One would think that if a QB had more time, or took more time, to throw the ball, he would perform better.
This doesn't seem to be the case, however.
Here are the data pertaining to this for this season (from PFF):
So what we see here is that the average QB rating in the NFL this year on throws made in 2.5 seconds or less is 93.71, whereas the average QB rating on throws made in 2.6 seconds or more is just a shade under 83, more than 10 points less.
What we also see is that each of the four "time" variables (to throw, to attempt, to sack, and to scramble) are negatively correlated with QB rating on throws made in 2.6 seconds or more, meaning that the more time QBs have in that regard, the lower their QB ratings are. These correlations are in the 20s and 30s, so they're not very strong, but they're negative nonetheless, which illustrates the inverse, and possibly counterintuitive, relationship.
This doesn't seem to be the case, however.
Here are the data pertaining to this for this season (from PFF):
Name | Drop backs | To Throw | To Attempt | To Sack | To Scramble | Drop backs (< 2.6 sec.) | % | Att. | Comp. | Comp % | Sk | NFL QB Rating | Drop backs (2.6 sec. or more) | % | Att. | Comp. | Comp % | Sk | NFL QB Rating |
Michael Vick | 160 | 3.4 | 3.06 | 4.58 | 5.32 | 52 | 32.5 | 52 | 36 | 69.2 | 0 | 106.5 | 108 | 67.5 | 80 | 35 | 43.8 | 12 | 80.3 |
Terrelle Pryor | 174 | 3.36 | 2.94 | 4.59 | 5.25 | 66 | 37.9 | 66 | 49 | 74.2 | 0 | 92 | 108 | 62.1 | 71 | 40 | 56.3 | 19 | 79.4 |
Russell Wilson | 235 | 3.21 | 2.82 | 4.05 | 5.12 | 98 | 41.7 | 97 | 66 | 68 | 1 | 108.9 | 137 | 58.3 | 89 | 49 | 55.1 | 19 | 85.5 |
Geno Smith | 262 | 3.2 | 2.9 | 4.5 | 5.49 | 86 | 32.8 | 85 | 52 | 61.2 | 1 | 72.9 | 176 | 67.2 | 137 | 78 | 56.9 | 24 | 75.7 |
Colin Kaepernick | 216 | 3.13 | 2.77 | 4.37 | 5.17 | 88 | 40.7 | 88 | 57 | 64.8 | 0 | 101.5 | 128 | 59.3 | 94 | 46 | 48.9 | 13 | 69.5 |
Brandon Weeden | 221 | 3.06 | 2.84 | 4.37 | 5.6 | 77 | 34.8 | 77 | 46 | 59.7 | 0 | 75 | 144 | 65.2 | 117 | 57 | 48.7 | 21 | 61.4 |
Cam Newton | 198 | 2.97 | 2.66 | 4.64 | 5.12 | 84 | 42.4 | 83 | 54 | 65.1 | 1 | 96.4 | 114 | 57.6 | 87 | 54 | 62.1 | 17 | 93.7 |
Andrew Luck | 260 | 2.91 | 2.65 | 4.13 | 4.84 | 120 | 46.2 | 119 | 80 | 67.2 | 1 | 104.1 | 140 | 53.8 | 105 | 56 | 53.3 | 14 | 76.7 |
Alex D. Smith | 293 | 2.9 | 2.58 | 3.85 | 5 | 145 | 49.5 | 143 | 94 | 65.7 | 2 | 89.6 | 148 | 50.5 | 104 | 51 | 49 | 15 | 67.2 |
E.J. Manuel | 174 | 2.89 | 2.57 | 4.36 | 5.28 | 85 | 48.9 | 85 | 52 | 61.2 | 0 | 84.5 | 89 | 51.1 | 64 | 33 | 51.6 | 12 | 74 |
Robert Griffin III | 263 | 2.85 | 2.65 | 4.38 | 5.09 | 140 | 53.2 | 139 | 93 | 66.9 | 0 | 94.3 | 123 | 46.8 | 99 | 50 | 50.5 | 11 | 68.2 |
Joe Flacco | 293 | 2.79 | 2.65 | 4.2 | 5.1 | 153 | 52.2 | 150 | 95 | 63.3 | 3 | 88.4 | 140 | 47.8 | 119 | 65 | 54.6 | 17 | 66.9 |
Eli Manning | 290 | 2.78 | 2.68 | 3.89 | 4.1 | 137 | 47.2 | 137 | 78 | 56.9 | 0 | 60.8 | 153 | 52.8 | 131 | 68 | 51.9 | 17 | 72.4 |
Jake Locker | 174 | 2.78 | 2.5 | 4.15 | 5.04 | 91 | 52.3 | 91 | 63 | 69.2 | 0 | 113.5 | 83 | 47.7 | 60 | 31 | 51.7 | 12 | 73.8 |
Matt Schaub | 249 | 2.74 | 2.68 | 3.61 | 4.4 | 128 | 51.4 | 128 | 85 | 66.4 | 0 | 64.7 | 121 | 48.6 | 105 | 65 | 61.9 | 15 | 96.1 |
