pile. Throwing to his tight ends against Oakland, he went 15-of-19 for 207 yards and 10 first downs, including three touchdowns. |
2. |
Tom Brady | NE | 24/32 |
311 |
1 |
1 |
0 |
149 |
145 |
3 |
MIN |
Brady was helped a lot by receivers making plays with the ball in their hands. On throws to receivers within 2 yards of the line of scrimmage, he went 12-of-15 for 162 yards and eight first downs. |
3. |
Philip Rivers | LAC | 26/36 |
299 |
2 |
0 |
2 |
143 |
143 |
0 |
PIT |
The Chargers offense only had three drives in the second half: two touchdowns and a winning field goal. On those three drives, Rivers went 13-of-16 for 152 yards with 10 first downs, including a score. |
4. |
Derek Carr | OAK | 29/38 |
285 |
3 |
0 |
3 |
124 |
121 |
3 |
KC |
The Chiefs took a 26-10 lead with 5:48 left in the third quarter. From that point to the end of the game, Carr went 13-of-18 for 156 yards with 10 first downs, including three touchdowns, with one DPI for 17 more yards and one sack. |
5. |
Carson Wentz | PHI | 27/39 |
306 |
2 |
1 |
0 |
99 |
99 |
0 |
WAS |
6. |
Jameis Winston | TB | 20/30 |
249 |
2 |
0 |
4 |
96 |
81 |
15 |
CAR |
Winston had a good day on deep balls against Carolina, going 4-of-6 for 72 yards, plus DPIs of 12 and 52 yards on two other throws. |
7. |
Russell Wilson | SEA | 11/17 |
185 |
4 |
0 |
3 |
95 |
94 |
1 |
SF |
Wilson only threw one pass to his right: a completion at the line of scrimmage to Chris Carson, who then gained 27 yards on first-and-20. In related news, Richard Sherman usually stays to that side of the field for San Francisco. |
8. |
Baker Mayfield | CLE | 29/41 |
397 |
1 |
3 |
0 |
89 |
89 |
0 |
HOU |
Take away the second quarter and Mayfield was the best quarterback of the week, but in the second quarter, he was the worst quarterback of the week. In those fateful 15 minutes, he went 3-of-10 for 24 yards with just one first down; a 47-yard DPI; and three interceptions, including a pick-six. |
9. |
Ben Roethlisberger | PIT | 29/45 |
281 |
2 |
1 |
1 |
83 |
83 |
0 |
LAC |
Roethlisberger had a bad night throwing to his right: 5-of-9 for 32 yards with one first down and one interception. |
10. |
Deshaun Watson | HOU | 22/31 |
224 |
1 |
0 |
4 |
80 |
71 |
9 |
CLE |
Throwing to his tight ends, Watson went 5-of-5 for 57 yards and four first downs, including a touchdown. |
11. |
Ryan Tannehill | MIA | 16/24 |
137 |
3 |
1 |
3 |
73 |
81 |
-7 |
BUF |
In the red zone, Tannehill went 5-of-6 for 50 yards, with three touchdowns and another first down. |
12. |
Nick Mullens | SF | 30/46 |
414 |
2 |
1 |
3 |
58 |
64 |
-5 |
SEA |
Conversely, Mullens went 5-of-9 for 40 yards with one touchdown, one other first down, one sack, and one pick-six in the red zone. |
Rk |
Player |
Team |
CP/AT |
Yds |
TD |
INT |
Sacks |
Total DYAR |
Pass DYAR |
Rush DYAR |
Opp |
13. |
Aaron Rodgers | GB | 31/50 |
233 |
1 |
0 |
1 |
40 |
34 |
6 |
ARI |
With 7 yards or less to go, Rodgers went 10-of-15 for 95 yards and 10 first downs, including a touchdown. But with 8 yards or more to go, he went 21-of-35 for only 138 yards, plus a 9-yard DPI, for six total first downs. |
14. |
Case Keenum | DEN | 12/21 |
151 |
1 |
0 |
2 |
16 |
10 |
5 |
CIN |
Throws to receivers within 8 yards of the line of scrimmage: 6-of-12, 22 yards, one first down. Throws to receivers 9 or more yards downfield: 6-of-7, 129 yards, five first downs, including a touchdown. (He also had two passes where he was hit as he released that were listed with no receiver.) |
15. |
Josh Allen | BUF | 18/33 |
231 |
2 |
2 |
2 |
16 |
-37 |
53 |
MIA |
