Pass Receiver Rating System
---------------------------
I created this system, with some help from my friend Tim Connelly
in an effort to come up with a way to rate a receivers performance
throughout the season the same way the NFL attempts to measure a passers
performance. Obviously, there are considerable differences. Whereas the
NFL passer rating system is based solely on percentages, I believe it
made more sense to rate a receiver based on PER GAME statistics.
This is a pass receiver rating system, *NOT* a (position) rating
system. It is equivalent to the passer rating system in that it only
measures the quantifiable aspects of a receivers performance. If you want
to come up with a (position) rating system you need to take into account
for a players blocking, route-running and various other subjective performance
variables not readily apparent.
Purpose: objectively rate a receivers value based on the four most
important, measurable aspects of his position -
1) possession : this breaks down to number of catches per game,
or more simply how *often* a receiver is helping
his offense move the ball
2) production : this breaks down to number of yards receiving
per game, ie how *much* a receiver is helping his
offense move the ball
3) scoring : this breaks down to TDs per game, or how often a
receiver is scoring TDs.
4) impact : this breaks down to yards per catch, ie how much
a receiver is helping his team per play.
The rating is calculated by figuring out a receivers catches per
game, yards per game, TDs per game and yards per catch.
__ __
| catches/game yards/game TDs/game yards/catch |
| ------------ + ---------- + -------- + ----------- | / 6 * 100 = rating
| 3.453 56.209 .626 13.245 |
__ __
The divisors are the result of taking the top 10 single season
performances in NFL history (through 1994) in each category and averaging
them. This result was then modified by a constant divisor (2.03125) to scale
the categories so that a 100.0 rating would reflect an excellent season.
(After all was said and done, a typical 'excellent season' would amount to
82 catches for 1476 yards and 15 touchdowns in a 16 game season.)
To qualify for the top ten of all time criteria, a player had to
have had at least TWO catches per game active for that season. This affected
the yards per catch category significantly... 17 of the top 26 players
in this statistic had less than 2 catches per game in the listed season.
Note that no single category should exceed 2.375 after applying the
divisor for that category. If the category exceeds 2.375 it should be
reduced to 2.375
catches/
Player Team year catches games game
----------------- --------------- ---- ------- ----- ----
1) Cris Carter Minnesota 1994 122 16 7.63
2) Charley Hennigan Houston 1964 101 14 7.21
3) Lionel Taylor Denver 1961 100 14 7.14
4) Jerry Rice San Francisco 1994 112 16 7.00
Sterling Sharpe Green Bay 1993 112 16 7.00
Tom Fears L.A. Rams 1950 84 12 7.00
7) Terrance Mathis Atlanta 1994 111 16 6.94
8) Sterling Sharpe Green Bay 1992 108 16 6.75
9) Don Hutson Green Bay 1942 74 11 6.72
10) Johnny Morris Chicago 1964 93 14 6.64
-------------------------------------------------------------
total 1017 145 7.01
yards/
Player Team year yards games game
----------------- --------------- ---- ----- ----- ------
1) Wes Chandler San Diego 1982 1032 8 129.00
2) Charley Hennigan Houston 1961 1746 14 124.71
3) Elroy Hirsch L.A. Rams 1951 1495 12 124.58
4) Jim Benton Cleveland 1945 1067 9 118.56
5) Lance Alworth San Diego 1965 1602 14 114.43
6) Charley Hennigan Houton 1964 1546 14 110.43
7) Don Hutson Green Bay 1942 1211 11 110.09
8) Raymond Berry Baltimore 1960 1298 12 108.17
9) Bill Groman Houston 1960 1473 14 105.21
10) Billy Howton Green Bay 1952 1231 12 102.58
---------------------------------------------------------------
total 13701 120 114.18
TDs/
Player Team year TDs games game
----------------- --------------- ---- --- ----- ----
1) Jerry Rice San Francisco 1987 22 12 1.83
2) Don Hutson Green Bay 1942 17 11 1.55
3) Elroy Hirsch L.A. Rams 1951 17 12 1.42
4) Cloyce Box Detroit 1952 15 12 1.25
5) Sonny Randle St Louis 1960 15 12 1.25
6) Bill Groman Houston 1961 17 14 1.21
7) Raymond Berry Baltimore 1959 14 12 1.16
8) Mal Kutner Chicago 1948 14 12 1.16
9) Art Powell Oakland 1963 16 14 1.14
10) Sterling Sharpe Green Bay 1994 18 16 1.13
Mark Clayton Miami 1984 18 16 1.13
Wes Chandler San Diego 1982 9 8 1.13
-------------------------------------------------------------
total 192 151 1.27
yards/
Player Team year yards catches catch
----------------- --------------- ---- ----- ------- -----
1) Don Currivan Boston Yanks 1947 782 24 32.58
2) Jimmy Orr Pittsburgh 1958 910 33 27.58
3) Elbert Dubenion Buffalo 1964 1139 42 27.12
4) Frank Liebel N.Y. Giants 1945 593 22 26.95
5) Warren Wells Oakland 1969 1260 47 26.81
6) Jack Snow L.A. Rams 1967 735 28 26.25
7) Bob Hayes Dallas 1970 889 34 26.15
8) Willie Anderson L.A. Rams 1989 1146 44 26.05
9) Roger Carr Baltimore 1976 1112 43 25.86
10) Jimmy Orr Baltimore 1968 743 29 25.62
--------------------------------------------------------------
total 9309 346 26.90
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