We have to thank reader Chad Poulin for e-mailing us this morning with a correction.
We reported Sunday that New England quarterback Tom Brady still had the lowest postseason interception rate in NFL history, despite throwing two picks in the 27-13 loss to Denver Saturday night.
Well, Brady did have the lowest postseason INT rate in NFL history when we reported it Sunday morning. But he lost the title to Carolina's Jake Delhomme later that day and we failed to update the data.
Delhomme has thrown just 2 INTs in 157 postseason pass attempts (1.27 percent). Brady has thrown 5 INTs in 367 postseason attempts (1.36 percent). The NFL requires that players attempt 150 postseason pass attempts to be included for consideration in postseason passing record categories. Delhomme crossed that threshold with his 33 pass attempts in a 29-21 win over Chicago in the divisional playoffs Sunday.
A low postseason INT rate is critical to postseason success. Here's a list of the all-time top four in this category. The list includes the two most successful postseason QBs in modern NFL history (Brady and Bart Starr), along with Super Bowl MVP Phil Simms and rising playoff star Delhomme.
|
Player |
Playoff Record |
INTs |
Attempts |
Percentage |
|
Delhomme |
5-1 |
2 |
157 |
1.27 |
|
Brady |
10-1 |
5 |
367 |
1.36 |
|
Starr |
9-1 |
3 |
213 |
1.41 |
|
Simms |
6-4 |
6 |
279 |
2.15 |
As we reported last week, Delhomme is already shaping up as one of the NFL's best big-game QBs. He's 5-1 in the postseason and just one of those games was played at home. Four were on the road. One was a neutral-site game in Houston in Super Bowl XXXVIII against New England.
The Cold, Hard Football Facts make him the best postseason quarterback in football today. In fact, his playoff passer rating is the best of all time. Here are his cumulative stats:
* 98 for 157 (62.4 percent), 1,446 yards, 10 TDs, 2 INTs, 108.4 passer rating
Compare those numbers with Brady's career postseason stat line:
* 225 for 367 (61.3 percent), 2,493 yards, 15 TDs, 5 INTs, 89.4 passer rating
