More Stats Proving How Dangerous The Packers Passing Game Is

by Brandon on Nov 11, 2011 5:01 PM CST in Green Bay Packers Analysis

A league-wide look at WRs/TEs and receiving yards per passing play: 3 Giants in the Top 15 – Blogging the bEast.

Earlier today, we looked at the number of snaps each WR and TE in the NFC East had this season in which they went out on routes on passing downs. Victor Cruz had the most yards per pass play, with 2.87 yards per passing play.Obviously, he has made the most of his playing time. With that in mind, I figured why not just take a look at the entire league? So… Here you go. Victor Cruz is 3rd. In fact, three Giants are in the Top 15. The Cowboys’ Laurent Robinson is 10th. The Top 15 contains some pretty good company (minimum of 150 snaps):

Jimmy Kempski's blog is focused on the NFC East, he's also an editor at Bleeding Green Nation, so his article is about the receivers in that division. But he also crunched the numbers for the four Packer receivers with over 150 snaps:

Player	Rank	# of Snaps	Yards	Yards/play
Jordy Nelson	1	189	570	3.01
Greg Jennings	8	301	723	2.40
Jermichael Finley	62	261	378	1.45
Donald Driver	116	180	125	0.69

Nelson and Jennings are having great seasons, and I doubt that comes as a big surprise.

As good as Finley can be, you don't see him sprinting deep down field like Nelson, Jennings or James Jones. For as much discussion as there's been about whether Finley's really a wide receiver, the Packers don't use him like their actual wide receivers. Even if they do line him up wide to create a mismatch.

Driver comes in as the third lowest rated receiver by this measurement. Maybe he's become a forgotten player in the offense, but it looks like the years and the miles have caught up to him. I don't have it broken down game-to-game, but I would expect that his snaps have been decreasing since the start of the season.

Jones deserves more playing time. With 347 yards receiving this season, he'd probably come in ahead of Finley and could even be a lot higher.

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He's definitely ahead of Finley.

He might be ahead of Jennings, too. I’m assuming he didn’t play the minimum # of snaps to be considered, which is 150. Given his current yardage, he has at least 2.313333 yards per play. That’s how many yards per play he would have if he has played 150 snaps (which is safe to assume he hasn’t because he is not on this list). I wouldn’t be surprised to see him above Jordy Nelson. If he has played 115 snaps or less (possible, considering how rarely he was out there to begin the season), he would be above Jordy for #1 on this list.

13.

Grossman: Sup, you insulin needing bitch! The sex cannon has arrived! Now get the hell out of my locker room, you chinless mother fucker!

by Wiedmann on Nov 11, 2011 8:15 PM CST reply actions

Driver's 2011 numbers:

W1 (NO) 4 recs, 41 yds
W2 (CAR) 1 rec, 10 yds
W3 (CHI) 0 recs
W4 (DEN) 3 recs, 20 yds, 1 td
W5 (ATL) 1 rec, 5 yds
W6 (STL) 3 recs, 25 yds, 1 td
W7 (MIN) 1 rec, 6 yds
W8 (Bye)
W9 (SD) 2 recs, 18 yds

Not a lot of production, but it doesn’t seem like he’s being thrown at a lot, either.

by DaveInTucson on Nov 11, 2011 9:05 PM CST reply actions

More Driver: Incompletes

W1 (NO) thrown to 3 times incomplete
W2 (CAR) One completion was nullified on a holding penalty.
W3 (CHI) thrown to 3 times incomplete (one was also a formation penalty, which would’ve nullified any catch)
W4 (DEN) thrown to 1 time incomplete
W5 (ATL) thrown to 1 time incomplete
W6 (STL) thrown to 2 times incomplete
W7 (MIN) no incompletes
W8 (Bye)
W9 (SD) no incompletes

by DaveInTucson on Nov 11, 2011 9:17 PM CST up reply actions

Driver also has more drops in alot fewer chances than any WR on the team.

You've been Stroh'd™!!!

by Strohman on Nov 12, 2011 9:01 AM CST up reply actions

Driver and stats

Driver isn’t a downfield threat anymore. Rogers only looks for him when he needs a first down and Driver can use his smarts to hang out in some pocket on the field where he can make a grab and then be immediately tackled. We’ve got plenty of other weapons running wild in the secondary, so Driver’s fulfilling a needed role on the team.

As far as the stats go, it’s even more impressive to just watch this offense on TV. The eyes don’t lie.

by H3ller on Nov 12, 2011 7:02 AM CST reply actions