Disturbing article on last year's passing game:

[SteelTorch]

As some of you might know, passing yards per attempt is a very important stat. According to CHFF, it has the highest correlation with winning. And as you know, Big Ben's YPA was 7.9.

However, they do it differently: http://www.coldhardfootballfacts.com/Article.php?Page=992

They actually subtract sack yards. When you factor in the sack numbers, that puts us at 6.28: below the likes of the Bengals, Texans, Bucs, Cleveland, and even Denver! The line was so bad, all the sack yards dropped the average by a yard and a half!

This is pretty much a no-brainer. I'm merely posting this because the numbers are very eye-opening. YPA is very important, and I think this shows us just how badly the sacks hurt our passing game last year. It's no surprise that we ended up losing to teams we shouldn't have. If we want to remain competitive, we have to fix this problem.

Lesson: sacks hurt. Hopefully, this year will be different (in a good way). :wink:

[Oviedo]

If Ben throws at least as many TDs with no more interceptions, then I'm OK being "disturbed." If Ben dumps the ball to outlets or just throws it away, sacks will go down by 20%.

[SteelStallion]

This is why I'm not into football "stats." They're too deceiving. But I know it's a must for the fantasy footballers. We all watch the games and can see qualitatively what the deal is with our team.

[Oviedo]

Lies and statistics!!!!!! Birds of a feather.

[papillon]

If Ben throws at least as many TDs with no more interceptions, then I'm OK being "disturbed." If Ben dumps the ball to outlets or just throws it away, sacks will go down by 20%.

Unfortunately, so will the number of big plays that Ben makes, because, the ball won't be in his hands to do anything with. It will be caught by someone in the first row of the stadium instead of Ward, Holmes, Washington, et al.

Pappy

[Oviedo]

If Ben throws at least as many TDs with no more interceptions, then I'm OK being "disturbed." If Ben dumps the ball to outlets or just throws it away, sacks will go down by 20%.

Unfortunately, so will the number of big plays that Ben makes, because, the ball won't be in his hands to do anything with. It will be caught by someone in the first row of the stadium instead of Ward, Holmes, Washington, et al.

Pappy

I'll take a quick 8 yard hit to Miller or Spaeth versus watching Ben wait for the big play to possibly happen before he gets killed. Those 8 yard gains add up and while they may not make the ESPN Highlight reel they will wear out a defense over the course of a game because they won't be able to get off the field.

[papillon]

If Ben throws at least as many TDs with no more interceptions, then I'm OK being "disturbed." If Ben dumps the ball to outlets or just throws it away, sacks will go down by 20%.

Unfortunately, so will the number of big plays that Ben makes, because, the ball won't be in his hands to do anything with. It will be caught by someone in the first row of the stadium instead of Ward, Holmes, Washington, et al.

Pappy

I'll take a quick 8 yard hit to Miller or Spaeth versus watching Ben wait for the big play to possibly happen before he gets killed. Those 8 yard gains add up and while they may not make the ESPN Highlight reel they will wear out a defense over the course of a game because they won't be able to get off the field.

I've never seen Ben settle for 8 when he thinks he can get 20. That's why his YPA is so high. I love watching Ben play, but, his style does add a bit of an adrenaline rush to the game.

Pappy

[SteelTorch]

This is why I'm not into football "stats." They're too deceiving. But I know it's a must for the fantasy footballers. We all watch the games and can see qualitatively what the deal is with our team.
YPA isn't exactly a fantasy stat. And how is this instance deceiving? It shows perfectly how much the sack numbers hurt our passing game.

And like it or not, this method of YPA has the highest correlation with win percentage, with rating right below it. Fact. :wink:




I'll take a quick 8 yard hit to Miller or Spaeth versus watching Ben wait for the big play to possibly happen before he gets killed. Those 8 yard gains add up and while they may not make the ESPN Highlight reel they will wear out a defense over the course of a game because they won't be able to get off the field.

An 8 yard gain is still good, and higher than our YPA last year with the sack numbers tallied in. It's when the YPA starts dipping below seven that your passing game starts struggling. And no matter how you cut it, our passing game struggled last year in several crucial situations.

Granted, we weren't bad, but we could have been so much better if it weren't for O-line performance. Heck, it could have gotten us a 12-4 season and a win against Jacksonville. :wink:

[AngryAsian]

The concerns presented in this thread is noteworthy, but I personally get an ulcer thinking about the last two seasons. I know last year was an upswing, especially when you look at the changes that took place with personnel and coaching staff. Now our sophomore season with our new coach and an increase in the talent pool should give us a better perspective of what this team is capable of. I think that we've never been this loaded with talent since the golden decade of the 70s. How can any Steeler fan not approach this upcoming season with some level of optimism is beyond me. Do we need help in the trenches on both sides of the ball..... absofugginlutely! But with Ben's increase weaponry, greater familiarity with both players surrounding him as well as Arian's schemes, our offense should improve those somewhat skewed numbers. I guess I'm a homer, but I think that we're going to surprise a lot of teams this year.