In the NFL, Having a Good Quarterback Doesn’t Guarantee Success

Having a good quarterback doesn't necessarily translate to success in the win column.

Capital News Service analyzed Total Quarterback Rating (QBR) data through the first 10 weeks of NFL play and found a small positive correlation (.24) between the QBR of a team’s starting quarterback and win total.

ESPN uses QBR to assess a quarterback's true performance and impact on the game. It's possible to have a statistically poor quarterback, but still an above average number of wins, as seen by the seven teams in the lower right-hand quadrant of this graphic.

Brock Osweiler is a good example. His QBR ranking puts him 29th among qualified players, yet the Houston Texans are 6-3, first in the AFC South.

Bad teams can still have excellent quarterback play, as evidenced by the New Orleans Saints.

Quarterback Drew Brees ranks fourth in the league in QBR (75.9), yet the Saints are under .500 and third in the NFC South.

So, if your team has a bad quarterback, don't worry too much. Of the eight teams currently in playoff position, five of them have a quarterback with below league average QBR, including three first-place teams in the AFC.

- By Jake Eisenberg, CAPITAL NEWS SERVICE