The Best and Worst QB’s Under Pressure Last Season
“Pressure, pushing down on me. Pressing down on you, no man ask for”
While that may be a lyric from Freddie Mercury in Queen’s Under Pressure, the line is strangely poignant even 38 years later in the world of American football. In our beloved game’s epic struggle of offense versus defense, putting pressure on the opposing team’s quarterback is one of the most important elements in a defensive coordinator’s weekly game plan.
Just like teams have a varying degree of success getting to the opposing passer, quarterbacks often have vastly different results when forced out of the pocket or under duress from pass rushers. Often, we see younger signal-callers fall apart while being blitzed while veterans that excel under pressure might face far fewer pass rushers after proving they can stand in the pocket and exploit coverages.
The quality of the offensive line in front of a quarterback is also very important. Other factors affecting a quarterback’s stats under pressure include poise, health, and athleticism. With all that in mind, here are the results of how the NFL’s top signal-callers faced under pressure and what it means for the upcoming 2019 fantasy football season.
In this article, I used FantasyData’s new Advanced QB Metric page to rank quarterbacks under pressure and group them into four tiers, “The Bottom 10,” “Below Average”, “Solid Versus the Blitz,” and the “Elite Pressure Performers.”
The Bottom 10
| PLAYER | TEAM | PROTECT% | DROPBACK | ATT | COM | ON TARGET | YARDS | AIR YARDS | TD | INT | SACK | RATE |
| Case Keenum | DEN | 83.3% | 198 | 191 | 86 | 111 | 987 | 616 | 5 | 5 | 7 | 59.0 |
| Andy Dalton | CIN | 85.3% | 100 | 98 | 45 | 55 | 660 | 301 | 4 | 6 | 3 | 56.5 |
| Derek Carr | OAK | 78.1% | 139 | 136 | 67 | 86 | 799 | 484 | 3 | 7 | 3 | 53.5 |
| C.J. Beathard | SF | 82.5% | 50 | 47 | 19 | 22 | 291 | 153 | 2 | 3 | 3 | 49.2 |
| Alex Smith | WAS | 87.2% | 103 | 96 | 39 | 50 | 464 | 267 | 3 | 4 | 7 | 49.1 |
| Nick Mullens | SF | 74.1% | 90 | 89 | 43 | 50 | 525 | 205 | 1 | 5 | 1 | 47.3 |
| Josh Allen | BUF | 76.4% | 122 | 118 | 38 | 59 | 719 | 428 | 6 | 7 | 4 | 46.5 |
| Sam Darnold | NYJ | 82.8% | 133 | 128 | 58 | 82 | 660 | 402 | 3 | 7 | 5 | 46.4 |
| Josh Rosen | ARZ | 73.3% | 139 | 130 | 55 | 68 | 613 | 410 | 1 | 5 | 9 | 43.5 |
| Joe Flacco | BAL | 85.6% | 100 | 98 | 41 | 55 | 417 | 260 | 2 | 5 | 2 | 40.2 |
Josh Allen (Buffalo Bills) – Not unexpected considering his college resume and being handed the starting reins as a rookie, but Josh Allen really struggled in Year One, particularly when under duress. Allen completed an NFL-worst 32.2% of his passes when pressured and tossed seven picks. The only saving grace- Allen ran for 631 yards in 10 games and led all QBs with eight rushing scores.
Sam Darnold (New York Jets) – Darnold enjoyed a solid protection rate as a rookie but still suffered the same growing pains as fellow freshman signal-callers. Darnold completed 45.3% of his pressured passes but struggled with a 3-to-7 TD-to-INT ratio.
Josh Rosen (Arizona Cardinals) – Rosen’s rookie performance was so bad that the Cardinals elected to ship him off to Miami and go in an entirely different direction with Kliff Kingsbury and No. 1 overall pick Kyler Murray. Not all of that was Rosen’s fault, as he clearly wasn’t ready to start and was thrust into a tough spot with little talent around him. Still, Rosen was staggeringly bad against pressure and threw a single touchdown versus five picks. He likely could use more time to develop behind Ryan Fitzpatrick.
Joe Flacco (Baltimore Ravens) – As mentioned above with Lamar Jackson, Flacco was a disaster last season and will likely be benched in Denver. Flacco’s 4.26 yards per attempt while under pressure was the worst mark in the NFL, as was his abysmal 40.2 quarterback rating. For comparisons, Flacco could have taken a knee or intentionally been sacked on all 100 of his pressured dropbacks and his QB rating would have been 39.58.
