Interesting New England Patriots Stats (1 Viewer)

[Jeff Pasquino]

From an interesting article in the Washington Post regarding the rule changes / enforcement starting in 2004 (5-yard contact rules):

Completion Percentage 2003 2007Patriots 59.6% 68.8%League Average 58.8% 61.2%Passing Yards Per Game 2003 2007Patriots 214.5 295.7League Average 200.4 214.3Touchdowns 2003 2007Patriots 23 50League Average 20.4 22.5Passer Rating 2003 2007Patriots 82.6 115.1League Average 76.6 80.9Full article:A Simple Case Of Cause and EffectMainly Because of the Patriots, the NFL Tightened Rules On Pass Defense. Now, New England Is Reaping the Rewards.

The basic premise of the article is that since the NFL started to enforce the 5-yard contact rules for pass interference, the teams that have the most decided advantages are those with stud QBs and strong passing games - the exact direction that the Patriots went after the rule changes went into play.

 

[BelichicksRevenge]

I watched a replay of the Denver-Green Bay Super Bowl on the NFL network the other day. It was just 10 years ago but it did look a lot harder to complete a pass. The corners and safeties were so much more physical than they are today.

 

[stbugs]

From an interesting article in the Washington Post regarding the rule changes / enforcement starting in 2004 (5-yard contact rules):

Completion Percentage 2003 2007Patriots 59.6% 68.8%League Average 58.8% 61.2%Passing Yards Per Game 2003 2007Patriots 214.5 295.7League Average 200.4 214.3Touchdowns 2003 2007Patriots 23 50League Average 20.4 22.5Passer Rating 2003 2007Patriots 82.6 115.1League Average 76.6 80.9Full article:A Simple Case Of Cause and EffectMainly Because of the Patriots, the NFL Tightened Rules On Pass Defense. Now, New England Is Reaping the Rewards.

The basic premise of the article is that since the NFL started to enforce the 5-yard contact rules for pass interference, the teams that have the most decided advantages are those with stud QBs and strong passing games - the exact direction that the Patriots went after the rule changes went into play.

What if you just took the Pats out?31 other teams, that is 3 yards per game and 1 TD per game above average just because of the great year by Brady. Not saying things haven't increased, but take out the Pats and the difference is much less.

Also, what about 2004, 2005 and 2006? Seems to me that 2007 has been a big, big passing year. Romo, Derek Anderson and Roethlisberger to name three have put up a ton more passing this year than their teams did last year and I don't think that is solely due to the rule change or due to better QB play/philosophy changes.

Anyway, it may look like a huge difference, but I am not sure it is all about the rules or just some shifts in philosophy, i.e. short passes to Welker are better than 3 yard runs.

 

[KarmaPolice]

From an interesting article in the Washington Post regarding the rule changes / enforcement starting in 2004 (5-yard contact rules):

Completion Percentage 2003 2007Patriots 59.6% 68.8%League Average 58.8% 61.2%Passing Yards Per Game 2003 2007Patriots 214.5 295.7League Average 200.4 214.3Touchdowns 2003 2007Patriots 23 50League Average 20.4 22.5Passer Rating 2003 2007Patriots 82.6 115.1League Average 76.6 80.9Full article:A Simple Case Of Cause and EffectMainly Because of the Patriots, the NFL Tightened Rules On Pass Defense. Now, New England Is Reaping the Rewards.

The basic premise of the article is that since the NFL started to enforce the 5-yard contact rules for pass interference, the teams that have the most decided advantages are those with stud QBs and strong passing games - the exact direction that the Patriots went after the rule changes went into play.

What if you just took the Pats out?31 other teams, that is 3 yards per game and 1 TD per game above average just because of the great year by Brady. Not saying things haven't increased, but take out the Pats and the difference is much less.

Also, what about 2004, 2005 and 2006? Seems to me that 2007 has been a big, big passing year. Romo, Derek Anderson and Roethlisberger to name three have put up a ton more passing this year than their teams did last year and I don't think that is solely due to the rule change or due to better QB play/philosophy changes.

Anyway, it may look like a huge difference, but I am not sure it is all about the rules or just some shifts in philosophy, i.e. short passes to Welker are better than 3 yard runs.

