10-16-2020, 11:42 AM
(This post was last modified: 10-17-2020, 03:50 AM by Asked Madden.)
Passing Through the First Decade
Season 25 is a monumental achievement for this once fledgling league, and to honor it, let’s reflect on the evolution of the Quarterback. This article will deconstruct the most important position on the field throughout the league’s rich and storied history. In the inaugural season of the league, there were only 6 teams and a 14 game schedule, and we have now grown and evolved into a 14 team league with a complete 16 game schedule.
Let us delve into league passing and see how it has changed throughout the years:
SEASON 1
In season 1, only Arizona Outlaws QB Draxel eclipsed 20 touchdowns passing, while also finishing with the lowest completion percentage in the entire league (51.4%). As a new league, the rookie QBs were finding their way, and were adjusting to the demands of a professional career. Only Colorado and Baltimore went the entire campaign with only one QB playing the position. Every other team utilized more than one QB at some point in the season.
Season 1 Passing Totals
1,533 Completions (5 QBs with over 200)
2,737 Attempts (4 QBs with over 400)
56.0% Completion Percentage
16,760 yards passing (4 QBs with over 2,500)
89 Passing TDs (4 QBs with 14 or more)
84 Interceptions (4 QBs with 10 or more)
72.3 Quarterback Rating
Season 1 Per Game Averages Per Team
18.3 Completions
32.6 Attempts
199.5 yards passing
1.1 Passing TDs
1.0 Interceptions
SEASON 2
Season 2 saw the addition of two new teams via expansion (Philadelphia Liberty & the Las Vegas Legion). The biggest increase we see between S1 & S2 is the yards passing per game, where it increased 30 yards per team per game. In addition, there were 3 players that reached 20+ passing touchdowns, with the highest being 25 by Arizona’s Bronko. Two players threw 20 or more interceptions.
Season 2 Passing Totals
2,323 Completions (2 QBs with over 300)
4,093 Attempts (5 QBs with over 500)
56.8% Completion Percentage
25,701 yards passing (7 QBs with over 3,000)
142 Passing TDs (3 QBs with 20 or more)
133 Interceptions (6 QBs with 15 or more)
73.6 Quarterback Rating
Season 2 Per Game Averages Per Team
20.7 Completions
32.6 Attempts
229.5 yards passing
1.3 Passing TDs
1.2 Interceptions
SEASON 3
In Season 3, the Quarterback position began to evolve and there was a huge increase in output from the position. Orange County’s QB Boss threw 30 TD pass, and 5 others had 20 or more. Interestingly the league a whole had less completions, many more attempts, but the yards increased by a decent margin. From S1 to S3, teams were getting 50 more passing yards per game compared to the S1 inaugural campaign.
Season 3 Passing Totals
2,294 Completions (2 QBs with 300 or more)
4,047 Attempts (4 QBs with 500 or more)
56.7% Completion Percentage
28,095 yards passing (7 QBs with over 3,000)
170 Passing TDs (6 QBs with 20 or more)
143 Interceptions (5 QBs with 15 or more)
77.5 Quarterback Rating
Season 3 Per Game Averages Per Team
20.5 Completions
36.1 Attempts
250.8 yards passing
1.5 Passing TDs
1.3 Interceptions
SEASON 4
The Quarterback boom continued in Season 4 (S4), as two QBs had over 30 passing TDs (OCO’s Boss & ARI’s Bronko). This was also the year that we would see our first 5,000 passer (Boss), and the first time the league would reach 30,000 yards passing.
Season 4 Passing Totals
2,581 Completions (6 QBs with 300 or more)
4,362 Attempts (6 QBs with 500 or more)
59.2% Completion Percentage
30,021 yards passing (2 QBs with over 4,000)
170 Passing TDs (3 QBs with 25 or more)
144 Interceptions (5 QBs with 15 or more)
79.3 Quarterback Rating
Season 4 Per Game Averages Per Team
23.0 Completions
38.9 Attempts
268.0 yards passing
1.5 Passing TDs
1.3 Interceptions
SEASON 5
In Season 5, teams were now averaging an insane 315.8 passing yards and 2.3 passing TDs per game, while interceptions slightly decreased. Four QBs threw over 40 touchdowns (Boss, Akselsen, Bronko, and Blocksdale), and all but 1 threw more than 20. Boss, Akselsen, and Bronko threw for 5,000 or more yards, and three others threw for 4,000 or more. Season 5’s 89.5 quarterback rating would be the highest to-date and would still end up being the highest at the end of the league’s first decade.
