Most Amazing Stat Of The Season

[HarveyWallbangers]

The Packers have not trailed by more than one score all year.

Some will take this as a positive. (We can play with anybody. Rodgers doesn't make a lot of mistakes, so he keeps us in games. We overcame injuries.) Some as a negative. (Rodgers and McCarthy can't win close games. The injuries shouldn't be used as an excuse when you are in every game.)

It's an amazing stat though.

[Joemailman]

It's an important stat this week because I'm not sure the Packers without Finley and Grant have the firepower to come back from a big deficit like they did last year against Arizona. They need to play with composure in the 1st quarter and keep it close. No major penalties. No turnovers.

[denverYooper]

The Packers have not trailed by more than one score all year.

Some will take this as a positive. (We can play with anybody. Rodgers doesn't make a lot of mistakes, so he keeps us in games. We overcame injuries.) Some as a negative. (Rodgers and McCarthy can't win close games. The injuries shouldn't be used as an excuse when you are in every game.)

It's an amazing stat though.

Especially given that they have the highest strength of schedule for any of the playoff teams (.520)

[denverYooper]

It's an important stat this week because I'm not sure the Packers without Finley and Grant have the firepower to come back from a big deficit like they did last year against Arizona. They need to play with composure in the 1st quarter and keep it close. No major penalties. No turnovers.

But they do have Greg Jennings, who can put the team on his back Dog!

[Smidgeon]

The Packers have not trailed by more than one score all year.

Wow. That's impressive. Very impressive.

[Patler]

The Packers have not trailed by more than one score all year.

Some will take this as a positive. (We can play with anybody. Rodgers doesn't make a lot of mistakes, so he keeps us in games. We overcame injuries.) Some as a negative. (Rodgers and McCarthy can't win close games. The injuries shouldn't be used as an excuse when you are in every game.)

It's an amazing stat though.

I saw another stat too that was impressive, unfortunately I can't find the article right now. It was minutes trailing vs. minutes in the lead. As I recall, they compared it to the Bears.

There are other oddities to this season, statistically:
The Packers were second to only NE in net point differential with 388 scored, 240 against; net +148. The Bears were net +48 (334pf/286pa), yet won one more game than the Packers. The Falcons were #3 at +126 (414/288) and won 3 more games than the Packers.

[HarveyWallbangers]

The net point differential is interesting. In 2007, the Packers had a net point differential of +144 and won three more games. Since McCarthy was the coach for both squads, I'll throw him out as a reason. It would seem the explanation would be that Aaron Rodgers is not as clutch as Brett Favre AND/OR dumb luck. There might be some truth to the clutch factor, but I think it's overblown. Brett had his share of failure late in games, and Rodgers has had great moments late in games--only to have other factors blow the game for him. I lean mostly towards dumb luck--mixed in with Brett being a bit more clutch.


Of course, the plus side to Rodgers is that he makes fewer mistakes than Brett and most other QBs--which has kept us in more games.

[Patler]

The net point differential is interesting. In 2007, the Packers had a net point differential of +144 and won three more games. Since McCarthy was the coach for both squads, I'll throw him out as a reason. It would seem the explanation would be that Aaron Rodgers is not as clutch as Brett Favre AND/OR dumb luck. There might be some truth to the clutch factor, but I think it's overblown. Brett had his share of failure late in games, and Rodgers has had great moments late in games--only to have other factors blow the game for him. I lean mostly towards dumb luck--mixed in with Brett being a bit more clutch.


Of course, the plus side to Rodgers is that he makes fewer mistakes than Brett and most other QBs--which has kept us in more games.

In looking at the losses this year, I can't see Rodgers as a reason, except maybe NE and the Lions. Clearly his fault for not playing!!

[HarveyWallbangers]

He had his hand in the Miami and Washington losses, but it's hard to fault him for Chicago (Jones fumble when he was driving them for the game winner), Atlanta (tied it up late, but ST let them down), Detroit (injured), New England (injured). Actually, there's a solid chance the Packers are 12-4 if he doesn't get the concussion. In a way, you are right. He's to blame. Not because of his play, but for trying to make a play in a game where our offense needed a spark. Probably bone-headed, but hard to blame a player trying to make a play.

