What Pass yds per att is

Yards per attempt: passing yards divided by pass attempts — how much the offense gained, on average, each time it threw. The quickest read of passing efficiency, with one blind spot: sacks are not attempts, so a quarterback who takes sacks rather than throwing the ball away is not charged for them here.

Higher is better. It is a rate, so a team's number does not grow with games played. Source: P + N.

In 2021 the 49ers led at 8.18; the league average was 6.60.

League snapshot — 2021

League leader

SF · 8.18

League average

6.60

Best to worst

2.81

All 32 teams, higher is better.

Rank	Team	Value	Games
1	SF	8.18	17
2	CIN	7.89	17
3	LAR	7.61	17
4	DAL	7.36	17
5	GB	7.25	17
6	LV	7.24	17
7	ARI	7.20	17
8	NE	7.18	17
9	TB	7.14	17
10	KC	7.08	17
11	LAC	7.04	17
12	MIN	6.98	17
13	SEA	6.91	17
14	PHI	6.84	17
15	DEN	6.60	17
16	BUF	6.50	17
17	ATL	6.46	17
18	BAL	6.41	17
19	IND	6.40	17
20	TEN	6.38	17
21	CLE	6.35	17
22	NO	6.27	17
23	WAS	6.21	17
24	HOU	6.04	17
25	DET	6.01	17
26	MIA	5.91	17
27	CHI	5.87	17
28	NYJ	5.82	17
29	PIT	5.65	17
30	JAX	5.64	17
31	CAR	5.38	17
32	NYG	5.37	17

At a glance — 2021

Where the 32 teams sit on this stat this season.

League leader

SF · 8.18

League laggard

NYG · 5.37

League average

6.60

Spread (max − min)

2.81

Rank	Team	Value	Δ vs avg	Percentile
1	SF	8.18	1.58	100%
2	CIN	7.89	1.29	96.8%
3	LAR	7.61	1.01	93.5%
4	DAL	7.36	0.76	90.3%
5	GB	7.25	0.65	87.1%
6	LV	7.24	0.64	83.9%
7	ARI	7.20	0.60	80.6%
8	NE	7.18	0.58	77.4%
9	TB	7.14	0.54	74.2%
10	KC	7.08	0.48	71%
11	LAC	7.04	0.44	67.7%
12	MIN	6.98	0.38	64.5%
13	SEA	6.91	0.31	61.3%
14	PHI	6.84	0.24	58.1%
15	DEN	6.60	0.01	54.8%
16	BUF	6.50	-0.10	51.6%
17	ATL	6.46	-0.14	48.4%
18	BAL	6.41	-0.19	45.2%
19	IND	6.40	-0.20	41.9%
20	TEN	6.38	-0.22	38.7%
21	CLE	6.35	-0.25	35.5%
22	NO	6.27	-0.33	32.3%
23	WAS	6.21	-0.39	29%
24	HOU	6.04	-0.56	25.8%
25	DET	6.01	-0.59	22.6%
26	MIA	5.91	-0.69	19.4%
27	CHI	5.87	-0.73	16.1%
28	NYJ	5.82	-0.78	12.9%
29	PIT	5.65	-0.95	9.7%
30	JAX	5.64	-0.96	6.5%
31	CAR	5.38	-1.22	3.2%
32	NYG	5.37	-1.23	0%

Does Pass yds per att matter against the spread?

Run as a one-stat algorithm against the closing line, this stat went 873–705–37 ATS (55.3%) across 2020–2025, #65 of 296 ranked.

Its best season was 2025 (156–113, 58.0%); its worst 2021 (139–131, 51.5%).

For picks, this is a strong signal. One stat is not a recipe — the algorithms combine many.

Season	Games	ATS record	ATS %
2020	256	145–109–2	57.1%
2021	272	139–131–2	51.5%
2022	271	148–116–7	56.1%
2023	272	145–113–14	56.2%
2024	272	140–123–9	53.2%
2025	272	156–113–3	58.0%

Pass yds per att in 2021 vs 2020

49ers lead at 8.18 — they ranked #13 last year. Giants are last at 5.37 — #29 last year.

The league average is 6.60, down 0.20 from 6.80 last year.

Biggest riser: Bengals, #26 → #2. Biggest faller: Texans, #1 → #24.

Spread between first and last: 2.81; 22 teams are within 0.70 of the average.

Year-over-year — 2021 vs 2020

Biggest movers from last season.

