NFL Analytics Glossary

Plain-English definitions for every stat on Yards Per Pass.

EPA (Expected Points Added): How much each play changes a team’s expected points. A 3rd-and-1 conversion is worth more than a 1st-and-10 three-yard gain. Positive means the play added expected points — but zero is not the league average: the average pass target is worth well above zero and the average running-back carry below it. Where a player’s EPA number is printed in green or red text — the leaderboards with the heatmap off, the Game Log table, the run-gap player cards — it is compared with that season’s league average for the same kind of play, not with zero; grey means close to average. The leaderboard heatmap instead shades each player against the other qualified players.
EPA/Play: EPA averaged over a quarterback’s dropbacks and designed runs (kneel-downs left out). The single best measure of a QB’s total impact.
EPA/Dropback (EPA/DB): EPA on passing plays only — pass attempts, sacks, and scrambles, but not spikes to stop the clock. Isolates arm talent from running ability.
CPOE (Completion % Over Expected): How often a QB completes passes compared to what’s expected given throw difficulty. A CPOE of +3 means completing 3% more than expected. Higher is better. Computed via the nflverse completion probability model, which may differ from NFL Next Gen Stats CPOE on ESPN/NFL.com.
Success Rate: How often a play generates positive EPA (Expected Points Added > 0) — nflverse’s success flag, not a yards-to-go rule, so it can differ from yardage-based success rates such as Pro Football Reference’s. QB success rate from season totals (leaderboards, player cards, team pages) leaves sacks out of the denominator; box score passing lines count them.
First Downs (Box Score): A team’s total first downs on a game’s box score, counted as passing + rushing + penalty first downs. One play can set two of those at once — a run that reaches the line to gain and also draws a defensive penalty — so the total deliberately double-counts that rare case. It is what ESPN shows, and it keeps the total equal to the sum of its own sub-rows; summing the raw first-down flag instead comes up 1–3 short in about one game in six.
aDOT (Average Depth of Target): Average distance in yards a QB throws downfield. Higher = more aggressive. Computed on true pass attempts only (sacks, scrambles and spikes excluded).
Field Heat Map: A 3×3 grid showing where a QB throws on the field, broken down by depth (short 0-9 yards, intermediate 10-19, deep 20+) and direction (left, middle, right). Air yards measures the distance the ball travels in the air from the line of scrimmage. Direction (L/M/R) is derived from nflverse charting data, which categorizes passes into three zones.
YPA (Yards Per Attempt): Passing yards divided by pass attempts. A simple efficiency measure. Sacks are excluded from the denominator.
ANY/A (Adjusted Net Yards per Attempt): The best single traditional stat for predicting wins. Formula: (Yards + 20×TD − 45×INT − Sack Yards) ÷ (Attempts + Sacks). Rewards touchdowns, penalizes turnovers and sacks.
Passer Rating: The traditional NFL quarterback rating on a 0–158.3 scale. Combines completion %, yards, TDs, and INTs. The most familiar stat, though EPA-based metrics are more predictive.
TD:INT Ratio: Passing touchdowns per interception. 2:1 is roughly average, 3:1+ is elite. Only counts passing TDs.
Dropback: Any play where the QB drops back to pass. Includes pass attempts, sacks, and scrambles — basically everything that starts as a passing play. A spike to stop the clock is not a dropback.
Rush EPA: EPA per rush attempt for a QB. Includes designed runs and scrambles, excludes kneels. The average QB rush is worth well above zero, so compare a quarterback with other quarterbacks, not with zero.
