A Better Way To Judge How Good Offenses and Defenses Really Are

[Prickly Pete]

I think analytics works better for better for a sport like baseball, where there are so many games (I hate watching baseball).

 

With football, you can just watch the games and get a way better idea. If you wanted to see a particular situation, it wouldn't be all that hard to just make a compilation video of whatever you are looking for. It takes less than 10 minutes to watch EVERY play a player was involved in a game. That's 2 and a half hours to watch the guy's (or the defense's) whole season.

 

Baseball is one guy at a time, every guy.

Edited January 3, 2014 by Marauder'sMicro

[San Jose Bills Fan]

Interesting topic.

 

I think saying that you're starting on your own side of the 50 is way too vague. That could be your own 1 yard line or your own 49 yard line.

 

Off the top of my head I'd start with a fantasy football-based model: I would say that offensively you should give 1 point for every 10 yards and 6 points for a TD and 3 points for a field goal.

 

You could give an additional 1-2 points for each first down.

 

To me this would be a better starting premise.

[PolishDave]

Interesting topic.

 

I think saying that you're starting on your own side of the 50 is way too vague. That could be your own 1 yard line or your own 49 yard line.

 

Off the top of my head I'd start with a fantasy football-based model: I would say that offensively you should give 1 point for every 10 yards and 6 points for a TD and 3 points for a field goal.

 

You could give an additional 1-2 points for each first down.

 

To me this would be a better starting premise.

 

Good ideas.

 

I really didn't want to award a team for gaining yards though. The goal with the system was to award a defense points for stopping or minimizing the opposing offense from scoring And to award an offense for scoring. The whole point in adding in the before or after 50 yard line thing was to give additional points for an offense that scores on a longer drive and also to give more points to a defense who stops a drive that started with a short field. That was the only reason.

 

If a defense stops the opponent from scoring when the opponent started within 50 yards of the end zone, well then that feat deserves a little more credit than if the defense stopped a drive that had to go more than 50 yards. Get me? And yes I realize it is not perfect. I just felt like I had to draw the line somewhere.

 

If you award points for first downs then it skews the results I am trying to achieve. It skews them because who cares how many yards a team moves the ball really. All that matters on offense is whether or not you score. All that matters on defense is whether or not you stop scores. Hope that makes sense.

Edited January 3, 2014 by PolishDave