700 Level-"Turnovers: The Stat That Really Matters"

[ThoughtProcess]

http://www.the700level.com/01/21/12/...58&feedID=8973

Their contention is that turnovers were much more harmful to the teams' success than the defensive struggles, I guess.

[taz]

Turnovers on both sides of the ball are really a huge stat, I would tend to agree that you an judge a teams success on a game by game basis by Turnovers. Look at the 49ers, they got to the NFC championship game because they only turned the ball over 10 times this year. But they make two costly turnovers that cost them the game to NY's zero (although I think they got a gift when the quick whistly nollfied Bradshaws turnover).

However you have to look at how the turnovers happen to really understand it. For instance if your QB is throwing INT's because he is under constant pressure, is that the QB or is that the Oline? Are the turnovers flukes, like a ball barely touchings a punt returner knee as he trying to get out of the way of it.

[FRESH]

Turnover differential is the big stat. That takes into account how many turnovers your defense created. How did we fare there?

[sfphillyfan]

Turnover differential is the big stat. That takes into account how many turnovers your defense created. How did we fare there?

I'd like to see a stat: how many turnovers a team can generate when matching up a scrub against Larry Fitzgerald with the game on the line.

[taz]

31st in Total Turnovers with 38
Tied for 18th in Takeaways with 24, a horendous -14 which puts them @21st in the NFL

Penalties is another huge stat I look at, since almost all defensive penalties result in 1st downs and most offensive penalties kill drives

23rd in the NFL with a 6.7 penalties per game Oakland led at 10.2 but they were an outlier. The next was Seattle at 7.9 per game

Real interesting is we were better on the road at 5.9 per game and 7.5 at home

[NoDakIggle]

I hope that kid from SF is on suicide watch. Should have agressively gone after the first punt because he had time and if he wasn't he should be on the other side of the field so it doesn't hit him. Then he gets the chance and redemption and ***** the bed.

[FRESH]

31st in Total Turnovers with 38
Tied for 18th in Takeaways with 24, a horendous -14 which puts them @21st in the NFL

Penalties is another huge stat I look at, since almost all defensive penalties result in 1st downs and most offensive penalties kill drives

23rd in the NFL with a 6.7 penalties per game Oakland led at 10.2 but they were an outlier. The next was Seattle at 7.9 per game

Real interesting is we were better on the road at 5.9 per game and 7.5 at home

Sounds about on par with who we are.....18th in takeaways and we are drafting at 15? I guess we are who the stats say we are. Average to below average.

[taz]

Exactly Fresh. Problem is I don't see us getting out of begining average any time soon. Not with Reid and his philosphy running this thing.

[Vote for Kalas]

I disagree, Reid's teams totally understand the value of protecting the ball + taking it away from the opponent helps to win games. Reid has preached it from day 1 repeatedly.

In 2011, we were, as noted above, we had a -14 TO differential and ranked 30th (we finish 8-

In 2010, we were +9 which ranked us 5th (we finish 10-6)

In 2009, we were +15 which ranked us 2nd (we finish 11-5)

In 2008, we were +3 which ranked us 14th (we finish 9-6-1)

In 2007, we were -8 which ranked us 25th (we finished 8-

In 2006, we were +5 which ranked us 9th (we finished 10-6)

I think the pattern is pretty clear and it has very little to do with Reid's "philosophy". The point is if you take away more than you give away you maximize your chances to win games....finish with a better record and make a playoff run.

Only 3 times during Reid's tenure have the Eagles been ranked 15th or worse in TO differential (2005, 2007 and 2011). Interestingly enough all those were transition years between player cores etc.

7 times during Reid's tenure the Eagles have been ranked 10th or better in this stat (1999, 2001, 2002, 2003, 2006, 2009, 2010)

All this data is from Pro Football Reference dot com.

[FRESH]

I don't think it's so cut and dry, Vote. There are factors that come into play here. When your team is struggling and you are playing catch up a lot, you are more likley to press and turn the ball over. IOW, as much as turning over the ball loses games, losing games can cause turnovers.

[Vote for Kalas]

Taz said the Eagles were average or worse on TO differential due to Reid's "philosophy"

The stats clearly refute that the Eagles have been average in this category, they've only been average or worse 3 times and 7 times they've been top 10.

Stats are the "facts", what actually happened and this is is a pretty cut & dry topic. Either you gave the ball away more than you took it away or vice versa.

I'm not sure what "philosophy" Taz is talking about, but I can guess i.e. throwing too much and not running the ball enough. Again the stats refute that claim, turnovers can happen in the pass and run games both ways (offensively and defensively) and it comes back to execution as usual for the players.