for them to catch it. The WRs job is to catch it. Assume the ball is not caught, the closer the ball is to the ideal catch zone, the less that miss is on the QB and the more it is on the WR. The farther away it is from the zone, the more it's on the QB and the less on the WR.

Velocity on the ball and distance between QB and WR also plays a role. The closer the QB and WR are to each other, the more velocity will impact whether the ball is caught. High-velocity, short-distance throws are inherently more difficult to catch, so the farther the high-velocity ball is from the ideal catch zone, the less likely it is to be caught, and the more responsibility it is on the QB for making a high-velocity, short-distance throw away from the ideal catch zone.

You can argue that the best WRs catch more balls out of the ideal catch zone, which is true. But not every WR is the best WR. Using Puka as an example doesn't help. He is the NFL record-holder in rookie catches and yards. He's far from the average receiver, and using his skills to determine whether the QB or WR is more or less responsible for a miss isnt at all helpful.

The truth is, both Lassiter and Retzlaff had a role in those misses on Saturday. IMO, some were more on Retzlaff, others were more on Lassiter.