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Stat of the Week

Week 14--
The STAT OF THE WEEK feature highlights the one stat contributing most points to the victory.

Minnesota Vikings--San Francisco 49ers

Give Aways (1 vs 5) contributed 17.2 points to the 20-point win.

Give Aways are Killer Stats.

The reason? Every stat contributes some point value to the scoring differential, And both the Lost Interception and Lost Fumble are heavy hitters. The fumble contributes 3 points to the winning margin and the INT another 6.

It is not surprising, therefore, that the San Francisco 49ers' wheels came off when they met the Vikes' tough Mack-truck like defense. The four lost fumbles cost the 49ers 12 points and the one INT cost another five.

The total points contributed to the loss added up to 17 points accounting for almost all of the 20-point Viking victory.

As the graphic below shows, the 49ers have made a habit of mishandling the ball in 5 losses. It's been a big problem. The ball just slips through their fingers. What the hey, their fingers slip through their fingers.

Coach Brad Childress put some life into the offense this week. When the team gets to the playoffs it will be interesting to see if this Viking dark horse, improving weekly, can continue to perform at their recent level (three games with winning margins of: +24 over the Giants; +12 points over the Lions; and +20 over the 49ers).

Here come the Vikes.

Bud Goode

Give Aways

Minnesota Vikings

2007 Week 6 through 2008 Week 11

Give Aways

San Francisco 49ers

2007 Week 6 through 2008 Week 11

Give Aways

Percentile Chart
100=Stongest 50=Average 0=Weakest
Lines: Playoff Avg=56 SuperBowl Avg=57
Win Mrg Points Change
Winning Margin Points Change
Sorted by Points Change, 2007 to 2008

Rank Team Pctl Stat
Value Points
behind
Leader Win Mrg
Pts Chg
vs 2007 Games
Won
1 MIA 100 0.80 0.00 4.84 6
2 WAS 94 0.90 0.48 4.36 6
3 JAX 88 1.00 0.96 1.49 4
4 CLE 88 1.00 0.96 3.88 4
5 ATL 88 1.00 0.96 2.39 6
6 IND 88 1.00 0.96 0.90 6
7 NYG 88 1.00 0.96 5.38 9
8 TEN 88 1.00 0.96 5.38 10
9 G B 82 1.10 1.43 1.91 5
10 K C 76 1.20 1.91 4.12 1
11 N E 71 1.30 2.39 -1.73 6
12 PIT 65 1.40 2.87 -0.12 7
13 OAK 65 1.40 2.87 4.36 2
14 PHI 59 1.50 3.35 0.90 5
15 CAR 59 1.50 3.35 1.49 8
16 S D 59 1.50 3.35 0.00 4
17 SEA 59 1.50 3.35 0.00 2
18 CHI 59 1.50 3.35 2.99 5
19 BAL 53 1.60 3.82 4.30 6
20 ARI 47 1.70 4.30 2.63 7
21 DET 47 1.70 4.30 2.63 0
22 N O 47 1.70 4.30 0.84 5
23 T B 47 1.70 4.30 -2.15 7
24 STL 41 1.80 4.78 2.45 2
25 NYJ 41 1.80 4.78 -1.14 7
26 CIN 35 1.90 5.26 -0.12 1
27 DAL 35 1.90 5.26 -1.91 6
28 DEN 29 2.00 5.74 -0.90 6
29 MIN 24 2.10 6.21 -1.08 5
30 HOU 18 2.20 6.69 0.84 3
31 BUF 18 2.20 6.69 -4.24 5
32 S F 0 2.50 8.13 -1.79 3
2008 Season, YTD through Week 11

In season 2007 49ers ranked 25th on Give Aways at 2.13.
In season 2008 they ranked 32nd at 2.50, down 1.8 points per game on this one stat.
From 2007 to 2008 49ers improved by 4.6 points per game on Winning Margin.

Buffalo Bills--Miami Dolphins

QB Sacks (0 vs 6) contributed 21.1 points to the 21-point win.

QB Sacks are Killer Stats. In week 14 the Buffalo Bills faced the Miami Dolphins in a divisional game. And as this space has been touting all year, the QB Sack was going to make an impact. Did it?
How about the winless Dolphins taking 6 big hits from the Bills' pass D and the Bills' QB not one. Zip.
Each stat contributes some point value to the scoring differential. In that regard the sack is a heavy weight. One sack more than the opposition contributes 3+ points to the victory.
Take a quick glance at the stat graphic below. The 14th week bar graph pictures the performance for both teams -- zip for the Bills and a huge no-win problem for the Dollphins.
This defenseless performance contributed 21.1 points to the winning margin of 20 pointts.
It fully accounts for the win. And that is what sacking the QB is all about.
And how about this week? The Dolphins face the New England Patriots. If the Billls hit'em up for 6 sacks, what will Coach Bill Belichick's tough pass D do? Typically, when the best team faces the weakest it creates a potential record setting environment.
Songstress Peggy Lee, years ago put it to music with a melody entitled, "Bloody Sunday." Fewer years ago U2, "Sunday, Bloody Sunday."
Bud Goode

QB Sacks
Buffalo Bills
2007 Week 6 through 2008 Week 11

QB Sacks
Miami Dolphins
2007 Week 6 through 2008 Week 11

QB Sacks

Percentile Chart
100=Stongest 50=Average 0=Weakest
Lines: Playoff Avg=58 SuperBowl Avg=58
Win Mrg Points Change
Winning Margin Points Change
Sorted by Points Change, 2007 to 2008

Rank Team Pctl Stat
Value Points
behind
Leader Win Mrg
Pts Chg
vs 2007 Games
Won
1 TEN 100 0.60 0.00 4.51 10
2 DEN 94 0.80 0.71 4.25 6
3 N O 94 0.80 0.71 0.71 5
4 IND 84 1.10 1.77 1.19 6
5 T B 84 1.10 1.77 4.07 7
6 CLE 81 1.20 2.12 -0.04 4
7 ATL 81 1.20 2.12 6.15 6
8 NYG 81 1.20 2.12 1.95 9
9 CAR 78 1.30 2.48 2.70 8
10 S D 75 1.40 2.83 0.35 4
11 PHI 72 1.50 3.19 5.53 5
12 DAL 66 1.70 3.89 -0.49 6
13 BAL 62 1.80 4.25 2.26 6
14 ARI 62 1.80 4.25 -1.06 7
15 CHI 62 1.80 4.25 3.14 5
16 NYJ 59 1.90 4.60 5.00 7
17 MIA 56 2.00 4.96 1.77 6
18 G B 53 2.10 5.31 -3.23 5
19 SEA 50 2.20 5.66 0.18 2
20 HOU 44 2.40 6.37 -3.63 3
21 BUF 41 2.50 6.73 -3.10 5
22 JAX 37 2.60 7.08 -2.35 4
23 WAS 37 2.60 7.08 -2.79 6
24 MIN 31 2.80 7.79 -1.73 5
25 K C 31 2.80 7.79 2.26 1
26 STL 19 3.20 9.20 -0.71 2
27 N E 16 3.30 9.56 -7.04 6
28 OAK 16 3.30 9.56 -2.61 2
29 PIT 9 3.50 10.27 -1.99 7
30 S F 6 3.60 10.62 -0.58 3
31 DET 3 3.70 10.97 -1.37 0
32 CIN 0 3.80 11.33 -9.69 1
2008 Season, YTD through Week 11

In season 2007 Bills ranked 11th on QB Sacks at 1.63.
In season 2008 they ranked 21st at 2.50, down 3.1 points per game on this one stat.
From 2007 to 2008 Bills improved by 6.5 points per game on Winning Margin.