I would throw it out there that some of the shifts in philosophy are b/c of the rule changes. There are teams that you normally thought of as run first teams that seem to want to chuck the ball up more. Seems to be effecting the draft as well. Over the last couple of years there seemed to be a focus on hands and route running more than the ability to just outrun DBs when drafting WRs. It's a copycat league, so I think we'll be seeing more spread offenses being run in the next few years as teams get comfortable with their Wr corps.

 

[BelichicksRevenge]

From an interesting article in the Washington Post regarding the rule changes / enforcement starting in 2004 (5-yard contact rules):

Completion Percentage 2003 2007Patriots 59.6% 68.8%League Average 58.8% 61.2%Passing Yards Per Game 2003 2007Patriots 214.5 295.7League Average 200.4 214.3Touchdowns 2003 2007Patriots 23 50League Average 20.4 22.5Passer Rating 2003 2007Patriots 82.6 115.1League Average 76.6 80.9Full article:A Simple Case Of Cause and EffectMainly Because of the Patriots, the NFL Tightened Rules On Pass Defense. Now, New England Is Reaping the Rewards.

The basic premise of the article is that since the NFL started to enforce the 5-yard contact rules for pass interference, the teams that have the most decided advantages are those with stud QBs and strong passing games - the exact direction that the Patriots went after the rule changes went into play.

What if you just took the Pats out?31 other teams, that is 3 yards per game and 1 TD per game above average just because of the great year by Brady. Not saying things haven't increased, but take out the Pats and the difference is much less.

Also, what about 2004, 2005 and 2006? Seems to me that 2007 has been a big, big passing year. Romo, Derek Anderson and Roethlisberger to name three have put up a ton more passing this year than their teams did last year and I don't think that is solely due to the rule change or due to better QB play/philosophy changes.

Anyway, it may look like a huge difference, but I am not sure it is all about the rules or just some shifts in philosophy, i.e. short passes to Welker are better than 3 yard runs.

I think the big change is in the passer rating. I believe the patriots are setting a trend that will be copied. They were pass happy because it is so much easier to score by passing now. Other teams may start realizing this and next year could see the figures continue to rise. It is getting so difficult to stop these passing games in the NFL with the tight rules.

 

[Jeff Pasquino]

From an interesting article in the Washington Post regarding the rule changes / enforcement starting in 2004 (5-yard contact rules):

Completion Percentage 2003 2007Patriots 59.6% 68.8%League Average 58.8% 61.2%Passing Yards Per Game 2003 2007Patriots 214.5 295.7League Average 200.4 214.3Touchdowns 2003 2007Patriots 23 50League Average 20.4 22.5Passer Rating 2003 2007Patriots 82.6 115.1League Average 76.6 80.9Full article:A Simple Case Of Cause and EffectMainly Because of the Patriots, the NFL Tightened Rules On Pass Defense. Now, New England Is Reaping the Rewards.

The basic premise of the article is that since the NFL started to enforce the 5-yard contact rules for pass interference, the teams that have the most decided advantages are those with stud QBs and strong passing games - the exact direction that the Patriots went after the rule changes went into play.

What if you just took the Pats out?31 other teams, that is 3 yards per game and 1 TD per game above average just because of the great year by Brady. Not saying things haven't increased, but take out the Pats and the difference is much less.

Also, what about 2004, 2005 and 2006? Seems to me that 2007 has been a big, big passing year. Romo, Derek Anderson and Roethlisberger to name three have put up a ton more passing this year than their teams did last year and I don't think that is solely due to the rule change or due to better QB play/philosophy changes.

Anyway, it may look like a huge difference, but I am not sure it is all about the rules or just some shifts in philosophy, i.e. short passes to Welker are better than 3 yard runs.

In 2004, Peyton Manning threw for 49 TDs, breaking Marino's record.That record stood for quite a while (20 years) and then it was broken again just 3 years later.

That's analagous to baseball's 61* home runs being broken several times in the past few years. Something changed about the game (steriods for baseball? likely) that created an environment for higher production. That's where the analogy comes in - something fundamentally changed about the game, and the suggestion here is that the rule change created a better environment for offense and passing in 2004 and beyond.

