Pro Football & Sports Network (PFSN) released a new metric to assess quarterback play for the 2025 season. It’s called the “QB Impact” grade and gauges performance based on traditional stats while also weighing more advanced metrics such as net yards per attempt (removes sack yardage from passing totals divided by total passing plays) and third/fourth down conversion rates to arrive at a letter grade for each signal caller.
PFSN’s Quarterback Impact (QBi) assigns a letter grade to an individual quarterback’s performance. We arrive at the grade by factoring in both passing and rushing efficiency and volume. More stable components like clean pocket performance and EPA per rush on designed runs get weighted more than less stable ones like pressure performance and scrambling. We also add a “clutch” component that gives extra weight to how quarterbacks perform in high-leverage situations.
To qualify for the season leaderboard, a QB must average at least 15 plays per game (dropbacks or designed runs) while playing in at least half his team’s games that season. To qualify for the games leaderboard, a QB must have participated in at least 15 plays that game.
How QB Impact is different than PFF grades
Pro Football Focus (PFF) tracks data for each individual player on every single play, and they also include data from downs negated by penalty (some pretend these never happened). PFF attempts to reward good provides without respect to the outcome, and this makes their data more useful for predicting future outcomes.
For example, a quarterback might make his best throw of the game only for the receiver to drop it. He could also throw an interceptable pass that falls harmlessly incomplete. Most traditional stats in addition to QB Impact Score neglect these plays and only count the end result. That introduces flaws into the data set, which makes predicting future performance all the more difficult.
I still personally believe that PFF’s passing grade is the most robust indicator of individual quarterback performance. However, we should never take it as gospel and it’s positive to have new advanced metrics from additional sources.
How Matthew Stafford ranked in QBi
Through Week 5, Stafford is currently ranked 10th in PFSN’s new metric. He received a “B” QBi grade.
Here are the quarterback’s ahead of LA’s leading man:
- Daniel Jones, Colts: A+ (97.5)
- Josh Allen, Bills: A- (90.2)
- Brock Purdy, 49ers: B+ (89.1)
- Sam Darnold, Seahawks: B+ (88.3)
- Jordan Love, Packers: B+ (88.2)
- Jared Goff, Lions: B (86.9)
- Lamar Jackson, Ravens: (86.6)
- Dak Prescott, Cowboys: B (85.6)
- Drake Maye, Patriots: B (85.3)
These are Stafford’s ranks in the key metrics weighed by QBi:
- Completion percentage, unadjusted: 18th
- Passing yards: 1st
- Passing TD’s: 2nd (behind Goff)
- Interceptions: 12 (skewed by those with less playing time)
- netYPA: 5th
- 3rd/4th down conversion rate: 20th
It’s fair to say that some quarterbacks—probably the three leaders in Jones, Allen, and Purdy—have more favorable grades because of their running ability. This is simply not a skillset that Stafford can tap into, and that likely hurts him in this metric. We also see the lack of mobility hinder the Rams offense at times, such as in the red zone and in short yardage situations.
It’s noteworthy that Stafford ranked in the bottom third of the league in third/fourth down conversions, which helps explain why the Rams offense can feel a little “start and stop” at times. Los Angeles is accumulating a lot of yards (Stafford leads the league) but their drives can fizzle out and they’ve made a habit of settling for field goals.
This metric does not reflect that Stafford is playing behind one of the worst pass blocking units in all of football and still performing admirably. He’s done a fine job of keeping the ball out of harm’s way and stepping up in clutch moments, especially in Week 5 against the San Francisco 49ers even though the Rams suffered a home loss to a divisional rival.
QBi is another tool in our belt to gauge quarterback performance, and we will continue to monitor Stafford’s ranking as the season progresses.
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