[hoosier]

Their relatively huge point differential this year can be explained by four blow-out wins, three of which came against teams that were melting down after high expectations (vs. Dall, at Min, vs. NYG). If we look at those three blowouts as anomalies and remove them from consideration (but keep the one against Buffalo as a normal variant) then GBs point differential for the year is only +54, which is more in keeping with their 10-6 record.
Regular Season
Date Time vs Score
9/12/10 4:15 PM ET @PHI W 27-20
9/19/10 1:00 PM ET BUF W 34-7
9/27/10 8:30 PM ET @CHI L 17-20
10/3/10 1:00 PM ET DET W 28-26
10/10/10 1:00 PM ET @WAS L 13-16
10/17/10 1:00 PM ET MIA L 20-23
10/24/10 8:20 PM ET MIN W 28-24
10/31/10 1:00 PM ET @NYJ W 9-0
11/7/10 8:20 PM ET DAL W 45-7
BYE
11/21/10 1:00 PM ET @MIN W 31-3
11/28/10 1:00 PM ET @ATL L 17-20
12/5/10 1:00 PM ET SF W 34-16
12/12/10 1:00 PM ET @DET L 3-7
12/19/10 8:20 PM ET @NE L 27-31
12/26/10 4:15 PM ET NYG W 45-17
1/2/11 4:15 PM ET CHI W 10-3

[Smidgeon]

Their relatively huge point differential this year can be explained by four blow-out wins, three of which came against teams that were melting down after high expectations (vs. Dall, at Min, vs. NYG). If we look at those three blowouts as anomalies and remove them from consideration (but keep the one against Buffalo as a normal variant) then GBs point differential for the year is only +54, which is more in keeping with their 10-6 record.
Regular Season
Date Time vs Score
9/12/10 4:15 PM ET @PHI W 27-20
9/19/10 1:00 PM ET BUF W 34-7
9/27/10 8:30 PM ET @CHI L 17-20
10/3/10 1:00 PM ET DET W 28-26
10/10/10 1:00 PM ET @WAS L 13-16
10/17/10 1:00 PM ET MIA L 20-23
10/24/10 8:20 PM ET MIN W 28-24
10/31/10 1:00 PM ET @NYJ W 9-0
11/7/10 8:20 PM ET DAL W 45-7
BYE
11/21/10 1:00 PM ET @MIN W 31-3
11/28/10 1:00 PM ET @ATL L 17-20
12/5/10 1:00 PM ET SF W 34-16
12/12/10 1:00 PM ET @DET L 3-7
12/19/10 8:20 PM ET @NE L 27-31
12/26/10 4:15 PM ET NYG W 45-17
1/2/11 4:15 PM ET CHI W 10-3

Actually, I think it's more appropriately explained by saying that the Packers never got blown out. If you don't lose by 4 or less each game, the point differential will be incredibly positive.

[RashanGary]

When we're ahead it's like we have a running game. I think, instinctively, defensive playcallers and players alike know that the quickest way to get a stop is to stop the run and they know teams with a lead tend to run more. Because Rodgers is taught to take what he is given at the line, he ends up lighting teams up when they legitimately attempt to stop the run. Hence the blowouts and our huge discrepancy in point differential.

[RashanGary]

Another amazing stat from the NFL network. . . Pack held teams to 7 or fewer points 6 times. They showed a chart and the last teams to do that were in the 1960's.

[vince]

Another amazing stat from the NFL network. . . Pack held teams to 7 or fewer points 6 times. They showed a chart and the last teams to do that were in the 1960's.

That is amazing.

Not as amazing, but interesting...

• In the past four seasons, McCarthy’s Packers are tied with the New York Giants for the best regular-season record in the NFC at 40-24.
• Only the Packers and Philadelphia Eagles have qualified for the NFC playoffs three times in the past four years.

[mraynrand]

Their relatively huge point differential this year can be explained by four blow-out wins, three of which came against teams that were melting down after high expectations (vs. Dall, at Min, vs. NYG). If we look at those three blowouts as anomalies and remove them from consideration (but keep the one against Buffalo as a normal variant) then GBs point differential for the year is only +54, which is more in keeping with their 10-6 record.
Regular Season
Date Time vs Score
9/12/10 4:15 PM ET @PHI W 27-20
9/19/10 1:00 PM ET BUF W 34-7
9/27/10 8:30 PM ET @CHI L 17-20
10/3/10 1:00 PM ET DET W 28-26
10/10/10 1:00 PM ET @WAS L 13-16
10/17/10 1:00 PM ET MIA L 20-23
10/24/10 8:20 PM ET MIN W 28-24
10/31/10 1:00 PM ET @NYJ W 9-0
11/7/10 8:20 PM ET DAL W 45-7
BYE
11/21/10 1:00 PM ET @MIN W 31-3
11/28/10 1:00 PM ET @ATL L 17-20
12/5/10 1:00 PM ET SF W 34-16
12/12/10 1:00 PM ET @DET L 3-7
12/19/10 8:20 PM ET @NE L 27-31
12/26/10 4:15 PM ET NYG W 45-17
1/2/11 4:15 PM ET CHI W 10-3

Interesting finding. What about the control?