Matthew Stafford was in the midst of a very impressive season before getting injured in 2019. Through the Detroit Lions first eight games, Stafford was lighting up the NFL as one of the top quarterbacks.
One area where Stafford thrived was at completing passes that other quarterbacks could not. His ability to get positive plays on difficult throws was one of the best in the entire league. Only four QBs ranked higher in completion percentage over expected on passes.
What exactly does that mean? The completion percentage over expectation is based on the difference between the actual completion percentage and the expected completion percentage based on the level of difficulty of the throw. That incorporates coverage and pass rush elements into the passing equation.
The Lions were the only team with a QB in the top five to not make the postseason.
