Completion Percentage and Passing First Down Percentage, Part III

by Chase Stuart on October 11, 2017

Two guys who were pretty good at picking up first downs.

On Monday, I provided some initial thoughts on the relative values of completion and passing first down percentage. Yesterday, I looked at the difference between the 1972 and 2017 Jets when it came to those two metrics, along with a breakdown of every team’s passing performance so far in 2017.

Since passing first down percentage — which is simply the number of passing first downs a team gained divided by their pass attempts (including sacks) — is so important, I wanted to present a list of the top teams in NFL history using this metric. My data on first downs goes back to 1950, and since then, the top three teams all have something in common: Peyton Manning. The 2004 Colts picked up a first down on a whopping 44% of passing plays, the most in league history. That team is followed by the 2013 Broncos and the 2006 Colts, and the 2016 Falcons and 1984 Dolphins round out the top five. Here’s how to read the table below, which shows the top 200 passing offenses by this metric. The 2004 Colts completed 67% of their passes, had a sack rate of 2.6%, and 67.4% of their completed passes went for first downs. The final column is what the table is sorted by: the percentage of pass plays that went for a first down.

The table below shows the top 200 teams by this metric: by defaut, it only lists the top 20, but the table is fully sortable and searchable.

Rk	Year	Team	Cmp%	Sack %	1D/Cmp	% of PP for 1Ds
1	2004	IND	67%	2.6%	67.4%	44%
2	2013	DEN	68.3%	2.9%	63.6%	42.2%
3	2006	IND	65%	2.6%	66.6%	42.1%
4	2016	ATL	69.6%	6.4%	63.9%	41.6%
5	1984	MIA	64.2%	2.4%	66.2%	41.5%
6	1982	SDG	61.5%	3.4%	69.7%	41.4%
7	2011	NOR	71.3%	3.5%	59.3%	40.8%
8	2009	SDG	65.1%	4.8%	65.7%	40.7%
9	2011	NWE	65.7%	5%	65.2%	40.7%
10	2005	IND	67.4%	3.7%	62.5%	40.6%
11	2010	SDG	66%	6.5%	65.7%	40.5%
12	2014	DAL	68.9%	5.9%	62.5%	40.5%
13	2015	ARI	62.8%	4.6%	67.1%	40.2%
14	2013	SDG	69.5%	5.2%	60.8%	40.1%
15	2003	TEN	62.7%	4.7%	67%	40%
16	2007	NWE	68.8%	3.5%	60.3%	40%
17	2001	STL	68.8%	6.8%	62.3%	39.9%
18	1989	SFO	70.2%	8.5%	61.7%	39.6%
19	1991	WAS	58.4%	2%	68.6%	39.3%
20	2009	IND	66.9%	2.1%	60%	39.3%
21	2014	GNB	65.1%	5.3%	63.6%	39.2%
22	2000	STL	64.7%	7%	65%	39.1%