Biggest riser

CIN · +1.96

Biggest faller

HOU · −2.21

Most consistent

CHI · −0.06

League trend 2021 vs 2020

▼ -0.20

Rank	Team	2021	2020	Δ
1	CIN	7.89	5.93	+1.96
2	PHI	6.84	5.50	+1.34
3	SF	8.18	7.03	+1.15
4	DAL	7.36	6.49	+0.87
5	LAR	7.61	6.79	+0.82
6	NE	7.18	6.55	+0.63
7	WAS	6.21	5.74	+0.47
8	DEN	6.60	6.15	+0.45
9	ARI	7.20	6.79	+0.41
10	NYJ	5.82	5.58	+0.24
11	LAC	7.04	6.87	+0.17
12	CHI	5.87	5.93	−0.06
13	SEA	6.91	6.98	−0.07
14	TB	7.14	7.37	−0.22
15	JAX	5.64	5.93	−0.29
16	BAL	6.41	6.73	−0.32
17	LV	7.24	7.64	−0.40
18	PIT	5.65	6.06	−0.41
19	NYG	5.37	5.81	−0.44
20	ATL	6.46	6.91	−0.46
21	GB	7.25	7.81	−0.55
22	KC	7.08	7.67	−0.59
23	MIN	6.98	7.65	−0.67
24	CLE	6.35	7.05	−0.70
25	MIA	5.91	6.62	−0.72
26	NO	6.27	7.19	−0.91
27	IND	6.40	7.32	−0.91
28	DET	6.01	7.00	−1.00
29	TEN	6.38	7.49	−1.11
30	BUF	6.50	7.74	−1.24
31	CAR	5.38	7.04	−1.66
32	HOU	6.04	8.25	−2.21

Multi-year context

7-year window (2020–2026)

Multi-year leader

SF · 7.86

Multi-year laggard

NYJ · 5.63

Biggest improver

BAL · +0.29/yr

Biggest decliner

TEN · −0.35/yr

Rank	Team	Avg	Slope/yr	2020	2021	2022	2023	2024	2025	2026
1	SF	7.86	+0.08	7.03	8.18	7.53	8.93	7.93	7.18	8.27
2	BUF	7.39	+0.14	7.74	6.50	7.18	7.13	7.44	7.31	8.45
3	GB	7.26	+0.00	7.81	7.25	6.42	6.79	7.88	7.37	7.28
4	BAL	7.21	+0.29	6.73	6.41	6.22	7.34	8.42	7.04	8.33
5	DET	7.19	+0.16	7.00	6.01	7.27	7.20	8.11	7.39	7.32
6	SEA	7.12	+0.14	6.98	6.91	6.84	6.76	6.74	8.03	7.55
7	KC	7.04	−0.11	7.67	7.08	7.74	6.60	6.28	6.20	7.74
8	LAR	6.95	+0.06	6.79	7.61	5.85	6.91	6.88	7.62	6.99
9	DAL	6.84	+0.01	6.49	7.36	6.71	7.13	6.03	7.22	6.95
10	NE	6.80	+0.19	6.55	7.18	6.50	5.50	5.62	8.47	7.76
11	ATL	6.77	+0.06	6.91	6.46	6.47	6.61	7.25	6.43	7.22
12	MIN	6.75	−0.24	7.65	6.98	6.63	6.90	7.36	5.81	5.92
13	CIN	6.75	−0.01	5.93	7.89	6.89	6.32	7.09	6.22	6.88
14	MIA	6.67	−0.10	6.62	5.91	7.70	7.95	6.27	6.37	5.86
15	TB	6.66	−0.19	7.37	7.14	6.06	6.66	7.42	6.21	5.74
16	HOU	6.65	−0.09	8.25	6.04	5.74	6.99	6.19	6.32	7.04
17	PHI	6.57	−0.03	5.50	6.84	7.64	6.80	7.11	6.62	5.50
18	LV	6.57	−0.23	7.64	7.24	6.68	6.05	5.95	5.51	6.93
19	LAC	6.53	−0.15	6.87	7.04	6.43	6.25	7.07	6.34	5.72
20	NO	6.52	−0.18	7.19	6.27	7.18	6.56	6.28	6.30	5.83
21	JAX	6.48	+0.25	5.93	5.64	6.58	6.61	6.29	6.69	7.66
22	IND	6.39	−0.12	7.32	6.40	5.65	6.33	6.53	7.00	5.48
23	DEN	6.20	−0.09	6.15	6.60	6.28	6.32	6.32	6.16	5.57
24	WAS	6.18	+0.05	5.74	6.21	6.19	5.84	6.93	6.62	5.73
25	ARI	6.14	−0.20	6.79	7.20	5.40	5.59	6.70	6.07	5.24
26	TEN	6.12	−0.35	7.49	6.38	6.38	6.20	6.22	4.95	5.25
27	CAR	6.10	+0.05	7.04	5.38	6.54	4.67	5.81	5.88	7.39
28	PIT	6.08	+0.05	6.06	5.65	5.94	6.23	6.51	6.23	5.97
29	CHI	6.00	+0.08	5.93	5.87	5.81	6.00	5.36	6.62	6.37
30	CLE	5.98	−0.25	7.05	6.35	6.35	5.90	5.24	5.01	5.97
31	NYG	5.81	+0.08	5.81	5.37	6.01	5.54	5.41	6.57	5.96
32	NYJ	5.63	+0.01	5.58	5.82	5.94	4.84	6.06	4.78	6.38

