Which Quarterbacks Threw Deep Least Often in 2017?

5. Jacoby Brissett, Indianapolis Colts

Deep Rate: 16.42% | Passing NEP per Attempt: 0.42 | Success Rate: 37.66%

There are a lot of factors that can alter a team's deep rate. One of them is just an unwilling quarterback. Another could be a lack of a deep threat at wide receiver. The third factor is often the effectiveness of the offensive line, which seemed to have an effect on Jacoby Brissett and the Indianapolis Colts.

On the season, the Colts lost 88.23 expected points due to sacks. That was the third-highest mark in the entire league and second-most on a per-drop back basis. If the offensive line is allowing opponents to get through, you're not going to have time to load up and fire deep.

That's not to say Brissett is free of blame there. He had the sixth-longest average time to throw, according to NFL.com's Next-Gen Stats. Of the players who took longer to throw, only one -- Brett Hundley -- threw deep less than 17% of the time. Brissett and Hundley were the strange intersection of a long time to throw and a low deep rate, which is certainly less than ideal.

Even with Brissett's potential issues acknowledged, it's clear this team needs help on the offensive line with Andrew Luck (potentially) coming back next year. You don't want your franchise passer behind a sub-par offensive line when he's healthy, but addressing that concern becomes even more paramount when it's someone with Luck's recent bill of health. With the third overall pick in a draft brimming with quarterbacks, the Colts have the opportunity to trade down, stockpile picks, and finally fix this long-neglected issue. If they do, it's possible we see Luck get this offense back to being one that's willing to attack down the field.