plasticman
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The methodology is I take all the pertinent team stats rankings of the past five SB teams, take the average of each, and then list each attribute from the highest rankings to the lowest.
For example, the regular season ranks in Points For belonging to the past five SB champs were #1, #7, #3, #5 and #4 and that gives us an average of exactly 4.
Therefore, the average regular season rank in Points For the past five SB champs is #4.
We then compare each individual average ranks to see what the SB champs had most in common. We do this by identifying the highest averages.
It turns out, the 2nd highest average rank is our example, Points For. Super Bowl Championship teams score.
The 3rd and 4th highest rankings tell us how they powered their high scoring offenses. Both Passing Yards and Passing TD’s had an average rank of #4.2.
The highest average rank of all confirms that the passing game wasn’t limited to short yardage targets. Net Yards Per Attempt had the highest rank at 3.8. All this information tells us that SB QB’s aren't afraid to throw the deep ball.
Here are the average regular season ranks for each offensive category.
NY/A 3.8
PF 4
Pass Yds 4.2
TD Yds 4.2
Total Yds 5.6
1stD 7.4
Pass Att. 9.4
TO 10.2
FL 11
Int 13
Run TD's 13.4
Y/Run 19.6
Run Yards 20.2
Run Plays 21.4
I believe we may have discovered the root cause for the devaluation of the RB position.
Defensively, SB teams are not immovable. They can be scored on. However, their best attribute isn’t about what they can stop. It’s what they can start and that happens to be an extra drive for the offense.
Their best average regular season defensive rank was interceptions. Their fifth best was all takeaways. Super Bowl championship defenses bend but don’t break and they present extra opportunities for the offense.
The 2nd best defensive rank is preventing what their own offense does best, Average Yards Per Attempt. Super bowl teams have very good secondaries that take the ball away and prevents big passing plays.
Here is the part we don’t like. Super Bowl defenses are very good against the run. This is where their 3rd, 4th and 6th best ranks are, Running Plays, Running TD’s and Running yards.
Here are the average regular season ranks for Super Bowl defenses:
Int 7.8
NY/A 8.2
RunPlays 9.2
Run TD's 9.6
TO 10
RunYards 10.4
PF 10.6
Yds 14.4
Y/Run 15.8
TD 16.2
1stD 16.6
FL 17.4
Yds 18.2
Att 27.4
For comparison, here are the Cowboys current ranks:
Offense
TO 1
Pass TD 1
PF 2
1stD 2
Int 2
FL 4
Total Yards 6
Passing yards 6
NY/A 6
Run ATT 9
Pass ATT 10
Run Yards 12
Run TD's 14
Y/Run 15
Defense
Pass Attempts 2
PA 5
Pass Yards 5
Total yards 7
1stD 10
NY/A 10
Pass TD 11
Int 13
Run TD 15
FL 16
Takeaways 17-
Run ATT 18
Y/Run 18
Run yards 19
So where does the Cowboys offense stand in comparison to the previous five SB champions?
Offensively, the 2023 Cowboys rank higher in 9 of 14 categories and .6 or lower in 3 others. The 2 remaining averages, NY/A and Pass Yards are still ranked top ten in the league this season.
We would conclude from this data that the Dallss Cowboys offense is definitely similar to the past five SB champs.
Defensively, the Cowboys do not fit the profile of a SB team. Five of the top six ranks for SB teams has to do with defending the run and producing turnovers. This season the Cowboys are somewhat pedestrian in those categories, ranking from #15 to #19.
What makes the Cowboys defense ranked in the top seven is the fact that they have no glaring weaknesses. of the 14 defensive categories, their lowest rank is at #19. They have no ranking of 20 or below in these categories. The Dolphins are the only division leader to claim the same.
The fact remains. Super Bowl champion defenses are typically very good against the run and they produce turnovers. At the beginning of the season nobody would have thought the Cowboys wouldn't dominate in the takeaway category. They had 10 in the first 4 games but only 11 in the 11 games since. Bland has been good as well as fortunate, but the Cowboys need another defensive playmaker to force takeaways.