Run Gap: The space between offensive linemen where a running back targets their rush. Gaps are labeled left to right: LE (left end), LT (left tackle), LG (left guard), M (middle/center), RG (right guard), RT (right tackle), RE (right end).
Stuff Rate: Percentage of rushing attempts stopped at or behind the line of scrimmage (0 or negative yards). Higher stuff rate = worse for the offense. A key indicator of how well a defense plugs run gaps.
Explosive Run Rate: Percentage of rushing attempts that gain 10+ yards. Higher is better for the offense. Measures big-play ability in the run game.
Stuff Avoidance (Stuff Avoid%): 1 minus Stuff Rate — the percentage of carries NOT stopped at or behind the line of scrimmage. Higher is better. Used in the RB radar chart as a positive-direction metric (100% = never stuffed).
Team Sack Rate: Sacks divided by pass attempts plus sacks, added up over the team’s games. Scrambles and two-point tries are not counted.
Team Turnover Rate: Turnovers (interceptions plus fumbles lost) divided by the team’s drives. On defense it is the takeaway rate: opponents’ turnovers divided by opponents’ drives.
Team Stuff Rate: Designed runs stopped for no gain or a loss, divided by designed runs. Kneel-downs, QB scrambles, two-point tries and runs wiped out by a penalty are left out. It counts every designed run, including those by quarterbacks and receivers, so it will not match the running backs’ stuff rates.
EPA/Carry: Expected Points Added per rushing attempt. Measures how much each carry changes a team’s scoring chances. The average running-back carry is worth less than zero, so a back at 0.00 is above average.
Fumbles Lost (FL): Fumbles recovered by the opposing defense. Only the turnovers that actually cost you possession.
Off EPA/Play: Offensive EPA per play for a team, over its runs, passes and kneel-downs; plays wiped out by a penalty are left out (the box score counts them, so a team’s figure there can differ). Positive = the offense added expected points. The league average is close to zero, but not exactly zero.
Def EPA/Play: Defensive EPA per play. Measures how well a defense limits opponents. More negative = better defense.
Pass Rate: On Team Tiers: pass attempts as a share of all of a team’s plays. Sacks count as plays but not as passes, and kneel-downs count as plays. The situation table on a team’s page counts differently — sacks as passes, kneel-downs left out — so its figure runs higher. Influenced by game script (teams trailing pass more).
Yards Per Target (Y/Tgt): Receiving yards divided by targets. Measures how productive each target to a receiver is, including incomplete passes in the denominator.
Target Share: Percentage of a team’s total pass targets directed at a specific receiver. Higher target share = more involved in the passing game. Season-long, primary team only for traded players.
YAC (Yards After Catch): Yards gained by a receiver after catching the ball. Measures ability to create yards in the open field beyond the catch point.
ADOT (Average Depth of Target): Average distance downfield a receiver is targeted. Higher ADOT = deeper route tree. Includes incomplete passes.
YPRR (Yards Per Route Run): Receiving yards divided by routes run. Measures how productive a receiver is on every route, not just when targeted. A top-tier efficiency metric that removes volume bias — a receiver running 50 routes who gains 75 yards is more efficient than one running 150 routes for 100 yards. A route here is any pass thrown while the player was on the field — sacks and scrambles don’t count, and neither do spikes — so a back or tight end who stayed in to block still gets one. Needs nflverse’s player-participation data; a season without it shows “—”.
TPRR (Targets Per Route Run): Targets divided by routes run. Measures how often a quarterback looks at a receiver on each route they run. High TPRR indicates a receiver who commands attention from the offense regardless of overall target volume. Routes are counted as in YPRR. Needs nflverse’s player-participation data; a season without it shows “—”.
