Best Passing Teams At Picking Up First Downs

by Chase Stuart on May 25, 2018

Yesterday, I looked at passing first down data, with an emphasis on percentage of passing plays (including sacks) that went for first downs.

The 2016 Atlanta Falcons had an incredible offense. Like, a really, really good offense that had lots of eye-popping statistics. Here’s another one: the Falcons picked up 239 passing first downs on 537 pass attempts plus 37 sacks. That means Matt Ryan and company picked up a first down on 41.6% of all passing plays. That’s the fourth best rate in NFL history.

The best rate belongs to the 2004 Colts, at 44.0%.
The second-best rate belongs to the 2013 Broncos, at 42.2%.
The third-best rate belongs to the 2006 Colts, at 42.1%.

Any guesses what those three teams have in common?

The 2004 Colts had Peyton Manning and Marvin Harrison, Reggie Wayne, Dallas Clark, and Brandon Stokley.

The 2006 Colts had Manning, Harrison, Wayne, and Clark, too.

The 2013 Broncos? They had Manning, Demaryius Thomas, Eric Decker, Wes Welker, and Julius Thomas (Stokley was on the 2012 Broncos).

So maybe it was the quarterback. The table below shows the top 100 teams in percentage of team passing plays that went for a first down.

Rk	Team	Year	Att	Sack	First Down	1D/PP%
1	IND	2004	527	14	238	44.0%
2	DEN	2013	675	20	293	42.2%
3	IND	2006	557	15	241	42.1%
4	ATL	2016	537	37	239	41.6%
5	MIA	1984	572	14	243	41.5%
6	SDG	1982	338	12	145	41.4%
7	NOR	2011	662	24	280	40.8%
8	SDG	2009	519	26	222	40.7%
9	NWE	2011	612	32	262	40.7%
10	IND	2005	515	20	217	40.6%
11	SDG	2010	544	38	236	40.5%
12	DAL	2014	476	30	205	40.5%
13	ARI	2015	562	27	237	40.2%
14	SDG	2013	544	30	230	40.1%
15	TEN	2003	502	25	211	40.0%
16	NWE	2007	586	21	243	40.0%
17	STL	2001	551	40	236	39.9%
18	SFO	1989	483	45	209	39.6%
19	WAS	1991	447	9	179	39.3%
20	IND	2009	601	13	241	39.3%
21	GNB	2014	536	30	222	39.2%
22	STL	2000	587	44	247	39.1%
23	CIN	1988	392	30	165	39.1%
24	DAL	2007	531	25	217	39.0%
25	SFO	1984	496	27	204	39.0%
26	SDG	1980	594	32	244	39.0%
27	GNB	2011	552	41	230	38.8%
28	SDG	1985	632	39	259	38.6%
29	SFO	1994	511	35	210	38.5%
30	KAN	2004	561	32	228	38.4%
31	ATL	2012	615	28	247	38.4%
32	SEA	2005	474	27	192	38.3%
33	NWE	2012	641	27	256	38.3%
34	NOR	2012	671	26	267	38.3%
35	SDG	2011	582	30	234	38.2%
36	OAK	1974	335	24	137	38.2%
37	NOR	2009	544	20	215	38.1%
38	SFO	1987	501	29	202	38.1%
39	DEN	2012	588	21	232	38.1%
40	DAL	1995	494	18	195	38.1%
41	PIT	2011	539	42	221	38.0%
42	SDG	2008	478	25	191	38.0%
43	SFO	1993	524	35	212	37.9%
44	NOR	2016	674	27	265	37.8%
45	NWE	2004	485	26	193	37.8%
46	MIA	1986	645	17	250	37.8%
47	BUF	1991	516	35	208	37.7%
48	GNB	1983	526	42	214	37.7%
49	PIT	2014	612	33	243	37.7%
50	TAM	2017	605	40	243	37.7%
51	MIN	1998	533	25	210	37.6%
52	MIN	2004	552	46	225	37.6%
53	MIA	1974	283	31	118	37.6%
54	GNB	1995	593	33	235	37.5%
55	OAK	1976	361	28	146	37.5%
56	SFO	1992	480	32	192	37.5%
57	MIN	2009	553	34	220	37.5%
58	KAN	2006	450	41	184	37.5%
59	NOR	2014	659	30	258	37.4%
60	HOU	2009	593	25	231	37.4%
61	DAL	2016	483	28	191	37.4%
62	CHI	1995	523	15	201	37.4%
63	NYG	1957	269	7	103	37.3%
64	PIT	2004	358	36	147	37.3%
65	NWE	2017	587	35	232	37.3%
66	GNB	2004	598	14	228	37.3%
67	DEN	2000	569	30	223	37.2%
68	BAL	1959	375	23	148	37.2%
69	NYJ	1998	532	25	207	37.2%
70	HOU	1990	639	39	251	37.0%
71	RAM	1954	321	17	125	37.0%
72	OAK	1975	350	26	139	37.0%
73	IND	2007	551	23	212	36.9%
74	RAM	1988	522	28	203	36.9%
75	CAR	2015	501	33	197	36.9%
76	NWE	2010	507	25	196	36.8%
77	BAL	1976	361	30	144	36.8%
78	PIT	1978	380	25	149	36.8%
79	STL	1999	530	33	207	36.8%
80	NYJ	2002	485	32	190	36.8%
81	IND	2008	585	14	220	36.7%
82	CLE	1959	276	21	109	36.7%
83	ATL	1998	424	53	175	36.7%
84	DAL	1971	361	32	144	36.6%
85	MIA	1985	576	19	218	36.6%
86	HOU	2010	574	32	222	36.6%
87	SFO	1998	556	53	223	36.6%
88	LAC	2017	583	18	220	36.6%
89	PIT	2007	442	47	179	36.6%
90	CLE	1955	234	34	98	36.6%
91	PHI	1980	477	32	186	36.5%
92	CLE	1953	303	31	122	36.5%
93	CIN	1982	310	27	123	36.5%
94	RAI	1990	336	29	133	36.4%
95	MIA	1972	259	21	102	36.4%
96	MIN	2000	495	35	193	36.4%
97	IND	2010	679	16	253	36.4%
98	NWE	2009	592	18	222	36.4%
99	DEN	2014	607	17	227	36.4%
100	IND	2014	661	29	251	36.4%

And the top 100 defenses by the same metric since 1950.

