They almost always walk
85%
of contests with a top-10 call
A call in 11 of 13 contests
A top-10 category call in 85% of their 13 contests — they get to the stage more often than not.
SIMPLY Q
At a glance (everything the results say about this team, in numbers)
Rating
1568
peak 1568 · rated over 12 contests ⓘ
Contests
13
in the data
First seen
2013-04-19
latest 2017-09-08
Best ToY finish
#269
Master 2013
Grand champs
0
0 reserve
Category wins
0
2 podiums
Overall top-10s
4
of 13 contests
Avg finish
top 31%
overall standings
Perfect 180s
0
Current form
645.17 ▼
last 5 Master vs avg 646.27 (-1.10)
Walk rate
85%
contests with a top-10 call
Consistency
±17.24
std dev of Master overall scores (lower = steadier)
Strongest meat
Pork Ribs
avg 163.76 · weakest Brisket (158.93)
Road miles
2,496
mi across 13 mapped stops · furthest 496 mi
Schedule strength
15%
of rated fields were softer than their average draw (1521)
State championships
0 🏅
GCs in 1 state-championship entries
Master avg
646.27 / 720
12 Master contests · 0 GCs
Storylines (9 found in this team's record)
Each card leads with the number that made it a story — read straight out of their results, no editorialising.
High-water mark
676.4916
career-best overall
94.0% of a perfect 720
Their best day on record: 676.4916 at 13th Annual Recovery Fest/8th Annual BBQ State Championship — 94.0% of a perfect 720.
- Master
- 2017-09-08
The one to beat
2×
one call ahead of them
ALQUEMY - VA has finished one call ahead of SIMPLY Q 2 times — their closest competition in the data.
A tough matchup
6–1
behind in the head-to-head
3 EYZ BBQ ahead in 86% of their meetings
3 EYZ BBQ has come out ahead in 6 of their 7 shared contests.
The weak link
−4.8
points behind their best meat
Brisket is where the weekend gets away from them — it averages 4.82 points below their pork ribs, and turns into a call 33% of the time against 67%.
- Brisket avg 158.93
- Pork Ribs avg 163.76
- 4 calls in 12 entries
A strong matchup
6–0
ahead in the head-to-head
Ahead in 100% of their meetings
They've finished ahead of LYIN' PIGS in 6 of their 6 shared contests.
The comeback
2.1 yrs
off the trail, then back
Off the trail for 2.1 years, then back at 13th Annual Recovery Fest/8th Annual BBQ State Championship (2017-09-08).
- last seen 2015-08-14
- back 2017-09-08
Pork Ribs nemesis
5 of 7
shared pork ribs entries lost
3 EYZ BBQ ahead 71% of the time
Even in their strongest meat, 3 EYZ BBQ has out-cooked them in 5 of 7 shared pork ribs entries.
The metronome
±2.39%
swing around their own average
Their overall lands within ±2.39% of a perfect score of their own average — whatever the field, you know roughly what they'll turn in.
- averages 89.8% of a perfect score
- 13 contests
Teams like this (closest power rating)
The nearest teams in the power rankings, with a different reason on each card — six teams on one rating are rarely on it for the same reason. Rating decides who makes the list; where teams tie on it, the ones this team has actually cooked against come first, then teams at a similar point in their own career. KCBS doesn’t publish where a team is from, so nothing here is inferred from geography.
56 rated teams sit within a point of this rating, so a place on this list means the numbers match — no more than that.
#1447 of the rated field
- Contests
- 19
- GCs
- 0
- Top-10s
- 16%
- Peak
- 1568
1–0 in 1 shared contest (100% to SIMPLY Q)
One contest in common so far: too few to settle anything, but a team SIMPLY Q has actually stood beside rather than a stranger on the same rating.
⚔ Head-to-head#1440 of the rated field
- Contests
- 16
- GCs
- 0
- Top-10s
- 19%
- Peak
- 1568
No shared contest yet.
This is the highest they've ever been rated, 13 rated contests in — a team sitting at its own career peak.
⚔ Head-to-head#1436 of the rated field
- Contests
- 11
- GCs
- 0
- Top-10s
- 45%
- Peak
- 1588
No shared contest yet.
Careers of much the same size, 11 contests to 13, so neither rating has had more chance to settle than the other.
⚔ Head-to-head#1450 of the rated field
- Contests
- 12
- GCs
- 1
- Top-10s
- 25%
- Peak
- 1572
No shared contest yet.
Their rating is built on 1 Grand Championship in 12 contests, alongside a 25% overall top-10 rate.
⚔ Head-to-head#1444 of the rated field
- Contests
- 14
- GCs
- 0
- Top-10s
- 29%
- Peak
- 1568
No shared contest yet.
They turned up 9 years after SIMPLY Q did, first appearing in 2022.
⚔ Head-to-head#1434 of the rated field
- Contests
- 10
- GCs
- 0
- Top-10s
- 40%
- Peak
- 1573
No shared contest yet.
