[lex24]

here's how the NFL calculates QB rating, same formula since 1973 and probably used to back calculate the players before 1973

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Passer_rat...FL_formula

it has four components, completion percentage, yards per attempt, touchdowns per attempt, and interceptions per attempt.

I think the rules changes, the shift from running to passing, and generally less emphasis on long passing help more recent QBs to score better

 When the formula was first created, a 66.7 rating indicated an average performance, and a 100+ rating indicated an excellent performance. However, passing performance has improved steadily since then and in 2017 the league average rating was 88.6.

The whole post below (and thanks Mick, good one) makes me curious ... did the ratings systems change over time? Seems like a rough correlation with earlier QBs having lower ratings. Or is it maybe that the game changed, offenses changed, rules changed to protect QBs more? Were these things calculated the same in 1970 as in 2020?

Game has changed massively since the 70’s. In those days you could mail receivers and slaughter QB’s. Plus passing game was vertical.  Teams ran.  Heck I think the Dolphins threw about 15 passes (if that) in their early 70’s SB’s.  

Gillman/Walsh changed the game and its evolved from that.  Plus the rule changes.  DBs don’t have a fighting chance.

Now about half the passes are long handoffs, you can’t touch receiver past 5 yards and QBs are uber protected. That is why you can’t use stats to compare between eras. Simply a different game now.

[lex24]

here's how the NFL calculates QB rating, same formula since 1973 and probably used to back calculate the players before 1973

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Passer_rat...FL_formula

it has four components, completion percentage, yards per attempt, touchdowns per attempt, and interceptions per attempt.

I think the rules changes, the shift from running to passing, and generally less emphasis on long passing help more recent QBs to score better

 When the formula was first created, a 66.7 rating indicated an average performance, and a 100+ rating indicated an excellent performance. However, passing performance has improved steadily since then and in 2017 the league average rating was 88.6.

The whole post below (and thanks Mick, good one) makes me curious ... did the ratings systems change over time? Seems like a rough correlation with earlier QBs having lower ratings. Or is it maybe that the game changed, offenses changed, rules changed to protect QBs more? Were these things calculated the same in 1970 as in 2020?

Game has changed massively since the 70’s. In those days you could mail receivers and slaughter QB’s. Plus passing game was vertical.  Teams ran.  Heck I think the Dolphins threw about 15 passes (if that) in their early 70’s SB’s.  

Gillman/Walsh changed the game and its evolved from that.  Plus the rule changes.  DBs don’t have a fighting chance.

Now about half the passes are long handoffs, you can’t touch receiver past 5 yards and QBs are uber protected. That is why you can’t use stats to compare between eras. Simply a different game now.