Writers of Pro Football Prospectus 2008

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Innovative Statistics

Football Outsiders exclusive statistics


ArmchairGM -- All Sports, All You

OFFENSIVE LINES 2001

Regular season totals, playoffs not included

Revised as of 2/19/2007

Teams are ranked according to Adjusted Line Yards. Based on regression analysis, the Adjusted Line Yards formula takes all running back carries and assigns responsibility to the offensive line based on the following percentages:

  • Losses: 120% value
  • 0-4 Yards: 100% value
  • 5-10 Yards: 50% value
  • 11+ Yards: 0% value

These numbers are then adjusted based on down, distance, situation, and opponent, and normalized so that the league average for Adjusted Line Yards per carry is the same as the league average for RB yards per carry (in 2005, 4.08). These stats are explained further here.

The following stats are not adjusted for opponent:

  • RB Yards: Yards per carry by that team's running backs, according to standard NFL numbers.
  • 10+ Yards: Percentage of a team's rushing yards more than 10 yards past the line of scrimmage.  Represents yardage not reflected in Adjusted Line Yards stat.
  • Power Success: Percentage of runs on third or fourth down, two yards or less to go, that achieved a first down or touchdown. Also includes runs on first-and-goal or second-and-goal from the two-yard line or closer. This is the only statistic on this page that includes quarterbacks.
  • Stuffed: Percentage of runs that result in (on first down) zero or negative gain or (on second through fourth down) less than one-fourth the yards needed for another first down.  Since being stuffed is bad, teams are ranked from stuffed least often (#1) to most often (#32).

NFL averages for each stat given in red.

Why are these rankings different from the team offense DVOA ratings for rushing?  Among other reasons, they don't include quarterbacks or fumbles, long runs are truncated, and a different set of adjustments is used, attempting to isolate line play rather than total team offense.

A team with a high ranking in Adjusted Line Yards but a low ranking in 10+ Yards is heavily dependent on its offensive line to make the running game work. A team with a low ranking in Adjusted Line Yards but a high ranking in 10+ Yards is heavily dependent on its running back breaking long runs to make the running game work.

However, it is important to understand that these ratings only somewhat separate the offensive line from the running backs. A team with a very good running back will appear higher no matter how bad their line, and a team with a great line with appear lower if the running back is terrible.

Stats in blue represent pass blocking. Teams are ranked according to adjusted sack rate, which gives sacks per pass attempt adjusted for opponent, down, and distance. Pass blocking stats are explained further here. Our sack totals may differ slightly from official NFL totals depending on the league's retroactive statistical adjustments.

RUN BLOCKING PASS PROTECTION
TEAM Adj. Line

Yards 		 RB

Yards		 Power

Success		 Power

Rank		 10+

Yards		 10+

Rank		 Stuffed Stuffed

Rank		 TEAM Sack

Rank		 Sacks Adj.

Sack Rate
1 STL 4.78 5.16 70% 7 25% 3 27% 19 CHI 1 17 3.2%
2 SF 4.78 4.63 68% 10 15% 26 27% 16 NYJ 2 19 3.6%
3 KC 4.45 4.50 73% 4 16% 18 29% 28 CIN 3 28 4.0%
4 WAS 4.41 4.15 61% 20 15% 25 25% 11 GB 4 23 4.6%
5 NYJ 4.38 4.74 70% 6 20% 10 24% 7 SF 5 26 4.9%
6 PIT 4.27 4.56 62% 17 25% 4 30% 31 SD 6 27 5.1%
7 BAL 4.18 3.88 50% 28 15% 23 27% 15 IND 7 30 5.2%
8 OAK 4.17 3.63 80% 1 11% 30 23% 6 CAR 8 31 5.2%
9 IND 4.13 4.52 62% 18 21% 9 23% 4 ARI 9 29 5.5%
10 NE 4.12 3.85 66% 11 16% 17 28% 24 OAK 10 27 5.5%
11 DEN 4.11 4.03 66% 12 17% 16 30% 30 MIA 11 27 5.9%
12 CHI 4.08 4.02 63% 16 17% 15 26% 14 BAL 12 40 6.1%
13 JAC 4.07 4.12 55% 26 20% 11 21% 1 PIT 13 31 6.2%
14 NO 4.02 4.02 77% 3 16% 19 23% 3 NYG 14 36 6.4%
15 MIN 4.00 3.63 59% 21 10% 31 27% 18 STL 15 40 6.7%
16 SEA 4.00 4.25 73% 5 21% 8 27% 17 TEN 16 43 6.9%
RUN BLOCKING PASS PROTECTION
TEAM Adj. Line