23	1988	CIN	57.4%	7.1%	73.3%	39.1%
24	2007	DAL	64.4%	4.5%	63.5%	39%
25	1984	SFO	62.9%	5.2%	65.4%	39%
26	1980	SDG	58.9%	5.1%	69.7%	39%
27	2011	GNB	68.1%	6.9%	61.2%	38.8%
28	1985	SDG	61.1%	5.8%	67.1%	38.6%
29	1994	SFO	70.3%	6.4%	58.5%	38.5%
30	2004	KAN	66%	5.4%	61.6%	38.4%
31	2012	ATL	68.6%	4.4%	58.5%	38.4%
32	2012	NWE	62.7%	4%	63.7%	38.3%
33	2005	SEA	64.8%	5.4%	62.5%	38.3%
34	2012	NOR	63%	3.7%	63.1%	38.3%
35	2011	SDG	62.9%	4.9%	63.9%	38.2%
36	1974	OAK	55.5%	6.7%	73.7%	38.2%
37	2009	NOR	69.5%	3.5%	56.9%	38.1%
38	1987	SFO	64.3%	5.5%	62.7%	38.1%
39	2012	DEN	68.4%	3.4%	57.7%	38.1%
40	1995	DAL	65.2%	3.5%	60.6%	38.1%
41	2011	PIT	63.3%	7.2%	64.8%	38%
42	2008	SDG	65.3%	5%	61.2%	38%
43	1993	SFO	67.6%	6.3%	59.9%	37.9%
44	2016	NOR	70%	3.9%	56.1%	37.8%
45	2004	NWE	60.4%	5.1%	65.9%	37.8%
46	1986	MIA	60.8%	2.6%	63.8%	37.8%
47	1991	BUF	64.3%	6.4%	62.7%	37.7%
48	1983	GNB	59.1%	7.4%	68.8%	37.7%
49	2014	PIT	67.2%	5.1%	59.1%	37.7%
50	1998	MIN	61.4%	4.5%	64.2%	37.6%
51	2004	MIN	68.8%	7.7%	59.2%	37.6%
52	1974	MIA	60.4%	9.9%	69%	37.6%
53	1995	GNB	62.7%	5.3%	63.2%	37.5%
54	1976	OAK	64.3%	7.2%	62.9%	37.5%
55	1992	SFO	66.5%	6.3%	60.2%	37.5%
56	2009	MIN	68.2%	5.8%	58.4%	37.5%
57	2006	KAN	60.4%	8.4%	67.6%	37.5%
58	2014	NOR	69.2%	4.4%	56.6%	37.4%
59	2009	HOU	67.3%	4%	57.9%	37.4%
60	2016	DAL	67.3%	5.5%	58.8%	37.4%
61	1995	CHI	60.2%	2.8%	63.8%	37.4%
62	1957	NYG	54.6%	2.5%	70.1%	37.3%
63	2004	PIT	63.7%	9.1%	64.5%	37.3%
64	2004	GNB	63.9%	2.3%	59.7%	37.3%
65	2000	DEN	62.2%	5%	63%	37.2%
66	1959	BAL	52.3%	5.8%	75.5%	37.2%
67	1998	NYJ	59.8%	4.5%	65.1%	37.2%
68	1990	HOU	62.4%	5.8%	62.9%	37%
69	1954	RAM	53.3%	5%	73.1%	37%
70	1975	OAK	56%	6.9%	70.9%	37%
71	2007	IND	64.4%	4%	59.7%	36.9%
72	1988	RAM	59.8%	5.1%	65.1%	36.9%
73	2015	CAR	59.9%	6.2%	65.7%	36.9%
74	2010	NWE	65.3%	4.7%	59.2%	36.8%
75	1976	BAL	59.6%	7.7%	67%	36.8%
76	1978	PIT	55.8%	6.2%	70.3%	36.8%
77	1999	STL	64.7%	5.9%	60.3%	36.8%
78	2002	NYJ	67.8%	6.2%	57.8%	36.8%
79	2008	IND	67.2%	2.3%	56%	36.7%
80	1959	CLE	57.6%	7.1%	68.6%	36.7%
81	1998	ATL	55.9%	11.1%	73.8%	36.7%
82	1971	DAL	57.1%	8.1%	69.9%	36.6%
83	1985	MIA	59.5%	3.2%	63.6%	36.6%
84	2010	HOU	63.6%	5.3%	60.8%	36.6%
85	1998	SFO	62.4%	8.7%	64.3%	36.6%
86	2007	PIT	63.8%	9.6%	63.5%	36.6%
87	1955	CLE	55.6%	12.7%	75.4%	36.6%
88	1980	PHI	57.7%	6.3%	67.6%	36.5%
89	1953	CLE	63%	9.3%	63.9%	36.5%
90	1982	CIN	70.6%	8%	56.2%	36.5%
