The Read Optional ROPE Index — Week 4
The Read Optional ROPE Index is our in-house statistical passing efficiency metric, analyzing the performance of the NFL quarterbacks. Based loosely on the passer rating formula, I have taken it further by analyzing data that looks at the receiving and blocking parts of the offense to give a more rounded view of the passing offense. In total there are six metrics that are measured to give a ROPE Index score for a quarterback; completion percentage, yards per attempt, yards per completion, touchdown percentage, interception percentage and adjusted sack rate. For a full breakdown of the way the ROPE Index is put together, including the thresholds for achieving a ‘perfect’ game, you can find my original post explaining it here.
ROPE Index — Week 4
Cam Newton posted the highest ROPE rating of week 4 as he looked like the MVP version of himself as the Panthers went on the road and defeated the Patriots. Newton’s 83.3% rating was the second best of his career and his best since the 2013 season.
Andy Dalton posted the second highest rating of week 4 and has seen his rating increase every week. This is despite being sacked at least three times in every game so far this season.
Deshaun Watson has also seen a better rating each week of the season so far and has seen his completion percentage grow every week and his sack totals decrease. His joint third highest rating of week 4 led the Texans to the most points they’ve ever scored in a single game (57).
Matt Cassell came in for the injured Marcus Mariota and in just 10 pass attempts, posted the lowest ROPE Index rating of 2017 with just 1.5%. That was the worst rating since the 2010 season, when Todd Collins threw four interceptions for the Bears in a 23–6 win over the Panthers.
DeShone Kizer posted his third straight game with a rating below 30% as he continues to struggle in Cleveland.
Joe Flacco ‘bounced back’ from his worst ever ROPE rating he posted in week 3 and produced a 25.8% rating. Flacco attempted 49 passes in the week 4 loss to the Steelers and is 3–11 in his career wen attempting 49 passes or more in a game.
Matt Ryan posted the third worst ROPE rating of his career of 31.8% and his worst since 2014 as the Falcons lost their unbeaten record to the Bills.
ROPE Index — 2017 Season to Date
The average ROPE Index rating for the first four weeks of the 2017 is 50.4%, down from 52.0% in both 2016 and 2015. Now we’ve reached the quarter point of the 2017 season, I have amended the season to date rankings to only included those quarterbacks to have played in at least three games and from this point on I will only included quarterbacks who have thrown at least 100 passes during the season.
Through week 4, the leading quarterback in the league is the Los Angeles Rams’ Jared Goff, with a ROPE Index ranking of 71.6%. Goff has led the Rams to a 3–1 record and they are currently the highest scoring team in the league with 142 points. Goff’s ROPE rating for his first four games in 2016 was just 29.9% as he struggled in his rookie season. In each of his four appearances this year, Goff has posted a higher rating than any of his seven starts from last season.
Alex Smith is second in the ROPE ratings after four games, with an averaeg rating of 69.3%. Smith looks reborn in 2017 and his ROPE rating is nearly 24% higher than the first four games of 2016 and the best start to a season he’s made in his entire career. The 8.8 yards per attempt he’s put up is good enough for third in the league this year and against a career average of 6.8.
Browns rookie DeShone Kizer is the lowest rated quarterback through the first four weeks with a rating of 29.5%. Kizer leads the league in interceptions so far, with eight, and he has the lowest completion percentage of any of the players on this list with just 51.4% of his passes reaching their target.
I’ll be back after week 5 with the updated weekly and cumulative rankings. You can find me on Twitter @PaddiCooper or @ReadOptional.
