The Unbearable Lightness of Passing Yards was evident once again this week in games across the NFL.

 

Arizona quarterback Kurt Warner, one of the most productive, most highly rated passers in NFL history and two-time league MVP, set a personal record with 484 passing yards against San Francisco Sunday.

 

He lost.

 

Vince Young, meanwhile, has thrown for 257, 305 and 246 yards in his last three games. They’re the three best passing totals of his career.

 

He lost all three games.

 

Young’s performances are especially notable, because he’s 4-1 in his brief career in games in which he’s passed for fewer than 100 yards. The lone loss? A 14-13 defeat on the road at eventual Super Bowl champion Indy in his second career NFL start.

 

All of which offers us yet further proof that passing totals are virtually meaningless.

 

Passing Yards Per Attempt mean just about everything.

 

The top three teams in our Power Rankings (NE, Green Bay, Dallas) this week, for example, are also the top three teams in Passing Yards Per Attempt (NE, Dallas, Green Bay).

 

All three are also among the leaders in total passing yards, but this year that’s only coincidental. It’s more important that all three teams pass the ball more effectively than any other teams in football.

 

The Lions provide us the example we need to prove the point this week. Detroit has generated 3,045 gross passing yards this year – two more than Dallas, but basically statistically dead even.

The net results of the huge differential in passing effectiveness are pretty clear:

 

	Team	Pass Attempts	Pass Yards	Sacked	Lost Yards	Total Attempts	Net Yards	YPA
1	New England	400	3492	13	80	413	3412	8.26
2	Dallas	352	3043	16	118	368	2925	7.95
3	Green Bay	427	3373	14	89	441	3284	7.45
4	Houston	377	2936	16	120	393	2816	7.17
5	Cleveland	365	2758	10	84	375	2674	7.13
6	Denver	348	2646	19	106	367	2540	6.92
7	Indianapolis	381	2830	16	101	397	2729	6.87
8	Cincinnati	418	3076	15	100	433	2976	6.87
9	Arizona	393	2820	17	112	410	2708	6.60
10	Tampa Bay	310	2274	19	103	329	2171	6.60
11	Pittsburgh	294	2394	35	254	329	2140	6.50
12	Jacksonville	305	2237	24	119	329	2118	6.44
13	San Diego	331	2318	13	107	344	2211	6.43
14	Seattle	406	2893	24	138	430	2755	6.41
15	New Orleans	456	2997	8	64	464	2933	6.32
16	Philadelphia	387	2790	32	160	419	2630	6.28
17	Detroit	405	3045	47	282	452	2763	6.11
18	Washington	366	2403	17	96	383	2307	6.02
19	Buffalo	297	2002	23	174	320	1828	5.71
20	Minnesota	280	1900	31	153	311	1747	5.62
21	NY Giants	386	2416	19	149	405	2267	5.60
22	Tennessee	330	2090	20	133	350	1957	5.59
23	Chicago	391	2609	32	247	423	2362	5.58
24	Oakland	309	2091	33	208	342	1883	5.51
25	Kansas City	360	2380	34	219	394	2161	5.48
26	NY Jets	349	2209	29	182	378	2027	5.36
27	Miami	353	2151	21	161	374	1990	5.32
28	Atlanta	373	2319	35	203	408	2116	5.19
29	Carolina	362	2103	24	148	386	1955	5.06
30	St. Louis	400	2463	39	263	439	2200	5.01
31	Baltimore	414	2355	27	198	441	2157	4.89
32	San Francisco	364	1864	37	259	401	1605	4.00