The term “dink-and-dunk” is not a compliment to an NFL offense. It implies an inability to attack down the field and reflects an inefficient way to generate points and big plays. Alas, that’s exactly what the Lions have been with Jared Goff at the controls in the first three weeks of the 2021 season.
Goff has dinked and dunked his way to the lowest average pass yards per completion in the league. His completed passes travel an average of just 3.33 yards beyond the line of scrimmage, per the NFL’s statistical data. That’s 33rd out of 33 qualifying passers, just below Atlanta’s Matt Ryan (3.37).
Note that the figure is different from the average yards per completion that is more commonly used. Goff averages 9.3 yards per completion there, but that figure includes yards after the catch gained by the receiver. The 3.33 is the distance of the actual completed throw, on average.
It’s not that Goff doesn’t have time to throw the ball down the field. The Lions offensive line gives Goff enough protection that he ranks 10th in total time to throw, 2.88 seconds on average per Next Gen Stats. But he ranks 29th out of 33 in average pass length distance at 5.93 yards.
The upshot for Goff is that he doesn’t turn the ball over and throws the ball accurately enough for the Lions receivers to average the 10th-best yards after catch figure (5.99 yards) in the league. Coordinator Anthony Lynn’s offense leans on the ball control principle, and Goff operates that fairly effectively.