Rk	Team	Year	Pass Att	Sack	First Down	1D/PP All%
1	MIN	1969	410	49	88	19.2%
2	OAK	1967	459	67	103	19.6%
3	SFO	1952	342	36	76	20.1%
4	MIN	1971	405	27	88	20.4%
5	RAM	1950	385	37	88	20.9%
6	GNB	1963	378	39	87	20.9%
7	ATL	1977	320	42	76	21%
8	CLE	1951	330	54	81	21.1%
9	PIT	1974	339	52	83	21.2%
10	MIA	1973	322	45	78	21.3%
11	RAM	1967	445	43	104	21.3%
12	GNB	1967	337	29	78	21.3%
13	MIN	1970	367	49	89	21.4%
14	SFO	1950	347	31	81	21.4%
15	PHI	1954	345	43	84	21.6%
16	PHI	1950	277	22	65	21.7%
17	STL	1966	443	52	109	22%
18	CHI	1950	354	45	88	22.1%
19	PIT	1975	396	43	97	22.1%
20	SFO	1951	353	27	84	22.1%
21	DAL	1977	370	53	94	22.2%
22	PIT	1950	300	46	77	22.3%
23	DET	1976	313	28	76	22.3%
24	OAK	1973	370	40	92	22.4%
25	CHI	1958	327	47	84	22.5%
26	CLE	1950	292	24	71	22.5%
27	CLE	1954	300	22	73	22.7%
28	DEN	1971	356	44	91	22.8%
29	RAM	1951	329	40	84	22.8%
30	HOU	1976	345	50	90	22.8%
31	OAK	1969	422	47	107	22.8%
32	OAK	1968	446	49	113	22.8%
33	RAM	1953	366	37	92	22.8%
34	WAS	1976	354	44	91	22.9%
35	MIN	1975	360	46	93	22.9%
36	ATL	1978	444	47	113	23%
37	SDG	1965	474	38	118	23%
38	PHI	1953	374	51	98	23.1%
39	KAN	1965	451	39	113	23.1%
40	PHI	1955	272	27	69	23.1%
41	HOU	1969	371	32	93	23.1%
42	RAM	1977	370	36	94	23.2%
43	CLE	1973	312	29	79	23.2%
44	NYG	1950	295	33	76	23.2%
45	PIT	1976	373	41	96	23.2%
46	PIT	1973	359	33	91	23.2%
47	MIN	1972	331	21	82	23.3%
48	NYJ	1968	403	43	104	23.3%
49	TAM	1979	436	40	111	23.3%
50	RAM	1973	328	45	87	23.3%
51	TAM	1999	573	43	144	23.4%
52	MIN	1977	312	30	80	23.4%
53	KAN	1969	426	48	111	23.4%
54	BUF	1960	429	36	109	23.4%
55	SFO	1976	374	61	102	23.4%
56	SDG	1961	485	42	124	23.5%
57	HOU	1961	493	41	126	23.6%
58	PHI	1952	343	51	93	23.6%
59	CHI	1967	384	30	98	23.7%
60	GNB	1962	355	42	94	23.7%
61	TAM	2002	510	43	131	23.7%
62	CIN	1972	350	38	92	23.7%
63	DAL	1970	399	41	105	23.9%
64	RAM	1952	360	46	97	23.9%
65	RAM	1975	387	43	103	24%
66	NYJ	1967	424	39	111	24%
67	BAL	2000	528	35	135	24%
68	PHI	1951	287	34	77	24%
69	CLE	1953	389	32	101	24%
70	WAS	1977	380	45	102	24%
71	NYJ	2009	501	32	128	24%
72	OAK	1966	405	36	106	24%
73	KAN	1966	494	26	125	24%
74	CHI	1985	522	64	141	24.1%
75	CHI	1984	435	72	122	24.1%
76	BAL	1971	361	33	95	24.1%
77	PIT	1966	397	38	105	24.1%
78	DET	1967	312	39	85	24.2%
79	DAL	2003	492	32	127	24.2%
80	NYG	1958	311	19	80	24.2%
81	GNB	1966	390	47	106	24.3%
82	HOU	1962	486	32	126	24.3%
83	MIN	1973	377	30	99	24.3%
84	BAL	1970	452	41	120	24.3%
85	CLE	1952	348	42	95	24.4%
86	BAL	1999	599	49	158	24.4%
87	CHI	1960	291	53	84	24.4%
88	PIT	1978	442	44	119	24.5%
89	HOU	1968	359	33	96	24.5%
90	NYT	1961	462	31	121	24.5%
91	CLE	1955	323	15	83	24.6%
92	GNB	1952	340	55	97	24.6%
93	CHI	1962	363	48	101	24.6%
94	DEN	1976	391	32	104	24.6%
95	DET	1960	354	28	94	24.6%
96	CLE	1957	242	26	66	24.6%
97	NWE	1973	240	32	67	24.6%
98	CHI	1963	353	36	96	24.7%
99	PIT	1955	242	29	67	24.7%
100	MIN	1976	323	45	91	24.7%

You will see that there’s only one defense in the last 12 years that makes the list. 🙁

What stands out to you?

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