percyhoward
Research Tool
- Messages
- 17,062
- Reaction score
- 21,861
Average Gain
games 1-8: run 5.4 yd, pass 6.2 yd
games 10-15: run 3.9 yd, pass 7.8 yd
Conversion Percentage
games 1-8: run 29.1%, pass 38.7%
games 10-15: run 20.4%, pass 46.7%
These numbers are all for the first half of games only. Conversion Percentage is the percentage of plays that result in a first down. They show a huge drop-off in our running game over the last six games. In the first half of games 1-8, our rushing offense ranked 3rd in conversion percentage, and 2nd in average gain. Those numbers got the attention of defenses, who responded by focusing on stopping the run. In games 10-15, those rankings have plummeted to 20th in conversion percentage, and 23rd in average gain.
Over the last six games, our pass offense ranks 1st and 5th in those categories, up from 3rd and 19th over games 1-8. What this means is that our passing game has more than met the challenge of needing more yards to keep its conversion rate up. The typical first half pass play now gains twice as many yards as a run play.
Play Selection
games 1-8: run 46.6%, pass 53.4%
games 10-15: run 47.8%, pass 52.2%
Although we aren't running nearly as well as we were in the first 8 games, we continue to run the ball. In games 1-8, we led the league at 5.6 yards per first down run. Defenses have caught up to that in games 10-15, and we only average 3.7 per first down run to rank 20th. But we've maintained our balance, and are routinely running into stacked boxes, because our passing game affords us the luxury of doing so. As defenses have throttled our run game, our strategy of keeping the ball away from the opponent has evolved into one of running away from them on the scoreboard, but with the element of keep away still there.
Percentage of Total Yards
games 1-8: run 43.1%, pass 56.9%
games 10-15: run 31.7%, pass 68.3%
Over the first eight games, rushing yards accounted for more than 43% of our total yardage. Over the last six games the rushing yards have gone way down, but total offensive yardage has not been affected at all. Now almost 70% of our first-half production comes from passing, which is identical to last year's whole-game numbers. We aren't passing more, but we're taking advantage of the respect that defenses must give to our running attack by getting more yards when we do pass.
Average Drive
games 1-8
points: 2.19 (1.86 when starting inside own 35)
yards: 38.7
TD: 23.3%
TOP: 3:20
score: trailing by 2.2 points
games 10-15:
points: 3.25 (2.55 when starting inside own 35)
yards: 37.3
TD: 43.8%
TOP: 3:18
score: leading by 1.6 points
As the pendulum has swung back to the pass, we are scoring more first-half points. The percentage of drives ending in touchdowns has gone way, way up. We're averaging more than a full point per drive. That doesn't sound like much, but it's the equivalent of moving up 20 places in the league rankings.
It's about allocation of resources. Before, teams had no reason to fear our rushing attack, and could focus on stopping the pass. But with the improvements on the offensive line, the running game reached a point this season where it became so effective in games 1-8, that our opponents had to allocate resources toward stopping it. That took their attention away from what has been one of the league's top 10 pass offenses for several years.
The league's defenses picked a new poison, and they are choking on that poison now.
NFL Pass Rating (1st half only)
games 10-15:
Romo 132.8
Eli 110.3
Peyton 107.7
Rodgers 107.1
Brees 105.7
games 1-8: run 5.4 yd, pass 6.2 yd
games 10-15: run 3.9 yd, pass 7.8 yd
Conversion Percentage
games 1-8: run 29.1%, pass 38.7%
games 10-15: run 20.4%, pass 46.7%
These numbers are all for the first half of games only. Conversion Percentage is the percentage of plays that result in a first down. They show a huge drop-off in our running game over the last six games. In the first half of games 1-8, our rushing offense ranked 3rd in conversion percentage, and 2nd in average gain. Those numbers got the attention of defenses, who responded by focusing on stopping the run. In games 10-15, those rankings have plummeted to 20th in conversion percentage, and 23rd in average gain.
Over the last six games, our pass offense ranks 1st and 5th in those categories, up from 3rd and 19th over games 1-8. What this means is that our passing game has more than met the challenge of needing more yards to keep its conversion rate up. The typical first half pass play now gains twice as many yards as a run play.
Play Selection
games 1-8: run 46.6%, pass 53.4%
games 10-15: run 47.8%, pass 52.2%
Although we aren't running nearly as well as we were in the first 8 games, we continue to run the ball. In games 1-8, we led the league at 5.6 yards per first down run. Defenses have caught up to that in games 10-15, and we only average 3.7 per first down run to rank 20th. But we've maintained our balance, and are routinely running into stacked boxes, because our passing game affords us the luxury of doing so. As defenses have throttled our run game, our strategy of keeping the ball away from the opponent has evolved into one of running away from them on the scoreboard, but with the element of keep away still there.
Percentage of Total Yards
games 1-8: run 43.1%, pass 56.9%
games 10-15: run 31.7%, pass 68.3%
Over the first eight games, rushing yards accounted for more than 43% of our total yardage. Over the last six games the rushing yards have gone way down, but total offensive yardage has not been affected at all. Now almost 70% of our first-half production comes from passing, which is identical to last year's whole-game numbers. We aren't passing more, but we're taking advantage of the respect that defenses must give to our running attack by getting more yards when we do pass.
Average Drive
games 1-8
points: 2.19 (1.86 when starting inside own 35)
yards: 38.7
TD: 23.3%
TOP: 3:20
score: trailing by 2.2 points
games 10-15:
points: 3.25 (2.55 when starting inside own 35)
yards: 37.3
TD: 43.8%
TOP: 3:18
score: leading by 1.6 points
As the pendulum has swung back to the pass, we are scoring more first-half points. The percentage of drives ending in touchdowns has gone way, way up. We're averaging more than a full point per drive. That doesn't sound like much, but it's the equivalent of moving up 20 places in the league rankings.
It's about allocation of resources. Before, teams had no reason to fear our rushing attack, and could focus on stopping the pass. But with the improvements on the offensive line, the running game reached a point this season where it became so effective in games 1-8, that our opponents had to allocate resources toward stopping it. That took their attention away from what has been one of the league's top 10 pass offenses for several years.
The league's defenses picked a new poison, and they are choking on that poison now.
NFL Pass Rating (1st half only)
games 10-15:
Romo 132.8
Eli 110.3
Peyton 107.7
Rodgers 107.1
Brees 105.7
