Quarterback Rating Calculator

So how does the NFL calculate a quarterback’s rating? What is a quarterback rating? Here is a quick calculator you can use to get a QB rating.

NFL Quarterback Rating Calculator: How to Determine QB Effectiveness

Understanding how to calculate the NFL quarterback rating is useful for any football fan who wants to go beyond basic stats like touchdowns and interceptions. The formula provides a standardized measure of a quarterback’s passing performance by considering several key passing statistics. In this article, we’ll break down the calculation step by step, explore its history, and provide a calculator you can use.

History of the NFL Quarterback Rating

Before 1973, the NFL lacked a consistent method for evaluating quarterbacks. Different teams and organizations used different statistical measures, making it difficult to compare players across the league. To address this, the NFL commissioned a committee headed by Don Smith to develop a standardized system.

Smith’s committee analyzed thousands of games to identify the statistical categories that correlated most strongly with winning. They ultimately settled on four key metrics:

• Completion percentage: The percentage of passes completed.
• Yards per attempt: The average number of yards gained per pass attempt.
• Touchdown percentage: The percentage of passes that result in touchdowns.
• Interception percentage: The percentage of passes that are intercepted.

The committee then developed a formula that combined these four categories into a single rating, ranging from 0 to 158.3. This formula has remained largely unchanged since its creation.

How to Calculate NFL Quarterback Rating

The quarterback rating formula may look intimidating at first, but it is a step-by-step process using basic passing statistics.

1. Calculate the four key metrics:
   • Completion percentage = (Completions / Attempts) × 100
   • Yards per attempt = Passing yards / Attempts
   • Touchdown percentage = (Touchdowns / Attempts) × 100
   • Interception percentage = (Interceptions / Attempts) × 100
2. Calculate each rating component: Use the formulas below to calculate a, b, c, and d.
3. Apply the caps: Each component is capped at 2.375 and cannot be less than 0.
4. Calculate the final rating: Add the four components, divide by 6, and multiply by 100.

Formula:

NFL Rating = [(a + b + c + d) / 6] × 100

Where:

• a = ((Completions / Attempts) - 0.3) × 5
• b = ((Passing yards / Attempts) - 3) × 0.25
• c = (Touchdowns / Attempts) × 20
• d = 2.375 - ((Interceptions / Attempts) × 25)

Note: Each component (a, b, c, and d) is capped at 2.375 and cannot be less than 0.

NFL Quarterback Rating Calculator

To make things easier, use the calculator below:

[Embed a simple calculator here that allows users to input completions, attempts, passing yards, touchdowns, and interceptions. The calculator should automatically calculate the quarterback rating.]

Interpreting the Quarterback Rating

The NFL quarterback rating provides a standardized way to compare quarterbacks across different teams and eras. However, it is important to remember that it is only one part of evaluating quarterback play. Leadership, athleticism, decision-making, pocket presence, game situation, rushing ability, offensive line play, and receiver performance all matter too.

Here is a general guideline for interpreting quarterback ratings:

• 158.3: Perfect rating
• 100-158.3: Excellent
• 85-99.9: Very good
• 70-84.9: Average
• 50-69.9: Below average
• 0-49.9: Poor

Conclusion

The NFL quarterback rating is a useful tool for evaluating passing performance, but it has limitations. By understanding the formula and using the calculator, you can better understand how quarterback efficiency is measured and why a single number never tells the full story.