Snap Count: Total offensive plays a player was on the field for: runs and passes, sacks and scrambles included. Plays wiped out by a penalty, kneel-downs, spikes and two-point tries aren’t counted, and neither are special teams snaps. Needs nflverse’s player-participation data; a season without it shows “—”.
Snap Share (Snap%): Player’s offensive snap count divided by their team’s total offensive snaps. A snap share of 85% means the player was on the field for 85% of the team’s offensive plays. The primary measure of a receiver’s playing time. For a player traded mid-season, his main team only. Needs nflverse’s player-participation data; a season without it shows “—”.
Route Participation Rate (Route%): Percentage of a team’s dropback plays where this player was on the field. Measures how often a player is involved in the passing game. A WR with 95% route participation is on the field for nearly every pass play. A blocking TE at 60% is only out there for some passing downs. Industry-standard formula: player dropback snaps / team total dropbacks. For a player traded mid-season, his main team only. Needs nflverse’s player-participation data; a season without it shows “—”.
DB/Game (Dropbacks per Game): Dropbacks divided by games played. Measures a QB’s passing volume on a per-game basis. Used as the Volume axis on QB radar charts.
FPts (Fantasy Points): Fantasy points calculated from raw stats. QB: 1pt/25 pass yds, 4pt/pass TD, −2pt/INT, 1pt/10 rush yds, 6pt/rush TD, −1pt/fumble lost. RB/WR/TE: PPR (1pt/rec), Half-PPR (0.5pt/rec), or Standard (0pt/rec) plus yardage and TDs. Toggle scoring format on the leaderboard.
Car/Game (Carries per Game): Rush attempts divided by games played. The Volume axis on RB radar charts.
Tgt/Game (Targets per Game): Targets divided by games played. The Volume axis on WR/TE radar charts.
YPC (Yards per Carry): Rushing yards divided by carries. The most basic measure of rushing efficiency, though it doesn’t account for situation or game script like EPA does.
CROE (Catch Rate Over Expected): Actual catch rate minus expected catch rate (based on throw difficulty). Positive means the receiver catches more than expected given the passes thrown to them. A better version of raw Catch% because it adjusts for throw quality. Derived from the same completion probability model that powers CPOE.
TD% (Touchdown Percentage): Passing touchdowns divided by pass attempts, times 100. What percentage of a QB’s throws go for touchdowns. League average is around 4–5%.
INT% (Interception Percentage): Interceptions divided by pass attempts, times 100. Lower is better. League average is around 2–3%.
SK% (Sack Percentage): Sacks divided by (attempts + sacks), times 100. Measures how often a QB gets sacked. Lower is better. Note: sacks are excluded from the attempts count, so the denominator adds them back.
SCR% (Scramble Percentage): Scrambles divided by total dropbacks, times 100. Measures how often a QB abandons the pocket and runs. High SCR% can indicate either great mobility or a collapsing pocket.
Air Yards Share (AY%): Percentage of a team’s total air yards belonging to this receiver. Measures how much of the team’s downfield passing game flows through a specific player. Higher than Target Share for deep threats, lower for checkdown targets.
Receiving Success Rate (Recv SR%): Percentage of a receiver’s targets that produce positive EPA (Expected Points Added). Measures how often a receiver’s plays help the team. Higher is better.
Total EPA: The raw sum of EPA over one kind of play: dropbacks for a quarterback (the same plays as EPA/Dropback, so designed runs aren’t included), carries for a running back, targets for a receiver. Unlike EPA/play or EPA/target, it is volume-based — more plays means a bigger total, up or down. It measures overall impact rather than per-play efficiency.
Total Touches (TCH): Carries plus receptions. The total number of times a running back touches the ball. Measures overall offensive involvement.
PFR Qualified: Pro Football Reference’s minimum thresholds for stat qualification. QBs: 14 attempts per team game (238/season). RBs: 6.25 carries per team game (106/season). WR/TEs: 1.875 targets per team game (32/season). These thresholds filter out players with small sample sizes.
OVR (Overall): A rating shown on the player card, on a Madden-style scale: an average qualified starter sits in the high 70s, a good starter in the mid 80s, and the best seasons in the league reach the mid 90s, topping out at 99. QB: OVR measures how well he played when he played. Half of it is per-play quality — EPA/dropback, ANY/A, CPOE, success rate, plus rushing efficiency for quarterbacks who actually run (it counts in proportion to how often they carry the ball). The other half is per-game production — EPA, yards, and touchdowns per game, passing and rushing combined — so a great half season is graded on how he played, not on how long he was available. Short seasons are still pulled toward league average. WR/TE and RB: per-play quality (regressed toward average at low volume) blended 50/50 with season production. WR/TE quality is EPA/target, CROE, yards per route run, and receiving success rate, with production from total receiving EPA and yards. RB quality is EPA/carry, success rate, stuff avoidance, and explosive rate, with production from total rushing EPA and yards. Style metrics (like aDOT and YAC per reception) appear on the card but do not affect OVR. Metrics a player has no data for are left out of the average rather than counted against him. Players below the per-game qualifying threshold (QB 14 attempts, WR/TE 2 targets, RB 6 carries per game) show “—” instead of a score. RB OVR currently measures rushing only.
Dual Threat (QB Archetype): Elite rushing QB who also produces through the air. Defined by Rush EPA ≥ 80th, EPA/DB ≥ 50th, and 4+ axes ≥ 60th. A true dual-threat weapon.
Mobile Playmaker (QB Archetype): Extends plays and creates with his legs. Defined by Rush EPA ≥ 70th, EPA/DB ≥ 55th, and DB/Game ≥ 50th — unless he also has CPOE ≥ 70th and Success% ≥ 65th, in which case the archetypes below are checked instead. Dangerous in and out of the pocket.
Complete Passer (QB Archetype): A quarterback with 4+ of the 7 radar axes at the 70th percentile or above and none below the 30th. The axes: EPA/DB, CPOE, DB/Game, aDOT, Ball Security (few interceptions per attempt), Success%, and Rush EPA. On the radar, the Rush EPA axis is shrunk toward zero for quarterbacks with fewer than 60 rushes (fully counted at 60), so a few big scrambles can’t make a runner elite.
Playmaker (QB Archetype): A high-efficiency, high-volume quarterback who drives the offense. Defined by EPA/DB ≥ 70th, DB/Game ≥ 70th, and Success% ≥ 60th percentile.
Gunslinger (QB Archetype): Pushes the ball downfield with aggression. Defined by aDOT ≥ 65th, DB/Game ≥ 55th, and Ball Security ≤ 45th. Trades turnovers for big plays.
Surgeon (QB Archetype): Precise and consistent passer. Defined by CPOE ≥ 70th, Success% ≥ 65th, and EPA/DB ≥ 55th. Picks apart defenses without forcing throws.
Distributor (QB Archetype): High-volume, accurate short-game passer. Defined by DB/Game ≥ 70th, CPOE ≥ 60th, and aDOT ≤ 45th. Moves the chains underneath.
Volume Passer (QB Archetype): Throws at an extremely high rate with solid efficiency. Defined by DB/Game ≥ 80th and EPA/DB ≥ 50th percentile.
Game Manager (QB Archetype): Protects the football and avoids mistakes. Defined by Success% ≥ 65th, Ball Security ≥ 65th, and DB/Game ≤ 45th.
Sniper (QB Archetype): Accurate deep passer who protects the football. Defined by aDOT ≥ 65th, Ball Security ≥ 65th, CPOE ≥ 40th, and Rush EPA < 75th. Pushes the ball downfield without turning it over.
Improviser (QB Archetype): Creates plays outside of structure. Defined by EPA/DB ≥ 65th, 3+ axes ≥ 60th, and CPOE ≤ 50th. High EPA despite inconsistent accuracy.
Pocket Passer (QB Archetype): Traditional pocket quarterback with no single elite dimension. Fallback for QBs with at least one axis at or above the 60th percentile who match none of the archetypes above. Archetypes are checked in the order listed on this page, and a player gets the first one he matches.
Alpha WR1 (WR Archetype): Dominant number-one receiver. Defined by 4+ of the six radar axes (Tgt/Game, EPA/Tgt, CROE, aDOT, YAC/Rec, YPRR) ≥ 70th, Tgt/Game ≥ 65th, and no axis below the 30th — or, for the highest-volume receivers, Tgt/Game ≥ 80th with 3+ axes ≥ 70th, 4+ axes ≥ 60th, and at most one axis below the 30th. Commands targets and produces at an elite level.
Contested Catch WR (WR Archetype): Wins downfield and at the catch point. Defined by aDOT ≥ 65th and CROE ≥ 60th. High depth of target with reliable hands.
YAC Monster (WR Archetype): Dangerous after the catch. Defined by YAC/Rec ≥ 75th, aDOT ≤ 40th, and Tgt/Game ≤ 75th — or, checked after Playmaker, YAC/Rec ≥ 80th and aDOT ≤ 50th. Turns short throws into big gains.
Target Magnet (WR Archetype): Commands an elite target share. Defined by Tgt/Game ≥ 78th percentile and 2+ axes ≥ 60th (Tgt/Game counts as one). The offense runs through this receiver regardless of per-target efficiency.
Field Stretcher (WR Archetype): Stretches the field vertically. Defined by aDOT ≥ 75th and CROE ≤ 50th. Trades catch rate for chunk plays.
Route Technician (WR Archetype): Wins with precision route-running, generating consistent production per route. Defined by YPRR ≥ 70th, Tgt/G ≥ 55th, and 3+ axes ≥ 60th.
Possession Receiver (WR Archetype): Reliable hands and route precision. Defined by CROE ≥ 70th, YPRR ≥ 60th, and aDOT ≤ 45th.
Deep Threat (WR Archetype): Pure vertical threat. Defined by aDOT ≥ 80th percentile. Lives on deep routes.
Efficient Producer (WR Archetype): Maximizes every route run. Defined by YPRR ≥ 75th and EPA/Tgt ≥ 65th with Tgt/Game ≤ 50th.
Playmaker (WR Archetype): Creates big plays through efficiency and after-catch ability. Defined by EPA/Tgt ≥ 65th, YAC/Rec ≥ 65th, and 3+ axes ≥ 60th.
Role Player (WR Archetype): Contributes in a defined role without an elite dimension. Fallback for WRs with at least one axis at or above the 60th percentile who match none of the archetypes above (checked in the order listed).
Elite TE1 (TE Archetype): Dominant tight end. Defined by 4+ of the six radar axes (Tgt/Game, EPA/Tgt, CROE, aDOT, YAC/Rec, YPRR) at the 70th percentile or above among TEs, Tgt/Game ≥ 60th, and no axis below the 30th — or Tgt/Game ≥ 90th with EPA/Tgt ≥ 65th, 3+ axes ≥ 70th, and 4+ axes ≥ 60th. Elite receiving production across volume, efficiency, and consistency.
Mismatch TE (TE Archetype): High-efficiency pass catcher who creates mismatches. Defined by EPA/Tgt ≥ 70th and CROE ≥ 60th (among TEs) with Tgt/Game ≥ 40th. Elite per-target production regardless of volume.
Seam Stretcher (TE Archetype): Attacks downfield as a seam threat. Defined by aDOT ≥ 70th (among TEs) and EPA/Tgt ≥ 50th. Stretches the middle of the field vertically.
YAC Weapon (TE Archetype): Dangerous after the catch. Defined by YAC/Rec ≥ 70th (among TEs) and aDOT ≤ 55th. Turns short targets into chunk gains.
Security Blanket (TE Archetype): Reliable short-area target. Defined by CROE ≥ 70th (among TEs) and Tgt/Game ≥ 55th. The QB’s safety valve.
Move TE (TE Archetype): Deployed like a wide receiver. Defined by YPRR ≥ 70th (among TEs), EPA/Tgt ≥ 55th, and Tgt/Game ≥ 50th. High route involvement and consistent production.
Target Hog (TE Archetype): Commands a massive target share for a tight end. Defined by Tgt/Game ≥ 80th percentile among TEs.
Blocking TE (TE Archetype): Primarily a blocker who catches occasionally. Defined by Tgt/Game ≤ 25th and YPRR ≤ 35th among TEs. Low target volume and route involvement.
