Lions Led NFL in “Bad Throw” Percentage in 2019

Find out about Pro Football Reference’s “bad throws” stat and the Lions' league-worst percentage in it in 2019

It was an all-around challenging season for the Detroit Lions in 2019.

However, their passing game was one of the few bright spots. 

With a trio of quarterbacks starting throughout the year, they still finished with the 10th-most yards and 10th-most receiving touchdowns. And that’s not to say it couldn’t improve with a full season of Matthew Stafford under center. 

Per Pro Football Reference’s advanced passing stats, the Lions' quarterbacks led the NFL in “bad throws” last year. 

The site defines a bad throw as a pass from a quarterback that was not catchable with normal effort. 

Yes, there is some subjectivity in the metric, but needless to say, it’s not a great look. 

As a team, 22.7 percent of their pass attempts, excluding spikes and throwaways, were considered poor throws -- the highest percentage in the league. 

The Lions' total of 125 off-target passes were also tied with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers for the most in the NFL.

Now, there are a few explanations as to why the Lions might have struggled in this specific department. 

First, you would imagine that Stafford playing the whole season would have helped out with the accuracy department. 

PFR does not break down its numbers by individual players. 

It’s fair to imagine that journeyman Jeff Driskel and undrafted rookie free agent David Blough were a noticeable drop-off from Stafford in the second half of the season.

Secondly, the Lions under offensive coordinator Darrell Bevell were one of the most aggressive downfield passing attacks in the league. 

Only the aforementioned Buccaneers had a higher average depth of target.

The deeper the throw, the higher degree of difficulty and the less likely the throw is to be completed or considered accurate. 

Short passes and throws at or behind the line of scrimmage could dramatically increase the number of on-target passes. 

Under former offensive coordinator Jim Bob Cooter, the screen game was a staple in the Lions' offense. 

But, that strategy is now a thing of the past with Bevell calling the shots.  

Lastly, the Lions' receivers had one of the lowest yards of separation averages across the league. 

The tight-window throws leave very little margin for error. 

Stafford had the highest rate of tight-window throws, while Blough ended up with the seventh-highest percentage for qualified quarterbacks. 

Again, depth of target can also play a factor in separation.

Overall, the Lions leading the league in the highest percentage of "bad throws" is concerning, but likely also a byproduct of circumstance.

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