Chart of All Targeted WR Routes in NFL

Surprised to see that Hitch routes are the most common of all. But I guess they are non-dramatic so they don't stick in your memory.

Be interesting to see the same chart for the Patriots. I would assume more slants/crossing/hitch routes and fewer Go and Post routes.

Also be very interesting to see the yards gained per attempt on each of these routes.

That's pretty surprising. I would have thought that slants would be higher than both the hitch and go routes.

I'm surprised to see Out routes and Go routes are used so often. I can only generalize here, but I'd assume that those are two of the riskier, and low percentage, routes among the bunch.

EDIT: I'd also love to know what the raw stats are on each route.

Crossing 11%

NEM was right.

I would guess the go and out routes may be so high as the definition is targeted so a lot of throw aways would have those as the target.

When Jump-Ball-Joe retires, the % of Go Routes will be cut in half.

Galeb said:

When Jump-Ball-Joe retires, the % of Go Routes will be cut in half.

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Yes, but Flacco can throw a legit 20 yard out route though; I'll give him that.

Galeb said:

When Jump-Ball-Joe retires, the % of Go Routes will be cut in half.

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Beat me to my "Flacco drives that number up" joke, well played Galeb.

Shockt327 said:

Yes, but Flacco can throw a legit 20 yard out route though; I'll give him that.

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He's not the only one.

willard said:

I would guess the go and out routes may be so high as the definition is targeted so a lot of throw aways would have those as the target.

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Prompted by your query, I asked Neil Hornsby for a clarification, and got the following response:

"Throw-aways are, by definition, untargeted"

He also posted the following:

I don't see "dink" or "dunk" routes listed. Pats get credit for nothing. Goodell hates Brady

borg said:

I don't see "dink" or "dunk" routes listed. Pats get credit for nothing. Goodell hates Brady

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Surprised also that Goodell's NFL doesn't have more "jerk" routes.

With rule changes comes a difference in how games are called. Go routes seem to have spiked because teams are using it as a means to draw penalties and change field position. I think the same could probably be said about out routes. Slants were used a lot more when teams could quick play action back when the league was run-heavy. IMO, the quick outs have replaced the slants . . . they seem less risky because you're not throwing into the middle of the D where LB's and SS's can knock one's block off. I don't know. The game is just played differently because the rules kind of dictate that.