NFL Stats - Football Is A Game Of Inches And Numbers

Someone once said that football is a game of inches. If you don't think that's true, ask the player who missed the winning touchdown because he was tackled just before the goal line. If NFL football is a game of inches, it is also a game of NFL stats. NFL stats (short for statistics) are measurements and metrics recorded for nearly every aspect of the game.

Statistics are, by nature, a way to describe or predict expected behavior based on past results. Therefore NFL stats are a way to predict what a given player or team is expected to do in almost any situation. The key here is that NFL stats provide the "expected" or "average" behavior. NFL stats cannot usually predict big plays, trick plays, or other sorts of unexpected behavior. However, if a given player or team tends to use a the same trick play under certain conditions, then NFL stats can even begin to predict the chances of that play occurring.

General statistics, including NFL stats, are most able to indicate the expected behavior or result when there are lots of measurements taken. For example, consider the rookie quarterback playing in his first NFL game. One his first play, he completes a pass for 8 yards. When you see his NFL stats at that point, they seem to say that he will complete a pass of 8 yards on 100% of his plays.

That's true mathematically, but not in the real world. If the quarterback hands the ball to other players on the next 9 plays, his NFL stats would say that he completes an 8-yard pass on 10% of his plays. The stats would also indicate that he hands the ball off on 90% of his plays. It is important to have enough information backing up the NFL stats in order to use them effectively.

NFL stats include almost any conceivable category. Some of the most common NFL stats include passing yards, rushing yards, interceptions, tackles, scoring, touchdowns, and field goals. Most NFL stats that involve carrying the football are presented as (average) yards per carry.

Kicking statistics include the average distance per kick, and the average distance from which the kick is made. NFL coaches use kicking NFL stats to get their field goal kickers into the proper range. For example, if the kicker has never made a 50-yard field goal, the coach would want to be sure the kicker was within 50 yards of the goal posts.

Average passing yards are given as yards per pass. NFL stats for passing include completion percentage (for the quarterback) and receiving yards (for the receiver). NFL stats include the bad plays too. Quarterback statistics show the number or percentage of interceptions thrown.

A relatively new set of NFL stats was adopted to rate quarterback performance. This is the Quarterback Rating. This rating combines several NFL stats into one. The quarterback rating combines the following four NFL stats: percentage of completions per attempt, average yards gained per attempt, percentage of touchdown passes per attempt, and percentage of interceptions per attempt. These NFL stats are combined in a formula to create the quarterback rating. These ratings are used to compare two separate quarterbacks, or to compare the same quarterback during different seasons.

If used correctly, NFL stats are useful planning tools. One thing NFL stats can't predict is surprises. Spectacular plays result when a player is able to play above the level predicted by his NFL stats.

Copyright 2006 Jim Sterling - All Rights Reserved

My Favorite Superbowl Commercial - NFL Ad - Chester Pitts

Technorati Tags: NFL, NFL Stats - Football Is A Game Of Inches And Numbers, NFL Stats

• NFL
• Highest NFL Game Ever
• Live NFL Results
• NFL Cheerleaders
• NFL Coaches Names
• NFL Draft
• NFL Fantasy
• NFL Footballs
• NFL Football Tickets
• NFL Jerseys
• NFL Network
• NFL Pool Table Cover Online
• NFL Records
• NFL Scouts
• NFL Shop
• NFL Stats
• NFL Teams
• The History Of The Super Bowl
• The National Football League
• Who Invented The NFL
• Social Bookmark This
• 
• 
• 
• 
• 
• 
• Privacy Policy
• Sitemap
• Resources
• Add URL