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…
The NFL has seen a new breed of quarterback enter the league this decade. Patrick Mahomes, Carson Wentz, Cam Newton and Deshaun Watson separated themselves from the majority of NFL quarterbacks with their dynamic ability to play quarterback. These all-around playmaking quarterbacks had questions about how they would adapt to the league entering the NFL…
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…
As if there was any other choice for the #1 NFL game of 2018-19. The Kansas City Chiefs and Los Angeles Rams were set on a collision course for week 11 on Monday Night Football. Both teams entered this game at 9-1 and on top of their respective conferences. Originally a scheduled as a neutral…
The best playoff game of the 2018-19 NFL season was without a doubt the AFC Championship. The headlines wrote themselves. Tom Brady, the ageless wonder, playing for a championship at age 41 against the wonder kid and eventual league MVP Patrick Mahomes. A team gunning for their sixth Super Bowl title in 18 years against…
The Minnesota Vikings traveled to Los Angeles in Week 4 on a Thursday night to take on the Los Angeles Rams. An air show broke out. Kirk Cousins showcased his skills as a passer in the number eight game of 2018 when the Vikings faced the Green Bay Packers in week 2. The Vikings had…
One of the biggest comebacks of the year took place in week 13, when the Los Angeles Chargers traveled cross-country to face the Pittsburgh Steelers on Sunday Night Football. The Chargers were on a blazing hot streak, winning seven of their last eight games. That winning streak drew the Chargers within a game of the…
The old combat sports adage is “styles make fights,” and the same goes for football. You would be hard-pressed to find two teams that play in such different styles as the New Orleans Saints and Dallas Cowboys. Since Drew Brees joined the Saints in 2006, they’ve been one of the most high-powered offenses in the…
The Houston Texans and Indianapolis Colts struggled for the same reason in 2017: An injured franchise quarterback. Deshaun Watson started off his career on a blistering pace but only started six games before he tore his ACL in practice. Andrew Luck never got to see the field in 2017, as he was recovering from a…
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…
There are some games on the NFL calendar that get circled no matter the circumstances. Whether it’s a great rivalry, two entertaining teams, or two star quarterbacks going against each other, they’re games worth watching. Every year you can count on Steelers vs. Ravens, Packers vs. Bears, and Cowboys vs. Eagles to at least deliver…
After the Minnesota Vikings were blown out by the eventual Super Bowl champion Philadelphia Eagles in the NFC Championship game last season, they knew they had to address their quarterback position. Enter Kirk Cousins on a historic, fully-guaranteed contract. In his first start of 2018, Cousins played well, leading the Vikings to a win. The…
The Philadelphia Eagles traveled to Nashville for a game against the Tennessee Titans in week 4 in which the two teams would exchange haymakers for four quarters and nearly an entire overtime. Both teams had made the playoffs in 2017 and were holding 2-1 records entering the contest. The two quarterbacks had already missed time…
Summer for football fans can be just as entertaining as watching paint dry. The MLB season and the NBA and NHL playoffs are great in their own right, but we all know football is king. As the calendar turns over to July we can see the football season coming around the corner. The seemingly never-ending…
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…