2019-20 Deep Ball Project

3. Kirk Cousins, Minnesota Vikings (2018-Present)

40+ Yard Completions = 18
Total Pass Attempts = 1,050
Percentage of Deep Balls to Pass Attempts = 1.71%

Minnesota successfully pursued Kirk Cousins during the free agency period of 2018, and the former Washington signal-caller has stretched the field aptly in his 31 contests with the Vikings.

For Cousins, this deep-ball prowess is merely an extension of his performance in Washington. From 2015 to 2017 as Washington’s starter, Cousins delivered 30 pass completions of 40+ yards, which was notably more than Aaron Rodgers, Cam Newton, Carson Palmer, and Ryan Tannehill during those three years.

With the Vikings, he has chipped in 18 more. Half of his 40+ yard deep tosses have been maximized into touchdowns with Minnesota. Stefon Diggs, now departed to Buffalo, was the recipient of 10 such throws (56 percent). Indubitably, Diggs was Cousins’ premiere deep target last season.

In his absence, Cousins will rely on Adam Thielen and rookie Justin Jefferson to fill the void. If history is any indicator, this task will not be daunting. Cousins distributed 40+ yard long-balls to 15 different pass-catchers as a member of the Washington Football Team.

2. Matthew Stafford, Detroit Lions (2009-Present)

40+ Yard Completions = 98
Total Pass Attempts = 5,319
Percentage of Deep Balls to Pass Attempts = 1.84%

Outstanding in his own right, Matthew Stafford also had a generational wide receiver to play catch with in Calvin Johnson. Stafford was conjoined with Johnson for six seasons during the decade, and his numbers reaped the benefit.

As a gross total, Stafford heaved 98 passes that gained 40+ yards in the last ten seasons. In terms of a volume stat, this was the sixth-most in the NFL throughout the decade. That equates to about one in every six quarters of football.

Of those 98 deep throws, Calvin Johnson hauled in 27 percent of them. The pass-catchers beneath Johnson in this metric are the more recent players: Golden Tate, Kenny Golladay, and Marvin Jones.

Regrettably for the Lions enterprise, Stafford’s success in passing is awfully bittersweet. Why? In the last ten seasons, the Detroit Lions rank dead last in the NFL in running the football. Since 2010, the team averages 94.6 rushing yards per game. That may not outwardly seem too heinous, but comparatively, it is severely lagging behind the competition. For instance, the team that prospered the most in running the ball during the decade was Seattle. The Seahawks accrued a 131.0 rushing yards per game during the decade — nearly a 36-yard variance to Detroit.

1. Aaron Rodgers, Green Bay Packers (2005-Present)

40+ Yard Completions = 103
Total Pass Attempts = 4,925
Percentage of Deep Balls to Pass Attempts = 2.10%

One out of fifty times that Aaron Rodgers dropped back to pass amid the last decade, he completed a pass of 40 or more yards. And, the ratio was even higher during the first portion of the decade.

Rodgers kicked off the decade on a raucous note. He and the Packers toppled the Pittsburgh Steelers during an improbable run to Super Bowl XLV as a wildcard team. Unbeknownst to Rodgers, it would be the final time he would visit a Super Bowl to date.

But the aerial bombs have persisted. Rodgers’ favorite target this decade when stretching the field was the now-retired Jordy Nelson. Rodgers found Nelson for 40+ yards on 26 occasions or 25 percent of the time. That does not quite top the Calvin Johnson-Matthew Stafford relationship, but it is close enough to be vehemently applauded.

As of late, Rodgers has involved current wideout Davante Adams when seeking deep yardage. Adams has snagged 15 such completions. Rounding out the top three in this parameter is Greg Jennings with 10 receptions of 40+ yards since 2010.