Below Average Options
| PLAYER | TEAM | PROTECT% | DROPBACK | ATT | COM | ON TARGET | YARDS | AIR YARDS | TD | INT | SACK | RATE |
| Eli Manning | NYG | 78.8% | 173 | 163 | 85 | 107 | 969 | 503 | 4 | 2 | 10 | 73.4 |
| Cody Kessler | CLE | 70.9% | 51 | 47 | 24 | 34 | 246 | 142 | 2 | 1 | 4 | 71.8 |
| Blake Bortles | JAX | 77.6% | 138 | 129 | 68 | 86 | 775 | 378 | 2 | 2 | 9 | 69.8 |
| Tom Brady | NE | 90.1% | 142 | 134 | 59 | 77 | 708 | 443 | 8 | 5 | 8 | 65.1 |
| Ryan Fitzpatrick | TB | 89.5% | 81 | 78 | 43 | 48 | 586 | 347 | 5 | 7 | 3 | 63.3 |
| Jared Goff | LAR | 82.9% | 156 | 150 | 62 | 86 | 796 | 448 | 7 | 4 | 6 | 63.1 |
| Ben Roethlisberger | PIT | 89.6% | 164 | 157 | 77 | 95 | 1168 | 599 | 6 | 9 | 7 | 62.8 |
| Cam Newton | CAR | 81.9% | 137 | 131 | 70 | 82 | 714 | 319 | 4 | 6 | 7 | 60.4 |
| Aaron Rodgers | GB | 79.0% | 167 | 159 | 56 | 72 | 774 | 506 | 4 | 0 | 8 | 60.1 |
Jared Goff (Los Angeles Rams) – Goff averaged 5.31 yards per attempt against pressure, which just edged out Tom Brady. Goff’s accuracy under duress left a lot to be desired. He completed just 41.3% of his throws, which was the fifth-worst of all qualified passers. While Goff is still young and growing as an NFL signal-caller, Sean McVay may need to rely on his fourth-year QB even more with the unsettled status of RB Todd Gurley‘s knee.
Ben Roethlisberger (Pittsburgh Steelers) – Big Ben threw a league-high nine interceptions against the blitz last season, which lowered his QB rating quite a bit. Roethlisberger was protected 89.6% of the time, which ranked third but he tended to try to force the ball into tight windows and make dramatic plays. While Roethlisberger actually enjoyed the finest statistical season of his career, losing ace WR Antonio Brown is a troubling sign and will make it extremely difficult for the 37-year-old veteran to post another top-10 fantasy season in 2019.
Cam Newton (Carolina Panthers) – Carolina’s offensive line ranked 10th in pass protection but Newton was mostly mediocre when facing pressure. Of course, Newton also injured his shoulder late last season and was unable to pose much of a downfield threat on throws. Newton is still an excellent runner which should lead to relaxed pressure and another QB1 season as long as he’s fully healthy before Week 1.
Aaron Rodgers (Green Bay Packers) – Turmoil hit the Packers last season but all the drama can’t be blamed on the tumultuous relationship between Aaron Rodgers and Mike McCarthy, who was jettisoned in-season. Rodgers, quite frankly, played lousily. Especially against pressure. Rodgers averaged a mere 4.87 yards per attempt against the blitz, which was last in the NFL among quarterbacks who started every game. He also completed just 35.2% of those throws, which beat out only Josh Allen for least-accurate honors. For Green Bay to return to contention, their line has got to do a better job in protection (allowed 53 sacks in 2018) and Rodgers needs to perform better when under duress. Another season like 2018 and it could be safe to wonder if the Packers might finally need to acquire an eventual successor.
Continue Reading: The Best and Worst QB’s Under Pressure…
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Solid Versus Blitz
| PLAYER | TEAM | PROTECT% | DROPBACK | ATT | COM | ON TARGET | YARDS | AIR YARDS | TD | INT | SACK | RATE |
| Brock Osweiler | MIA | 73.9% | 63 | 62 | 29 | 33 | 435 | 210 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 81.0 |
| Dak Prescott | DAL | 79.9% | 179 | 171 | 92 | 110 | 1052 | 667 | 6 | 3 | 8 | 76.9 |
| Andrew Luck | IND | 88.6% | 176 | 176 | 95 | 118 | 1047 | 665 | 11 | 7 | 0 | 76.1 |
| Philip Rivers | LAC | 78.1% | 165 | 160 | 87 | 111 | 1141 | 637 | 7 | 6 | 5 | 76.1 |
| Ryan Tannehill | MIA | 80.7% | 96 | 89 | 42 | 51 | 541 | 270 | 6 | 3 | 7 | 75.2 |
| Marcus Mariota | TEN | 79.9% | 96 | 89 | 51 | 62 | 677 | 367 | 2 | 3 | 7 | 75.0 |
| Lamar Jackson | BAL | 90.1% | 60 | 56 | 28 | 32 | 439 | 199 | 1 | 1 | 4 | 74.9 |
| Matthew Stafford | DET | 82.7% | 155 | 147 | 70 | 91 | 964 | 546 | 5 | 2 | 8 | 74.8 |
| Jeff Driskel | SF | 86.2% | 46 | 45 | 24 | 27 | 242 | 121 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 74.5 |
| Drew Brees | NO | 85.1% | 118 | 116 | 69 | 80 | 681 | 451 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 74.0 |
Dak Prescott (Dallas Cowboys) – Prescott is more than capable of escaping the pocket and making plays with his legs. That versatility helps in coverage and also allowed Prescott to thrive behind a lauded Dallas offensive line that actually struggled last season. While the Cowboys’ front five ranked eighth in run-blocking, they struggled to protect Prescott, finishing the season as the fifth-worst pass-blocking unit. Despite the struggles, Prescott still finished with above-average accuracy (53.8%) and had a 2-to-1 TD-to-INT ratio under pressure.
