Yearly Leaders In Receiving Yards per Team Pass Attempt

by Chase Stuart on July 28, 2018

In 2017, Julio Jones had 1,444 receiving yards playing for the Falcons. Last year, Atlanta had only 530 pass attempts (excluding sacks); this means Jones recorded 2.72 receiving yards per Atlanta team pass attempt. That was the most in the NFL last year, followed by DeAndre Hopkins (2.62) and Antonio Brown (2.60), although it’s worth noting that both Hopkins and Brown missed games.

This was the second season in a row that Jones led the NFL in receiving yards per team pass attempt. In 2016, he had 1,409 yards while Atlanta had 537 pass attempts; that’s a 2.62 RY/TPA average that is even more impressive when you consider that Jones missed two games that season. Jones is already in select company, and one more year would put him in exclusive territory: only four players have led the league in RY/TPA in more than two seasons. Don Hutson did it 7 times, Jerry Rice 4 times, and Steve Smith and Michael Irvin each did it three times.

I like this stat because it’s similar to yards per route run (one of my favorite stats) but it’s able to be calculated historically. The table below shows the yearly leaders in this statistic:

Year	Player	Team	G	Rec Yds	Tm Pass	RY/TPA
2017	Julio Jones	ATL	16	1444	530	2.72
2016	Julio Jones	ATL	14	1409	537	2.62
2015	Antonio Brown	PIT	16	1834	590	3.11
2014	Jordy Nelson	GNB	16	1519	536	2.83
2013	Anquan Boldin	SFO	16	1179	417	2.83
2012	Brandon Marshall	CHI	16	1508	485	3.11
2011	Steve Smith	CAR	16	1394	519	2.69
2010	Mike Wallace	PIT	16	1257	479	2.62
2009	Andre Johnson	HOU	16	1569	593	2.65
2008	Steve Smith	CAR	14	1421	414	3.43
2007	Reggie Wayne	IND	16	1510	551	2.74
2006	Lee Evans	BUF	16	1292	431	3
2005	Steve Smith	CAR	16	1563	449	3.48
2004	Hines Ward	PIT	16	1004	358	2.8
2003	Randy Moss	MIN	16	1632	520	3.14
2002	Marvin Harrison	IND	16	1722	591	2.91
2001	David Boston	ARI	16	1598	526	3.04
2000	Randy Moss	MIN	16	1437	495	2.9
1999	Jimmy Smith	JAX	16	1636	535	3.06
1998	Eric Moulds	BUF	16	1368	461	2.97
1997	Yancey Thigpen	PIT	16	1398	466	3
1996	Isaac Bruce	STL	16	1338	481	2.78
1995	Michael Irvin	DAL	16	1603	494	3.24
1994	Jerry Rice	SFO	16	1499	511	2.93
1993	Jerry Rice	SFO	16	1503	524	2.87
1992	Michael Irvin	DAL	16	1396	491	2.84
1991	Michael Irvin	DAL	16	1523	500	3.05
1990	Willie Gault	RAI	16	985	336	2.93
1989	Jerry Rice	SFO	16	1483	483	3.07
1988	Eddie Brown	CIN	16	1273	392	3.25
1987	Carlos Carson	KAN	12	1044	432	2.42
1986	Jerry Rice	SFO	16	1570	582	2.7
1985	Art Monk	WAS	15	1226	512	2.39
1984	John Stallworth	PIT	16	1395	443	3.15
1983	Mike Quick	PHI	16	1409	486	2.9
1982	Stanley Morgan	NWE	9	584	187	3.12
1981	Steve Watson	DEN	16	1244	485	2.56
1980	Stanley Morgan	NWE	16	991	413	2.4
1979	Wes Chandler	NOR	16	1069	428	2.5
1978	Wesley Walker	NYJ	16	1169	388	3.01
1977	James Scott	CHI	14	809	305	2.65
1976	Roger Carr	BAL	14	1112	361	3.08
1975	Ken Burrough	HOU	14	1063	347	3.06
1974	Cliff Branch	OAK	14	1092	335	3.26
1973	Harold Jackson	RAM	14	874	271	3.23
1972	Harold Jackson	PHI	14	1048	375	2.79
1971	Paul Warfield	MIA	14	996	293	3.4
1970	Bob Hayes	DAL	13	889	297	2.99
1969	Paul Flatley	ATL	14	834	282	2.96
1968	Don Maynard	NYJ	13	1297	436	2.97
1967	Homer Jones	NYG	14	1209	406	2.98
1966	Otis Taylor	KAN	14	1297	377	3.44
1965	Lance Alworth	SDG	14	1602	401	4
1964	Gary Ballman	PIT	13	935	323	2.89
1963	Buddy Dial	PIT	14	1295	368	3.52
1962	Bobby Mitchell	WAS	14	1384	428	3.23
1961	Charley Hennigan	HOU	14	1746	498	3.51
1960	Buddy Dial	PIT	12	972	285	3.41
1959	Del Shofner	RAM	12	936	356	2.63
1958	Del Shofner	RAM	12	1097	358	3.06
1957	Pete Brewster	CLE	12	614	195	3.15
1956	Harlon Hill	CHI	12	1128	250	4.51
1955	Billy Wilson	SFO	12	831	303	2.74
1954	Bob Boyd	RAM	12	1212	321	3.78
1953	Elroy Hirsch	RAM	12	941	324	2.9
1952	Billy Howton	GNB	12	1231	337	3.65
1951	Elroy Hirsch	RAM	12	1495	373	4.01
1950	Hugh Taylor	WAS	12	833	314	2.65
1949	Mac Speedie	CLE	12	1028	296	3.47
1948	Mal Kutner	CRD	12	943	285	3.31
1947	Mac Speedie	CLE	14	1146	296	3.87
1946	Dante Lavelli	CLE	14	843	237	3.56
1945	Jim Benton	RAM	9	1067	199	5.36
1944	Don Hutson	GNB	10	866	253	3.42
1943	Don Hutson	GNB	10	776	253	3.07
1942	Don Hutson	GNB	11	1211	330	3.67
1941	Don Hutson	GNB	11	738	253	2.92
1940	Don Hutson	GNB	11	664	283	2.35
1939	Don Hutson	GNB	11	846	248	3.41
1938	Don Hutson	GNB	10	548	210	2.61
1937	Gaynell Tinsley	CRD	11	675	189	3.57
1936	Bill Smith	CRD	11	414	183	2.26
1935	Tod Goodwin	NYG	12	432	154	2.81
1934	Paul Moss	STL	3	131	58	2.26
1933	Cliff Battles	BOS	12	185	106	1.75
1932	Luke Johnsos	CHI	14	321	148	2.17

{ 1 comment }