Lamar Jackson doesn’t get pleasure from dealing with the Pittsburgh Steelers.
He could get excited for it. He could absolutely perceive the gravity of one of many sport’s finest rivalries. However there’s no workforce within the NFL he’s been worse towards. His 5:8 landing:interception ratio and 66.7 passer score are each profession worsts towards any opponent he’s confronted as a professional.
That held true in Week 11 when he traveled to the previous Heinz Subject for a well-known wrestle. Jackson had one among his worst performances of the season Sunday. Was he the week’s most disappointing quarterback?
Thankfully, we’ve obtained a metric that may assist determine that out.
Utilizing the superior stat anticipated factors added (EPA) can gauge how a lot a quarterback brings to the desk in comparison with a typical participant. By evaluating every passer’s Week 11 EPA towards their 2024 common up to now we get a greater image of simply how irritating their performances have been. And we will discover each of these due to The Athletic’s Ben Baldwin and his extremely helpful stats websites RBSDM.com and HabitatRing.com.
It is a metric that gauges disappointment based mostly on what we’d sometimes count on. Will Levis had a unfavourable EPA in Week 11 whereas shedding to the Minnesota Vikings, however he just about all the time has a unfavourable EPA, so he missed the record. Who was the worst? There have been a number of candidates however just one man can actually name himself the grossest quarterback of Week 11.
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5. Mac Jones, Jacksonville Jaguars
David Reginek-Imagn Pictures
2024 anticipated factors added (EPA) per sport: -7.7
Week 11 EPA: -11
Distinction: 3.3 factors worse
Jones tried 10 passes that traveled greater than 15 yards downfield. One was caught. By the Detroit Lions.
by way of habitatring.com
I’m starting to assume Invoice Belichick wasn’t Mac’s downside.
4. Jayden Daniels, Washington Commanders
Eric Hartline-Imagn Pictures
2024 anticipated factors added (EPA) per sport: 6.1
Week 11 EPA: 0.1
Distinction: 6.0 factors worse
Daniels was as soon as once more superb — his efficiency towards the Philadelphia Eagles may have even been encouraging for a typical rookie quarterback. However that’s not what Daniels is; he’s a direct star who put up MVP caliber numbers his first half-season within the NFL.
On Thursday, he was stymied by an Eagles protection that his evolving right into a terrifying presence. Since its Week 5 bye, Philadelphia has solely allowed greater than 20 factors as soon as. Their -0.235 EPA allowed per play over that stretch is finest within the league.
That doesn’t clarify this interception, nevertheless.
ALL ABOARD THE BLANKENSHIP 🚢@reedus99_reed | #FlyEaglesFly pic.twitter.com/Q1L5mSvcCm
— Philadelphia Eagles (@Eagles) November 15, 2024
With Terry McLaurin bracketed, Daniels solely threw 4 passes that traveled greater than 10 yards downfield in Week 11. He accomplished as many to Reed Blankenship as his personal teammates.
3. Kirk Cousins, Atlanta Falcons
Ron Chenoy-Imagn Pictures
2024 anticipated factors added (EPA) per sport: 2.7
Week 11 EPA: -6.8
Distinction: 9.5 factors worse
For the second straight sport, Cousins was saved out of the top zone and threw an interception. That was a distinction maker in an in depth loss to the New Orleans Saints in Week 10. However in Week 11 he obtained boat raced by Bo Nix, which feels so, a lot worse.
All day, Cody Barton 👐
📺: FOX pic.twitter.com/qIXyelKsnS
— Denver Broncos (@Broncos) November 17, 2024
Cousins struggled towards a high three passing protection that’s getting an All-Professional season from Patrick Surtain II and a Professional Bowl-ish emergence from Riley Moss. Collectively, they restricted Atlanta’s high downfield targets — Drake London, Darnell Mooney and Kyle Pitts — to 6 catches and 97 yards on 14 targets. Half of his 18 completions got here inside one yard of the road of scrimmage.
2. Lamar Jackson, Baltimore Ravens
Barry Reeger-Imagn Pictures
2024 anticipated factors added (EPA) per sport: 11.3
Week 11 EPA: 0
Distinction: 11.3 factors worse
Effectively, that’s not going to assist Jackson’s back-to-back MVP argument. The dynamic dual-threat quarterback was capably wrangled by one of many defenses that is aware of him finest. The Pittsburgh Steelers restricted him to 253 complete yards and, impressively, a sub-50 % completion fee at Acrisure Stadium.
Granted, that wasn’t fully his fault:
Zay Flowers spoils an distinctive Lamar Jackson play with as egregious of a drop as you’ll see given the circumstances. #RavensFlock pic.twitter.com/KncJMdaYoG
— Bobby Trosset (@bobbybaltim0re) November 17, 2024
Nonetheless, this was a departure from the dynamic downfield passer who’d been in a position to hit his targets in stride and lead wideouts to huge positive factors after the catch. He threw seven deep balls and just one was caught — and that was by Steelers rookie Payton Wilson in an absurd play.
WHAT A PLAY @payton_wilson21‼️
📲 Stream on NFL+: https://t.co/COxKRnr6Mc pic.twitter.com/HrLSYaBOrB
— Pittsburgh Steelers (@steelers) November 17, 2024
This led to an total impartial efficiency. Jackson, statistically, didn’t add something to the Ravens’ offense. He didn’t take something away, both. That doesn’t make him the worst quarterback of Week 11, nevertheless it does characterize a disappointing efficiency from the MVP entrance runner.
1. Russell Wilson, Pittsburgh Steelers
Barry Reeger-Imagn Pictures
2024 anticipated factors added (EPA) per sport: 4.5
Week 11 EPA: -13.7
Distinction: 18.2 factors worse
Effectively, that is uncommon. The grossest quarterback of the week confronted off with the runner-up and nonetheless managed to flee with a win. Even after he did this!
Marlon Humphrey picks off Russ in the long run zone!
📺: #BALvsPIT on CBS/Paramount+
📱: https://t.co/waVpO8ZBqG pic.twitter.com/DDPaPeZ5Yz— NFL (@NFL) November 17, 2024
Wilson had his typical moon ball success with George Pickens for a 37-yard acquire, however was in any other case brief on explosive performs. He averaged simply 4.1 yards per dropback, factoring in a single speeding yard on 4 makes an attempt and 4 sacks taken.
.@DafeOweh sack trick 🔥
Tune in on CBS/@paramountplus pic.twitter.com/VU9r85UJVu
— Baltimore Ravens (@Ravens) November 17, 2024
Wilson was pressured considerably much less usually than Jackson (29 % to Jackson’s 43 %) however nonetheless managed to seek out hassle. This was a throwback to the Broncos model of the Professional Bowl quarterback. Pittsburgh gained regardless as a result of there’s no franchise within the league higher suited to outlive mediocre passing. May this be an omen of issues to return?
