Analysis

9/16/21

2 min read

Big Play Index: Week 1

The 33rd Team introduced the Big Play Index last season to show how NFL teams stack up in terms of big plays produced and big plays allowed.

The Big Play Index has a new and improved outlook with the help of Marc Trestman. When Trestman coached in the NFL, his definition of a “Big Play” was a run of 10-plus yards and/or a pass of 16-plus yards. Ultimately, BPI correlates the ability to create explosive plays, while also limiting the opponent, and the success of the team (based on wins).

In Week 1, three of the bottom 15 teams in the big play differential metric won their game, which would be considered uncommon wins. The surprise of Week 1 is the lack of big plays from the Chiefs and the amount they gave up to the Browns (minus-5 in differential), yet they still won the game. 12 out of the top 16 teams in the BPI Differential won in Week 1 including a dominant performance from the Chargers and Cardinals offense.

The most surprising losses based on this metric would be the aforementioned Browns to the Chiefs as well as the Patriots losing to the Dolphins. Despite finishing tied for 6th on the BPI, the Patriots lost primarily because of their 28th place finish in the Discipline Index. Meanwhile, the Chiefs won the turnover battle (2-0), which is a major reason why they were able to pull out the victory.
Here's a rundown of the BPI differential for all 32 teams, followed by the complete data:
Big Play Index
Big Play Index

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