BelichickFan

http://www.footballoutsiders.com/200...rankings/4768/

We're 5th for the season. But we're 2nd in the Weighted rankings which weights the last half of the season heavier.

Offense 7th, Defense 8th, ST 8th. The Jest is 15th, 26th, 5th respectively.

Last year we were 7th, 27th, 12th respectively.

We're amazingly balanced.

Pass offense : 6th, Run offense : 8th, Pass defense 7th, Run Defense 10th.

The Jest, respectively is :

12th, 18th, 21st, 32nd.

BelichickFan

One extra thing, as our defense seemed to get a lot better last year in the second half, I looked at the Weighted 2005 Defense.

Last year the defense was 27th, Weighted only rising to 25th. This year our defense is 8th and weighted it is 5th.

So we really are far stronger heading into the playoff than last year.

Patters

Posted this URL in another thread, which sunk like a stone. It contains a couple dozen links to various rankings, and shows the Pats are generally ranked #4, by occasionally make 1, 2, or 3, depending on the formula used:

http://www.nutshellsports.com/wilson/nfl.html

BradyManny

Good info, I'll have to check these links in more detail later (when I'm not at work pretending to work).

Personally, I'm feeling pretty confident, and numbers like this only boost that feeling. We're balanced all around, and that's the toughest thing to compete with. Teams with glaring weaknesses get exposed real fast in the playoffs (Colts....)

Oswlek

The problem with the weigthed rankings of last year are the fact that from the second half of the Jet game on NE stopped really trying.

Had the entire season been like the first Jet game to the TB game I Have no doubt that FO would have ranked them in the top 3.

I guess I am saying that I don't think the D is any better than the end of last year. It doesn't need to be, either. NE just needs to not turn the ball over and they can beat anyone.

Kasmir

But Jets had 5th ranked special teams, we had 9th. We had the #1 kickoff return unit, they had the #2. Our kickoffs were good, as was our punt returns, but our fg/xp and punting were below average. Jet punting good, everything else average.

Overall, we're the only team with top 10 rankings for all three units, and indeed the only team with top 10 rankikngs for both offense and defense. We've been steadily improving in the 2nd half of the season. Last year's team was 12th in overall DVOA, BTW.

AzPatsFan

Not Bad, at all.

For a rebuilding club playing lots of rookies, sophomores and newcomers on Offense, Defense and STs.

BelichickFan

We were 8th not 9th. Also the difference wasn't big with The Jest ST at 3.2% and us at 2.6%.

BelichickFan

I think we are. I think Samuel and Warren are both noticeably better than last year. Some might say OLB with TBC instead of McGinest is a downgrade but I don't think it's a big one; the other guys we have are largely playing the same.

Kasmir

That's unweighted. Weighted DVOA we're 9th at 2.8%, Jets 5th at 4.9%.

http://www.footballoutsiders.com/stats/teamst.php

On offense we were 8th ranked weighted at +12.2%, on defense 5th ranked at -12.5%:

http://www.footballoutsiders.com/stats/teamoff.php
http://www.footballoutsiders.com/stats/teamdef.php

The Jets special teams are very good, but so are ours. Since the Jets are great at returning kicks, this game could be a big test for Gostkowski, who has been excellent at kickoffs but below average at fg/xp...