League-wide this season, only 19 percent of all passes have qualified as deep balls (intended for receivers more than 15 yards downfield). Allen is an outlier -- 33 percent of his passes have been deep balls. And against Miami this week, his rate was right at 50 percent. He threw 17 deep balls against the Dolphins, going 5-of-16 for 116 yards, plus a 14-yard DPI, with one touchdown and two interceptions (including a Hail Mary at the end of the first half). |
16. |
Eli Manning | NYG | 19/35 |
170 |
1 |
1 |
3 |
12 |
12 |
0 |
CHI |
Manning gains 69 DYAR due to opponent adjustments, most of any quarterback this week. His best results came on midrange throws to receivers 6 to 15 yards downfield: 10-of-13 for 124 yards, with all 10 completions going for first downs, with an 8-yard DPI and one interception. |
17. |
Dak Prescott | DAL | 24/28 |
248 |
1 |
0 |
7 |
6 |
-9 |
15 |
NO |
Third downs: 6-of-6 for 60 yards and four conversions, but also four sacks and two fumbles. |
18. |
Matthew Stafford | DET | 20/33 |
245 |
1 |
1 |
4 |
5 |
10 |
-5 |
LAR |
On first downs, Stafford went 9-of-13 for 176 yards with nine first downs, plus a 12-yard DPI, two sacks, and one fumble. He only had six first downs on 23 second- and third-down plays. |
19. |
Matt Ryan | ATL | 16/26 |
131 |
1 |
0 |
3 |
-18 |
-23 |
6 |
BAL |
Midway through the fourth quarter, Ryan was sacked and fumbled, and the Ravens recovered the ball and returned it for a touchdown and a 26-10 lead. Up to that point, he had played a nightmare game, one of the worst of the week, going 12-of-21 for 94 yards with only two first downs and three sacks. At that point, with the game effectively over, he caught fire, going 4-of-5 for 37 yards with all four completions going for first downs (including his one touchdown), plus a 23-yard DPI. |
20. |
Marcus Mariota | TEN | 20/35 |
282 |
2 |
1 |
3 |
-18 |
-11 |
-7 |
NYJ |
Mariota's last pass of the game was a game-winning touchdown to Corey Davis. That was his only third-down conversion of the game. Up to that point, he had gone 2-of-9 for 3 yards (not a typo) with a sack and a pick-six. |
21. |
Josh Rosen | ARI | 11/26 |
149 |
0 |
0 |
2 |
-30 |
-27 |
-3 |
GB |
Inside the Green Bay 40, Rosen went 0-for-4 with a sack. No, really. |
22. |
Jeff Driskel | CIN | 26/38 |
236 |
1 |
1 |
4 |
-38 |
-27 |
-12 |
DEN |
Driskel was very good throwing up the middle: 9-of-13, 150 yards, seven first downs, one touchdown. But he was very bad throwing to his left: 7-of-11 for only 26 yards with one first down and one interception. |
Rk |
Player |
Team |
CP/AT |
Yds |
TD |
INT |
Sacks |
Total DYAR |
Pass DYAR |
Rush DYAR |
Opp |
23. |
Andrew Luck | IND | 33/52 |
248 |
0 |
1 |
3 |
-42 |
-48 |
6 |
JAX |
Inside the Jacksonville 40, Luck went 9-of-17 for just 46 yards and two first downs with a sack. Remember, Indianapolis lost this game 6-0. |
24. |
Jared Goff | LAR | 17/33 |
207 |
1 |
1 |
2 |
-49 |
-49 |
0 |
DET |
Deep balls: 2-of-9 for 45 yards with one interception. |
25. |
Cody Kessler | JAX | 18/24 |
150 |
0 |
0 |
3 |
-55 |
-49 |
-6 |
IND |
Kessler's best and worst plays came on third downs. He completed 6-of-7 passes for 73 yards and four first downs, and also had a 15-yard DPI for another first down. But he was also sacked three times, fumbling once. |
26. |
Lamar Jackson | BAL | 12/21 |
125 |
0 |
0 |
2 |
-69 |
-29 |
-40 |
ATL |
Jackson is now up to 76 non-kneeldown carries this season, just three behind Cam Newton for the most among quarterbacks. The results, however, have been bad -- he's worst among quarterbacks with -62 rushing DYAR. He ran for five first downs against Atlanta, with four gains of 10 yards or more, but also fumbled twice and had a zero-yard gain on third-and-3. |
27. |
