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NFC: Most UP

Through Week 9 this stat contributed 6.9 points
to this season's 11.1-point change UP:

Tampa Bay Bucs

Yards per Pass Att with Winning Margin
Yearly 2000 to 2007

Tampa Bay Bucs

In season 2006 Bucs ranked 31st on Yards per Pass Att at 4.93.
In season 2007 they ranked 9th at 6.84, up 6.88 points per game on this one stat.
From 2006 to 2007 Bucs improved by 11.1 points per game on Winning Margin.

Week 9

NFC MOST UP

The Tampa Bay Bucs are the MOST IMPROVED NFC team adding 11.1 points per game to their scoring differential. In the journalistic sense of who, what, when, where and why, the statistical reason why the Bucs are flying high is our number one independent Killer Stat, Yards per Pass.

Their new QB, Jeff Garcia, earns 7.6 yards per toss according to the NFL's QB rating system which does not count sacks as failed pass attempts.

Years ago the stat did count sacks as failed attempts. But the newer QB rating system considers it a running play.

In either case, the stat graphic below pictures the Buc's performance. The sharp improvement in Yards per Pass is a function of QB Garcia doing a championship job. If you count QB sacks as failed attempts the Bucs average through game 9 is a more modest 6.94 yards per toss.

Any figure near 7-yards per toss puts a team in a champion's class. So the Bucs are Playoff bound.

NFC: Most DOWN

Through Week 9 this stat contributed -7.7 points
to this season's -15.4-point change DOWN.

Chicago Bears

Total Rushing Plays with Winning Margin
Yearly 2000 to 2007

Chicago Bears

In season 2006 Bears ranked 5th on Total Rushing Plays at 31.44.
In season 2007 they ranked 25th at 25.00, down 7.66 points per game on this one stat.
From 2006 to 2007 Bears declined by 15.4 points per game on Winning Margin.

Week 9
NFC MOST DOWN
The Chicago Bears are in a free fall this season losing ground on both offense and defense. They are the league's most down team on the scoring differential losing 15.4 points per game.
The stat graphic above pictures their decline on Total Rushing plays which is tightly linked to their sudden plunging performance.
But there are forty other stats where the Bears are the league's MOST DOWN or SECOND MOST DOWN.
Fans should note the close linkage between the offensive rush and the Winning Margin. The graphic shows that every year, when the Bears' running game performance improves the scoring differential improves.
And when it declines, the winning margin declines. It's a real Killer Stat.
Both the rush/clock control stats and the passing efficiency stats (yards per pass attempt) are equally culpable each contributing 7.7 points per game to the Winning Margin. These two sinking ship stats fully account for the 15.4-point scoring loss.
Bud Goode