In the NFL, the passer rating is a statistic that helps evaluate how well quarterbacks perform during games. This rating is calculated using a formula that considers several important metrics: completion percentage, yards per attempt, touchdown percentage, and interception percentage. A perfect passer rating is 158.3, which means a quarterback has performed exceptionally well in all these areas.
To better understand what a perfect passer rating involves, let’s break down each of these key metrics.
The first important metric is the completion percentage. This measures the percentage of passes a quarterback completes compared to their total attempts. To achieve a perfect passer rating, a quarterback must have a completion percentage of at least 77.5%.
The second metric, yards per attempt, shows the average number of yards gained for each pass attempt. To reach a perfect rating, a quarterback must average a minimum of 12.5 yards per attempt.
The third metric is touchdown percentage, which is the percentage of passing attempts that result in touchdowns. For a perfect passer rating, a quarterback needs a touchdown percentage of at least 11.875%.
Lastly, the interception percentage measures the percentage of passes intercepted. To get a perfect passer rating, a quarterback must throw no interceptions.
Did Jared Goff’s ‘Perfect Night’ Match The ‘Perfect Passer Rating’?
In the 2024 NFL Week 4 game between the Detroit Lions and the Seattle Seahawks, Jared Goff’s performance serves as a great example of these metrics. Goff had an incredible night, completing all 18 of his passes for 292 yards and two touchdowns.
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He set an NFL record for the most passes completed in a game without any incompletions. Despite this outstanding performance, Goff ended up with a passer rating of 155.8, which is just short of the perfect rating of 158.3.
Let’s examine each metric in detail to understand why Goff did not achieve a perfect passer rating. For completion percentage, Goff achieved a remarkable 100%, well above the minimum requirement of 77.5%.
When it comes to yards per attempt, he averaged 16.2 yards, which is significantly higher than the 12.5 yards needed. Goff also met the criteria for interception percentage, as he threw zero interceptions.
However, the area where he fell short was touchdown percentage. Goff threw two touchdowns out of 18 attempts, resulting in a touchdown percentage of 11.1%. This was just below the required 11.875%. This small gap in touchdown percentage was the only reason he didn’t achieve a perfect passer rating.
The passer rating system is complex and has been criticized for not fully capturing a quarterback’s overall performance. In Goff’s case, although he performed nearly perfectly in all other metrics, the system didn’t reflect this because of the slightly missed touchdown percentage. This situation shows how the passer rating can sometimes overlook outstanding performances.
