NFL

5 NFL Stats to Know Through Week 5

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Sam Bradford’s 0.34 Passing NEP per Drop Back Is the Best of His Career

Sam Bradford was traded to the Minnesota Vikings just over one week before the first game of the season, and he's playing the most efficient football of his career. His 0.34 Passing Net Expected Points (NEP) per drop back ranks fifth among all quarterbacks who have started at least one game this season. It’s also a vast improvement over his previous career high of 0.08, which came last season. For reference, the league average last year was 0.11.

Bradford’s strong performance thus far, combined with the Vikings defense ranking fourth in schedule-adjusted Defensive NEP, has led Minnesota to the only undefeated record in the NFL through five weeks.

Minnesota still has 11 games left to play, but so far, Bradford is performing at an efficiency level that the Vikings have never seen across a full season. No Vikings quarterback with 100 or more drop backs in a season has ever finished better than 0.32 Passing NEP per drop back, dating back to 2000.

After their Week 6 bye, Bradford will get a chance to prove himself against the Philadelphia Eagles, who rank first in Adjusted Defensive Passing NEP. Of course, that's also the same Eagles team that traded Bradford away just over one month ago.