Season 5 Passing Totals
2,784 Completions (1 QB with 400 or more)
4,670 Attempts (5 QBs with 600 or more)
59.6% Completion Percentage
35,373 yards passing (3 QBs with over 5,000)
254 Passing TDs (4 QBs with 40 or more)
134 Interceptions (6 QBs with 15 or more)
89.5 Quarterback Rating
Season 5 Per Game Averages Per Team
24.9 Completions
41.7 Attempts
315.8 yards passing
2.3 Passing TDs
1.2 Interceptions
SEASON 6
Season 6 proves that S5 was a statistical anomaly, as the numbers returned a bit back to normal, and closely resembled the output we saw in Season 4. Only Boss, already a legend, surpassed 40 passing TDs, and the league as a whole threw 50 less TDs (204) than they did in Season 5 (254).
Season 6 Passing Totals
2,616 Completions (1 QB with over 400)
4,445 Attempts (3 QBs with over 600)
58.9% Completion Percentage
32,375 yards passing (2 QBs over 5,000)
204 Passing TDs (2 QBs with 35 or more)
112 Interceptions (4 QBs with 15 or more)
86.3 Quarterback Rating
Season 6 Per Game Averages Per Team
23.4 Completions
39.7 Attempts
289.1 yards passing
1.8 Passing TDs
1.0 Interceptions
SEASON 7
Season 7 resulted in the lowest number of passing touchdowns (188) since Season 4 (170). OCO’s Boss continued to be the dominant signal caller, throwing at least 40 TDs for the third consecutive season. In addition, Boss threw for over 5,000 yards for his 4th season in a row. This is also the season that would yield the lowest league completion percentage to date (55.5%).
Season 7 Passing Totals
2,596 Completions (3 QBs with 350 or more)
4,679 Attempts (4 QBs with 600 or more)
55.5% Completion Percentage
32,881 yards passing (1 QB with over 5,000)
188 Passing TDs (2 QBs with 35 or more)
110 Interceptions (3 QBs with 15 or more)
81.2 Quarterback Rating
Season 7 Per Game Averages Per Team
23.2 Completions
41.8 Attempts
293.6 yards passing
1.7 Passing TDs
1.0 Interceptions
SEASON 8
Season 8 was a season of firsts for the passing game, as this was the first time in history that the league completion percentage was over 60 percent (60.1%), and interceptions per game was below 1 (0.9). Boss continued his league dominance at the position as Baltimore’s Blocksdale put up another solid season as one of the other prominent stars at the position.
Season 8 Passing Totals
2,778 Completions (1 QB with over 400)
4,622 Attempts (3 QBs with over 600)
60.1% Completion Percentage
32,958 yards passing (1 QB over 5,000)
203 Passing TDs (4 QBs with 30 or more)
102 Interceptions (2 QBs with 15 or more)
87.3 Quarterback Rating
Season 8 Per Game Averages Per Team
24.8 Completions
41.3 Attempts
294.3 yards passing
1.8 Passing TDs
0.9 Interceptions
SEASON 9
In Season 9, production at the quarterback position dropped off in every category. S9 was the first season since S3 that the league passed for less than 30,000 yards (29,870). Completions and Attempts suffered the same fate, with the lowest totals since Season 3. Passing TDs were their lowest since S4, and interceptions were higher than they had been for the previous 3 seasons. QB Boss threw for over 5000 yards for the 6th season in a row, and eclipsed 30+ passing touchdowns for the 7th consecutive campaign. New Orleans’ Maximus was on the rise, with his second solid season at the helm of the Second Line.
Season 9 Passing Totals
2,550 Completions (3 QBs with 350 or more)
4,404 Attempts (1 QB with 600 or more)
57.9% Completion Percentage
29,870 yards passing (1 QB with over 5,000)
172 Passing TDs (2 QBs with 30 or more)
114 Interceptions (4 QBs with 15 or more)
80.1 Quarterback Rating
Season 9 Per Game Averages Per Team
22.8 Completions
39.3 Attempts
266.7 yards passing
1.5 Passing TDs
1.0 Interceptions
SEASON 10
In Season 10, Interceptions were at the lowest rate in league history, and the 94 INTs thrown were the least in the 8-team, 14-game seasons era. Passing Touchdowns to Interceptions were at a 2 to 1 ratio for the first time since the formation of the league. Boss was no longer playing the position, and the crop of Maximus (NO), Blocksdale (BAL), and Applehort (COL) were the superstars at quarterback. All three threw over 30 TDs, and they combined for 107 of the league’s 181 passing TDs, and 46% of the league’s passing yards.
