Make sure to follow the Off Script Socials!
What is the RQI?
Welcome to the Rothenberg QB Index, better known as the RQI - My weekly + season-long scoreboard for pure passing. The RQI ranks every QB (and the occasional trick play thrower) on a 0–100 scale based on how they actually played throwing the football. Read below to get a full understanding of the RQI from the history to the scoring and of course, the vibe.
How This Whole Thing Started
It all began in a group chat with friends from work, made up of 7.5 football fans of 5 different teams/QBs. Each week I would send a ranking of our five QBs plus any rando who dared to throw a pass for our teams. It was supposed to be fun trash talk… but the more weeks that went by, it actually started to mean something. Over the past two seasons, the bits became a system, the system became a scoreboard, and now three seasons later, we’re taking it public.
How This Thing Works
The RQI is intentionally about passing and dominance. The scoring system rewards the things us fans really care about when we say, “my QB was cooking”:
Did they win? (Winning matters.)
Think Patrick Mahomes
Touchdowns (More TDs = bigger oomph)
Think Jared Goff (our 2024 RQI Champ)
Yards (More yards means they were dealing)
Think Justin Herbert
Interceptions (don’t.)
Nathan Peterman
Accuracy & workload (completions + attempts both matter)
Think Joe Burrow
VIBEZ — The “yeah, that’s our guy” factor. Think big-time throws, game defining drives, momentum swings owned.
Think Jayden Daniels (Our 2024 RQI ROTY)
Scoring ranges from 0 (historically bad) to 100 (the mythical 35/35, 650 yards, 7 TD, Win). Most good games live in the 40–70 window, but when putting it all together a QB can get into the 80s and even 90s.
What counts and what doesn't
Counts: passing-only production (completions, attempts, yards, TDs, INTs, etc.) + game result.
Here at the RQI we want to see a QB throw for 400 and 4 TD with no INT
Cameo passers: if a WR/RB/TE/Punter/Kicker throws a pass, they get cameo credit on a separate, lighter scale so trick plays show up without hijacking the rankings.
Doesn’t count:
rushing. that’s a different conversation (and maybe a future companion metric).
Sorry Ravens fans
QBR. This is the RQI, we don’t care about your QBR!
House rules (aka the culture)
It’s data-driven, but opinion is welcome. Especially when two QBs are close.
Giants fans: we love you. That being said, we also love to bust on the giants. both things can be true.
The exact formula stays in-house so the scoreboard stays consistent and drama-free.
How to Read it
Weekly vs. Seasonal
Weekly RQI: Your game score for that NFL week.
This answers “Who was slinging it best this week?“
Seasonal RQI: The sum of your weekly scores. The running tally of who’s actually stacking passing value all year.
This answers the question of “Who has been that guy this whole season?“
TL;DR
Didn’t want to read the whole thing? I get it. Just know this: The RQI is a fun, fan-brained, box-score-smart way to grade passing, both weekly and all season, with enough structure to be fair and enough VIBEZ to feel right.