91	1990	RAI	54.5%	7.9%	72.7%	36.4%
92	1972	MIA	55.6%	7.5%	70.8%	36.4%
93	2000	MIN	62%	6.6%	62.9%	36.4%
94	2010	IND	66.3%	2.3%	56.2%	36.4%
95	2009	NWE	65.9%	3%	56.9%	36.4%
96	2014	DEN	65.7%	2.7%	56.9%	36.4%
97	2014	IND	62%	4.2%	61.2%	36.4%
98	1965	SFO	59.9%	4%	63.2%	36.4%
99	2005	CIN	67.3%	3.8%	56.1%	36.3%
100	2006	DAL	61.3%	6.8%	63.5%	36.3%
101	1983	CIN	63.9%	8.1%	61.7%	36.2%
102	1995	MIA	64.9%	4.7%	58.6%	36.2%
103	1968	GNB	59.1%	11.4%	69.1%	36.2%
104	2016	CHI	62.1%	4.8%	61.1%	36.1%
105	1957	WAS	54.2%	6.9%	71.6%	36.1%
106	1995	DET	59.8%	5%	63.5%	36.1%
107	2003	KAN	63.2%	3.8%	59.3%	36.1%
108	1991	SFO	62.3%	4.4%	60.6%	36.1%
109	2012	SFO	66.3%	8.6%	59.5%	36.1%
110	2003	IND	67%	3.2%	55.6%	36.1%
111	1989	WAS	58%	3.5%	64.4%	36%
112	1998	DEN	59.1%	4.8%	64.1%	36%
113	2000	IND	62.5%	3.4%	59.7%	36%
114	1956	DET	53.2%	2.3%	69.4%	36%
115	1989	KAN	59.5%	5%	63.7%	36%
116	2012	WAS	65.8%	6.9%	58.8%	36%
117	2007	JAX	61.4%	6.2%	62.5%	36%
118	2007	CIN	64.9%	2.9%	57.1%	36%
119	2011	DAL	66%	6.4%	58.2%	36%
120	1985	NYJ	61%	11.1%	66.3%	36%
121	1972	WAS	56%	3.7%	66.7%	35.9%
122	2014	NWE	64.4%	4.1%	58.2%	35.9%
123	1981	CIN	60.4%	6%	63.3%	35.9%
124	2016	TAM	61.4%	5.7%	62%	35.9%
125	1980	CLE	60.8%	4%	61.4%	35.9%
126	2016	WAS	67.1%	3.7%	55.5%	35.9%
127	1992	HOU	65.1%	5.3%	58.2%	35.9%
128	1979	DAL	57.1%	7.5%	67.9%	35.8%
129	2009	PIT	65.5%	8.5%	59.8%	35.8%
130	1977	OAK	56.8%	7.2%	67.9%	35.8%
131	2006	CIN	62.5%	6.4%	61.2%	35.8%
132	2008	HOU	66.1%	5.5%	57.2%	35.8%
133	2015	TAM	58.3%	4.8%	64.4%	35.8%
134	1975	MIA	60.9%	7.6%	63.5%	35.8%
135	2008	NOR	64.9%	2%	56.2%	35.7%
136	2015	WAS	69.5%	4.6%	53.9%	35.7%
137	1999	IND	61.9%	2.5%	59.2%	35.7%
138	1992	BUF	57.6%	5.4%	65.5%	35.7%
139	1980	DAL	59%	6.5%	64.5%	35.6%
140	1990	BUF	61.9%	6%	61.2%	35.6%
141	1974	WAS	61.5%	5.7%	61.4%	35.6%
142	1961	GNB	57.8%	5.3%	65%	35.6%
143	1992	DAL	64%	4.5%	58.3%	35.6%
144	2008	MIA	67.2%	5%	55.8%	35.6%
145	2002	KAN	61.2%	5.2%	61.3%	35.6%
146	1963	NYG	57%	7.6%	67.5%	35.6%
147	2015	CIN	66.1%	6%	57.2%	35.6%
148	2013	PHI	61%	8.3%	63.5%	35.6%
149	1961	HOU	51%	2.7%	71.7%	35.5%
150	1975	CIN	58.9%	7.3%	65.1%	35.5%
151	2015	SEA	68.1%	8.6%	57.1%	35.5%
152	1991	DAL	61%	7.1%	62.6%	35.5%
153	1989	RAM	58.9%	5.8%	64%	35.5%
154	1983	SFO	64.2%	5.9%	58.7%	35.5%
155	2013	NOR	68.5%	5.4%	54.7%	35.5%
156	2012	DET	60.1%	3.8%	61.1%	35.4%
157	2016	NWE	66.9%	4.2%	55.2%	35.4%
