Balanced? These people are nuts...
 

I think people miss-use the word "balanced" when referring to NFL football.


Balance: 1: a state of equilibrium or equipoise; equal distribution of weight, amount, etc.
http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/balance


A good defense and a good offense is "balance" but so is a really crappy defense and a really crappy offense!

NFL averages are about this, statistically.

POINTS/GAME: 20.5

So, for every point MORE than that you score on offense, you should be holding your opponents to one point LESS than that on defense to truly be balanced. Lets see...

Team PPGF PPGA
AFC East
New England 21.6 14.3 +1.1/+6.2 Definately a defensive team.
N.Y. Jets 19.5 20.7 -1/+.2 Pretty balanced, but average
Buffalo 18.7 20.2 -1.8/+.3 Defensive team
Miami 17.5 17.1 -3/+3.4 WAY defensive team

AFC North
Baltimore 21.2 13.1 +.7/+7.4 WAY defensive team
Cincinnati 24.4 19.2 +3.9/+1.3 Offensive team but good D.
Pittsburgh 22 20.3 +2/-.2 Offensive team with average D.
Cleveland 16 22.5 -4.5/-2 CRAP offense, crap D. Unbalanced towards D

AFC South
Indianapolis 26.3 22.7 +5.8/-2.2 WAY offensive team, crap D.
Jacksonville 23.3 14.7 +2.8/+5.8 First +balance so far. Leaning D.
Tennessee 19 24.2 -1.5/-3.7 Below average all around.
Houston 16.8 22.8 -3.7/-2.3 CRAPPY but kinda balanced...

AFC West
San Diego 32.7 19.8 +12.2/+.7 WAY offensive team.
Kansas City 20.5 19.7 +0/+.8 The most BALANCE so far, but average.
Denver 18.1 18.2 -2.4/+2.3 Heavily Defensive.
Oakland 12 20.7 -8.5/-.2 Ouch, that offense blows.

NFC East
Dallas 26.8 20 +6.3/+.5 Heavily offensive
N.Y. Giants 22.5 20.6 +2/-.1 Decent O, Average D.
Philadelphia 24.2 21.7 +3.7/+1.2 Great O, Good D. Some +balance.
Washington 17.8 22.7 -2.7/-2.5 VERY BALANCED, but they suck...

NFC North
Chicago 27.7 13.6 +7.2/+6.9 WE HAVE A WINNER! +BALANCE
Minnesota 18.5 19.3 -2/-1.2 Crap.
Green Bay 19.2 26.4 -1.3/-5.9 Crap.
Detroit 18.2 24.9 -2.3/-4.4 Crap.

NFC South
New Orleans 27.1 20.6 +6.6/-.1 heavy offense
Atlanta 18.8 19.7 -1.7/+.8 Defensive team
Carolina 17.4 18.8 -3.1/+1.7 Heavily Defensive team
Tampa Bay 11.6 22.2 -8.9/-1.7 OUCH.

NFC West
Seattle 21.6 22.3 +1.1/-1.8 Decent O, bad D
San Francisco 17.5 26.8 -3/-6.3 Yuck.
St. Louis 20.7 25.3 +.2/-4.8 Terrible D, average O
Arizona 19.1 23.5 -1.4/-3 all around below average, but balanced...



Highlighting all the division winners puts it into perspective. You pretty much have to be exceptional in one area and average or better in the other to compete at the top level. Or, be badass at both. But this whole idea of being "balanced" is bogus. We're one of the most "balanced" teams in the league...

Best Defense of all time?

1976 Pittsburgh D: 9.9 PPGA (offense had 24.4 PPG)
1985 Chicago D: 11.3 PPGA (offense had 28.5 PPG)
2000 Baltimore D: 10.3 PPGA (offense had 20.8 PPG)

These are some BAD ASS Defenses.

Best KC Defense?

1968 Chiefs D: 12.1 PPGA
1969 Chiefs D: 12.6 PPGA (offense had 25.6 PPG)
1973 Chiefs D: 13.7 PPGA
1995 Chiefs D: 15.1 PPGA
1997 Chiefs D: 14.5 PPGA (offense had 23.4 PPG)


I've forgotten how good we were in '97. We just wasted that year.

Chicago is the team they think has the most balance? WHAT?

They average almost exactly 7 points more per game on offense.
And hold people to almost exactly 7 points less per game on D.


That's pretty amazing balance. Compare that with the great teams of all time in my other post.

They still depend on which Grossman shows up each week. I sure wouldn't be comfortable with their offense in the playoffs.

Wow, I thought this thread would get some hits...


Just wondered what everybody thought about how Herm came in demanding balance, and now we're balanced, but we suck...

Then you look at all the division leaders and really only one of those teams has any balance at all, and it's because they are badass in both phases of the game. I think Dick had the right idea, but we just failed to get mediocre on defense. This whole "close to the vest" mentality doesn't get anything done except to be barely above average, maybe sneak into the playoffs, only to get blasted by a team who is just as good as you in one phase of the game, but LIGHTYEARS ahead of you in the other...

Score more points than the other team...allow fewer points than they do...a novel concept.