QBER/Week 11: Numbers Say MVP Award Is Favre-Fetched Idea

Paul Ladewski — Wed, 25 Nov 2009 16:25:56 -0500

(QBER is short for Quarterback Efficiency Rating, a more comprehensive, easily understood rating system that I devised to place the emphasis where it belongs—on the ability of a quarterback to advance the ball, avoid negative plays, and score touchdowns in comparison to his peers. A rating of 100.0 is the league average.)

It’s too a bit too early for apologies, but the critics who wrote off Brett Favre months ago should be advised to have their my-bad's ready.

Not only is Favre the top-ranked quarterback in the league, according to the most recent QBER calculations, but the longer the season progresses, the better he has been. At a time when 40-year-olds are supposed to slow down, his QBER has improved from 125.1 to 138.1 to 138.5 to 141.6 to 148.2 in the last four weeks.

Can you say Most Valuable Player, boys and girls?

There are several worthy candidates for MVP honors, Drew Brees and Peyton Manning also among them, but Favre should rate as the early favorite for the award. Even though feature Adrian Peterson has been fairly average by his standards, the Vikings own a 9-1 record largely because Favre has stepped up as a highly efficient quarterback and unquestioned team leader.

What stands out about Favre is his ability to avoid negative plays, which is in stark contrast to the later stages of his Green Bay Packers career. In 334 pass plays, he has been guilty of only four turnovers, the best rate in the league. He also accounts for one touchdown per 15.9 pass attempts, which is 75 percent above the league average.

It was in Week 14 of a year ago that Favre began his free-fall because of shoulder problems. His detractors may not like it, but a rerun doesn’t appear to be likely this time around.

The QBER Leaders Through Week Eleven of the Regular Season:

1. Brett Favre 148.2

2. Peyton Manning 134.6

3. Donovan McNabb 130.0

4. Aaron Rodgers 129.3

5. Drew Brees 128.3

6. Tom Brady 127.6

7. Philip Rivers 127.5

8. Matt Schaub 125.3

9. Eli Manning 119.0

10. Kurt Warner 114.5

11. Kyle Orton 114.2

12. Tony Romo 112.4

13. Joe Flacco 110.5

14. Carson Palmer 109.7

15. Ben Roethlisberger 106.6

16. Matt Hasselbeck 104.0

17. Matt Ryan 101.5

18. Matt Cassel 101.4

19. David Garrard 90.0

20. Chad Henne 87.2

21. Jay Cutler 85.8

22. Marc Bulger 82.3

23. Jason Campbell 81.6

24. Matthew Stafford 80.5

25. Trent Edwards 79.3

26. Kerry Collins 78.4

27. Mark Sanchez 59.6

28. Jake Delhomme 57.2

29. JaMarcus Russell 50.1

A Few Observations

If Vince Young isn’t a big fan of the QBER system, then he should be. According the NFL passer rating formula, the Tennessee Titans signal-caller would rank 17th overall if he had the required number of pass attempts—two spots worse than he would on be on the QBER list. The QBER formula credits Young for the 147 yards that he gained on runs off pass plays, while the NFL system ignores them. The Titans haven’t lost since Young regained his starter role, and his improved play has been a primary reason for the turnaround.
Maybe Pete Carroll was right, after all. The Southern California head coach said Mark Sanchez would have been better suited to remain in college one more year, and the numbers support his contention. The New York Jets' rookie has been plagued by turnovers—19 of them. Only Jay Cutler has as many in the league.
While Sanchez has regressed, Detroit Lions rookie Matthew Stafford has headed the other way. His QBER jumped from 58.7 (28th overall) to a semi-respectable 80.5 (24th) in that span. It should be noted that he played against the Cleveland Browns last week.
The play of Philadelphia Eagles veteran Donovan McNabb may be as consistent as any point in his career. His QBER ranking in each of the last six weeks: fourth, fourth, second, third, third, and third.
San Diego Chargers quarterback Philip Rivers earned the Mr. Clean Award last week. In 22 pass plays, he did not have a scramble, sack, fumble, or interception.

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Fantasy Football Week 12 Rankings: Top 25 Quarterbacks

Eric Stashin — Mon, 23 Nov 2009 06:34:49 -0500

Week 12 features a great matchup between Drew Brees and Tom Brady, though neither of them take home the top spot this week. Who is that honor reserved for? Let’s take a look:

Aaron Rodgers - Green Bay Packers - at Detroit
Peyton Manning - Indianapolis Colts - at Houston
Drew Brees - New Orleans Saints - vs. New England
Tom Brady - New England Patriots - at New Orleans
Kurt Warner - Arizona Cardinals - at Tennessee
Philip Rivers - San Diego Chargers - vs. Kansas City
Matt Schaub - Houston Texans - vs. Indianapolis
Brett Favre - Minnesota Vikings - vs. Chicago
Matt Ryan - Atlanta Falcons - vs. Tampa Bay
Ben Roethlisberger - Pittsburgh Steelers - at Baltimore
Carson Palmer - Cincinnati Bengals - vs. Cleveland
Tony Romo - Dallas Cowboys - vs. Oakland
Donovan McNabb - Philadelphia Eagles - vs. Washington
Jay Cutler - Chicago Bears - at Minnesota
Eli Manning - New York Giants - at Denver
Joe Flacco - Baltimore Ravens - vs. Pittsburgh
Kyle Orton - Denver Broncos - vs. New York Giants
Matt Hasselbeck - Seattle Seahawks - at St. Louis
David Garrard - Jacksonville Jaguars - at San Francisco
Matthew Stafford - Detroit Lions - vs. Green Bay
Jason Campbell - Washington Redskins - at Philadelphia
Josh Freeman - Tampa Bay Buccaneers - at Atlanta
Vince Young - Tennessee Titans - vs. Arizona
Alex Smith - San Francisco 49ers - vs. Jacksonville
Brady Quinn - Cleveland Browns - at Cincinnati

Thoughts:

After watching Brady Quinn torch the Detroit Lions defense, is there any quarterback you’d rather have this week than Aaron Rodgers?
Drew Brees vs. Tom Brady could materialize into a good, old-fashioned shootout. These are two of the best to begin with, and if they try to outdo each other, the numbers could be big.
The decision between Warner and Rivers comes down to the weapons, plain and simple, as both play subpar defenses. Warner has better weapons on the outside. I don’t care who the Chargers have, they don’t matchup with Larry Fitzgerald & Anquan Boldin. Of course, Warner’s health is now a question after exiting the game before halftime. Monitor the news this week if you are an owner of his.
In Week Nine, Matt Schaub threw for 311 yards, one touchdown and two interceptions against the Colts. While you don’t like the picks, the yardage is impressive so I wouldn’t bet against him in the coming week.
Does it really matter who Brett Favre’s faces at this point? He has proven week after week that he still has it and is a usable fantasy option in all formats.
Kyle Orton has two questions surrounding him. First of all, will he be healthy enough to play? Secondly, will Aaron Ross play a bigger role in the Giants defensive backfield after getting his first game action of the season in Week 11. If he plays, he’s going to be a solid QB2.
How can a QB go from being as hot as Tony Romo was to struggle the way he did against the Redskins? Against the Raiders, I’d take my chances.
Matthew Stafford, who threw five touchdown passes in Week 11, could be forced to miss the teams Thanksgiving Day game. Monitor the news over the next few days, but those in two quarterback leagues need to have a replacement in place.

What are your thoughts? Who was left off the list? Who should be higher? Who should be lower?

Other Week 12 Rankings:

Running Backs

This article is also featured on www.rotoprofessor.com/football

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Bleacher Report - quarterbacks

QBER/Week 11: Numbers Say MVP Award Is Favre-Fetched Idea

Fantasy Football Week 12 Rankings: Top 25 Quarterbacks