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Clemson has a problem, one stat makes it clear
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- Clemson has a problem, one stat makes it clear
Denver Broncos quarterback Bo Nix has received plenty of criticism this season, with much of it centered on the same issue that followed him during his breakout college season with the Oregon Ducks : how far he actually throws the football.
Nix's average depth of target currently sits at 6.24 yards. That means his average pass travels just over six yards in the air beyond the line of scrimmage before reaching its intended target, a number that ranks 33rd among 34 eligible NFL quarterbacks. To put that distance into perspective, it would take a little more than three throws at his average depth of target to cover the distance between the pitcher's mound and home plate.
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That number measures where a quarterback targets his receivers, rather than how many yards a play ultimately gains. A short completion can still turn into a big play, but any yards gained after the catch do not change how far the ball traveled through the air.
At the collegiate level, where many offenses look to stretch the field more aggressively, very few quarterbacks have an average depth of target nearly that low. In fact, if a college quarterback had Nix's current average this season, he would rank roughly 179th out of 179 eligible quarterbacks with at least 43 pass attempts.
With that comparison in mind, I went back through Clemson's game last weekend to see how often quarterback Tait Reynolds threw beyond that 6.24-yard threshold. Rather than focusing on the final yardage of each play, I tracked how far those attempts traveled past the line of scrimmage.
Those throws are listed below. For context, Clemson attempted 26 passes Saturday compared to 36 rushing attempts, providing a look at how often the Tigers pushed the ball beyond that distance within their passing opportunities.
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Here's the breakdown:
Instances where a Tait Reynolds pass exceeded six yards this past Saturday
First Quarter
Pass Attempts: 7
Attempts w/ADOT over Six Yards: 2 (both incomplete)
2nd Quarter
Pass Attempts: 4
Attempts w/ADOT over Six Yards: 1 (complete)
3rd Quarter
Pass Attempts: 6
Pass Attempts w/ADOT over Six Yards: 1 (complete)
4th Quarter
Pass Attempts: 9
Pass Attempts w/ADOT over Six Yards: 3 (1 complete)
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This article originally appeared on Clemson Wire: Clemson has a problem, one stat makes it clear