Yards 		 RB

Yards		 Power

Success		 Power

Rank		 10+

Yards		 10+

Rank		 Stuffed Stuffed

Rank		 TEAM Sack

Rank		 Sacks Adj.

Sack Rate
17 GB 3.95 4.37 69% 8 27% 1 29% 29 TB 17 47 7.0%
18 DAL 3.89 4.55 50% 29 27% 2 25% 9 KC 18 39 7.1%
19 NYG 3.88 4.41 64% 14 23% 5 26% 12 MIN 19 47 7.3%
20 SD 3.88 3.64 51% 27 15% 24 24% 8 BUF 20 46 7.6%
21 CAR 3.85 3.82 50% 30 13% 28 23% 5 DAL 21 34 7.7%
22 PHI 3.85 3.92 59% 22 18% 13 28% 21 PHI 22 40 8.0%
23 CIN 3.77 4.02 57% 24 22% 7 28% 26 DEN 23 42 8.0%
24 ARI 3.75 3.53 56% 25 15% 22 29% 27 WAS 24 38 8.2%
25 BUF 3.70 3.76 64% 15 16% 21 28% 25 NE 25 46 8.4%
26 ATL 3.65 3.63 50% 31 19% 12 27% 20 NO 26 50 8.5%
27 DET 3.61 3.89 58% 23 23% 6 25% 10 CLE 27 51 9.2%
28 TEN 3.60 3.56 69% 9 18% 14 28% 22 SEA 28 49 9.7%
29 TB 3.60 3.43 79% 2 12% 29 22% 2 DET 29 66 9.9%
30 MIA 3.48 3.38 61% 19 14% 27 26% 13 JAC 30 63 10.2%
31 CLE 3.32 3.16 65% 13 16% 20 28% 23 ATL 31 66 11.7%
x NFL x 4.04 63% x 18% x 26% x NFL x 39 6.9%


The second table lists each team's Adjusted Line Yards in each direction listed in official NFL play-by-play, along with rank among the 32 teams. Only five directions are listed because research so far shows no statistically significant difference between how well a team performs on runs listed middle, left guard, and right guard. It's early in the season, so take these numbers with a grain of salt.

