How about a few more 2019 NFL awards? But instead of relying on humans in the selection process -- as is the case for the MVP, All-Pro selections or Comeback Player of the Year -- we're putting these in the hands of numbers (thus avoiding rogue Julian Edelman votes).
Advanced statistics allow us to better evaluate on-field performance, so it would only make sense for us to go to those analytics for some extra accolades this season. We're handing out trophies in a variety of those advanced stat categories. These stats come from ESPN Stats & Information, NFL Next Gen Stats or a combination of the two.
Since quarterbacks and skill positions typically get all the glory, let's kick this awards show off with some top performers near the line of scrimmage.
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Pass-rush | Blocking
Passing | Receiving | Coverage
PASS-RUSHERS
Best pass-rushing edge rusher: Robert Quinn, Dallas Cowboys
Find someone who loves you the way pass rush win rate (PRWR) loves Robert Quinn. Last year, Quinn also topped this category, and it seemed strange. He had an unheralded 6.5-sack season in Miami, and his PRWR performance had me wondering. He was rushing outside the tackle quite a bit, so perhaps Quinn was just receiving credit for getting by the tackle despite riding far beyond the quarterback and not generating pressure?
But then this season happened. Quinn repeated his PRWR crown while also picking up 11.5 sacks.
While there was a small subsection of the plays with which you could make the case that my outside rush theory applied in 2019, I came away with two thoughts from watching the tape:
He cut inside the tackle more than I would have guessed and generated a fair amount of pressure there.
There were a bunch of plays in which I thought his outside rush would take him well past the QB, but he displayed so much speed and bend that in a blink of an eye his hand was on the quarterback or the football itself.
Robert Quinn, you are legit.
Best pass-rushing defensive tackle: Aaron Donald, Los Angeles Rams
No words capture Donald's PRWR dominance quite like this chart, so I'll let it do the talking.
Double team rate as a defensive tackle (x) by pass rush win rate as a defensive tackle (y) for the 2019 regular season.
— Seth Walder (@SethWalder) December 30, 2019
PRWR = rate pass rusher beats blocker in 2.5 seconds.
ESPN metrics, NFL Next Gen Stats data. pic.twitter.com/sUCFwARoJi
Most double-teamed edge rusher: Za'Darius Smith, Green Bay Packers
If there is one player whose full pass-rushing impact isn't captured by his sack total, it might just be Smith. And he still had 13.5 sacks.
Smith was double-teamed 27% of the time as an edge rusher, most in the league. Qualifying edge rushers had a PRWR of just 1% in aggregate when double-teamed (compared to 19% when single-teamed), so the fact that Smith was taken out on so many plays and still finished top-10 in PRWR is impressive.
Smith also led the league in sacks created -- a metric that awards credit for sacks to the player who first beat his blocker, rather than the one who finished the sack (sometimes it is the same person) -- with 20, besting Minnesota's Danielle Hunter (18). Additionally, Smith topped the league in interceptions created, which follows the same concept just for picks, with eight (Von Miller was next at five).
All of this is to say that Smith not only piled up the production for himself, but he also had an impact on plays that ended up in his teammates' box score stats.
Most double-teamed defensive tackle: Adam Butler, New England Patriots
While some defensive tackles are double-teamed more for their pass-rushing skill, winning this category almost certainly has more to do with where Butler lined up. Though he did move around some, Butler lined up as a 0-technique nose tackle -- where we would expect very high double-team rates -- more often than anywhere else.
PASS BLOCKERS
Best pass-blocking tackle: David Bakhtiari, Green Bay Packers
Here is Bakhtiari's pass block win rate (PBWR) rank over the past three seasons:
2017: 1st
2018: 2nd
2019: 1st
The Packers' left tackle is a rock -- a literal immovable force -- consistently protecting Aaron Rodgers' left side. And 2019 was no different.
Best pass-blocking guard: Marshal Yanda, Baltimore Ravens
There are many, many reasons why the Ravens were excellent this season. Lamar Jackson is certainly the biggest. But we shouldn't overlook the offensive line's contribution to the league's best offense on both run and pass plays, based on expected points added per play.
This group had the second-best PBWR in the league, trailing only the Packers, and Yanda was the star of the group (though Ronnie Stanley and Orlando Brown Jr., who finished fourth and sixth among tackles respectively, deserve a shoutout). Yanda's 98% PBWR was the best in the league, beating out Joe Thuney and Richie Incognito (second and third).
