There are many reasons to appreciate the season of tight end Robert Tonyan, the Green Bay Packers’ breakout pass-catcher of 2020.
After catching all of 14 passes during his first two seasons with the Packers, Tonyan has 46 catches through 13 games in 2020. In his third season, he’s developed into the productive and efficient tight end the Packers have been missing for years.
Here’s another fun stat about Tonyan, via Ian Hartitz of Pro Football Focus:
Robert Tonyan in 2020:
52 targets
46 receptions
533 yards
9 TDsMore TDs than incompletions. Madness.
— Ian Hartitz (@Ihartitz) December 16, 2020
The numbers check out. Aaron Rodgers has thrown six incompletions compared to nine touchdowns when targeting Tonyan.
Tonyan’s catch percentage this season is 88.5, which ranks second among all players, trailing only Colts running back Jonathan Taylor. He’s first overall among qualified receivers and tight ends.
The high catch rate has made Tonyan a highly efficient pass-catcher. He’s averaging 10.3 yards per target, ranking 10th among all players and second among tight ends. And among the players with at least nine touchdown catches, Tonyan’s 51 targets are the fewest. About one out of every five catches by Tonyan has resulted in a touchdown.
Rodgers has a passer rating of 149.0 when targeting his top tight end this season.
Overall, Tonyan is tied for sixth in the NFL in touchdown catches. He’s well on track to becoming the first Packers tight end with 10 or more touchdown catches in a season since Keith Jackson in 1996. Only two tight ends in franchise history have ever scored 10 or more in a season: Jackson in 1996 and Paul Coffman in 1983. Tonyan should become the third.
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