Packers O-Line: Stats you don’t want to see in the box score
By Jerry Tapp
The criticism was fast and pointed…
Twitter, Facebook, TV, newspapers, blogs.
The Green Bay Packers‘ defeat at the hands of the New York Jets (and for that matter, the previous week against the New York Giants also) not only brought out the boo birds at Lambeau Field, but they also ignited an avalanche of disappointment from Door County all the way to Racine… and beyond. Fans were not happy with their beloved green and gold!
The Packers offensive line was a major target. There was no running game, Aaron Rodgers was running for his life, and the passing attack was shaky at best.
As a long-time football fan, I have always enjoyed scouring the box scores to get a little deeper into a game (no matter the sport). And when it was time to evaluate the play of an NFL team’s offensive line, it didn’t take long to see how well they played based on a couple of stats I looked at: Sacks allowed, team rushing yards, and yards per pass attempt (Y/A).
In my opinion, this trio of stats gave a great snapshot of how well the offensive line performed in a game. And I used a simple metric to base my judgment:
- Rushing yards: Did the team gain at least 100 yards rushing? The average rushing yards per game/per team this year through six games is about 120.
- Sacks allowed: Did the team have less than two sacks allowed? The average sacks allowed per game/per team this year through six games is about 2.4.
- Yards per attempt: Did the team have a Y/A of at least 6.6? The average Y/A per team this year through six games is about 7.0.
For the record, the Packers failed to check the boxes in any of these three “below average” stat lines in the loss to the Jets.
They gained only 60 yards rushing, allowed four sacks, and their Y/A was 4.8. It was also the second consecutive week that they did not reach any of my three O-Line stats… an offensive line “black hole”, if you will.
Checking the NFL through the first six weeks of the season, you will see that teams that failed to reach all three of my O-Line stats in a game are 7-29-1, a .203 winning percentage.
The Packers are one of 10 teams this season that have two games in this category; the Carolina Panthers and Los Angeles Rams top the list with three games each (their fans are probably not very happy with their offensive line as well).
I recognize there are probably better and more sophisticated statistical metrics to quantify the play of an offensive line, but for me, these three stats can sure paint a clear picture at a quick glance.
The bottom line: Protect the QB (fewer than two sacks), open holes for the running backs (100 yards rushing or more) and give the QB time to make the short and long passes (a Y/A of at the least 6.6).
In the four games this season that the Packers O-Line helped the team reach at least one, two, or even three of these metrics, they are 3-1. In fact, the team is 3-0 when they have a Y/A of 7.0 or more; 2-1 if they allow less than two sacks in a game; and, have a 2-1 record when they rush for 100 or more yards in a game.
From the offensive side of the ball, those are the numbers they need to see in the box score to return to the win column.