The Myth about the NFL Total Offense and Total Defense - Part 7

   Today I will continue to build on our comprehensive Total Offense and Total Defense ranking method. In each post of this series I am adding one statistic that I think should be considered if you want to correctly rank each NFL Teams Offense and Defense. I have already included Fumbles, Interceptions, Penalties, Time of Possession, and The Red Zone, and I have talked about Yards gained\allowed and Points  Scored\allowed. I have not included these last two into our ranking method as of this time I will add them later.

Third Down Conversion Percentage

   This is another no brainer!

An Offense that scores high in this statistic stays on the field. If your team is successful on third down your offense can continue to drive down the field, take time off the clock, wear down opposing defenses, gain yards, and score points. Isn’t that what an offense is supposed to do?

An offense that goes three and out a lot will score low in this category, will simply not do any of the above, in other words they will suck.

   A defense that ranks high in 3^rd Down Percentage will be a good defense. They will not give up a lot of yards or points. Just as a defense that ranks low in 3^rd down percentage will always be a bad defense.

   I don’t understand how the NFL can ignore this statistic. A bad defense that plays an easy schedule, against offenses that have a lot of penalties, for example, might not give up a lot of yards and make the playoffs but against good teams they will be embarrassed.

   I believe that 3^rd down conversion percentage might be the single most telling statistic there is, even more so then the yards gained\allowed statistic. If your offense scores in the mid to high forties in 3^rd down conversion percentage, you have a playoff caliber offense! If your defense scores in the mid to low 30’s in 3^rd down conversion percentage you have a playoff caliber defense.

   The NFL may ignore this statistic but Pro FootballRanking.com does not! It is one of the fifteen stats used in our ranking method.

   In my next post, Part 8, I will continue to build on this comprehensive ranking method by adding the 1^st Downs to our list of stats.

OK, by know you should either be onboard with me or maybe think I am wrong.

Either way leave a comment.