Just the Facts: Ya Gotta Keep Control!
In our ongoing review of the 2007 season, Football Brainiac will be taking a look at the statistics that matter most to NFL coaches.
It goes without saying that the longer your offense has possession of the ball, two things are more likely to happen:
- Your team has a better chance of scoring
- The opposition has a more reduced chance of scoring
So how did the 2007 Steelers fare when it comes to controlling the clock? We’re going to take a look at two different categories when it comes to possession. The first is time of possession (duh) and the second is 3rd down conversion percentage.
TIME OF POSSESSION
The 2007 Steelers offense average time of possession in a game was 33:18. That was good enough to be the best in the NFL this year!
In fact, the average among the other playoff teams this year was only 30:56. So the Steelers were able to hold on to the ball almost 3 minutes more than this year’s postseason contenders. What’s more impressive is that the league average was 29:01. That over 4 minutes more!
There’s only one way you’re able to keep the ball that much longer than your opponent, though: converting on third down.
3rd DOWN CONVERSION PERCENTAGE
Something that many people may not have known this year is that Ben and the offense was good at converting 3rd Downs - really good! Pittsburgh ranked 3rd in the NFL behind Indianapolis and New England. The table below shows just how good the Steelers were this year converting on 3rd Down this year. It compares them to the previous two seasons as well as the NFL playoff teams’ average each of the past three years.
| 2005 | 2006 | 2007 | |
| NFL AVG | 39.8% | 38.7% | 38.0% |
| PLAYOFF AVG | 39.8% | 43.0% | 42.5% |
| PIT AVG | 35.0% | 43.0% | 47.0% |
What really stands out to me is that the Steelers offense has improved dramatically in this category each year as Ben continues to mature. This year’s percentages translate into 1 more third down conversion than the average playoff team and 2 more than the NFL average. Hence, the 3-4 more minutes in time of possession.
Ladies and gentlemen, this is the bedrock on which championships are built! Hopefully, the Steelers will continue to improve in these areas offensively.
YEAH, BUT WHAT ABOUT THE DEFENSE?
Ironically, the number one ranked Steelers defense surrendered 3rd downs 40% of the time in 2007. Good enough to be ranked 20th in the NFL. That’s not good. In fact, that percentage appears to be the average every year under Dock LeBeau.
By comparison, the number one defense on 3rd downs this year was the Kansas City Chiefs who allowed opponents to convert only 31% of the time. A noticeable difference.
Don’t freak out, though. The NFL average is 39% and playoff teams average allowing 3rd down conversions 38.5% of the time. So the Steelers aren’t as bad as it initially sounds.
January 18th, 2008 at 11:05 am
The Biggest 3rd Down conversion they needed to make, they failed to: 3rd & 6 in the Playoff Loss. I think it was a bad call in that situation, desinged roll out and QB keeper.
Then giving up the scramble on 4th & 2.
None of it happens though if the SPECIAL TEAMS don’t surrender so much real estate.
January 18th, 2008 at 1:12 pm
Good article, but I was thinking the same thing as steeler3 — the 3rd and 6 play call was simply awful.
January 31st, 2008 at 4:42 pm
Converting 3rd downs on offense and preventing them on defense are integral parts to the game. So here’s a thought. What if the Steelers ship a second round pick and Larry Foote, who might lose his job next season to Timmons, to the Bengals for Chad Johnson? Ben will get his tall receiver and the offense just became much more dynamic. A better receiving core like this,(Johnson at SE, Holmes at FL, and Ward in the slot) could help out the O line with less pressure coming. Then lets see where the offense finishes next season.