Best pass-blocking center: Corey Linsley, Green Bay Packers
Green Bay's elite pass protection this season wasn't just about having the best left tackle in the game. Linsley led his position group in PBWR. Between Linsley, Bakhtiari and standout rookie left guard Elgton Jenkins (who finished eighth among guards in his own right), the left side of the Packers' line was particularly formidable.
Best pass-blocking running back: Le'Veon Bell, New York Jets
Jets fans were surely hoping Bell would land them some more auspicious hardware than this, but give the running back credit. Even in a season turned sour, he did the dirty work and blocked for Sam Darnold. His 89% PBWR was the best among backs.
Best pass-blocking tight end: O.J. Howard, Tampa Bay Buccaneers
Bucs coach Bruce Arians never relied on Howard all that much as a receiver this season. But the young tight end did play a role in the passing game with a 98% PBWR.
Tackle with the most double-team help: Andrew Whitworth, Los Angeles Rams
On the surface level of PBWR, it looks like Whitworth had another excellent season. And in a way, he did. But a good part of that success could be because coach Sean McVay made sure to help his 38-year-old tackle as much possible, giving him double-team help 46% of the time, more than any other tackle. And the Rams dialing up a few more designed rollouts than most teams helped too.
Tackle with the least double-team help: Anthony Castonzo, Indianapolis Colts
Though Castonzo's PBWR (91%) trailed Whitworth's (94%) this season, he received double-team help almost half as often as the Rams' veteran. The Colts, who have an excellent pass-blocking line, relied on Castonzo to handle pressure on his own, and the veteran held up his end of the bargain.
QUARTERBACKS
Best Total QBR: Lamar Jackson, Baltimore Ravens
When the total quarterback rating QBR was created in 2011, its intent was to rectify some of the gross inequities in traditional passer rating and mainstream quarterback evaluation. Chief among them was that old-school quarterback stats failed to incorporate a quarterback's rushing value, either through designed runs or scrambles.
That QBR does incorporate those things helps explain why Jackson -- whose play was prolific this season -- is at the top of the QBR leaderboard. But guess what? Even if we remove all designed and scramble runs from the equation, Jackson is still No. 1.
Best QBR vs. man coverage: Lamar Jackson, Baltimore Ravens
One would assume that Jackson would fare particularly well against man coverage, because it presumably opens up more space for him to run. But it isn't only because of the scrambles. If we only consider passes and sacks, he still ranks first in QBR vs. man coverage. And while it might be that the threat of Jackson scrambling opens up the passing game, it is the combination of Jackson's legs and arm that makes him so effective against man.
Best QBR vs. zone coverage: Patrick Mahomes, Kansas City Chiefs
Mahomes saw more man coverage when Tyreek Hill was inactive this season. But when Hill was on the field, defenses shifted more toward zone -- and Mahomes made them pay. On a per-play level, Mahomes was most effective against quarters coverage (96.0 QBR, best in the league) and ranked second in QBR vs. Cover 2 and Cover 3.
Most completed air yards over expectation: Russell Wilson, Seattle Seahawks
NFL Next Gen Stats determines the expected completion probability on every pass thrown, based on a variety of factors, including depth of target; distance of throw; whether the QB was under pressure and/or on the run; and the receiver's separation from the nearest defender. That is used to create completion percentage over expectation (CPOE).
But while air yards are used to determine the expectation, they aren't calculated into the value. Having a plus-5 CPOE on 8-yard passes is not as valuable as a plus-5 CPOE on 20-yard passes. So we multiply CPOE by the air yards to determine the value. Think of a 20-yard attempted pass with a 40% completion probability. That pass has eight expected completed air yards, and so a completion would be worth plus-12 completed air yards over expectation (CAYOE). An incompletion would be worth minus-8.
This is where the Seahawks quarterback's beautiful deep ball really shows up. And his 412 completed air yards over expectation was over 80 more than the next-best QB in the stat: Dak Prescott. Wilson beat out Ryan Tannehill (the CPOE champ) on a per-attempt basis, as well.
RECEIVERS
Most completed air yards over expectation: Michael Thomas, New Orleans Saints
The combination of Thomas' volume of targets and catch rate, even on relatively short passes, led to a cumulative CAYOE total that outpaced the rest of the league.
A bonus nugget from our data: Thomas had the highest number of targets on slant routes, and the vast majority of those came against man coverage. He was targeted on 62% of slants vs. man and just 27% against zone. And the high target rate came for good reason: Thomas caught 21 of 24 targets on slants for 228 yards.
