Stop relying on advanced statistics—they don’t necessarily explain your team’s victories or defeats. Beyond the necessity of having a competent quarterback, success in the NFL is primarily driven by four essential factors: effective tackling, a strong rushing attack, dependable pass protection, and 3rd-down efficiency.
Mastery of these four elements directly correlates with the most critical metric in football—the only one that truly matters—the win-loss record.
Teams like the Lions, Ravens, and Chiefs are celebrated for their impressive win-loss records, but it’s their excellence in these core areas that makes them well-rounded teams. Conversely, teams like the Patriots, Browns, and Panthers are consistently dismal in many of the four core areas, which explains their combined 3-18 record.
On Monday, during an appearance on the Pat McAfee Show, eight-time Super Bowl champion and legendary New England Patriots head coach, Bill Belichick, recounted a memorable story about former New York Jets head coach, Bill Parcells.
Belichick, who served as Parcells' defensive coordinator in New York, shared how Parcells criticized his coaching staff for overcomplicating the game with advanced stats. Belichick recounted an airplane incident in which Parcells castigated his staff for using computers:
“It was great. I loved this. This was back in the ‘90s with the Jets. All of the coaches are sitting there with their computers and they’d be typing stuff."
"Parcells walked in on the plane one day and he’s like, ‘Those stupid computers, that’s just a pile of BS. The reason we got beat today was because we couldn’t run the ball and we couldn’t tackle. You could take all of that crap and throw it out of the plane because it doesn’t make a damn bit of difference – why don’t you just forget all of that crap and teach our players how to tackle and run the ball?’”
Belichick continued, “And you know what? That was about right.”
Parcells’ sentiment holds strong today, as evidenced by the rush defense and rush offense stats this year, which directly correlate with the win-loss records for good teams, bad teams, and everyone in between.
Defense: Rushing Yards Allowed per Game (Top 5)
Ravens (59.0)
Vikings (80.0)
Steelers (81.0)
Chiefs (90.5)
Lions (92.5)
Defense: Rushing Yards Allowed per Game (Bottom 5)
Panthers (162.1)
Colts (159.9)
Cardinals (153.0)
Rams (151.7)
Saints (146.7)
Offense: Rushing Yards per Game (Top 5)
Ravens (205.3)
Eagles (166.7)
Commanders (165.4)
Lions (155.5)
Packers (155.0)
Offense: Rushing Yards per Game (Bottom 5)
Cowboys (77.2)
Jets (82.4)
Raiders (85.6)
Browns (94.3)
Bengals (94.3)
Belichick also emphasized the importance of practicing fundamentals like tackling and ball security daily. If there was a fumbled quarterback-center exchange in practice, the responsible players would have to run 20 hills per mistake.
“The details are important, but you gotta get the big things right,” he said. “You give the players 2,000 things to think about and in the end, if you do four right, you’ll win. And if you can’t do those four, you’ll lose.”
He continued, “If you can’t tackle, if you can’t run the ball… you know what difference does it make? You’re not going to win.”
To echo Coach Belichick’s sentiment, below are the leaders in the other key areas:
3rd Down Conversion Percentage (Top 5)
Ravens (51.5%)
Commanders (48.8%)
Buccaneers (47.1%)
Chiefs (45.3%)
Lions (44.1%)
Turnovers per Game by Offense (Fewest)
Bills (2)
Chargers (2)
Commanders (3)
Steelers (4)
Ravens/Lions (5)
Turnovers per Game by Offense (Most)
Raiders (16)
Panthers (12)
Titans (12)
Cowboys (11)
Saints (11)
Takeaways by Defense (Top 5)
Packers (17)
Vikings (14)
Steelers (13)
49ers (13)
Bears (13)
Takeaways by Defense (Fewest)
Eagles (2)
Jaguars (3)
Raiders (3)
Titans (3)
Browns (5)
Sacks Allowed (Fewest)
Ravens (7)
Broncos (9)
Bills (9)
Colts (10)
Chiefs/Packers (11)
Sacks Allowed (Most)
Browns (35)
Patriots (25)
Giants (22)
Texans (21)
Raiders (20)
The basic principles of football are still the most impactful. Exceptions exist, but they are often anomalies and can be explained. For example, despite the Eagles forcing the fewest turnovers, they average the second-most rushing yards per game, contributing to their 4-2 record—a deviation, but an understandable one.
Conversely, teams like the Browns, Titans, Patriots, and Panthers sit at the bottom of several critical categories, and their collective 4-23 record reflects the inescapable impact of these weaknesses. Their fundamental deficiencies in these areas have proven to be insurmountable.
While explosives are the "new thing" in aerial-centric offenses, a balanced attack remains essential for success in the win column. Elite NFL teams are distinguished by their ability to both run the ball and stop the run, while struggling teams fail to tackle, win the line of scrimmage, and establish a rushing attack.
When you picture teams like the Chiefs and Bills, you immediately think of Patrick Mahomes and Josh Allen. However, both teams possess strong running games, allowing them to control the game in both the early and late stages. Kansas City lost running back Isaiah Pacheco, and they haven’t missed a beat after signing free agent Kareem Hunt. Similarly, Buffalo lost James Cook and continued to pound the rock with a running back-by-committee approach against the Jets.
Additionally, while Mahomes may not be at his statistical best this year, his third and fourth-down efficiency rank in the NFL's top five. He extends drives, keeps his defense on the sideline, and positions his team for success.
The Chiefs’ defense has also played well: they defend the run, rally to the ball, and tackle the ball carrier. All three of these contribute to winning football and are the primary reason why the Chiefs are the league’s only undefeated team.
So, if you wonder why your team is off to a slow start, look no further than the basics.
“You are what your record says you are.”
- Bill Parcells
댓글