For example, the regular season ranks in Points For belonging to the past five SB champs were #1, #7, #3, #5 and #4 and that gives us an average of exactly 4.
Therefore, the average regular season rank in Points For the past five SB champs is #4.
We then compare each individual average ranks to see what the SB champs had most in common. We do this by identifying the highest averages.
It turns out, the 2nd highest average rank is our example, Points For. Super Bowl Championship teams score.
The 3rd and 4th highest rankings tell us how they powered their high scoring offenses. Both Passing Yards and Passing TD’s had an average rank of #4.2.
The highest average rank of all confirms that the passing game wasn’t limited to short yardage targets. Net Yards Per Attempt had the highest rank at 3.8. All this information tells us that SB QB’s aren't afraid to throw the deep ball.
Here are the average regular season ranks for each offensive category.
NY/A 3.8
PF 4
Pass Yds 4.2
TD Yds 4.2
Total Yds 5.6
1stD 7.4
Pass Att. 9.4
TO 10.2
FL 11
Int 13
Run TD's 13.4
Y/Run 19.6
Run Yards 20.2
Run Plays 21.4
I believe we may have discovered the root cause for the devaluation of the RB position.
Defensively, SB teams are not immovable. They can be scored on. However, their best attribute isn’t about what they can stop. It’s what they can start and that happens to be an extra drive for the offense.
Their best average regular season defensive rank was interceptions. Their fifth best was all takeaways. Super Bowl championship defenses bend but don’t break and they present extra opportunities for the offense.
The 2nd best defensive rank is preventing what their own offense does best, Average Yards Per Attempt. Super bowl teams have very good secondaries that take the ball away and prevents big passing plays.
Here is the part we don’t like. Super Bowl defenses are very good against the run. This is where their 3rd, 4th and 6th best ranks are, Running Plays, Running TD’s and Running yards.
Here are the average regular season ranks for Super Bowl defenses:
Int 7.8
NY/A 8.2
RunPlays 9.2
Run TD's 9.6
TO 10
RunYards 10.4
PF 10.6
Yds 14.4
Y/Run 15.8
TD 16.2
1stD 16.6
FL 17.4
Yds 18.2
Att 27.4
For comparison, here are the Cowboys current ranks:
Offense
TO 1
Pass TD 1
PF 2
1stD 2
Int 2
FL 4
Total Yards 6
Passing yards 6
NY/A 6
Run ATT 9
Pass ATT 10
Run Yards 12
Run TD's 14
Y/Run 15
Defense
Pass Attempts 2
PA 5
Pass Yards 5
Total yards 7
1stD 10
NY/A 10
Pass TD 11
Int 13
Run TD 15
FL 16
Takeaways 17-
Run ATT 18
Y/Run 18
Run yards 19
So where does the Cowboys offense stand in comparison to the previous five SB champions?
Offensively, the 2023 Cowboys rank higher in 9 of 14 categories and .6 or lower in 3 others. The 2 remaining averages, NY/A and Pass Yards are still ranked top ten in the league this season.
We would conclude from this data that the Dallss Cowboys offense is definitely similar to the past five SB champs.
Defensively, the Cowboys do not fit the profile of a SB team. Five of the top six ranks for SB teams has to do with defending the run and producing turnovers. This season the Cowboys are somewhat pedestrian in those categories, ranking from #15 to #19.
What makes the Cowboys defense ranked in the top seven is the fact that they have no glaring weaknesses. of the 14 defensive categories, their lowest rank is at #19. They have no ranking of 20 or below in these categories. The Dolphins are the only division leader to claim the same.
The fact remains. Super Bowl champion defenses are typically very good against the run and they produce turnovers. At the beginning of the season nobody would have thought the Cowboys wouldn't dominate in the takeaway category. They had 10 in the first 4 games but only 11 in the 11 games since. Bland has been good as well as fortunate, but the Cowboys need another defensive playmaker to force takeaways.