Most completed air yards over expectation per route run: Stefon Diggs, Minnesota Vikings
Diggs' average target is almost 15 yards downfield, while Thomas' are just over eight. So given that Diggs also catches his passes well above their expected completion percentage, Diggs' CAYOE was more impressive on a per-target basis. Diggs caught five passes that were at least 20 yards downfield and had less than a 30% chance of completion this season, including this shot in September against the Packers.
.@KirkCousins8 drops a DEEP dime to @stefondiggs for a 45-yard @Vikings TD! #SKOL #MINvsGB
— NFL (@NFL) September 15, 2019
📺: FOX
📱: NFL app // Yahoo Sports app
Watch on mobile: https://t.co/y8YLGKmeTf pic.twitter.com/8EAFxQThKa
Most production per go route: Mike Williams, Los Angeles Chargers
Williams recorded 5.3 yards per go route run (both targeted and not), the highest among all receivers with at least 20 such routes. He also had recorded the most receiving yards on go routes (262) despite running only 49, far fewer than leaders Robby Anderson (72) and DK Metcalf (70).
Most production per slant route: DJ Moore, Carolina Panthers
This is pretty impressive considering who was throwing him the ball. Moore beat out slant master Thomas on a per-target basis with 5.2 yards per slant; but Thomas had the most slants and the most yardage on slants, finishing third in yards per slant route (behind Moore and Hunter Renfrow).
Most production per post/corner route: Jared Cook, New Orleans Saints
Cook's 4.0 yards per post or corner route took the cake here. On this play against the Falcons, shown by NFL Next Gen Stats animation, Cook runs a nice route combination with Ted Ginn Jr. vs. Cover 3 that leaves no obvious defender on Cook. Foyesade Oluokun (54) doesn't mark him because he is accounting for Alvin Kamara in the slot; Kendall Sheffield (20) doesn't because he is carrying Ginn's vertical route and Cook cuts underneath them; and Damontae Kazee is playing safety in the middle of the field and is too far away to get over to Cook in time.
In terms of volume, Tampa Bay's Chris Godwin blew out the field, accumulating 373 yards on post and corner routes, 100-plus yards more than the next-highest receiver (Julio Jones).
COVERAGE
Lowest completed air yards over expectation allowed: Stephon Gilmore, New England Patriots
Here we are flipping CAYOE on its head and looking at it from the defensive perspective, attributing passes to the nearest defender to the targeted receiver at the time of ball arrival. And when we measure coverage performance in this manner, the leaderboard is a complete blowout. Gilmore, a Defensive Player of the Year candidate, allowed opponents to complete 174 air yards below expectation this season. Next best was his teammate J.C. Jackson, all the way down at minus-126.
Making this more impressive is the fact that Gilmore often traveled with opponents' top receiver. He blew out the league in the category despite facing stiff competition.
Lowest completed air yards over expectation allowed per target: Eddie Jackson, Chicago Bears
Jackson's interceptions were down from six in 2018 to two this season, but throwing in his direction did not provide a favorable outcome for opposing quarterbacks. And even if his play did dip in 2019, one thing has been consistent over the past two seasons: Receivers trying to catch the ball in Jackson's vicinity fared far worse than average.
Lowest target rate among outside corners: Casey Hayward Jr., Los Angeles Chargers
Something to keep in mind for defensive coverage statistics is that the absence of action can be an indication of a positive performance. If a cornerback isn't being targeted frequently, that might be a sign that he is preventing passes in his direction thanks to strong coverage. That is a complicating factor for the CAYOE numbers we mentioned above, and to be clear, none of these defensive coverage metrics should be considered as the be-all and end-all.
Another way we can look at the question is through target rate, and Hayward forced opposing quarterbacks to look elsewhere. He was the nearest defender to the targeted receiver on just 12% of his coverage snaps, best among all corners who spent 80% of the time out wide and had at least 300 coverage snaps. Hayward also allowed just 1.8 average yards of separation on those throws, second lowest only to Tre Herndon, though part of that is probably due to the fact that he faced targets who were farther downfield than average.
Best coverage type: 2-Man
Here's a bonus for you. Hey, coverages deserve awards too. And on a per-play basis, man coverage with two deep safeties recorded the best expected points added per play in 2019. It is used just 8% of the time, though that jumps up to about 12% on third down. Per my colleague and former defensive back Matt Bowen, 2-man is a strong coverage on third-and-7 or longer because it allows corners to play aggressive coverage with inside leverage when trying to get a stop, knowing they have help deep and outside.