Andrew Luck (Indianapolis Colts) – Luck thrived with the fourth-best protection rate (88.6%) and was, amazingly, not sacked in his 176 dropbacks against the blitz. Indy’s offensive line ranked as the second-best pass-blocking unit in football and allowed an NFL-low 18 sacks overall. Luck did a good job getting rid of the ball, throwing the second-most touchdowns (11) but also tossing the second-most interceptions (7).
Philip Rivers (Los Angeles Chargers) – The Chargers’ offensive line was top-5 in run blocking but came in just average in pass pro, surrendering 34 sacks. Rivers has always been the type of player to hand in the pocket and try to make a play downfield, so you take the good with the bad. Rivers completed 54.4% of his passes against pressure and ranked ninth with 637 air yards. Rivers won’t offer any escapability but remains an undervalued, steady fantasy option to target in the late rounds.
Lamar Jackson (Baltimore Ravens) – There was a huge difference in Baltimore’s offense when Jackson was under center versus Joe Flacco. Jackson compiled a 74.9 QB rating under pressure, which ranked 17th. Meanwhile, behind the same line, Flacco finished with a 40.2, which was dead last of the 39 qualifying players to make this list. Baltimore’s front five protected Jackson 90.1% of the time, which was the best rate in the football. Undoubtedly, defenders have to account for Jackson’s elite athleticism, but he stood out as a solid passing option as well in limited snaps under pressure.
Drew Brees (New Orleans Saints) – Blitzing Brees has long been a losing proposition, as he has uncanny accuracy and diagnosis mismatches and lapses in coverage better than anybody else in the league. When facing pressure, Brees is adept at getting the ball to outlet receivers like RB Alvin Kamara. This explains how Brees ranked 28th, averaging a meager 5.87 yards per attempt against pressure and only tossed three scores.
minimum of 45 dropbacks vs. pressure
Elite Pressure Performers
| PLAYER | TEAM | PROTECT% | DROPBACK | ATT | COM | ON TARGET | YARDS | AIR YARDS | TD | INT | SACK | RATE |
| Russell Wilson | SEA | 78.3% | 144 | 135 | 67 | 80 | 972 | 662 | 11 | 2 | 9 | 94.4 |
| Mitch Trubisky | CHI | 86.1% | 116 | 109 | 61 | 73 | 872 | 531 | 6 | 2 | 7 | 92.8 |
| Matt Ryan | ATL | 79.5% | 186 | 182 | 106 | 127 | 1377 | 724 | 9 | 3 | 4 | 91.8 |
| Deshaun Watson | HOU | 74.5% | 218 | 196 | 116 | 129 | 1552 | 962 | 10 | 5 | 22 | 90.8 |
| Carson Wentz | PHI | 81.9% | 112 | 109 | 64 | 73 | 789 | 424 | 5 | 2 | 3 | 88.8 |
| Jameis Winston | TB | 84.1% | 123 | 112 | 64 | 71 | 942 | 668 | 7 | 5 | 11 | 87.0 |
| Patrick Mahomes | KC | 82.9% | 211 | 208 | 108 | 125 | 1726 | 996 | 13 | 7 | 3 | 86.7 |
| Kirk Cousins | MIN | 76.1% | 221 | 213 | 138 | 153 | 1458 | 846 | 7 | 5 | 8 | 85.8 |
| Nick Foles | PHI | 80.3% | 48 | 47 | 30 | 38 | 358 | 181 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 85.2 |
| Baker Mayfield | CLE | 84.9% | 140 | 134 | 74 | 85 | 980 | 546 | 9 | 6 | 6 | 82.3 |
Mitch Trubisky (Chicago Bears) – Chicago’s seventh-ranked pass-blocking line helped Trubisky take a big leap in his sophomore season. Trubisky had a clean pocket on 86.1% of his dropbacks and managed to complete an impressive 55.9% of his passes against opposing pressure. Perhaps all that time led Trubisky to grow comfortable looking downfield. His 8.0 yards per attempt while under pressure ranked third among all qualifying quarterbacks.
