The NFL analytics community has known for a while that deep passing is more efficient than short passing. Dan Pizzuta wrote recently that “just under 18% of passes have traveled over 15 yards past the line of scrimmage and those attempts have made up for 133% of the league-wide passing EPA [Expected Points Added].” In…
When asked how much analytics informs the New England Patriots‘ decision-making in key situations, Bill Belichick answered simply, “less than zero.” This prompted several snide responses from the Twitter machine, such as: Obviously “less than zero” is a mathematical impossibility, and it’s hard to imagine that the famously thorough Belichick is utterly unfamiliar with the…
All salary figures courtesy of OverTheCap.com unless otherwise specified. These days, it seems like nothing brings out the reactions like running back news. The old school loves the smashmouth style. Analytics-minded pundits downplay the importance of what was once the game’s glamour position. Dallas Cowboys back Ezekiel Elliott has been a lightning rod for such…
The language of football is often confusing: play calls, alignments, techniques, and concepts litter the commentary and writing about the game. Inside the Pylon wants to aid in developing a deeper understanding of the game, so our glossary entries will offer clear explanations and video examples. We hope we can help you enrich your experience watching football. “Voidable years” are years of a contract…
Football is littered with specialized terminology. From punt gunner to climbing the pocket, commentators rarely get to explain everything you need to know before the next play. Inside The Pylon’s glossary was developed to give fans a deeper understanding of the game through clear explanations, as well as image and video examples. Please contact us…
Good teams almost invariably have good quarterback. Bad teams pick near the top of the draft and have the opportunity to select a top signal-caller. But what about teams in the middle, teams that are neither championship contenders, nor poor enough to have a chance at a franchise-changing QB? The 2016 Philadelphia Eagles found themselves…
Cornerback Chris Harris, Jr. is making headlines for his current contract impasse with the Denver Broncos. However that shakes out, it’s bound to end with him signing a deal making him one of the NFL’s highest-paid defensive backs. It’s an opportune time to review Harris’ journey from undrafted free agent to one of football’s best…
NFL teams prepare two draft boards in preparation for the NFL draft, a horizontal board and a vertical board. The horizontal board shows not only a round grade for each prospect but their rank within the position. This helps a team understand alternatives available at various points in the draft. If they pass on a…
NFL teams prepare two draft boards in preparation for the NFL draft, a horizontal board and a vertical board. The vertical board distills the scouting grade, need at the position, positional value, and any other relevant factors into one ranked list of the “best player available.” The first 11 players are gone? Take player 12.…
Since 2000, every franchise had selected a wide receiver in the first round—except the New England Patriots. That streak ended Thursday night, when New England tabbed Arizona State wideout N’Keal Harry with the 32nd selection. The Patriots’ spotty track record choosing receivers, along with concerns about elements of Harry’s game, raises some interesting questions. In…
The 2019 NFL wide receiver draft class is as diverse as an NFL playbook. Whether you are a looking for a true X, an undersized speedster, a big slot receiver, a contested catch monster, or a special teams maven, this draft class has something for you. We’ll borrow a page from high school yearbooks and…
African-American NFL coaches and general managers have had a tough off-season.. Head coaches Todd Bowles, Hue Jackson, Vance Joseph, Marvin Lewis, and Steve Wilks were all fired in the past calendar year, and only one black coach, Brian Flores, was tapped to fill any of the eight total openings. The NFL Network’s Jim Trotter pointed…
Dave Gettleman is not the most popular man in the greater New York area these days. After the Giants started his general manager tenure 1-7, ultimately finishing his first year 5-11, Gettleman began cleaning house, trading defensive end Olivier Vernon and superstar wideout Odell Beckham, Jr., in separate deals to the Cleveland Browns. The Beckham…
Since 2008, former NFL scout Dan Shonka of ourlads.com has been capturing “ball velocity” of quarterbacks throwing at the NFL combine, and posting it online. Some in the media have taken notice of the results and drawn conclusions from the historical data. “There has never been a QB who threw less than 54 mph with…
For the Patriots, as with everyone else, the draft is a critical time to address your needs. Not only their success but also Bill Belichick’s emphasis on versatility makes his drafting strategy one of interest. So, Dave Archibald wonders, what the heck is with the fifth round? On Friday, the New England Patriots traded a 2020 fifth-round…
Something about the numbers in Super Bowl LIII doesn’t add up. The Patriots had 407 yards of total offense. Tom Brady averaged nearly 7.5 yards per attempt on his 35 passes—basically his career (and 2018) average—and was only sacked once. The Patriots carried the ball 32 times for 154 yards, an impressive 4.8 average (and…