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NFL glossary

Common NFL stats and abbreviations explained — YDS, TD, INT, QBR, ANY/A, YPC, YAC and the rest.

29 terms
COMP · Completions
Number of completed passes thrown by a quarterback.
ATT · Pass Attempts
Total pass attempts (completions + incompletions + interceptions).
CMP% · Completion Percentage
Completions divided by attempts.
YDS · Yards
Net yards gained — passing, rushing, or receiving depending on context.
YPA · Yards Per Attempt
Passing yards divided by pass attempts.
TD · Touchdown
A six-point score from advancing the ball into the opponent's end zone.
INT · Interception
Pass caught by a defensive player.
SACK · Sack
Quarterback tackled behind the line of scrimmage on a pass play.
QBR · Quarterback Rating
ESPN's composite QB metric on a 0-100 scale, accounting for pass, run and clutch context.
ANY/A · Adjusted Net Yards / Attempt
(Passing yards + 20·TD - 45·INT - sack yards) / (attempts + sacks). PFR's premier per-attempt passing metric.
CAR · Carries
Number of rushing attempts by a player.
YPC · Yards Per Carry
Rushing yards divided by carries.
REC · Receptions
Catches by a pass-catcher.
TGT · Targets
Pass attempts thrown toward a specific receiver.
YPR · Yards Per Reception
Receiving yards divided by receptions.
YAC · Yards After Catch
Yards gained by a receiver after catching the ball.
FG · Field Goal
Three-point kick through the uprights from the field of play.
XP · Extra Point
One-point kick following a touchdown (also called PAT).
FUM · Fumble
A live ball dropped or stripped from the ball-carrier.
MVP · Most Valuable Player
Annual award given to the best player in the regular season.
OPOY · Offensive Player of the Year
Annual award for the league's best offensive player.
DPOY · Defensive Player of the Year
Annual award for the league's best defensive player.
OROY · Offensive Rookie of the Year
Best first-year offensive player.
DROY · Defensive Rookie of the Year
Best first-year defensive player.
CPOY · Comeback Player of the Year
Awarded to a player overcoming injury or adversity.
EPA · Expected Points Added
How much a play increased or decreased a team's expected scoring on the drive.
DVOA · Defense-adjusted Value Over Average
Football Outsiders metric measuring per-play efficiency vs. league average, adjusted for opponent.
AV · Approximate Value
Pro-Football-Reference's single-number career value metric.
OT · Overtime
Extra period played when the game is tied after four quarters.