Massarotti: Osweiler Setting Himself Apart From Manning On Short Passes, Not Deep Balls
By Tony Massarotti, 98.5 The Sports Hub
BOSTON (CBS) -- As the Denver Broncos chase the Patriots for the top spot in the AFC, the most pertinent question is obvious: How much of a difference has Brock Osweiler made? To offer some idea beyond the all-telling eyeball test, we looked at some numbers.
For example, of Manning's 322 pass attempts this season, a whopping 284 (or 88.2 percent) have traveled within 20 yards of the line of scrimmage. If that sounds unusually high, it actually isn't. In the entire NFL this year, 89 percent of all pass attempts have come within the identical 20 yards of the line or scrimmage.
Get the point? Manning's inability to throw the ball downfield is not the real issue -- those throws reflect only a small percentage of NFL passing attacks. But Manning's inability to complete the short and intermediate throws -- largely the result of his ability to throw with any velocity -- has been the biggest obstruction to Denver's passing game.
Remember: From Weeks 1-10, Manning ranked 30th among all qualifying NFL quarterbacks in passer rating. In Weeks 11-12, Osweiler ranked 12th. That is a obviously small sample for Osweiler, but closer inspection reveals that he is excelling on the throws that Manning did not.
To wit:
PASSER RATING
Passes thrown behind the line
Manning: 79.5
Osweiler: 45.0
Passes thrown 1-10 yards
Manning: 67.1
Osweiler: 96.9
Passes thrown 11-20 yards
Manning: 62.0
Osweiler: 116.0
Total On Short/Intermediate Passes
Manning: 72.8
Osweiler: 91.7
Passes thrown 21-30 yards
Manning: 75.0
Osweiler: 56.3
Passes thrown 31-40 yards
Manning: 54.2
Osweiler: 81.9
Passes thrown 41+ yards
Manning: NA*
Osweiler: 39.6
Total On Deep Balls
Manning 68.5
Osweiler: 44.3**
(* - Manning did not throw a pass that traveled this far.)
(** - Osweiler has thrown just eight passes total beyond 20 yards of the line or scrimmage.)