Josh McCown | NYJ | 17/30 |
128 |
0 |
1 |
2 |
-70 |
-69 |
-1 |
TEN |
McCown had nine plays at the Tennessee 28-yard line or deeper. One went forwards: a 2-yard gain on first-and-10 from the 18. Five, all incomplete, went nowhere. Three -- a completion for a 4-yard loss on first-and-20 and a pair of sacks -- went backwards. |
28. |
Kirk Cousins | MIN | 32/44 |
201 |
1 |
2 |
2 |
-82 |
-82 |
0 |
NE |
Cousins loses more than 60 DYAR for his last three passes, including two interceptions. It's not like he was lighting the world on fire up to that point though -- only two of his completions gained more than 10 yards, and they both came in the second quarter. In the second half, he went 17-of-25 for 92 yards with four first downs, two interceptions, and a sack. He finished with 16 failed completions, five more than any other quarterback this week. |
29. |
Mark Sanchez | WAS | 13/21 |
100 |
0 |
1 |
2 |
-104 |
-107 |
3 |
PHI |
30. |
Drew Brees | NO | 18/28 |
127 |
1 |
1 |
2 |
-105 |
-109 |
4 |
DAL |
If Brees didn't get the job done on first down, he usually didn't get it done on second or third down either: 12-of-18 for 78 yards with only three conversions (including a 30-yard touchdown), one sack-fumble, and one interception. |
31. |
Cam Newton | CAR | 28/41 |
300 |
2 |
4 |
4 |
-147 |
-154 |
7 |
TB |
The Buccaneers defense only had three interceptions in their first 11 games. Newton threw four interceptions in one stretch of about 47 minutes on Sunday. Two of them came with the Panthers down seven in the fourth quarter -- one on first-and-10, one on second-and-5. |
32. |
Chase Daniel | CHI | 26/39 |
285 |
1 |
2 |
5 |
-179 |
-179 |
0 |
NYG |
Daniels had four fumbles against the Giants, three of them on aborted snaps, and three on Chicago's one drive in overtime. In the red zone, he went 3-of-8 for 7 yards with one touchdown, plus a DPI for 8 yards. With more than 10 yards to go for a first down, he went 4-of-9 for 11 yards with no conversions, two sacks, and one pick-six. |
Five Best Running Backs by DYAR (Total) | ||||||||||||
Rk |
Player |
Team |
Runs |
Rush Yds |
Rush TD |
Rec |
Rec Yds |
Rec TD |
Total DYAR |
Rush DYAR |
Rec DYAR |
Opp |
1. |
Ezekiel Elliott | DAL | 23 |
76 |
0 |
6/6 |
60 |
1 |
49 |
20 |
29 |
NO |
Five first downs on the ground, the longest a 21-yarder, while getting stuffed four times. Three of his six catches gained 10 yards or more, with two first downs. |
2. |
Chase Edmonds | ARI | 5 |
53 |
2 |
2/2 |
13 |
0 |
48 |
39 |
9 |
GB |
A fourth-round rookie out of Fordham, Edmonds had five carries against Green Bay, and four gained at least 6 yards and a first down, with two touchdowns and a 29-yard gain. His two catches also both went for first downs. |
3. |
Justin Jackson | LAC | 8 |
63 |
1 |
1/1 |
19 |
0 |
47 |
37 |
10 |
PIT |
A seventh-round rookie out of Northwestern, Jackson ran for four first downs against Pittsburgh, with four gains of 9 yards or more. His one catch was a 19-yard gain on first-and-10. |
4. |
Tarik Cohen | CHI | 8 |
30 |
0 |
12/14 |
156 |
0 |
45 |
-8 |
52 |
NYG |
Cohen only ran for one first down against the Giants, and was stuffed twice. But his catches produced four first downs, including gains of 14, 23, 32, and 46 yards. |
5. |
Nick Chubb | CLE | 9 |
31 |
1 |
3/3 |
41 |
0 |
42 |
23 |
19 |
HOU |
Thirteen of Chubb's DYAR come from opponent adjustments. He ran for three first downs against Houston, with a long gain of 11 yards, while getting stuffed three times. His best catch was a 24-yard gain on first-and-13. |
Five Best Running Backs by DYAR (Rushing) | ||||||||||||
Rk |
Player |
Team |
Runs |
Rush Yds |
Rush TD |
Rec |
Rec Yds |
Rec TD |