Jay Cutler | 243 | 2.73 | 2.6 | 3.7 | 4.57 | 118 | 48.6 | 118 | 85 | 72 | 0 | 100.7 | 125 | 51.4 | 105 | 61 | 58.1 | 10 | 83.2 |
Drew Brees | 256 | 2.73 | 2.62 | 3.75 | 4.58 | 122 | 47.7 | 122 | 91 | 74.6 | 0 | 113.1 | 134 | 52.3 | 114 | 66 | 57.9 | 14 | 92.3 |
Ben Roethlisberger | 237 | 2.71 | 2.49 | 4.33 | 5.32 | 123 | 51.9 | 121 | 88 | 72.7 | 2 | 94.2 | 114 | 48.1 | 90 | 55 | 61.1 | 19 | 90 |
Tony Romo | 284 | 2.69 | 2.58 | 4.03 | 4.58 | 150 | 52.8 | 149 | 105 | 70.5 | 1 | 94 | 134 | 47.2 | 115 | 76 | 66.1 | 15 | 112.4 |
Sam Bradford | 284 | 2.67 | 2.58 | 3.47 | 4.51 | 132 | 46.5 | 129 | 85 | 65.9 | 3 | 87.5 | 152 | 53.5 | 133 | 74 | 55.6 | 12 | 94.4 |
Aaron Rodgers | 245 | 2.64 | 2.44 | 3.73 | 5.15 | 140 | 57.1 | 140 | 102 | 72.9 | 0 | 109.3 | 105 | 42.9 | 79 | 41 | 51.9 | 15 | 97.2 |
Tom Brady | 305 | 2.57 | 2.49 | 3.56 | 4.63 | 174 | 57 | 170 | 111 | 65.3 | 4 | 83.9 | 131 | 43 | 113 | 47 | 41.6 | 16 | 63.7 |
Matt Ryan | 254 | 2.53 | 2.48 | 3.67 | 3.7 | 153 | 60.2 | 152 | 112 | 73.7 | 1 | 104.5 | 101 | 39.8 | 92 | 59 | 64.1 | 8 | 108.3 |
Carson Palmer | 289 | 2.52 | 2.41 | 3.6 | 5.4 | 171 | 59.2 | 170 | 110 | 64.7 | 1 | 71.3 | 118 | 40.8 | 96 | 51 | 53.1 | 19 | 66.2 |
Chad Henne | 190 | 2.52 | 2.37 | 3.91 | 4.47 | 114 | 60 | 114 | 74 | 64.9 | 0 | 87.2 | 76 | 40 | 58 | 29 | 50 | 14 | 46.1 |
Andy Dalton | 277 | 2.51 | 2.29 | 4.08 | 4.8 | 169 | 61 | 169 | 122 | 72.2 | 0 | 92.6 | 108 | 39 | 80 | 42 | 52.5 | 15 | 96.5 |
Ryan Tannehill | 247 | 2.49 | 2.34 | 3.51 | 4.3 | 158 | 64 | 156 | 103 | 66 | 2 | 85.5 | 89 | 36 | 61 | 30 | 49.2 | 24 | 79.5 |
Philip Rivers | 264 | 2.47 | 2.37 | 3.96 | 4.88 | 160 | 60.6 | 159 | 119 | 74.8 | 0 | 104.8 | 104 | 39.4 | 89 | 65 | 73 | 11 | 123.4 |
Peyton Manning | 299 | 2.37 | 2.34 | 3.23 | 184 | 61.5 | 184 | 138 | 75 | 0 | 129.4 | 115 | 38.5 | 106 | 69 | 65.1 | 9 | 111.4 | |
Matthew Stafford | 303 | 2.33 | 2.25 | 3.53 | 4.98 | 207 | 68.3 | 205 | 129 | 62.9 | 2 | 100.3 | 96 | 31.7 | 85 | 49 | 57.6 | 7 | 83.4 |
MEAN | 247.97 | 2.78 | 2.59 | 3.99 | 4.89 | 127.50 | 50.67 | 126.60 | 85.80 | 67.57 | 0.83 | 93.71 | 120.47 | 49.33 | 95.93 | 53.07 | 55.11 | 14.87 | 82.96 |
STANDARD DEVIATION | 42.69 | 0.28 | 0.20 | 0.39 | 0.44 | 37.79 | 9.36 | 37.31 | 26.76 | 4.88 | 1.12 | 15.29 | 23.11 | 9.36 | 21.50 | 14.00 | 6.82 | 4.25 | 17.30 |
CORR QBR > 2.5 | -0.30 | -0.24 | -0.25 | -0.29 | |||||||||||||||
CORR QBR < 2.5 | -0.19 | -0.22 | -0.17 | -0.16 |
So what we see here is that the average QB rating in the NFL this year on throws made in 2.5 seconds or less is 93.71, whereas the average QB rating on throws made in 2.6 seconds or more is just a shade under 83, more than 10 points less.
What we also see is that each of the four "time" variables (to throw, to attempt, to sack, and to scramble) are negatively correlated with QB rating on throws made in 2.6 seconds or more, meaning that the more time QBs have in that regard, the lower their QB ratings are. These correlations are in the 20s and 30s, so they're not very strong, but they're negative nonetheless, which illustrates the inverse, and possibly counterintuitive, relationship.