Level with SIMPLY Q on power rating, which is the whole reason they're on the list.
⚔ Head-to-headFamiliar foes (most-met opponents in overall standings — one meeting per contest)
| Opponent | Meetings | Ahead | Behind | Win rate | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| ROCKIN ROBYNS BBQ | 7 | 3 | 4 | 43% | ⚔ compare |
| 3 EYZ BBQ | 7 | 1 | 6 | 14% | ⚔ compare |
| APORKALYPSE NOW | 7 | 1 | 6 | 14% | ⚔ compare |
| LYIN' PIGS | 6 | 6 | 0 | 100% | ⚔ compare |
| LIFE IS GOOD BUT BBQ IS BETTER | 6 | 5 | 1 | 83% | ⚔ compare |
| PAVONE BROTHERS BBQ | 6 | 3 | 3 | 50% | ⚔ compare |
| OLD VIRGINIA SMOKE | 5 | 2 | 3 | 40% | ⚔ compare |
| JD'S SMOKIN MISFITS | 5 | 2 | 3 | 40% | ⚔ compare |
| ALQUEMY - VA | 5 | 2 | 3 | 40% | ⚔ compare |
| FINN'S FINEST BBQ | 5 | 2 | 3 | 40% | ⚔ compare |
| CHIX, SWINE & BOVINE BBQ | 5 | 1 | 4 | 20% | ⚔ compare |
| PORK BARREL BBQ | 5 | 0 | 5 | 0% | ⚔ compare |
By meat
| Category | Entries | Calls | Wins | Podiums | Best | Worst | Average | Avg finish |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Chicken | 12 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 170.2858 | 147.4284 | 160.98 | top 47% |
| Pork Ribs | 12 | 8 | 0 | 1 | 172.5600 | 151.4284 | 163.76 | top 22% |
| Pork | 12 | 5 | 0 | 1 | 172.5600 | 146.8228 | 162.60 | top 33% |
| Brisket | 12 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 169.1200 | 149.0628 | 158.93 | top 42% |
“Calls” = top-10 category finishes (getting called to the stage). Scores here are the final weighted totals KCBS publishes; per-criterion appearance/taste/tenderness marks aren’t in the public results feed.
By state / province
| Where | Contests | GCs | Avg finish |
|---|---|---|---|
| MD | 6 | 0 | top 35% |
| VA | 3 | 0 | top 22% |
| NJ | 1 | 0 | top 45% |
| DE | 1 | 0 | top 23% |
| NC | 1 | 0 | top 26% |
By contest size
| Field | Contests | GCs | Avg finish |
|---|---|---|---|
| Medium (20–39) | 5 | 0 | top 28% |
| Large (40+) | 7 | 0 | top 33% |
Contest-by-contest record (recurring contests they've cooked twice or more)
| Contest | Visits | Best | GCs | Avg finish | Last visit |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Beltway BBQ Showdown | 2 | 8 | 0 | top 30% | 2015-05-29 |
The story so far (16 numbers that describe this team)
On the trail
4.4 yrs
2013-04-19 → 2017-09-08
Busiest season
2013
9 contests
Contests a season
4.3
across 3 seasons in the data
Cooks most in
MD
6 of 13 contests · 6 states/provinces in all
Contests visited
11
1 of them cooked more than once
Most-entered meat
Chicken
12 entries · 0 wins · 2 calls
Strongest meat
Pork Ribs
averages 163.76 · weakest Brisket (158.93)
Walk rate
85%
a top-10 call in 11 of 13 contests
Overall top-10 rate
31%
4 of 13 contests
Master average
646.27
out of 720 · 12 contests · 0 GCs
Opponents faced
400
389–195 across every shared overall standing
Road miles
2,496
13 mapped stops · furthest 496 mi
Schedule strength
1521
average field rating faced — tougher than 15% of rated contests
State championships
0
from 1 state-championship entries
Longest layoff
2.1 yrs
2015-08-14 → 2017-09-08
Power rating
1568
peak 1568 · #1442 of 6,413 rated
Milestones (the firsts, the round numbers and the personal bests)
- 2013
- First tracked contest Pork in the Park Barbeque Festival
- First call Naptown barBAYq Contest & Music Festival
- First overall past 90% of a perfect score651.4284 Naptown barBAYq Contest & Music Festival
- First overall top-10 Beltway BBQ Showdown
- 2015
- 10th tracked contest Beltway BBQ Showdown
- 2017
- Career-best overall score676.4916 13th Annual Recovery Fest/8th Annual BBQ State Championship
- Career-best single call (Pork Ribs)172.5600 13th Annual Recovery Fest/8th Annual BBQ State Championship
- Peak power rating (1568) 13th Annual Recovery Fest/8th Annual BBQ State Championship
- Most recent contest 13th Annual Recovery Fest/8th Annual BBQ State Championship
