Are there more dropped passes this year

I thought two weeks ago I saw far more dropped passes than usual.  Then this past week I saw even more passes dropped.

These were not just in games I was interested in but most all of the games.

There were passes dropped by role players but also by star players.  It just seemed more than usual to me.

Then Sunday night there were a couple of drops by the star receivers.

Then last night there were a couple of crucial drops.  

After the Carolina receiver dropped a pass the announcers talked about how sure-handed he usually was but then they say how many passes he has dropped this year.  Then the receiver goes and changes gloves like that was the problem.  The announcers say he is just not concentrating.  But you could clearly see he did not have both of his hands parallel to the ball as it was coming to him.

I do not know of a place that lists this in total for the league.  I know of several that list drop% for each team.  I was too lazy to add it up.  But I just looked at the last couple of years and looked at the top and bottom teams and the 15th answer 16th team drop%.

2022:

Top - 2.15%

Bottom - 8.17%

15th - 4.69%

16th - 4.9%

2023:

Top - 2.95%

Bottom - 7.37%

15th - 5.12%

16th - 5.14%

2024:

Top - 1.64%

Bottom - 6.61%

15th - 4.35%

16th - 4.39%

2025:

Top - 2.42%

Bottom - 11.02%

15th - 5.17%

16th - 5.33%

I am not suggesting anything sketchy is going on.  It is just odd that it seems like there is a noticeable increase in drops from last year.  But it seems about the same as in 2023.  

This also does not reflect the rest of the season where the weather is sure to worsen.

Then it seems there are more bobbled balls that the receivers do not catch as cleanly as they should.  

I also do not like when a ball that should have clearly been caught is tipped up or bobbled and picked off.  I have never liked that this is held against the QB as an INT — I think it should be called a fumble by the receiver.

I was just curious if anyone else felt there have been more drops and more crucial drops or if I am just noticing it more than I have before.

@Raiders22

 I’ll tell you what, until you bet on quarterback interceptions you will never truly pay attention to how many of those get dropped!! You cannot even imagine the amount of bets I’ve lost over the last month where the ball hit the defender right in both hands and they couldn’t bring it in. Usually multiple times in the same game!

Definitely an increase in WR drops this season especially lately. Massive game changing plays too. I know that one thing that causes it and not from every qb, but the velocity that some QBs put on the ball. You’ll notice that the young guys fresh out of college have a rocket arm but have very limited ability to throw a touch pass. Watching the Bears game this weekend I kept thinking “Why does Caleb always rifle the ball at his guys?”. Same thing with Michael Penix. The guy literally has one throwing motion and it’s like a 100mph fastball. 

Elway had no touch,his check downs were same speed as 15 yard side line throws.

@Raiders22

 Yes, I have noticed this too.

Could there be any correlation with the ridiculously long field goals that they are kicking? So is it the ball? But I'm pretty sure they use different balls for kicking. 

When the MLB juiced baseballs a few years back, it made for intriguing discussions. 

Different balls for kicking is why they are getting more distance. I actually like it though. It makes for less punts around mid field that gets teams stuck near their own goal line. So now at least you get 3 pts or they go for it on 4th down usually so better gameflow

Yes.....

@brn2loslive2win

 Yessir, I bet!  I do not often bet props.

I bet it would be frustrating to bet on someone that, as they say, 'that's why he plays defense' to catch a ball.  

I do not think it is all velocity.  Maybe some of it is.

But even last night a couple balls right in the hands were dropped.

It used to be that if a 'pro' had a ball hit his hands he was supposed to catch it.

The problem is you cannot have everything in every receiver.

There are a lot of guys with better hands that simply do not make it because they cannot get separation.

At the top level speed is so crucial.  Even great route running is sometimes not enough.

The problem is that those guys with the better hands do not have the speed to get the separation.

I just find it so hard to believe that elite receivers are dropping balls at this rate.  Even elite TEs, that are normally sure handed, are dropping them.

RBs have always had 'bad' hands.  I still cannot believe teams will throw any type of route downfield to a RB, especially on 3rd down.

@undermysac

 The balls used for kicking are known as 'K-Balls'.  They are different than regular game balls and have been for maybe 20-some years.  The big difference with the 'K-Ball' is now the teams do not get them before the game.  They are shipped to the refs.  Because teams were fiddling with the balls to get extra distance, etc.

I have not noticed if punts are being dropped or muffed any more than before.

But as far as the regular balls being dropped on passes it just seems very noticeable to me.

I really hesitate to think there is something fishy going on.

But was just wondering if it was my imagination.

@Raiders22

 Players got busted in NBA and MLB ..hell the best player in MLB got busted

NFL isn't any different... sadly

Wouldnt be shocked if Ceedee Lamb is in on the fix this season... very easy to pull off...he has had some ridiculous drops this year, borderline hilarious...he was also out with Pickens at a casino last week and missed curfew and got benched..so you know he likes to gamble...who knows, he could have a massive gambling debt

@dubz4dummyz

 Never would have crossed my mind before the NBA stuff.

Like I said, I like to think nothing is sketchy.  I just hope it is bad play and lack of concentration.

Definitely more than normal. CeeDee Lamb shoulda had 3 more receptions... It's hard to believe how they been playing fb shortly after being able to walk and can't catch a fb. And the defensive players, my God, you have to hand it to them they catch so poorly.