158	1957	CLE	55.4%	9.3%	70.4%	35.3%
159	2015	NOR	69%	4.6%	53.7%	35.3%
160	1961	NYG	51.7%	8.2%	74.4%	35.3%
161	2013	CHI	64.4%	4.9%	57.6%	35.3%
162	1996	WAS	57.3%	4.5%	64.4%	35.3%
163	2008	DEN	62.3%	1.9%	57.8%	35.3%
164	1975	STL	52.7%	2.2%	68.4%	35.3%
165	2014	MIA	66.2%	7.2%	57.4%	35.3%
166	2010	GNB	65.1%	6.6%	58%	35.2%
167	2012	HOU	63.9%	4.8%	57.9%	35.2%
168	2015	ATL	66%	4.9%	56.1%	35.2%
169	2011	HOU	61.7%	6.6%	61.1%	35.2%
170	1961	CLE	57.8%	6.2%	64.9%	35.2%
171	2000	OAK	59.8%	5.6%	62.3%	35.2%
172	2007	GNB	66.3%	3.2%	54.8%	35.2%
173	1980	NWE	58.1%	5.7%	64.2%	35.2%
174	2001	GNB	61.6%	4.1%	59.6%	35.2%
175	1992	NOR	58.9%	3.4%	61.8%	35.1%
176	2014	ATL	66.1%	4.7%	55.7%	35.1%
177	2006	PIT	59.7%	8.6%	64.4%	35.1%
178	1960	PIT	48.8%	3.7%	74.8%	35.1%
179	1975	BUF	51.4%	5.9%	72.5%	35.1%
180	2008	ARI	66.3%	4.3%	55.3%	35.1%
181	2001	IND	62.7%	5.1%	59%	35.1%
182	1997	SFO	64.4%	9.2%	60.1%	35.1%
183	1973	RAM	53.1%	5.9%	70.1%	35.1%
184	1998	BUF	58.4%	8.2%	65.4%	35.1%
185	1962	NYG	52.3%	4%	69.8%	35%
186	2005	PIT	60.2%	7.8%	63.2%	35%
187	1986	SFO	60.7%	4.3%	60.3%	35%
188	2016	IND	63.4%	7%	59.5%	35%
189	1972	NYG	59.9%	2.8%	60.2%	35%
190	2014	SDG	66.2%	6.1%	56.3%	35%
191	2008	CAR	59.4%	4.6%	61.8%	35%
192	2000	NYG	58.8%	5%	62.7%	35%
193	2011	NYG	61%	4.5%	60.2%	35%
194	1982	DAL	62%	8.8%	61.9%	35%
195	2012	GNB	67%	8.4%	57%	35%
196	1985	NYG	55.3%	9.5%	69.8%	35%
197	1984	PIT	54.2%	7.3%	69.6%	34.9%
198	2002	TEN	61.2%	4%	59.5%	34.9%
199	2012	SEA	64%	7.5%	59.1%	34.9%
200	1973	OAK	58.1%	11.3%	67.8%	34.9%

The 2012, 2013, and 2014 Broncos all crack the top 200, as do all 11 Colts teams from 1999 through 2010 other than the 2002 squad. That means a whopping 14 Peyton Manning teams make the top 200.

For those curious, 8 of the Tom Brady Patriots teams make the list, including 2007 and all but two teams since 2009 (the 2015 Patriots were at 34% and ranked 246th, while the 2013 Patriots were also at 34% and rank 324th; the ’05 Patriots were at 34% and ranked 248th as well). There are also eight entries from the Drew Brees Saints: in fact, every New Orleans team since 2008 other than the 2010 squad, which was at 34% and ranked 257th. As for the Packers? There are four Aaron Rodgers teams and four Brett Favre teams on the list as well.

What stands out to you?

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