PatsFaninAZ
In the Starting Line-Up
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- Sep 2, 2006
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There are a few teams in the NFL that can win double digit games even with some spotty defense and even if they have a bad day in the takeaway department.
Not many. We arguably were one of those teams this year, but aren't any more. We're just now in the big stew that's the national parity league. With 24 hour sports channels, matchups are broken down, and skill position players like Moss and Cassel are analyzed until the cows come home.
But most weeks, the teams that can go positive in turnover differential and whose defenses can get off the field more often than not on 3d down are the ones that win. If you can be that team more weeks than not, make the field goals you're supposed to make, and not play below average on special teams, you'll usually be one of the 8 teams fighting for the 6 playoff spots.
I don't want to undermine over analysis or get too far afield from the "will he" or "won't he" Matt Cassel discussions. But really, I think in 16 weeks, if one were to look at those two stats each week -- opponent's third down conversions and takeaways/giveaways -- you'd have a pretty good picture of where we'll be.
Not many. We arguably were one of those teams this year, but aren't any more. We're just now in the big stew that's the national parity league. With 24 hour sports channels, matchups are broken down, and skill position players like Moss and Cassel are analyzed until the cows come home.
But most weeks, the teams that can go positive in turnover differential and whose defenses can get off the field more often than not on 3d down are the ones that win. If you can be that team more weeks than not, make the field goals you're supposed to make, and not play below average on special teams, you'll usually be one of the 8 teams fighting for the 6 playoff spots.
I don't want to undermine over analysis or get too far afield from the "will he" or "won't he" Matt Cassel discussions. But really, I think in 16 weeks, if one were to look at those two stats each week -- opponent's third down conversions and takeaways/giveaways -- you'd have a pretty good picture of where we'll be.