Complementary TE (TE Archetype): Secondary receiving tight end who contributes as part of the passing game mix. Fallback for TEs with at least one axis at or above the 70th percentile, or Tgt/Game ≥ 50th, who match none of the archetypes above (checked in the order listed).
Three-Down Back (RB Archetype): Does it all. Defined by Car/Game ≥ 55th, Tgt/Game ≥ 60th, Success% ≥ 55th, 2+ of EPA/Car, Stuff Avoid, Explosive%, Success% ≥ 55th, and no axis below the 30th.
Elite Runner (RB Archetype): Elite across multiple rushing dimensions. Defined by 3+ of EPA/Car, Stuff Avoid, Explosive%, Success% at or above the 70th percentile, with Car/Game ≥ 55th. A dominant pure runner.
Dual-Threat Back (RB Archetype): Dangerous as both a runner and receiver. Defined by Car/Game ≥ 55th and Tgt/Game ≥ 70th. A true two-way weapon out of the backfield.
Workhorse (RB Archetype): High-volume carrier. Defined by Car/Game ≥ 70th, EPA/Car ≥ 45th, and Tgt/Game ≤ 45th. Grinds out production on the ground.
Power Back (RB Archetype): Runs through contact. Defined by Stuff Avoid ≥ 70th, Car/Game ≥ 50th, and Explosive% ≤ 55th. Avoids getting stuffed.
Home Run Hitter (RB Archetype): Boom-or-bust runner. Defined by Explosive% ≥ 75th and Success% ≤ 45th. Trades consistency for chunk plays.
Pass-Catching Back (RB Archetype): Receiving weapon out of the backfield. Defined by Tgt/Game ≥ 75th and Car/Game ≤ 50th.
Efficient Runner (RB Archetype): High EPA on limited carries. Defined by EPA/Car ≥ 70th, Success% ≥ 60th, and Car/Game ≤ 55th.
Change of Pace (RB Archetype): Maximizes limited touches. Defined by EPA/Car ≥ 65th, Explosive% ≥ 60th, and Car/Game ≤ 40th.
Bell Cow (RB Archetype): Dominates touches in the backfield. Defined by Car/Game ≥ 85th percentile. The clear lead back regardless of efficiency.
Rotational Back (RB Archetype): Part of a backfield committee. Fallback for RBs with at least one of EPA/Car, Stuff Avoid, Explosive%, Tgt/Game, Success% at or above the 60th percentile, or Car/Game ≥ 40th, who match none of the archetypes above (checked in the order listed).
Down & Distance Heatmap: A 4×5 grid showing rushing efficiency by down (1st–4th) and distance bin (1–2, 3–4, 5–7, 8–10, 11+ yards). Color intensity reflects EPA per carry, success rate, or yards per carry. Cells with fewer than 5 carries are marked as low-sample.
Early Downs: 1st and 2nd down plays. The broadest situational filter, capturing plays where the offense has the most flexibility in play-calling.
Passing Down: Situations where the defense expects a pass: 2nd down with 7+ yards to go, or 3rd down with 5+ yards to go. Rushing on passing downs often has higher EPA due to lighter boxes.
Short Yardage: 3rd or 4th down with 2 or fewer yards to go. High-leverage situations where teams often use heavy personnel and power rushing schemes.
Late & Close: Plays in the 4th quarter (game_seconds_remaining ≤ 900) with win probability between 25% and 75%. Filters out garbage time to show how a team performs when the game is still competitive.
Stat Surge Detector: Identifies players whose recent performance significantly deviates from their season average. Uses z-score analysis comparing the last N weeks to the full season. Players with z ≥ 1.5 are flagged as ‘Rising’ and z ≤ −1.5 as ‘Falling’.
Z-Score: A statistical measure of how many standard deviations a value is from the mean. In the Surge Detector, z-score = (recent average − season average) / season standard deviation. Higher absolute values indicate more extreme deviations.

Data source: nflverse play-by-play. Stats may differ slightly from Pro Football Reference due to methodology differences (sack handling, kneel exclusion, etc.).

NFL Analytics Glossary

Core Stats

Leaderboard Stats

Player Card

QB Archetypes

WR Archetypes

TE Archetypes

RB Archetypes

Situational Stats

Trends & Surge Detection