Total DYAR |
Rush DYAR |
Rec DYAR |
Opp |
1. |
Phillip Lindsay | DEN | 19 |
157 |
2 |
1/1 |
2 |
0 |
38 |
43 |
-5 |
CIN |
Lindsay ran for seven first downs against Cincinnati, with five runs of 10 yards or more, including a 65-yarder. |
2. |
Chase Edmonds | ARI | 5 |
53 |
2 |
2/2 |
13 |
0 |
48 |
39 |
9 |
GB |
3. |
Justin Jackson | LAC | 8 |
63 |
1 |
1/1 |
19 |
0 |
47 |
37 |
10 |
PIT |
4. |
Rashaad Penny | SEA | 7 |
65 |
1 |
0/0 |
0 |
0 |
37 |
37 |
0 |
SF |
Penny was stuffed once, but each of his other carries gained at least 3 yards. His three first downs came on runs of 15, 19, and 20 yards. |
5. |
Todd Gurley | LAR | 23 |
132 |
2 |
3/5 |
33 |
0 |
41 |
33 |
8 |
DET |
Gurley ran for eight downs against Detroit, with four runs of 10 yards or more, the longest a 36-yarder. He was stuffed four times. |
Worst Running Back by DYAR (Total) | ||||||||||||
Rk |
Player |
Team |
Runs |
Rush Yds |
Rush TD |
Rec |
Rec Yds |
Rec TD |
Total DYAR |
Rush DYAR |
Rec DYAR |
Opp |
1. |
Chris Thompson | WAS | 3 |
3 |
0 |
4/6 |
18 |
0 |
-47 |
-27 |
-19 |
PHI |
Thompson's three runs: 7-yard gain on second-and-22; no gain on first-and-10; 4-yard loss and a fumble on first-and-10. His receiving highlights included a 9-yard gain on third-and-15, an 8-yard gain on third-and-14, and a 2-yard gain on second-and-15. |
Worst Running Back by DYAR (Rushing) | ||||||||||||
Rk |
Player |
Team |
Runs |
Rush Yds |
Rush TD |
Rec |
Rec Yds |
Rec TD |
Total DYAR |
Rush DYAR |
Rec DYAR |
Opp |
1. |
Chris Ivory | BUF | 6 |
4 |
0 |
0/0 |
0 |
0 |
-35 |
-35 |
0 |
MIA |
None of Ivory's runs gained more than 4 yards, none resulted in a first down, none counted as a successful play. Three were stuffed, including a 4-yard loss and a fumble on second-and-13. |
Five Best Wide Receivers and Tight Ends by DYAR | ||||||||||
Rk |
Player |
Team |
Rec |
Att |
Yds |
Avg |
TD |
Total DYAR |
Opp |
|
1. |
Antonio Brown | PIT | 10 |
13 |
154 |
15.4 |
1 |
61 |
LAC |
Eight of Brown's catches went for first downs, including a 28-yard touchdown and a gain of 46. |
2. |
Tyler Lockett | SEA | 1 |
2 |
52 |
52.0 |
1 |
54 |
SF |
Lockett's totals include 44 DYAR receiving, 10 DYAR rushing for his one carry for 10 yards. They also gives him credit for a third target that is not listed here: a 43-yard DPI. This is offense only, though, not special teams, so it does not include his 84-yard kickoff return to open the second half. |
3. |
Keenan Allen | LAC | 14 |
19 |
148 |
10.6 |
1 |
54 |
PIT |
Ten of Allen's receptions produced first downs, including three third-down conversions. |
4. |
Jaron Brown | SEA | 3 |
3 |
67 |
22.3 |
2 |
53 |
SF |
Brown's three targets against San Francisco: 45-yard gain on second-and-6; 4-yard touchdown on third-and-goal; 18-yard touchdown on second-and-17. As pointed out by Bob Condotta of the Seattle Times, Brown now has 11 catches this season, and five have resulted in touchdowns -- that's more touchdowns than players such as Julio Jones, JuJu Smith-Schuster, Amari Cooper, or Brandin Cooks have this season. |
5. |
Chris Godwin | TB | 5 |
6 |
101 |
20.2 |
1 |
47 |
CAR |
Four of Godwin's catches resulted in first downs, including a 48-yard gain and three third-down conversions. The other was a 12-yard gain on second-and-17. |
Worst Wide Receiver or Tight End by DYAR | ||||||||||
Rk |
Player |
Team |
Rec |
Att |
Yds |
Avg |
TD |
Total DYAR |
Opp |
|
1. |
Taylor Gabriel | CHI | 3 |
7 |
17 |
5.7 |
0 |
-51 |
NYG |
Gabriel's three catches: 6-yard gain on first-and-10; 7 yards and a lost fumble on first-and-10 from the Bears' 2-yard line; 4-yard gain on second-and-5. |
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