 

[DawnBTVS]

The Patriots weren't the only team throwing it more in 2007.

Only the following teams favored the run more in terms of year long attempts.

Jacksonville: 53% Run

Pittsburgh: 54% Run

Tennessee: 54% Run

San Diego: 51% Run

Oakland: 53% Run

Minnesota: 53% Run

There were 20 teams that favored the pass by at least 55% and 14 favored the pass by 57% or more.

 

[Anarchy99]

2007 receivers:

Moss

Welker

Stallworth

Gaffney

Watson (injured some)

2003 receivers:

Branch (injured some)

Givens (injured some)

Brown (long in the tooth even then and injured some)

Graham (injured some)

Bethel Johnson (mostly a bust)

Patten (injured a lot)

IMO, that has a lot more to do with the Pats success passing the ball than the enforcement of the rules do.

 

[Maroney=Speed]

2007 receivers:MossWelkerStallworthGaffneyWatson (injured some)2003 receivers:Branch (injured some)Givens (injured some)Brown (long in the tooth even then and injured some)Graham (injured some)Bethel Johnson (mostly a bust)Patten (injured a lot)IMO, that has a lot more to do with the Pats success passing the ball than the enforcement of the rules do.

Good point. They also have Washington who see the field has a Rudy only type on this team.If He were on the 2003 team, He would have been the #3 guy.When He first signed He was the #3 guy, but then they signed some guy named Moss.

 

[Warehouse Nasty]

From an interesting article in the Washington Post regarding the rule changes / enforcement starting in 2004 (5-yard contact rules):

Completion Percentage 2003 2007Patriots 59.6% 68.8%League Average 58.8% 61.2%Passing Yards Per Game 2003 2007Patriots 214.5 295.7League Average 200.4 214.3Touchdowns 2003 2007Patriots 23 50League Average 20.4 22.5Passer Rating 2003 2007Patriots 82.6 115.1League Average 76.6 80.9Full article:A Simple Case Of Cause and EffectMainly Because of the Patriots, the NFL Tightened Rules On Pass Defense. Now, New England Is Reaping the Rewards.

The basic premise of the article is that since the NFL started to enforce the 5-yard contact rules for pass interference, the teams that have the most decided advantages are those with stud QBs and strong passing games - the exact direction that the Patriots went after the rule changes went into play.

What if you just took the Pats out?31 other teams, that is 3 yards per game and 1 TD per game above average just because of the great year by Brady. Not saying things haven't increased, but take out the Pats and the difference is much less.

Also, what about 2004, 2005 and 2006? Seems to me that 2007 has been a big, big passing year. Romo, Derek Anderson and Roethlisberger to name three have put up a ton more passing this year than their teams did last year and I don't think that is solely due to the rule change or due to better QB play/philosophy changes.

Anyway, it may look like a huge difference, but I am not sure it is all about the rules or just some shifts in philosophy, i.e. short passes to Welker are better than 3 yard runs.

In 2004, Peyton Manning threw for 49 TDs, breaking Marino's record.That record stood for quite a while (20 years) and then it was broken again just 3 years later.

That's analagous to baseball's 61* home runs being broken several times in the past few years. Something changed about the game (steriods for baseball? likely) that created an environment for higher production. That's where the analogy comes in - something fundamentally changed about the game, and the suggestion here is that the rule change created a better environment for offense and passing in 2004 and beyond.

Isn't that obvious? I mean, that's the very reason they implemented the rule.

 

[SeniorVBDStudent]

Thank you Bill Polian!

 

[TD Ryan]

**outrageous nonesense conpiracy alert**

is it all just another example of Belichick's vindictive, diabolical, genius?

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Belichick feels he is teaching his players how to properly play defense in the NFL but the NFL (Bill Polian) rules that the current style of play is too rough and unfair against passing teams. Belichick loads up on WR, changes his defense/run first philosophy, and coaches one of the greatest passing teams in history.
Belichick feels he's accurately following the rules with regards to filming and sideline cameras. CameraGate ensues and Belichick coaches his team to an unprecedented 17-0.