JSn
Experienced Starter w/First Big Contract
- Joined
- Jun 22, 2008
- Messages
- 7,428
- Reaction score
- 1
Love these guys for their fact-based opinions, but I can't help but think it's too early in the season to engrave the tombstone.
Cold, Hard Football Facts.com: New England's statistical free fall
Excerpts:
In spite of that, they pick the Pats to win Sunday:
Cold, Hard Football Facts.com: New England's statistical free fall
Excerpts:
The Brady Fallout
The evidence of the post-Brady fallout so far is evident in the Cold, Hard Football Facts and in our Quality Stats – stats that have a direct correlation to winning football games
* The Patriots last year ranked No. 1 in our Offensive Hog Index, our measure of each team’s offensive line. This year they rank 22nd.
* The Patriots last year ranked No. 1 in passing yards per attempt, probably the single most important statistical indicator of success in all of sports. This year they rank 25th.
* The Patriots last year ranked No. 1 in Scoreability, our measure of offensive efficiency. This year they rank 25th.
* The Patriots last year ranked No. 1 in Relativity, our measure of how each team performs relative to the quality of their opposition. This year they rank 28th, ahead of only the dregs of the NFL (Texans, Chiefs, Lions, Rams).
The defense has not been immune either, folks.
* The Patriots last year ranked 11th in defensive passer rating, one of the key indicators of defensive success. This year they rank 26th.
The evidence is scant at this point in the season. After all, the Patriots have played just three games. But the trends are fairly obvious: the Patriots are in a world of hurt – especially when you consider the poor quality of their opposition so far in 2008.
In spite of that, they pick the Pats to win Sunday:
New England (-3) at San Francisco
The Patriots have had two weeks to lick their wounds after a troubling home loss to Miami. The 49ers are likewise coming off a one-sided defeat. New England has never won in San Francisco (0-4), but an embarrassed defense that still ranks fourth in Bendability could rectify that.
The pick: Patriots 22, 49ers 17
Last edited: