Brandon Allen Leads Nation In QB Rating

Arkansas quarterback Brandon Allen took the top spot in an interesting stat this past season. According to the folks over at ESPN, Allen was the most efficient quarterback in the country this year. He ended the year with the highest “total quarterback rating” (QBR) in the country, with an overall rating of 87.9 out of 100. Allen just barely beat out Baylor’s Seth Russell and Ole Miss’s Chad Kelly. Who each had 87.8 and 87.1 respectively.

Allen lead the Hogs to an 8-5 season that was capped off with a win in the “Liberty Bowl” over Kansas State. Allen’s numbers on the year aren’t exactly anything to sneeze at either, he finished the season in the top 25 of total passing yards, with 3,440. BA was also extremely accurate, completing around 66% of his passes going 244/370 while also throwing 30 touchdowns and only 8 interceptions. For comparison, last year Allen’s stats were 190/339 for 2,285 yards and 20 TD to 5 Int’s. Not to mention his QBR at the time was 69.8. That’s a pretty impressive near 20 point jump in QBR in only a year. Not to mention the jump of his draft stock, from probably going undrafted to someone giving him a shot in a QB starved NFL.

Now, for those who maybe don’t follow all the stats the “sports nerds” always talk about might not know what goes into the QBR. Luckily, ESPN has you covered, you can find the full article by clicking here. However, I’ll put the basics of it below. (writers note: They first rolled it out during the Johnny Manziel era in which he had the highest of that season, which is why he’s referenced.)

"“Unlike NCAA Passer Efficiency, which uses only box score statistics, Total QBR accounts for what a quarterback does on a play-by-play level, meaning it accounts for down, distance, field position, as well as the clock and score. A 5-yard gain on third-and-4 is a good play, whereas a 5-yard gain on third-and-14 isn’t. A 20-yard touchdown pass when tied in the second quarter means more than a 20-yard touchdown pass when down 30 points late in the fourth quarter. QBR accounts for those things using analysis that turns traditional productivity into points on the scoreboard and wins in the standings.It also accounts for a quarterback’s ability to scramble, his ability to run on designed rush plays, how well he avoids sacks, drawing and committing penalties, and all-important fumbles, which can be significant for quarterbacks. If Texas A&M gained 5 yards on third-and-4, Manziel’s contribution to that play is captured.Mandatory Credit: Justin Ford-USA TODAY Sports” If he threw it the full 5 yards and the receiver was immediately downed, Manziel gets a fair amount of credit for the throw, splitting it with pass blockers and the receiver.” If he threw it a couple of yards behind the line of scrimmage to a running back, Manziel gets less credit because the receiver and any blockers in front of him did more of the work.” If Manziel avoided a sack and scrambled for the 5 yards, he gets a lot of credit because his line gave up pressure and his receivers weren’t open.” If it was a designed rush for Manziel to get those 5 yards, he gets less credit than with a scramble because the offensive line often clears a couple of yards for a runner.” If the defense was drawn offside, Manziel gets a modest amount of credit for that.More from RazorbackersNike’s latest Arkansas Razorbacks shoes are a must-haveBelieve it or not, Arkansas football has never played these FBS teamsArkansas vs UConn Prediction and $1,000 BetMGM PromoArkansas vs. UConn, NCAA Tournament Sweet 16: How to watch, odds, predictionsWhen was the last time Arkansas won the NCAA Tournament? (Odds to win March Madness)” If Manziel just turned to hand the ball off to a back for the 5 yards, QBR doesn’t give Manziel any credit or even count it as an “action play” our term for plays in which the QB gets some portion of the credit or debit.These should make sense intuitively, and our analysis of the data supported these intuitions."

So basically, it’s not about how many completions versus throws the QB had, but how many plays the QB made. While Brandon Allen’s time as a Razorback may have been something of a roller coaster of emotions and feelings from the fan base, when it came to making plays for his team. Nobody in the country was better than Brandon Allen. You can also click here to see the rest of the list.

Woo Pig.