Data Career Podcast: Helping You Land a Data Analyst Job FAST 180: The 10 MOST CLUTCH Quarterbacks in NFL History (Backed by Data Science)
Oct 9, 2025
Who truly are the most clutch quarterbacks in NFL history? Using Python and advanced metrics, the discussion dives into what it means to be 'clutch.' With a clever analysis of 1.18 million NFL plays, surprising rankings emerge, leading to riveting insights about Tom Brady and his counterparts. The conversation further explores Win Probability Added (WPA) to gauge true impact in tense moments. Listeners are encouraged to try their own analyses with Sphinx, opening up a world of data exploration.
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Data Overrules Intuition
- Avery Smith processed over one million NFL plays from 25 seasons to quantify clutch performance with data science.
- The analysis reveals surprising results that differ from popular opinion about who is most clutch.
Define Clutch Before Measuring
- Define clutch concretely before measuring it; Avery uses "one-score" games in the final eighth of the game or overtime.
- Use clear, repeatable filters so your data-driven clutch metric matches the question you want to answer.
Unexpected TV Clutch Leader
- Avery shares the "TV clutch" top-10 list produced by the basic stat formula combining TDs, INTs, completions, and attempts.
- The surprising #1 on that list was Tua Tagovailoa, which surprised Avery and contrasts with common expectations.