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. Above 0 = above average.
EPA/Play: EPA averaged across all plays (passing + rushing). The single best measure of a QB’s total impact.
EPA/Dropback (EPA/DB): EPA on passing plays only — pass attempts, sacks, and scrambles. 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). This is the nflverse EPA-based definition, which may differ slightly from PFR’s yardage-based formula (40%/50%/100% of needed yards). QB success rate on this site excludes sacks from the denominator.
aDOT (Average Depth of Target): Average distance in yards a QB throws downfield. Higher = more aggressive. Computed on true pass attempts only (sacks and scrambles 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.
Rush EPA: EPA per rush attempt for a QB. Includes designed runs and scrambles, excludes kneels. Positive = above-average rushing.
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).
EPA/Carry: Expected Points Added per rushing attempt. Measures how much each carry changes a team’s scoring chances. Positive = above-average efficiency on the ground.
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. Measures how efficiently an offense generates expected points. Positive = above average.
Def EPA/Play: Defensive EPA per play. Measures how well a defense limits opponents. More negative = better defense.
Pass Rate: Percentage of plays where a team chooses to pass. 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.
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.
Snap Count: Total offensive plays a player was on the field for. Derived from play-by-play participation data — counts all play types (passes, runs, penalties). Does not include special teams snaps.
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.
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.
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 across all plays. Unlike EPA/play or EPA/target, this is volume-based — more plays means a higher total. Measures overall impact rather than per-play efficiency. A QB with 50 Total EPA had more total impact than one with 30, even if the latter had better EPA/play.
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.
Complete Passer (QB Archetype): A quarterback with 4+ radar axes at the 70th percentile or above. Elite across EPA/DB, CPOE, DB/Game, aDOT, INT%, and Success%.
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 INT% ≤ 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, INT% ≥ 65th, and DB/Game ≤ 45th.
Dual Threat (QB Archetype): Elite rushing QB who also produces through the air. Defined by Rush EPA ≥ 80th, EPA/DB ≥ 60th, and 4+ axes ≥ 60th. A true dual-threat weapon.
Mobile Playmaker (QB Archetype): Extends plays and creates with his legs. Defined by Rush EPA ≥ 65th, EPA/DB ≥ 60th, and DB/Game ≥ 55th. Dangerous in and out of the pocket.
Sniper (QB Archetype): Accurate deep passer who protects the football. Defined by aDOT ≥ 65th, INT% ≥ 65th, 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 archetype for QBs who have at least one axis above the 60th percentile but don’t match any specialized archetype.
Alpha WR1 (WR Archetype): Dominant number-one receiver. Defined by 4+ radar axes ≥ 70th and Tgt/Game ≥ 65th. 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 Catch% ≥ 60th. High depth of target with reliable hands.
YAC Monster (WR Archetype): Dangerous after the catch. Defined by YAC/Rec ≥ 75th and aDOT ≤ 50th. Turns short throws into big gains.
Target Magnet (WR Archetype): Commands an elite target share. Defined by Tgt/Game ≥ 80th percentile. The offense runs through this receiver regardless of per-target efficiency.
Field Stretcher (WR Archetype): Stretches the field vertically. Defined by aDOT ≥ 75th and Catch% ≤ 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 Catch% ≥ 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 archetype for WRs who have at least one axis above the 60th percentile but don’t match any specialized archetype.
Elite TE1 (TE Archetype): Dominant tight end with 4+ radar axes at the 70th percentile (among TEs) and Tgt/Game ≥ 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 Catch% ≥ 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 archetype for TEs with at least one axis at 70th percentile or Tgt/Game ≥ 50th.
Three-Down Back (RB Archetype): Does it all. Defined by Car/Game ≥ 55th, Tgt/Game ≥ 60th, Success% ≥ 55th, and 2+ of EPA/Car, Stuff Avoid, Explosive%, Success% ≥ 55th.
Elite Runner (RB Archetype): Elite across multiple rushing dimensions. Defined by 3+ of EPA/Car, Stuff Avoid, Explosive%, Success% at 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 archetype for RBs who contribute in a limited role — at least one quality axis at 60th percentile or Car/Game ≥ 40th.
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

QB Archetypes

WR Archetypes

TE Archetypes

RB Archetypes

Situational Stats

Trends & Surge Detection