Multi-year heatmap

32 teams across 7 seasons. Cells colored by quintile within each season; click a column header to jump to that year.

Team	2020	2021	2022	2023	2024	2025	2026
SF	7.03	8.18	7.53	8.93	7.93	7.18	8.27
CIN	5.93	7.89	6.89	6.32	7.09	6.22	6.88
LAR	6.79	7.61	5.85	6.91	6.88	7.62	6.99
DAL	6.49	7.36	6.71	7.13	6.03	7.22	6.95
GB	7.81	7.25	6.42	6.79	7.88	7.37	7.28
LV	7.64	7.24	6.68	6.05	5.95	5.51	6.93
ARI	6.79	7.20	5.40	5.59	6.70	6.07	5.24
NE	6.55	7.18	6.50	5.50	5.62	8.47	7.76
TB	7.37	7.14	6.06	6.66	7.42	6.21	5.74
KC	7.67	7.08	7.74	6.60	6.28	6.20	7.74
LAC	6.87	7.04	6.43	6.25	7.07	6.34	5.72
MIN	7.65	6.98	6.63	6.90	7.36	5.81	5.92
SEA	6.98	6.91	6.84	6.76	6.74	8.03	7.55
PHI	5.50	6.84	7.64	6.80	7.11	6.62	5.50
DEN	6.15	6.60	6.28	6.32	6.32	6.16	5.57
BUF	7.74	6.50	7.18	7.13	7.44	7.31	8.45
ATL	6.91	6.46	6.47	6.61	7.25	6.43	7.22
BAL	6.73	6.41	6.22	7.34	8.42	7.04	8.33
IND	7.32	6.40	5.65	6.33	6.53	7.00	5.48
TEN	7.49	6.38	6.38	6.20	6.22	4.95	5.25
CLE	7.05	6.35	6.35	5.90	5.24	5.01	5.97
NO	7.19	6.27	7.18	6.56	6.28	6.30	5.83
WAS	5.74	6.21	6.19	5.84	6.93	6.62	5.73
HOU	8.25	6.04	5.74	6.99	6.19	6.32	7.04
DET	7.00	6.01	7.27	7.20	8.11	7.39	7.32
MIA	6.62	5.91	7.70	7.95	6.27	6.37	5.86
CHI	5.93	5.87	5.81	6.00	5.36	6.62	6.37
NYJ	5.58	5.82	5.94	4.84	6.06	4.78	6.38
PIT	6.06	5.65	5.94	6.23	6.51	6.23	5.97
JAX	5.93	5.64	6.58	6.61	6.29	6.69	7.66
CAR	7.04	5.38	6.54	4.67	5.81	5.88	7.39
NYG	5.81	5.37	6.01	5.54	5.41	6.57	5.96

Pass yds per att since 2018

Leaders since 2018: 2018 Chiefs (8.48), 2019 Titans (7.98), 2020 Texans (8.25), 2021 49ers (8.18).

The best season on record is Chiefs 2018 at 8.48; the worst Cardinals 2018 at 5.08.

Distribution

How the 32 teams cluster for 2021.

About this stat

Stat ID: off_passing_pass_yds_per_att
Side: offensive
Family: Passing
Data source: P + N
Polarity: higher is better (or neutral)
Display grain: rate
Algorithm eligibility: Algorithm-eligible: this stat can be picked in the Algorithm Builder.