Season 10 Passing Totals
2,542 Completions (3 QBs with 350 or more)
4,450 Attempts (3 QBs with 600 or more)
57.1% Completion Percentage
30,068 yards passing (1 QB with over 5,000)
181 Passing TDs (2 QBs with 35 or more)
94 Interceptions (1 QB with 15 or more)
82.6 Quarterback Rating
Season 10 Per Game Averages Per Team
22.7 Completions
39.7 Attempts
268.5 yards passing
1.6 Passing TDs
0.8 Interceptions
10-YEAR TOTALS
24,597 Completions
42,509 Attempts
57.9% Completion Percentage
294,102 Yards Passing
1,773 Passing TDs
1,170 Interceptions
81.6 Quarterback Rating
10-YEAR PER GAME AVERAGES PER TEAM
22.5 Completions
38.9 Attempts
269.3 yards passing
1.6 Passing TDs
1.1 Interceptions
SUMMARY
Of the 20 quarterbacks that played at least 14 total games in the first 10 seasons of the league, there were only 5 that ended the decade with statistics better than the 10-year league average in every major statistical quarterback category. They were:
M. Boss
M. Akselsen
A. Blocksdale
B. Maximus III
T. Oles
Boss was far and away in a league by himself, finishing the decade with 292 passing TDs, 42,278 passing yards, and a 60.2% completion percentage. His yards were 11,653 more than the next player (Blocksdale). Blocksdale also finished second in passing TDs, as Boss bested him by 67 with a total of 292 compared to Blocksdale’s 225. Oles had a very short but effective career to end up on this list. He threw 99 TDs in only 42 games. With 3 championships in a row and 2 Ultimus MVPs, Boss proved that the decade belonged to him.
Next time, we will look at the second decade of the league, and how things changed, or maybe how they stayed the same. Stay tuned!
Season 25 is a monumental achievement for this once fledgling league, and to honor it, let’s reflect on the evolution of the Quarterback. This article will deconstruct the most important position on the field throughout the league’s rich and storied history. In the inaugural season of the league, there were only 6 teams and a 14 game schedule, and we have now grown and evolved into a 14 team league with a complete 16 game schedule.
Let us delve into league passing and see how it has changed throughout the years:
SEASON 1
In season 1, only Arizona Outlaws QB Draxel eclipsed 20 touchdowns passing, while also finishing with the lowest completion percentage in the entire league (51.4%). As a new league, the rookie QBs were finding their way, and were adjusting to the demands of a professional career. Only Colorado and Baltimore went the entire campaign with only one QB playing the position. Every other team utilized more than one QB at some point in the season.
Season 1 Passing Totals
1,533 Completions (5 QBs with over 200)
2,737 Attempts (4 QBs with over 400)
56.0% Completion Percentage
16,760 yards passing (4 QBs with over 2,500)
89 Passing TDs (4 QBs with 14 or more)
84 Interceptions (4 QBs with 10 or more)
72.3 Quarterback Rating
Season 1 Per Game Averages Per Team
18.3 Completions
32.6 Attempts
199.5 yards passing
1.1 Passing TDs
1.0 Interceptions
SEASON 2
Season 2 saw the addition of two new teams via expansion (Philadelphia Liberty & the Las Vegas Legion). The biggest increase we see between S1 & S2 is the yards passing per game, where it increased 30 yards per team per game. In addition, there were 3 players that reached 20+ passing touchdowns, with the highest being 25 by Arizona’s Bronko. Two players threw 20 or more interceptions.