Matt Ryan (Atlanta Falcons) – Ryan got very average protection from Atlanta’s O-line but displayed excellent poise and was sacked on only four out of 186 pressured dropbacks. Atlanta’s front five should be vastly improved in 2019 after signing left guard James Carpenter and adding a pair of first-rounders on Chris Lindstrom and Kaleb McGary. The Falcons also lost RB Tevin Coleman and have an excellent receiving corps, so Ryan is a good bet to remain a solid performer against the opposing pass rush.
Deshaun Watson (Houston Texans) – While Watson ranked fourth with a 90.8 QB rating versus pressure, he may have actually been the most impressive quarterback in the league in a tough spot. No QB absorbed more sacks than Watson, who was protected on only 74.5% of his dropbacks. Houston’s beleaguered offensive line ranked dead last in the NFL and allowed Watson to be dropped a league-worst 65 times. Watson’s 218 pressured dropbacks ranked second, as did his 1,552 passing yards. When you also factor in that Watson is one of the five best running quarterbacks in the league, his value is even greater. Unfortunately, Watson is likely to need that athleticism just as much in 2019 as the bumbling Texans botched their first-round pick and did next to nothing in free agency.
Carson Wentz (Philadelphia Eagles) – It’s not being talked about much but Wentz had his best season as a pure passer and is an outstanding value in fantasy drafts this year, with league-winning upside. Less than a year removed from a torn ACL, Wentz lost a significant portion of his mobility but excelled in the pocket. Wentz’s 88.8 QB rating under pressure ranked fifth and he was sacked only three times in his 112 dropbacks under pressure. The addition of first-round OT Andre Dillard will only further bolster what has been one of the league’s top blocking units.
Jameis Winston (Tampa Bay Buccaneers) – Tampa played a bit of musical chairs–both out of necessity and choice– at quarterback in 2018, but Jameis Winston performed far better under pressure than Ryan Fitzpatrick. While Fitzpatrick actually enjoyed better protection (89.5% protection rate), Winston led the NFL with 8.41 yards per attempt under pressure and showed more willingness to stand in the pocket. Of course, Winston isn’t a runner, but he looks like a good fit in Bruce Arians’ system and has a solid supporting cast. Winston actually ranked ninth among all signal-callers in fantasy points per start in 2018 and is a fringe QB1 that currently has a reasonably-low ADP.
Patrick Mahomes (Kansas City Chiefs) – Little got in the way of the Kansas City offensive freight train last season, including opposing pass rushers. Mahomes led the NFL with 1,726 yards, 996 air yards, and 13 touchdowns under pressure. He also ranked second in pressured attempts (208) and yards per attempt (8.3). After a historic first season as an NFL starter, it’s fair to assume that the Chiefs will come back to earth a bit, but Mahomes is still an elite option that didn’t at all show any signs of being phased by complex blitzing schemes. He’s still the QB1.
Kirk Cousins (Minnesota Vikings) – Minnesota somehow had a top-10 pass-blocking offensive line, but you’d never know that looking at the sheer volume of Kirk Cousins’ numbers under pressure. Only Deshaun Watson (25.5%) faced pressure on more of his snaps than Cousins, who came in at 23.9%. That led to Cousins leading the league in pressured dropbacks (221), attempts (213), and completions (138). He also led the way with 153 on-target throws, and that helped boost his QB rating. Cousins leaves a lot to be desired but he did do a solid job of accurately getting rid of the ball and has a terrific duo of wideouts in Stefon Diggs and Adam Thielen. He remains a solid and undervalued fantasy option who has racked up four consecutive top-10 fantasy seasons.
Nick Foles (Philadelphia Eagles) – Foles compiled similar numbers to Carson Wentz behind Philly’s excellent line. Foles actually ranked second in the league with a 63.8% completion percentage while under pressure and should be a marked improvement for the Jacksonville Jaguars, who have labored to deal with the erratic Blake Bortles for five long years. The Jaguars’ line isn’t as good, but Foles breaks down coverage quickly and is a much better decision-maker than anything Jacksonville has seen in quite some time.
Baker Mayfield (Cleveland Browns) – While Foles gets all the credit for being “gifted”, Mayfield certainly plays like a guy blessed with an abundance of…intestinal fortitude. Mayfield’s swagger and bravado were matched only by his outstanding play on the field, which included a top-10 finish in QB rating while under pressure–doubly impressive for a rookie. Cleveland protected their star signal-caller 84.9% of the time, which ranked 12th. He also finished 10th with a 55.2% completion rate and tied Matt Ryan for fifth, with nine TD tosses. The addition of Odell Beckham Jr. as a legit No. 1 receiver with field-stretching potential only makes things better in Year Two.
