Jumping back into some Pats stats this morning and my favorite metrics are backing up most of what I’ve come to believe about this team. The improvement on the offensive side of the ball since the last time I did a stat check is impressive. The points, third down percentage and red zone percentage have all improved as Julian Edelman and Josh Gordon have assimilated into the attack.
The improvement on third down is most noticeable, as they’ve gone from 19th to 7th in just two games. The only negative for the offense are the continued turnovers, with 13 giveaways already this season. They had 12 total giveaways last season and have surpassed that number in less than half the 2018 season.
Defensively there’s still work to be done, especially on third down where they’ve continued to decline over the last two weeks from 26th to 27th. The points-per-game are really high too, but more on that in a moment.
- Offensive Points: 30.6 – 4th
- Defensive Points: 25.6 – 20th
- Third Down Offense: 44.2 percent – 7th
- Third Down Defense: 45.1 percent – 27th
- Red Zone Offense: 69.2 – 7th
- Red Zone Defense: 57.7 percent – 17th
- Turnover Differential: +1 (14 takeaways, 13 giveaways)
As far as my Bend Don’t Break index, it’s a weird year: