Player

Case Keenum

QB (retired)

A journeyman QB finishing 4th in the NFL in ball security — ahead of Brady, Brees, and Wilson — is the statistical core of why the 2017 MIN run wasn't just luck: he had a genuinely clean season.

FanIQ Research · May 10, 2026 · 6 facts, every one from the play-by-play

In 2017, Keenum's INT% was 1.46% — 4th-lowest in the NFL among QBs with 400+ attempts, and 56% lower than his own career average.

Anomaly

2017 INT% ranking (400+ att)

Rank	QB	INTs	Att	INT%
1	Tyrod Taylor	4	420	0.95%
2	Alex Smith	5	505	0.99%
3	Tom Brady	8	581	1.38%
4	Case Keenum	7	481	1.46%
5	Jared Goff	7	477	1.47%

Why it matters. A journeyman QB finishing 4th in the NFL in ball security — ahead of Brady, Brees, and Wilson — is the statistical core of why the 2017 MIN run wasn't just luck: he had a genuinely clean season.

Only 6 QBs in 2017 threw 22+ TDs with 8 or fewer INTs. Keenum was the only undrafted QB in that group — alongside Wentz, Brady, Goff, Smith, and Brees.

Comparison

2017 QBs: 22+ TDs, ≤8 INTs

QB	TDs	INTs	TD/INT
Carson Wentz	33	7	4.71
Tom Brady	32	8	4.00
Jared Goff	28	7	4.00
Alex Smith	26	5	5.20
Drew Brees	23	8	2.88
Case Keenum	22	7	3.14

Why it matters. It contextualizes the 2017 MIN season statistically: he wasn't merely a game-manager carried by the defense — his TD/INT ratio put him in the same tier as legitimate MVP contenders that year.

Keenum's INT rate: 3.51% in 2016 → 1.46% in 2017 → 2.56% in 2018. The one-year correction was the 10th-biggest inter-season drop in DB history.

Trend

Keenum INT% by starter season

Season	Team	INT%	INTs/Att
2013	HOU	2.37%	6/253
2016	LAR	3.51%	11/313
2017	MIN	1.46%	7/481
2018	DEN	2.56%	15/586
2019	WAS	2.02%	5/247

Why it matters. The INT rate reversal mirrors the broader narrative: MIN's short-route scheme and elite defense created a controlled environment Keenum could thrive in — once the structure changed in DEN, the old tendencies returned.

Keenum's 2017 air yards per attempt (7.6) ranked 5th-lowest in the NFL — yet he was 1 of 2 short-route QBs with 20+ TDs and ≤8 INTs.

Split

2017 QBs: lowest AYPA (400+ att)

QB	AYPA	TDs	INTs
Drew Brees	6.4	23	8
Joe Flacco	6.7	18	13
Eli Manning	7.3	19	13
Jacoby Brissett	7.5	13	7
Case Keenum	7.6	22	7

Why it matters. Low air yards usually signals a conservative offense leaning on check-downs — which typically limits TD production. Keenum threading the needle between low risk and high TD output is the overlooked statistical signature of that MIN season.

Keenum completed 10 of 15 starts in 2017 without an INT — a 66.7% zero-INT game rate that ranked 3rd in the NFL, ahead of Brady (56.3%) and Brees (62.5%).

Anomaly

2017 zero-INT game rate (12+ starts)

Rank	QB	0-INT Games	Starts	Rate
1	Alex Smith	11	15	73.3%
2	Tyrod Taylor	11	15	73.3%
3	Case Keenum	10	15	66.7%
4	Drew Brees	10	16	62.5%
5	Philip Rivers	10	16	62.5%
...	Tom Brady	9	16	56.3%

Why it matters. Zero-INT game rate captures ball discipline better than raw INT count, since it normalizes for volume. Keenum's 3rd-place finish among all starters is the strongest single-metric argument that the 2017 season was genuinely elite, not just lucky.

Keenum's 2017 completion % was 67.6% — 6.7 points above his career average of 60.9%, the largest single-season lift of any full year he started.

Comparison

Keenum completion % by starter season

Season	Team	Comp%	Att
2013	HOU	54.2%	253
2016	LAR	60.9%	313
2017	MIN	67.6%	481
2018	DEN	62.3%	586
2019	WAS	64.8%	247

Why it matters. A 6.7-point completion jump in a full-starter season — without a corresponding drop in air yards — is a genuine accuracy signal, not a system artifact. It shows that Keenum's 2017 performance was the product of real improvement in ball placement, not just an easy schedule.

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