Do our stats match ESPN?
Every regular-season counting stat we show (completions, attempts, yards, touchdowns, interceptions, sacks, rushes, targets, receptions) is rebuilt from play-by-play and compared with ESPN's season totals for the same player, joined by ESPN player id. Last checked 2026-10-20 05:20 UTC; our play-by-play runs through week 18.
By stat
| Stat | Players compared | Exact | Match |
|---|---|---|---|
| Completions | 85 | 85 | 100.0% |
| Pass attempts | 96 | 96 | 100.0% |
| Passing yards | 85 | 85 | 100.0% |
| Passing TD | 65 | 65 | 100.0% |
| Interceptions | 63 | 63 | 100.0% |
| Sacks taken | 70 | 70 | 100.0% |
| Rushes | 335 | 335 | 100.0% |
| Rushing yards | 328 | 328 | 100.0% |
| Rushing TD | 139 | 139 | 100.0% |
| Targets | 501 | 497 | 99.2% |
| Receptions | 474 | 474 | 100.0% |
| Receiving yards | 473 | 471 | 99.6% |
| Receiving TD | 268 | 268 | 100.0% |
Every mismatch (6)
| Player | Team | Stat | Ours | ESPN | Diff |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Michael Pittman Jr. | IND | Receiving yards | 793 | 784 | +9 |
| DJ Moore | CHI | Receiving yards | 678 | 682 | -4 |
| Mike Evans | TB | Targets | 62 | 61 | +1 |
| Isaiah Likely | BAL | Targets | 36 | 37 | -1 |
| Quentin Johnston | LAC | Targets | 84 | 85 | -1 |
| Roman Wilson | PIT | Targets | 21 | 20 | +1 |
On ESPN, not joined to our data
Players ESPN lists whose ESPN id isn't in the nflverse players table (or who have no plays in ours). Usually depth players with a handful of snaps.
| Player | Team | ESPN stats |
|---|---|---|
| Chris Manhertz | NYG | rec=1, rec_yds=7, targets=2 |
Known causes of the remaining gaps. Multi-lateral plays: nflverse's play-by-play records only the first lateral, so on a last-second hook-and-ladder the later players' yards land on the wrong man (a few yards, a few players a season). During the season ESPN's target counts are often one off ours, mostly around throws wiped out by a penalty; they settle by season's end (2025's final totals agree on 497 of 501 receivers). Yards after a lateral are credited to the player who took the lateral, the way the official book, ESPN and Pro Football Reference do it. EPA, success rate, CPOE and the splits have no outside source to check against; they're built from the same plays as these totals.