    LEFT END LEFT TACKLE MID/GUARD RIGHT TACKLE RIGHT END
  TEAM ALY Rank ALY Rank ALY Rank ALY Rank ALY Rank
1 STL 5.00 3 4.78 3 5.16 1 4.74 7 3.88 15
2 SF 4.33 14 5.53 1 4.61 3 4.48 9 5.76 1
3 KC 4.69 7 4.36 9 4.60 4 5.14 2 3.89 14
4 WAS 4.35 13 3.73 25 4.61 2 3.52 23 4.70 6
5 NYJ 4.59 10 4.32 10 3.90 18 5.02 3 5.23 3
6 PIT 5.28 1 4.67 5 4.16 9 3.78 19 4.20 11
7 BAL 4.91 4 3.84 20 4.40 5 2.92 29 1.88 31
8 OAK 3.59 24 4.06 16 4.25 8 5.39 1 4.21 10
9 IND 4.90 5 3.57 28 4.15 11 4.42 10 3.74 19
10 NE 4.52 11 4.24 12 4.07 15 4.41 11 3.72 20
11 DEN 3.96 18 3.93 19 4.14 12 3.80 18 5.73 2
12 CHI 2.88 30 4.96 2 4.26 7 4.36 12 3.86 17
13 JAC 3.68 22 4.20 13 4.08 14 4.76 6 3.96 13
14 NO 3.71 20 3.63 27 4.09 13 4.54 8 3.36 27
15 MIN 4.82 6 4.39 8 3.86 20 3.77 20 4.31 8
16 SEA 3.55 26 4.46 7 3.81 23 4.00 17 5.13 4
    LEFT END LEFT TACKLE MID/GUARD RIGHT TACKLE RIGHT END
  TEAM ALY Rank ALY Rank ALY Rank ALY Rank ALY Rank
17 GB 4.27 16 3.65 26 3.82 22 4.00 16 4.22 9
18 DAL 3.85 19 4.31 11 4.33 6 3.12 27 2.56 30
19 NYG 4.62 8 4.09 14 3.68 26 3.69 21 4.12 12
20 SD 4.59 9 3.94 18 3.87 19 3.67 22 3.39 26
21 CAR 3.67 23 3.95 17 3.82 21 3.02 28 4.60 7
22 PHI 3.06 28 4.09 15 4.06 16 4.06 13 3.88 16
23 CIN 2.97 29 3.82 21 4.15 10 4.04 14 3.50 22
24 ARI 4.31 15 3.34 29 3.73 24 4.82 4 2.58 29
25 BUF 3.70 21 3.78 22 3.52 28 4.81 5 3.59 21
26 ATL 4.09 17 3.74 23 3.37 30 4.03 15 2.84 28
27 DET 4.46 12 4.54 6 3.39 29 3.43 24 3.49 24
28 TEN 5.18 2 2.35 31 4.05 17 2.73 31 3.49 23
29 TB 3.57 25 3.74 24 3.55 27 3.17 25 4.76 5
30 MIA 2.61 31 3.07 30 3.71 25 3.13 26 3.80 18
31 CLE 3.22 27 4.72 4 3.18 31 2.91 30 3.40 25
x NFL 4.13 x 4.02 x 4.04 x 3.97 x 3.98 x


The third table lists how often each team runs in each direction. Numbers may not add up to 100% due to carries listed without direction.

Team RB Carries LEFT

END		 LEFT

TACKLE		 MID/

GUARD		 RIGHT

TACKLE		 RIGHT

END
1 PIT 460 10% 17% 48% 17% 8%
2 CHI 437 12% 11% 47% 15% 12%
3 BAL 433 7% 13% 70% 7% 3%
4 WAS 429 23% 7% 46% 7% 16%
5 SF 426 10% 7% 61% 10% 11%
6 DAL 415 24% 16% 39% 10% 9%
7 NE 414 9% 13% 56% 10% 11%
8 SEA 412 22% 16% 36% 12% 12%
9 DEN 404 10% 16% 42% 22% 9%
10 NYJ 402 15% 17% 45% 13% 10%
11 IND 401 18% 15% 38% 9% 18%
12 CIN 400 11% 13% 42% 22% 12%
13 KC 400 18% 6% 50% 7% 17%
14 TEN 386 13% 20% 48% 10% 9%
15 MIA 382 6% 12% 60% 16% 6%
16 OAK 379 11% 7% 61% 8% 10%
Team RB Carries LEFT

END		 LEFT

TACKLE		 MID/

GUARD		 RIGHT

TACKLE		 RIGHT

END
17 NYG 377 11% 5% 45% 21% 18%
18 ATL 376 15% 18% 31% 17% 16%
19 CLE 373 13% 8% 48% 16% 13%
20 SD 371 16% 10% 44% 14% 15%
21 GB 366 13% 11% 46% 13% 18%
22 TB 359 10% 13% 52% 14% 9%
23 ARI 355 12% 15% 52% 10% 9%
24 STL 354 15% 19% 40% 13% 11%
25 BUF 347 5% 12% 49% 19% 12%
26 NO 336 11% 10% 58% 13% 8%
27 JAC 319 9% 15% 54% 12% 8%
28 PHI 313 15% 14% 41% 14% 16%
29 CAR 306 16% 11% 52% 8% 12%
30 DET 293 13% 11% 51% 13% 11%
31 MIN 284 9% 10% 62% 11% 8%
x NFL x 13% 13% 49% 13% 11%