QB vs RB Stats

CFL Talk
#1

In another thread that was getting off topic, we were debating MOP stats.

What would be the comparables in stats between the 2 positions?

I’d say that a 100 yard game is the standard milestone for a RB, and I’d say the comparable for a QB would be 350 yards passing.

Very rarely does a back get 150 yards, this would be equal to 525 yards passing.

So for every 50 yards a back gets = 175 yards for a QB

But this would mean a RB season of 1500 yards rushing would equal 5250 yards passing. The RB total we don’t really see anymore (rarely does a back go over 1200 yards anymore), where QB’s routinely throw for 5K.

Maybe 50 yards rushing = 200 yards passing?

#2

-Passer efficiency
-Game winning drives
-Yards combined (for example a guy like Trevor Harris throws for alot of yards but isn’t a rushing QB like some of the others
-Most importantly wins.

#3

For a RB

-Total yards
-Rushing TDs
-Fumbles

#4

Interesting topic.

I think in many ways this is the year of the RB.

Undervalued recently I think the position has come back both statistically and in importance.

4 guys at over 1000-.
another at 960 with a game to go.

and 2 QBs in top 7.

#5

Why didn’t you just write Fajardo.

#6

G&W: I’m not asking what stats are important for their position, but how do they compare vs each other.

In other words, showing that 1500 yards by a back is more impressive than 5K by a QB.

I would call CF’s rushing totals a wash with AH’s recieving totals. Both have been their teams MOP this season, but if not for the suspension it wouldn’t be close in the West.

#7

You’d expect a RB to have a few hundred yards receiving. You wouldn’t necessarily expect a QB to rush for 600 yards and 10 touchdowns while throwing for 4500 yards.

#8

Not really something you could whip out at the water cooler, but I have an idea

This is about to get really nerdy, but I would go based on standard deviations of the top 10 players. from the average of the 4th to 8th ranked players (chosen because I don’t want one or two outliers messing up the calculation in a given season, and way more runningbacks get touches). Yes, you would need a calculator, but this would also control for trends, so if a bunch of teams decide to get 5 yards and a cloud of dust every play al the time, 1500 yards wouldn’t be that impressive. The 4th through 8th ranked players would be very good, and to me the MOP is based on how “outstanding” a player is from the pack of really good players the CFL churns out.

For QBs the stats I would use are passer rating, raw passing yards, rushing YPA (incorporating half of the sacks and sack yards lost)
For RBs it’s YPA, raw rushing yards, TD/ATT, YPC+(YAC/REC)
For SB/WR: YPC, raw receiving yards, TD/REC

Once I actually finish the calculations, I can say who my pick for MOP is based on the data… Until then, I’ll guess that it’s Andrew Harris (assuming an offensive player wins)

#9

It cannot be solely based on statistics. Case and point, last season Reilly threw for more yards, rushed for more yards, and more combined TDs than Bo Levi yet Bo still won MOP.

#10

What, besides stats would you base it on?

As someone else pointed out, rarely does a last place team put forth a league MVP.
So playing for a playoff team is helpful…
Obviously being one of, if not THE leader on the team.
Another would be marketability I’d presume.

#11

QBs, rightly or wrongly, are judged on wins and losses.

#12

It really is usually a popularity contest. RBs used to be a one man gang but that has changed.
QBs are most popular obviously as football is a passing game. Hense QBs get MOP /MVP. Alot.
Defensive guys almost impossible.

Wat are the the thoughts on how to compare WR. With RBs & QBs.

#13

I would think WR totals would be pretty similar to RB totals, but with a slight edge to the WR as they almost always have higher totals.

A big game for a RB = 100 yards, comparable for WR=125 yards, QB =500 yards

Season milestones then would be 1200/1500/6000.

So Harris’s totals are outstanding, so are BB’s as they would lead almost any year.
But it is a rare year that the CFL doesn’t see a 5K passer (obviously due to injuries this year).

#14

I personally would go with wrongly but I suspect I’m in the minority (certainly Suitor wouldn’t agree with me the way he raves about BLM’s win loss record). A great team certainly needs a good quarterback to win but a great quarterback can have a lot of losses if he’s playing on a poor team.

#15

1200 yards for a running back isn’t really a great season anymore.

#16

X 2

#17

I tried to run the calculations, but it is vastly overvaluing runningbacks, because there were really only 5 good runningbacks on the season. I’ll try rerunning it using the 2nd through 5th average for both QBs and RBs

Something to note: It said the best RB in the CFL was Powell this year, because his TD% of 5.91% destroyed Harris’ 1.78%. Harris and Stanback were very close for second, but Harris salvaged silver among runningbacks

Rerunning the RB calculations moved Stanback ahead of Harris due to his better receiving totals (per catch)

There was an error in the way I entered the data for the runningbacks… Now it’s giving me something resembling expected results (eg there are only 2 runningbacks above “standard 3rd place” in the CFL)

MOP scores
Stanback 1.98
Harris 1.72
Fajardo 1.58
Banks 0.64
Evans 0.10

Nobody else is close among QB/RB players

T. Harris -.48

#18

What is your standard deviation

#19

Another approach would be to look at how players are treated in fantasy football. I’ll use the NFL example:

QB
25 yds passing - 1 pt
Passing TD - 4 pt
INT - (2)
Lost fumble (2)

WR
Rec 1 or .5 pts
10 yds - 1pt
TD - 6pts
Lost fumble (2)

RB
Rec. 1 or .5 pts
10 yds - 1pt
TD - 6 pt

Adding in a stat for QB wins or bonus points for 100/300 yd games would add to the total.

Id be interested to see how this would model out.

#20

It’s of the top 12 Qbs (eg all that got significant time), or of the top 10 RBs by yards , or the top 15 RECs by yards.