Power rating over time (1500 = average; recomputed nightly)
📈 Biggest rating jumps
| Swing | Contest | Date |
|---|---|---|
| +13.7 | 13th Annual Recovery Fest/8th Annual BBQ State Championship | 2017-09-08 |
| +9.9 | Naptown barBAYq Contest & Music Festival | 2013-05-03 |
| +9.3 | Beltway BBQ Showdown | 2015-05-29 |
| +8.2 | Middletown BBQ Cook Off | 2013-05-17 |
| +7.7 | Jiggy with the Piggy BBQ Challenge | 2013-05-10 |
📉 Toughest weekends
| Swing | Contest | Date |
|---|---|---|
| -4.4 | Southern Maryland Brew & BBQ | 2015-07-31 |
Category scores over time
Overall finish over time (top-% of field, lower is better)
Where they finish (overall)
Best vs average (by meat)
How entries end (by meat)
Team of the Year rank by season
Season by season
| Season | Contests | GCs | Top-10s | Category wins | Walk rate | Avg finish | Best overall (% of perfect) | Avg overall (% of perfect) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2017 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 100% | top 14% | 94% | 94% |
| 2015 | 3 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 67% | top 34% | 91.4% | 90.5% |
| 2013 | 9 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 89% | top 32% | 92% | 89.1% |
Contest history (click a row for the event, a column to sort)
| Date | Event | Overall | Chicken | Ribs | Pork | Brisket |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2017-09-08 | 13th Annual Recovery Fest/8th Annual BBQ State Championship 🏅 Richmond, VA | 5 / 35 (676.4916) | 21 (163.3944) | 2 (172.5600) | 5 (171.4172) | 8 (169.1200) |
| 2015-08-14 | Classic City BBQ Fest & Tailgate Show (GBC Qualifier) Athens, GA | — | — | — | — | — |
| 2015-07-31 | Southern Maryland Brew & BBQ Leonardtown, MD | 26 / 54 (645.0172) | 34 (159.4172) | 15 (163.9772) | 3 (172.5600) | 40 (149.0628) |
| 2015-05-29 | Beltway BBQ Showdown Ft. Washington, MD | 8 / 39 (658.2288) | 16 (162.2744) | 6 (167.4172) | 7 (166.8572) | 13 (161.6800) |
| 2013-09-21 | Que by the Sea Seaside Heights, NJ | 22 / 49 (610.8228) | 22 (155.9656) | 10 (157.1772) | 37 (146.8228) | 22 (150.8572) |
| 2013-09-06 | Recovery Fest 2013 Richmond, VA | 7 / 28 (635.2684) | 7 (161.0972) | 5 (160.5600) | 10 (155.9312) | 7 (157.6800) |
| 2013-08-16 | Sam's Club National BBQ Tour Laurel, MD | 11 / 29 (659.3028) | 15 (163.9656) | 5 (169.6800) | 14 (163.3944) | 17 (162.2628) |
| 2013-07-19 | Que & Cruz Louisa, VA | 12 / 45 (646.6624) | 27 (158.8000) | 13 (162.2628) | 13 (161.6340) | 10 (163.9656) |
| 2013-05-31 | Beltway BBQ Showdown Ft. Washington, MD | 10 / 25 (651.4282) | 7 (170.2858) | 7 (165.1428) | 15 (160.5714) | 16 (155.4282) |
| 2013-05-17 | Middletown BBQ Cook Off Middletown, DE | 13 / 56 (634.8570) | 44 (147.4284) | 5 (163.4288) | 27 (157.1426) | 6 (166.8572) |
| 2013-05-10 | Jiggy with the Piggy BBQ Challenge Kannapolis, NC | 15 / 58 (662.2856) | 21 (165.1428) | 7 (170.8574) | 11 (170.8570) | 38 (155.4284) |
| 2013-05-03 | Naptown barBAYq Contest & Music Festival Annapolis, MD | 11 / 55 (651.4284) | 14 (166.2858) | 16 (160.5712) | 6 (165.7140) | 22 (158.8574) |
| 2013-04-19 | Pork in the Park Barbeque Festival Salisbury, MD | 47 / 106 (623.4282) | 51 (157.7142) | 58 (151.4284) | 36 (158.2858) | 47 (155.9998) |
Career map (orange GC · green top-10 · grey the rest — tap a pin)
Team of the Year standings (rank per category by season — year links to the full board on kcbs.us)
| Year | Series | Overall | Chicken | Ribs | Pork | Brisket |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2017 ↗ | Master | #1365 (185 pts) | #2146 (80 pts) | #1233 (260 pts) | #1462 (185 pts) | #1623 (155 pts) |
| 2015 ↗ | Master | #1268 (215 pts) | #1567 (165 pts) | #1128 (285 pts) | #905 (400 pts) | #1431 (180 pts) |
| 2013 ↗ | Master | #269 (1111 pts) | #315 (951 pts) | #186 (1366 pts) | #281 (1026 pts) | #302 (1011 pts) |