What happened: Trevor Lawrence leads all quarterbacks in average depth of target among passers with at least 50 dropbacks. Lamar Jackson, Bryce Young and Josh Allen also rank among the league leaders in downfield passing. Daniel Jones, Cam Ward and Patrick Mahomes currently sit at the bottom of the metric.
Why it matters: The figures illustrate structural offensive differences across the league, with Lawrence and Jackson aggressively pushing the ball downfield. Mahomes and Ward have instead relied on quick, underneath distribution in their offensive schemes. The wide gap reflects distinct early-season playcalling tendencies.
By the numbers: Lawrence paces the league with an 11.1-yard average depth of target, followed by Jackson at 10.9 yards. Young and Allen are tied for third at 10.5 yards. Jones trails all qualifiers at 5.9 yards, with Ward and Mahomes sitting just above him at 6.0 yards.
What to watch: Defensive coordinators will adjust their coverages in the coming weeks to counter these early passing tendencies.