Season 2 Passing Totals
2,323 Completions (2 QBs with over 300)
4,093 Attempts (5 QBs with over 500)
56.8% Completion Percentage
25,701 yards passing (7 QBs with over 3,000)
142 Passing TDs (3 QBs with 20 or more)
133 Interceptions (6 QBs with 15 or more)
73.6 Quarterback Rating
Season 2 Per Game Averages Per Team
20.7 Completions
32.6 Attempts
229.5 yards passing
1.3 Passing TDs
1.2 Interceptions
SEASON 3
In Season 3, the Quarterback position began to evolve and there was a huge increase in output from the position. Orange County’s QB Boss threw 30 TD pass, and 5 others had 20 or more. Interestingly the league a whole had less completions, many more attempts, but the yards increased by a decent margin. From S1 to S3, teams were getting 50 more passing yards per game compared to the S1 inaugural campaign.
Season 3 Passing Totals
2,294 Completions (2 QBs with 300 or more)
4,047 Attempts (4 QBs with 500 or more)
56.7% Completion Percentage
28,095 yards passing (7 QBs with over 3,000)
170 Passing TDs (6 QBs with 20 or more)
143 Interceptions (5 QBs with 15 or more)
77.5 Quarterback Rating
Season 3 Per Game Averages Per Team
20.5 Completions
36.1 Attempts
250.8 yards passing
1.5 Passing TDs
1.3 Interceptions
SEASON 4
The Quarterback boom continued in Season 4 (S4), as two QBs had over 30 passing TDs (OCO’s Boss & ARI’s Bronko). This was also the year that we would see our first 5,000 passer (Boss), and the first time the league would reach 30,000 yards passing.
Season 4 Passing Totals
2,581 Completions (6 QBs with 300 or more)
4,362 Attempts (6 QBs with 500 or more)
59.2% Completion Percentage
30,021 yards passing (2 QBs with over 4,000)
170 Passing TDs (3 QBs with 25 or more)
144 Interceptions (5 QBs with 15 or more)
79.3 Quarterback Rating
Season 4 Per Game Averages Per Team
23.0 Completions
38.9 Attempts
268.0 yards passing
1.5 Passing TDs
1.3 Interceptions
SEASON 5
In Season 5, teams were now averaging an insane 315.8 passing yards and 2.3 passing TDs per game, while interceptions slightly decreased. Four QBs threw over 40 touchdowns (Boss, Akselsen, Bronko, and Blocksdale), and all but 1 threw more than 20. Boss, Akselsen, and Bronko threw for 5,000 or more yards, and three others threw for 4,000 or more. Season 5’s 89.5 quarterback rating would be the highest to-date and would still end up being the highest at the end of the league’s first decade.
Season 5 Passing Totals
2,784 Completions (1 QB with 400 or more)
4,670 Attempts (5 QBs with 600 or more)
59.6% Completion Percentage
35,373 yards passing (3 QBs with over 5,000)
254 Passing TDs (4 QBs with 40 or more)
134 Interceptions (6 QBs with 15 or more)
89.5 Quarterback Rating
Season 5 Per Game Averages Per Team
24.9 Completions
41.7 Attempts
315.8 yards passing
2.3 Passing TDs
1.2 Interceptions
SEASON 6
Season 6 proves that S5 was a statistical anomaly, as the numbers returned a bit back to normal, and closely resembled the output we saw in Season 4. Only Boss, already a legend, surpassed 40 passing TDs, and the league as a whole threw 50 less TDs (204) than they did in Season 5 (254).
Season 6 Passing Totals
2,616 Completions (1 QB with over 400)
4,445 Attempts (3 QBs with over 600)
58.9% Completion Percentage
32,375 yards passing (2 QBs over 5,000)
204 Passing TDs (2 QBs with 35 or more)
112 Interceptions (4 QBs with 15 or more)
86.3 Quarterback Rating
Season 6 Per Game Averages Per Team
23.4 Completions
39.7 Attempts
289.1 yards passing
1.8 Passing TDs
1.0 Interceptions
SEASON 7
Season 7 resulted in the lowest number of passing touchdowns (188) since Season 4 (170). OCO’s Boss continued to be the dominant signal caller, throwing at least 40 TDs for the third consecutive season. In addition, Boss threw for over 5,000 yards for his 4th season in a row. This is also the season that would yield the lowest league completion percentage to date (55.5%).
