LNG stands for longest and is a statistic used to display how long a player rushes, passes, receives, or returns the ball.
Taking a look at the position of the player will help you determine what this statistic refers to.
LNG in a quarterback’s stats refers to the longest pass completed by the quarterback. LNG in a wide receiver’s stats refers to the longest catch made by the wide receiver.
In running back stats, LNG displays the longest rush a running back had. It is also used in kick and punt return stats to display the longest return a player had.
LNG in passing yards
In passing yards, LNG represents the longest pass completed by a quarterback. The yardage in this statistic represents the distance that the ball was advanced from the line of scrimmage.
The largest passing play is not measured by the distance the quarterback threw the ball, but by the number of yards gained.
A quarterback’s longest pass would still be displayed in the LNG column if he threw a two-yard check down pass which resulted in a 99 yard touchdown.
LNG in rushing yards
Longest rush stats are collected for both running backs and quarterbacks in football.
On a rush, this stat shows how many yards were gained from scrimmage. If the player was given the ball behind the line of scrimmage, these yards are not included.
LNG in receiving yards
A receiving yard long refers to the longest reception a player has made in a particular game or season. Again, this statistic is based on the distance gained from the line of scrimmage.
In order to determine the longest reception, they will use the passing play that gained the most yards from the line of scrimscrimage. This is regardless of the number of air yards or yards after the catch on the play.
Punt and kick returns
Kick and punt returns are another position that uses the long statistic. Usually, this statistic includes both an average punt return and a long return.
When a kick is caught outside the end zone, the longest return is determined by how many yards are gained from the location where the kick was caught.
The return yardage is measured from the point where they caught the ball if the ball is kicked into the end zone.
Since the end zone is about ten yards deep, many players have returned kicks over 100 yards.
How to use the LNG statistic
LNG is not the most useful statistic in the game, but it does help you understand a little more.
A receiver may have 100 receiving yards in the first half. You may think this player is dominating our team, but if you check the LNG stats you will see he had a 95-yard reception.
In contrast, if a receiver has 100 yards and his LNG is 10 yards, that means he is cutting you up, since he would need at least ten receptions to achieve those numbers.
This is just one example of how this statistic can help you understand the game better.