Quarterbacks who got the most help from supporting casts in 2024

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• The Lions boasted the league’s top supporting cast: Detroit’s elite running back duo, stout offensive line and numerous receiving weapons helped Jared Goff thrive this past season.

• The Ravens’ run game was the NFL’s best: Baltimore understandably tops PFF’s running back unit rankings after Derrick Henry and company complemented Lamar Jackson’s arm by wreaking havoc on the rest of the league.

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Estimated Reading Time: 6 minutes

Quarterbacks are rightly the center of attention in football. In the NFL, a team is often judged by the caliber of its starting quarterback. However, supporting casts and coaching still matter as much as the player at the helm of the offense.

That being said, an examination of the league’s offensive supporting casts provides a generally good idea of which quarterbacks get the most assistance from their teammates. Through several different measures of PFF grading, we can break down which quarterbacks got the most help from their supporting cast last season.

Top Offensive Supporting Casts, 2024

As expected, this list comprises some of the best teams in the NFL, including the Super Bowl champion Philadelphia Eagles. Five of the eight teams above made the postseason last year. San Francisco was the only squad to win fewer than eight games.

At the top, Detroit’s incredible supporting cast has been a big reason for Jared Goff’s career renaissance. Following a mediocre 61.7 PFF passing grade in his first season with the Lions in 2021, Goff has recorded an 83.4 PFF passing grade over the past three seasons, 10th best in the NFL.

The other team tied at the top is the Atlanta Falcons, who present an interesting situation for their new quarterback, Michael Penix Jr. Aside from center Drew Dalman, the Falcons return the majority of an offense that includes stars Bijan Robinson, Drake London and Chris Lindstrom. Penix himself played excellent football in limited work last year, so a full season with him as the starter could bring about plenty of optimism in Atlanta.

Given the Eagles’ loaded roster, it’s easy to see why they ended last season as Super Bowl champions. Led by Saquon Barkley, A.J. Brown and an outstanding offensive line, Jalen Hurts was able to deliver the franchise’s second championship, despite ranking 23rd among qualified quarterbacks in PFF passing grade. Ten of Philadelphia’s 11 offensive starters return this season, so the team should enjoy similar success in the quest for a repeat in 2025.

A.J. Brown’s Career PFF Grades

Top Team PFF Receiving Grades, 2024

Some of the same teams from the offensive supporting cast section feature in the list of most productive receiving groups, understandably. Detroit is loaded with weapons for Jared Goff to throw to, including Amon-Ra St. Brown, Jameson Williams and Sam LaPorta. Baltimore features the NFL’s deepest tight end room. The Rams owned the NFL’s highest-graded wide receiver unit last season, thanks to Puka Nacua, Cooper Kupp, Tutu Atwell and Jordan Whittington all earning PFF receiving grades above 70.0.

Similar to the Falcons, the Vikings should be excited about the receiving corps for new quarterback J.J. McCarthy. That unit is, of course, led by superstar Justin Jefferson, who owns the league’s highest PFF receiving grade (93.6) since entering the league in 2020.

Cincinnati’s dynamic receiver duo of Ja’Marr Chase and Tee Higgins is seemingly the only thing keeping the team afloat at times. Chase led the NFL in receptions, yards and touchdowns last season, and Higgins’ 88.3 PFF receiving grade ranked seventh among wide receivers. If the Bengals can improve their offensive line and defense, their passing attack will be fully capable of fueling a championship run.

Top Team PFF Rushing Grades, 2024 (Excluding QBs)

When it comes to sorting out who benefits the most from a lethal rushing attack, different quarterbacks are aided in different ways.

The Ravens always run the ball well with Lamar Jackson running the show, but the addition of Derrick Henry, who led the league in PFF rushing grade and missed tackles forced in 2024, made things simply unfair. The Ravens won all 11 games in which Henry ran for at least 90 yards last season.

Despite the constant spotlight on Jordan Love and the Packers‘ passing game, the biggest reason Green Bay made the playoffs last season was Josh Jacobs. He tied for fourth in the NFL with a 91.3 PFF rushing grade while forcing the third-most missed tackles. He also ranked third in the NFL with an 89.2 PFF receiving grade.

The Seahawks‘ offensive situation is interesting due to the fluidity of their offensive line and new starting quarterback, Sam Darnold, who succeeded with a terrific supporting cast in Minnesota last season and led the team to 14 victories. Seattle features an outstanding group of rushers, led by Kenneth Walker III and Zach Charbonnet, who both finished the season with top-20 PFF rushing grades despite the Seahawks ranking 24th in PFF run-blocking grade.

Highest PFF Rushing Grades in 2024

Top Team PFF Pass-Blocking Grades, 2024

After playing in an Oregon offense that led the FBS in PFF pass-blocking grade in 2023, Bo Nix faced questions about how he would handle pressure with the Denver Broncos. It turns out that he didn’t have to worry much. Denver led the NFL in PFF pass-blocking grade last season. Nix was under pressure only 28.8% of the time last season, and he was held at least partially responsible for nearly a quarter of that clip. The Broncos return all five offensive line starters this season, so Nix should take another step in his development.

Tampa Bay has been featured in almost every chart so far and barely missed out as the ninth-place team in PFF receiving grade. The Buccaneers were one of just four teams to rank among the top 10 in PFF passing grade, PFF rushing grade, PFF receiving grade and PFF pass-blocking grade last year. Baker Mayfield played the best football of his career, and he has an outstanding supporting cast to thank for it.

This is, interestingly, the first chart not to feature the Detroit Lions, who ranked 14th in the NFL in PFF pass-blocking grade last season. They also recently lost two veteran starters, Frank Ragnow and Kevin Zeitler, on the interior. Their interior unit is likely to comprise Graham Glasgow, Christian Mahogany and rookie Tate Ratledge. Considering Jared Goff owns a paltry 44.8 PFF passing grade under pressure over the past three seasons, interior pass protection could be the Lions’ Achilles’ heel this season.

This news was originally published on this post .

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