Season 7 Passing Totals
2,596 Completions (3 QBs with 350 or more)
4,679 Attempts (4 QBs with 600 or more)
55.5% Completion Percentage
32,881 yards passing (1 QB with over 5,000)
188 Passing TDs (2 QBs with 35 or more)
110 Interceptions (3 QBs with 15 or more)
81.2 Quarterback Rating
Season 7 Per Game Averages Per Team
23.2 Completions
41.8 Attempts
293.6 yards passing
1.7 Passing TDs
1.0 Interceptions
SEASON 8
Season 8 was a season of firsts for the passing game, as this was the first time in history that the league completion percentage was over 60 percent (60.1%), and interceptions per game was below 1 (0.9). Boss continued his league dominance at the position as Baltimore’s Blocksdale put up another solid season as one of the other prominent stars at the position.
Season 8 Passing Totals
2,778 Completions (1 QB with over 400)
4,622 Attempts (3 QBs with over 600)
60.1% Completion Percentage
32,958 yards passing (1 QB over 5,000)
203 Passing TDs (4 QBs with 30 or more)
102 Interceptions (2 QBs with 15 or more)
87.3 Quarterback Rating
Season 8 Per Game Averages Per Team
24.8 Completions
41.3 Attempts
294.3 yards passing
1.8 Passing TDs
0.9 Interceptions
SEASON 9
In Season 9, production at the quarterback position dropped off in every category. S9 was the first season since S3 that the league passed for less than 30,000 yards (29,870). Completions and Attempts suffered the same fate, with the lowest totals since Season 3. Passing TDs were their lowest since S4, and interceptions were higher than they had been for the previous 3 seasons. QB Boss threw for over 5000 yards for the 6th season in a row, and eclipsed 30+ passing touchdowns for the 7th consecutive campaign. New Orleans’ Maximus was on the rise, with his second solid season at the helm of the Second Line.
Season 9 Passing Totals
2,550 Completions (3 QBs with 350 or more)
4,404 Attempts (1 QB with 600 or more)
57.9% Completion Percentage
29,870 yards passing (1 QB with over 5,000)
172 Passing TDs (2 QBs with 30 or more)
114 Interceptions (4 QBs with 15 or more)
80.1 Quarterback Rating
Season 9 Per Game Averages Per Team
22.8 Completions
39.3 Attempts
266.7 yards passing
1.5 Passing TDs
1.0 Interceptions
SEASON 10
In Season 10, Interceptions were at the lowest rate in league history, and the 94 INTs thrown were the least in the 8-team, 14-game seasons era. Passing Touchdowns to Interceptions were at a 2 to 1 ratio for the first time since the formation of the league. Boss was no longer playing the position, and the crop of Maximus (NO), Blocksdale (BAL), and Applehort (COL) were the superstars at quarterback. All three threw over 30 TDs, and they combined for 107 of the league’s 181 passing TDs, and 46% of the league’s passing yards.
Season 10 Passing Totals
2,542 Completions (3 QBs with 350 or more)
4,450 Attempts (3 QBs with 600 or more)
57.1% Completion Percentage
30,068 yards passing (1 QB with over 5,000)
181 Passing TDs (2 QBs with 35 or more)
94 Interceptions (1 QB with 15 or more)
82.6 Quarterback Rating
Season 10 Per Game Averages Per Team
22.7 Completions
39.7 Attempts
268.5 yards passing
1.6 Passing TDs
0.8 Interceptions
10-YEAR TOTALS
24,597 Completions
42,509 Attempts
57.9% Completion Percentage
294,102 Yards Passing
1,773 Passing TDs
1,170 Interceptions
81.6 Quarterback Rating
10-YEAR PER GAME AVERAGES PER TEAM
22.5 Completions
38.9 Attempts
269.3 yards passing
1.6 Passing TDs
1.1 Interceptions
SUMMARY
Of the 20 quarterbacks that played at least 14 total games in the first 10 seasons of the league, there were only 5 that ended the decade with statistics better than the 10-year league average in every major statistical quarterback category. They were:
M. Boss
M. Akselsen
A. Blocksdale
B. Maximus III
T. Oles
Boss was far and away in a league by himself, finishing the decade with 292 passing TDs, 42,278 passing yards, and a 60.2% completion percentage. His yards were 11,653 more than the next player (Blocksdale). Blocksdale also finished second in passing TDs, as Boss bested him by 67 with a total of 292 compared to Blocksdale’s 225. Oles had a very short but effective career to end up on this list. He threw 99 TDs in only 42 games. With 3 championships in a row and 2 Ultimus MVPs, Boss proved that the decade belonged to him.
Next time, we will look at the second decade of the league, and how things changed, or maybe how they stayed the same. Stay tuned!