Correlations Between Punting and Defense and Punting and Winning

[kccrow]

Well, you guys think I'm a nut... So here it is, the data you've all been waiting so patiently for. I've included the Excel Workbook I used. the 20##P tabs are punting stats, the 20##D are defensive stats with correlations to punting, and the 20##WL tabs are W/L records with correlations to punting. I even made a sheet with all the glorious data in one spot.

There is no strong correlation between having a good punter and how good an NFL defense is and there is no strong correlation between having a good punter and win percentage. So, next time you want to defend a contract to a punter for millions per year, I'm going to tell you that you're an idiot. So long as a punter is NFL caliber, he's simply good enough.

Below are the correlation coefficients. I'll leave it to you folks to pour through the rest of it on your own.

Spoiler!

2017
Correlation Coefficient of Yds/G to Punter Rank (Net Ave) -0.194
Correlation Coefficient of Yds/G to Net Ave 0.085
Correlation Coefficient of Yds/G to Punter Rank (IN 20) 0.028
Correlation Coefficient of Yds/G to IN 20 -0.053
Correlation Coefficient of Pts/G to Punter Rank (Net Ave) -0.152
Correlation Coefficient of Pts/G to Net Ave 0.073
Correlation Coefficient of Pts/G to Punter Rank (IN 20) -0.035
Correlation Coefficient of Pts/G to IN 20 -0.020
Correlation Coefficient of W% to Punter Rank (Net Ave) -0.027
Correlation Coefficient of W% to Net Ave 0.132
Correlation Coefficient of W% to Punter Rank (IN 20) 0.022
Correlation Coefficient of W% to IN 20 -0.006

2016
Correlation Coefficient of Yds/G to Punter Rank (Net Ave) -0.209
Correlation Coefficient of Yds/G to Net Ave 0.180
Correlation Coefficient of Yds/G to Punter Rank (IN 20) 0.209
Correlation Coefficient of Yds/G to IN 20 -0.165
Correlation Coefficient of Pts/G to Punter Rank (Net Ave) 0.096
Correlation Coefficient of Pts/G to Net Ave -0.014
Correlation Coefficient of Pts/G to Punter Rank (IN 20) 0.256
Correlation Coefficient of Pts/G to IN 20 -0.147
Correlation Coefficient of W% to Punter Rank (Net Ave) -0.314
Correlation Coefficient of W% to Net Ave 0.163
Correlation Coefficient of W% to Punter Rank (IN 20) -0.140
Correlation Coefficient of W% to IN 20 0.041

2015
Correlation Coefficient of Yds/G to Punter Rank (Net Ave) -0.266
Correlation Coefficient of Yds/G to Net Ave 0.299
Correlation Coefficient of Yds/G to Punter Rank (IN 20) -0.220
Correlation Coefficient of Yds/G to IN 20 0.202
Correlation Coefficient of Pts/G to Punter Rank (Net Ave) -0.236
Correlation Coefficient of Pts/G to Net Ave 0.259
Correlation Coefficient of Pts/G to Punter Rank (IN 20) -0.116
Correlation Coefficient of Pts/G to IN 20 0.054
Correlation Coefficient of W% to Punter Rank (Net Ave) 0.231
Correlation Coefficient of W% to Net Ave -0.323
Correlation Coefficient of W% to Punter Rank (IN 20) 0.280
Correlation Coefficient of W% to IN 20 -0.199

2014
Correlation Coefficient of Yds/G to Punter Rank (Net Ave) -0.161
Correlation Coefficient of Yds/G to Net Ave 0.131
Correlation Coefficient of Yds/G to Punter Rank (IN 20) 0.207
Correlation Coefficient of Yds/G to IN 20 -0.156
Correlation Coefficient of Pts/G to Punter Rank (Net Ave) -0.114
Correlation Coefficient of Pts/G to Net Ave 0.060
Correlation Coefficient of Pts/G to Punter Rank (IN 20) 0.340
Correlation Coefficient of Pts/G to IN 20 -0.296
Correlation Coefficient of W% to Punter Rank (Net Ave) 0.128
Correlation Coefficient of W% to Net Ave -0.046
Correlation Coefficient of W% to Punter Rank (IN 20) -0.126
Correlation Coefficient of W% to IN 20 0.102

2013
Correlation Coefficient of Yds/G to Punter Rank (Net Ave) 0.102
Correlation Coefficient of Yds/G to Net Ave -0.091
Correlation Coefficient of Yds/G to Punter Rank (IN 20) -0.120
Correlation Coefficient of Yds/G to IN 20 0.123
Correlation Coefficient of Pts/G to Punter Rank (Net Ave) 0.394
Correlation Coefficient of Pts/G to Net Ave -0.396
Correlation Coefficient of Pts/G to Punter Rank (IN 20) 0.156
Correlation Coefficient of Pts/G to IN 20 -0.129
Correlation Coefficient of W% to Punter Rank (Net Ave) -0.234
Correlation Coefficient of W% to Net Ave 0.276
Correlation Coefficient of W% to Punter Rank (IN 20) -0.138
Correlation Coefficient of W% to IN 20 0.122