4th downs make a big difference (yards per play vs yards per game)

[Millhouse]

Our yards per play margin percentage got worse. -27% this year, -22% last year

Our yards per game margin percentage got better. -14% this year, -37% last year

I think a big reason for this is converting more than double the 4th downs we did last year. Low hanging fruit that I've yelled about for years.

Yards per play tells you about your offense and defense but keeping the ball can take a bad per play difference and make it less bad. The total yards (without percentages) looks worse because of the pace. That pace will be worth suffering through when the per play margin goes our way. Then we'll amplify that per play and per game advantage more by being smarter than other meatheads in the punting game, or lack thereof

 

[TheCusian]

Our yards per play margin percentage got worse. -27% this year, -22% last year

Our yards per game margin percentage got better. -14% this year, -37% last year

I think a big reason for this is converting more than double the 4th downs we did last year. Low hanging fruit that I've yelled about for years.

Yards per play tells you about your offense and defense but keeping the ball can take a bad per play difference and make it less bad. The total yards (without percentages) looks worse because of the pace. That pace will be worth suffering through when the per play margin goes our way. Then we'll amplify that per play and per game advantage more by being smarter than other meatheads in the punting game, or lack thereof

Addazzio, Clawson, and Narduzzi all got the tingle that someone was talking about them

 

[Millhouse]

 

[Millhouse]

Throw the ball reliably and often, punt less, and you can offset being much worse than your opponents.

that kind of yards per play differential is worse than Gerg's last year but in gerg's last year, the yards per game gap was 53% and this year it was 14%

moral of the story is this year could've been so much worse without going for it as much as we did