Which Quarterbacks Threw Deep Most Often in 2016?
1. Ben Roethlisberger, Pittsburgh Steelers
Deep Rate: 22.83% | Passing NEP per Attempt: 0.84 | Success Rate: 45.69%
Earlier this week, we looked at which quarterbacks were most effective on their deep attempts this past season. Only one player found himself on both that list and this one, and that's Ben Roethlisberger.
No qualified quarterback threw it deep more often than Big Ben at a whopping 22.83% of his attempts. He was also fifth in Passing NEP per attempt, meaning his itchiness to chuck it was fully justified. This is a pretty clear strength for Roethlisberger.
Here's a comparison of his per-attempt marks on both deep passes and shorter passes relative to the league averages. He's solid in both, but he dusts the competition on long balls.
| Quarterback | Passing NEP on Long Passes | Passing NEP on Short Passes |
|---|---|---|
| Ben Roethlisberger | 0.84 | 0.21 |
| League Average | 0.49 | 0.18 |
Takeaways? Let this man do his thang. He and Russell Wilson were the only quarterbacks to rank in the top 10 in deep Passing NEP per attempt while also having a deep rate above 20%. That's a lethal combo, and the Pittsburgh Steelers would be smart to keep emphasizing it.
