bluto
07-24-2012, 03:38 PM
after 4 weeks (plus 2 preseason games) i've had the feeling that we were not capitalizing on our red zone opportunities and allowing sloppy ST play to lose games for us. in fact, i doubt i'm the only one around here to suppose that if we'd just been sharper about those two issues that we'd be a strong 4-0. nevertheless, since we have so many new players and starters... and all of our players are learning new systems (Milanovich's offence and Jones' defence) it would be understandable if we weren't a well-oiled machine right out of the starting blocks, right? if there's a phase where our guys play hard until they "gel" and then are competitive in the second half of the season?
so i decided to have a statistical look into this to see if there were any grounds for it or rather if i was just being a double-blue glasses wearing homer...
Offence:
Most total points - 5th - 106 (26.5/game)
Time of Possesion - 1st - 32:19
Most plays from scrimmage - 1st -339 (also most rushes and passing attempts and completions)
Most yards on offence - 1st -1639 (avg 409/game)
Most passing yards - 2nd - 1262
Passing % - 2nd - 69.5%
Most yards rushing - 3rd - 439 total (109.8/game)
Gain per rush - 4th - 5.2 (Boyd is actually 6.2 and leading the league in total rushing yards)
Times intercepted - t4th - 4
Times fumbled - t5th(last) - 7 (lost 4 of them which is second last)
Yards penalized - 4th - 308
Fewest times sacked - t2nd - 7 (not bad for a team that supposedly had major O-Line concerns)
conclusions: with Ray, Boyd & Co. gaining more real estate than any other offence but with our points total being fairly middling, it seems obvious to me that we need to be sharper in the red zone and start turning some of those FGs (which we're 1st in) and MFG singles (also 1st) into TDs... if we do this, the sky's the limit... so long as the other side(s) of the ball pull their weight... which brings us to:
Defence:
Total points - 4th - 113 (this is a tough one though since the CFL stats page doesn't differentiate between points a defence surrenders and those given up by STs...)
Fewest plays from scrimmage - 3rd - 303
Fewest yards surrendered - 1st - 1126
Fewest first downs - 1st - 63
Fewest yards rushing - 2nd - 351
Fewest yards passing - 1st - 838
Lowest passing % against - 1st - 50% (and way ahead on this one too... likely thanks to how bad the Bombers were)
Most Interceptions - 1st - 6
Most Sacks - t5TH - 7
no doubt here that the defence has been living up to their end of the bargain.
most yardage for, fewest yards against... (also should add that we're 1st in kickoff return yards... seems almost like that has gone without saying since #2's been in town though)
so overall i'm sure that Coach Milanovich can see that the road to improvement lay within:
- improving scoring % in the red zone, and
- limiting the damage that opposing kick returners do to us
those two improvements as well as maintaining our current standard everywhere else will have us in the battle at the top of the league this season (statistically speaking, of course... at this early juncture anyway ;) )
so i decided to have a statistical look into this to see if there were any grounds for it or rather if i was just being a double-blue glasses wearing homer...
Offence:
Most total points - 5th - 106 (26.5/game)
Time of Possesion - 1st - 32:19
Most plays from scrimmage - 1st -339 (also most rushes and passing attempts and completions)
Most yards on offence - 1st -1639 (avg 409/game)
Most passing yards - 2nd - 1262
Passing % - 2nd - 69.5%
Most yards rushing - 3rd - 439 total (109.8/game)
Gain per rush - 4th - 5.2 (Boyd is actually 6.2 and leading the league in total rushing yards)
Times intercepted - t4th - 4
Times fumbled - t5th(last) - 7 (lost 4 of them which is second last)
Yards penalized - 4th - 308
Fewest times sacked - t2nd - 7 (not bad for a team that supposedly had major O-Line concerns)
conclusions: with Ray, Boyd & Co. gaining more real estate than any other offence but with our points total being fairly middling, it seems obvious to me that we need to be sharper in the red zone and start turning some of those FGs (which we're 1st in) and MFG singles (also 1st) into TDs... if we do this, the sky's the limit... so long as the other side(s) of the ball pull their weight... which brings us to:
Defence:
Total points - 4th - 113 (this is a tough one though since the CFL stats page doesn't differentiate between points a defence surrenders and those given up by STs...)
Fewest plays from scrimmage - 3rd - 303
Fewest yards surrendered - 1st - 1126
Fewest first downs - 1st - 63
Fewest yards rushing - 2nd - 351
Fewest yards passing - 1st - 838
Lowest passing % against - 1st - 50% (and way ahead on this one too... likely thanks to how bad the Bombers were)
Most Interceptions - 1st - 6
Most Sacks - t5TH - 7
no doubt here that the defence has been living up to their end of the bargain.
most yardage for, fewest yards against... (also should add that we're 1st in kickoff return yards... seems almost like that has gone without saying since #2's been in town though)
so overall i'm sure that Coach Milanovich can see that the road to improvement lay within:
- improving scoring % in the red zone, and
- limiting the damage that opposing kick returners do to us
those two improvements as well as maintaining our current standard everywhere else will have us in the battle at the top of the league this season (statistically speaking, of course... at this early juncture anyway ;) )