Biggest Improvements in Team ANY/A From Year To Year

by Chase Stuart on April 22, 2019

Mayfield powered the Browns resurgence in 2018.

In 2018, there were three teams that made huge strides in their passing game, and all three involved turnover at quarterback.

In 2017, the Colts averaged 5.06 ANY/A, 25th-best in the NFL, with Andrew Luck missing the season due to injury. Last year, with a healthy Luck, Indianapolis finished 10th in ANY/A with a 6.90 average.

In 2017, the Packers finished 30th in ANY/A with a 4.66 average as Aaron Rodgers missed over half of the season due to injury; last year, with Rodgers back, Green Bay averaged 6.58 ANY/A, 13th-best in the league.

But the biggest jump from ’17 to ’18 came from the Cleveland Browns. After adding Baker Mayfield, the Browns jumped from last in ANY/A at 3.63 to 17th with a 6.25 average.

Yesterday, I looked at the teams that saw the biggest year-over-year declines in passing efficiency. Today, the opposite: which teams made the biggest ANY/A improvement each year? That’s what is shown in the table below. For example, in 2017, the Rams made the biggest jump in ANY/A. The year before, the Rams averaged 3.98 ANY/A, worst in the league, behind mostly Case Keenum (although a rookie Jared Goff was miserable as a starter in 7 games). The next year, Los Angeles averaged 7.47 ANY/A 4th-best in the league, as Goff made an enormous leap.

Search:

Year	Team	N-1 ANY/A	N-1 Rk	Yr N-1 QB	Yr N ANY/A	Yr N Rk	Yr N QB	ANY/A Diff
2018	CLE	3.63	32	DeShone Kizer (83%)	6.25	17	Baker Mayfield (85%)	2.61
2017	LAR	3.98	32	Case Keenum (60%)	7.47	4	Jared Goff (92%)	3.48
2016	ATL	6.18	17	Matt Ryan (99%)	9.01	1	Matt Ryan (99%)	2.83
2015	JAX	3.97	32	Blake Bortles (85%)	6.08	19	Blake Bortles (100%)	2.11
2014	NYG	4.35	31	Eli Manning (97%)	6.66	11	Eli Manning (99%)	2.31
2013	PHI	5.22	24	Michael Vick (57%)	7.84	2	Nick Foles (62%)	2.62
2012	DEN	4.77	24	Tim Tebow (63%)	7.85	1	Peyton Manning (99%)	3.07
2011	CAR	2.85	32	Jimmy Clausen (62%)	6.29	11	Cam Newton (100%)	3.43
2010	TAM	3.64	29	Josh Freeman (55%)	6.89	5	Josh Freeman (96%)	3.25
2009	MIN	5.32	20	Gus Frerotte (67%)	7.7	3	Brett Favre (96%)	2.39
2008	MIA	4.25	28	Cleo Lemon (55%)	7.19	3	Chad Pennington (97%)	2.94
2007	NWE	6.04	9	Tom Brady (98%)	8.77	1	Tom Brady (99%)	2.73
2006	NOR	4.31	24	Aaron Brooks (78%)	7.39	3	Drew Brees (96%)	3.08
2005	WAS	4.03	30	Patrick Ramsey (53%)	6.08	10	Mark Brunell (94%)	2.04
2004	SDG	4.67	22	Drew Brees (68%)	7.59	3	Drew Brees (89%)	2.93
2003	MIN	4.99	24	Daunte Culpepper (98%)	7.13	3	Daunte Culpepper (87%)	2.14
2002	KAN	5.16	15	Trent Green (99%)	7.11	1	Trent Green (99%)	1.95
2001	GNB	5.33	13	Brett Favre (97%)	7.02	2	Brett Favre (100%)	1.69
2000	SFO	4.56	23	Jeff Garcia (67%)	7.28	2	Jeff Garcia (96%)	2.72
1999	STL	4.17	25	Tony Banks (73%)	8.02	1	Kurt Warner (94%)	3.85
1998	BUF	3.43	29	Todd Collins (72%)	6.59	7	Doug Flutie (77%)	3.16
1997	OAK	4.81	17	Jeff Hostetler (75%)	6.21	6	Jeff George (98%)	1.39
1996	CAR	3.9	27	Kerry Collins (81%)	5.79	6	Kerry Collins (75%)	1.89
1995	CHI	5.22	16	Steve Walsh (68%)	7.2	1	Erik Kramer (100%)	1.98
1994	CHI	3.35	27	Jim Harbaugh (84%)	5.22	16	Steve Walsh (68%)	1.87
1993	DEN	3.7	24	John Elway (67%)	6.52	4	John Elway (100%)	2.81
1992	TAM	2.77	28	Vinny Testaverde (66%)	4.51	19	Vinny Testaverde (70%)	1.73
1991	WAS	5.25	12	Mark Rypien (57%)	8.33	1	Mark Rypien (94%)	3.08
1990	KAN	4.98	14	Steve DeBerg (74%)	7.44	1	Steve DeBerg (99%)	2.45
1989	SFO	5.77	6	Joe Montana (79%)	8.54	1	Joe Montana (80%)	2.77
1988	CIN	5.23	10	Boomer Esiason (93%)	7.77	1	Boomer Esiason (99%)	2.53
1987	NOR	3.99	22	Dave Wilson (80%)	6.12	4	Bobby Hebert (72%)	2.13
1986	MIN	4.46	18	Tommy Kramer (88%)	6.85	2	Tommy Kramer (72%)	2.39
1985	NYJ	4.47	19	Pat Ryan (58%)	6.66	2	Ken O'Brien (98%)	2.19
1984	MIA	6.69	3	Dan Marino (67%)	8.85	1	Dan Marino (99%)	2.17
1983	MIA	3.57	23	David Woodley (75%)	6.69	3	Dan Marino (67%)	3.12
1982	RAM	2.69	28	Pat Haden (56%)	5.09	11	Vince Ferragamo (70%)	2.4
1981	CIN	3.71	24	Ken Anderson (54%)	6.93	2	Ken Anderson (87%)	3.22
1980	DET	2.79	26	Jeff Komlo (81%)	5.69	8	Gary Danielson (99%)	2.9
1979	SFO	1.08	28	Steve DeBerg (69%)	4.94	11	Steve DeBerg (96%)	3.86
1978	NOR	2.42	24	Archie Manning (64%)	5.37	3	Archie Manning (98%)	2.95
1977	NYJ	1.11	28	Joe Namath (59%)	2.82	21	Richard Todd (74%)	1.71
1976	OAK	4.02	14	Ken Stabler (84%)	7.08	2	Ken Stabler (81%)	3.06
1975	BAL	2.37	23	Bert Jones (64%)	5.87	2	Bert Jones (97%)	3.5
1974	SDG	1.6	26	Dan Fouts (53%)	4.18	13	Dan Fouts (68%)	2.58
1973	RAM	3.66	18	Roman Gabriel (87%)	6.69	1	John Hadl (95%)	3.03
1972	NYJ	3.19	18	Bob Davis (44%)	6.06	4	Joe Namath (93%)	2.88
1971	NWE	1.07	26	Joe Kapp (56%)	4.23	11	Jim Plunkett (99%)	3.15
1970	SFO	4.64	11	John Brodie (70%)	7.6	1	John Brodie (99%)	2.96

In 1993, the Bears finished 2nd to last (behind Washington) in ANY/A at 3.35, with Jim Harbaugh struggling at quarterback. In 1994, with Steve Walsh at quarterback, Chicago finished 17th in ANY/A with the biggest improvement (+1.87 ANY/A) in the league at that metric. And then in 1995, with Erik Kramer , Chicago jumped another 1.98 ANY/A; not only was that the biggest jump from ’94 to ’95, it also made the Bears the top passing team of 1995. In a span of two years, the Bears went from averaging 3.3 ANY/A to 7.2 ANY/A, increased their touchdowns from 7 to 29 and their average completion from 9.9 yards to 12.2 yards, while seeing their interceptions call from 16 to 10 and sacks drop from 48 to 15.

That’s one of two times a team had the biggest ANY/A improvement in back to back years. The other time involved Dan Marino and the Miami Dolphins; Miami made a huge jump going from not Marino to a rookie Marino in ’83, and then another big jump going from rookie Marino to HOF Marino in ’83.

What stands out to you?

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