You would think that good teams would have the ball more. You have the ball more, you score more points. You score more points and you win more games. But it didn’t play out that way last year.
As I’m flipping through these charts that 7 of the top 11 teams in time of possession didn’t make the playoffs. Atlanta finished in the top spot in that one, and it wasn’t even close.
In “plays run”, which is sort of like time of possession, six of the top seven teams didn’t make the postseason. Houston ended up No. 1 in that category, and it had to slip into the playoffs when Indianapolis imploded late in the year.
Of the bottom 11 teams, meanwhile, five made the playoffs.
Weird.
Not sure there’s any major fantasy takeaway to apply, but weird.
OFFENSES RUNNING THE MOST PLAYS | ||
---|---|---|
Rk | Team | Plays |
1. | Houston | 1,127 |
2. | Philadelphia | 1,102 |
3. | San Diego | 1,100 |
4. | New Orleans | 1,096 |
5. | Baltimore | 1,083 |
6. | NY Jets | 1,074 |
7. | Atlanta | 1,073 |
8. | Carolina | 1,060 |
9. | Denver | 1,056 |
10. | Green Bay | 1,056 |
11. | NY Giants | 1,053 |
12. | Indianapolis | 1,052 |
13. | New England | 1,050 |
14. | Cleveland | 1,042 |
15. | Arizona | 1,041 |
16. | Seattle | 1,035 |
17. | Detroit | 1,030 |
18. | Chicago | 1,025 |
19. | Tampa Bay | 1,017 |
20. | Buffalo | 1,016 |
21. | Jacksonville | 1,012 |
22. | Pittsburgh | 1,011 |
23. | Washington | 1,011 |
24. | Oakland | 1,008 |
25. | Cincinnati | 1,004 |
26. | Miami | 977 |
27. | Tennessee | 976 |
28. | Minnesota | 973 |
29. | Dallas | 969 |
30. | San Francisco | 969 |
31. | Kansas City | 955 |
32. | St. Louis | 920 |
—Ian Allan