I looked at the data described in the link submitted by infantrycak on another thread:
I then made an attempt at visualizing the data shown in the tables while comparing the Texans yardage from year to year. According to the description in the article,
I believe I have accurately portrayed the data in the following table. In my table for instance, the first line is for 2002. It shows that runs to the outside of the left tackle went for an average of 3.31 yards per carry. It then shows that the runs between left tackle and left guard averaged 2.68 ypc, between the guards 3.30 ypc, between right guard and right tackle 2.20 ypc, and outside the right tackle at 2.95 ypc. Each subsequent line is the next year of the Texans existence. Here is my graphic (sorry about the table - I had a nice Excel chart I couldn't import):
YR-----------LT------LG---C---RG------RT
2002----3.31----2.68-----3.30-----2.20----2.95
2003----3.89----3.70-----3.60-----4.04----3.80
2004----4.85----3.85-----4.35-----3.96----2.83
2005----4.16----4.14-----4.62-----3.75----4.35
What does the data show? There are many variables not shown here of course - like the identity of the running backs, injuries, etc. - but some general items can be seen, IMO.
2002 - I don't know what this shows because the team was so new and raw. I guess it shows we didn't run very well.
2002 - 2003 Transition - No comment.
2003 - Pitts at LT improved at run blocking inside and outside of his LT position. We were better across the line and significantly so on the right side. This is also the year Davis joined the team at RB.
2003 - 2004 Transition - Wand moved to left tackle, Pitts to left guard, Wade joins team, zone blocking implemented
2004 - Running outside of Wand produced the highest average shown in the table. It increased our ypc outside left by almost a full yard per carry. Running between LT and LG improved a little bit. Our running between the guards increased .75 ypc. Pitts surely had some effect here, but it also appears that McKinney may be a good run blocker in the zone blocking scheme. Runs between Weigert and Wade stayed about the same, but runs outside Wade dropped dramatically. Could the assumption that Wade is an effective run blocker be wrong? Running outside right averaged almost 2 YPC less than outside left.
2004 - 2005 Transition - Texan coaches install a quicker paced offense and re-emphasize their ball control, run oriented offense. They bench Wand who is one of their quickest linemen and seemingly the best run blocker in 2004. Riley plays 4 games at LT, before being replaced by Pitts who plays the final 12 games there. Injuries play a significant role in the season, giving Milford Brown a lot of playing time at LG. McKinney plays most of but not a full year at center.
2005 - Running outside left drops .7 yards per carry. Running between LT and LG increase .3 ypc. Running between guards increases again. These two increases make it appear Brown is a good run blocker, and it also appears it is indeed true - McKinney is a good run zone blocking center. Running between RG and RT remains consistent again, but running outside right makes a 1.5 ypc improvement. Either Wade found his blocking skills again, or we did well there after Weigert replaced him. The data isn't granular enough to tell. I think Wade's blocking probably improved. For the first year in our history running up the middle was our most effective area.
Other conclusions:
1) Wand should have been given the same opportunity to improve his skills from his first year starting to his second that Pitts had. His pass blocking would have improved, especially if the Texans implemented the same double teaming schemes with Wand/Pitts that they did with Pitts/Brown. If Wand's excellent run blocking had improved even incrementally it would have helped the 2005 offense quite a bit.
2) McKinney seems to be a good zone blocking center for the run.
3) Brown may be a good run blocking guard.
4) I don't know about Wade
5) Weigert is consistent.
So. Judging by the data and not the "common knowledge" of the board, what do you think?
infantrycak said:Here is Football Outsiders' attempt to rank OL's by their system which orders them on adjusted line yards and adjusted sack rate. Take it FWIW. They do a lot of stat manipulation which IMO has lead to some pretty odd conclusions which make me question their methodology, but it is interesting.
I then made an attempt at visualizing the data shown in the tables while comparing the Texans yardage from year to year. According to the description in the article,
This second table lists each team's Adjusted Line Yards in each direction listed in official NFL play-by-play, along with rank among the 32 teams. Only five directions are listed because research so far shows no statistically significant difference between how well a team performs on runs listed middle, left guard, and right guard:
I believe I have accurately portrayed the data in the following table. In my table for instance, the first line is for 2002. It shows that runs to the outside of the left tackle went for an average of 3.31 yards per carry. It then shows that the runs between left tackle and left guard averaged 2.68 ypc, between the guards 3.30 ypc, between right guard and right tackle 2.20 ypc, and outside the right tackle at 2.95 ypc. Each subsequent line is the next year of the Texans existence. Here is my graphic (sorry about the table - I had a nice Excel chart I couldn't import):
YR-----------LT------LG---C---RG------RT
2002----3.31----2.68-----3.30-----2.20----2.95
2003----3.89----3.70-----3.60-----4.04----3.80
2004----4.85----3.85-----4.35-----3.96----2.83
2005----4.16----4.14-----4.62-----3.75----4.35
What does the data show? There are many variables not shown here of course - like the identity of the running backs, injuries, etc. - but some general items can be seen, IMO.
2002 - I don't know what this shows because the team was so new and raw. I guess it shows we didn't run very well.
2002 - 2003 Transition - No comment.
2003 - Pitts at LT improved at run blocking inside and outside of his LT position. We were better across the line and significantly so on the right side. This is also the year Davis joined the team at RB.
2003 - 2004 Transition - Wand moved to left tackle, Pitts to left guard, Wade joins team, zone blocking implemented
2004 - Running outside of Wand produced the highest average shown in the table. It increased our ypc outside left by almost a full yard per carry. Running between LT and LG improved a little bit. Our running between the guards increased .75 ypc. Pitts surely had some effect here, but it also appears that McKinney may be a good run blocker in the zone blocking scheme. Runs between Weigert and Wade stayed about the same, but runs outside Wade dropped dramatically. Could the assumption that Wade is an effective run blocker be wrong? Running outside right averaged almost 2 YPC less than outside left.
2004 - 2005 Transition - Texan coaches install a quicker paced offense and re-emphasize their ball control, run oriented offense. They bench Wand who is one of their quickest linemen and seemingly the best run blocker in 2004. Riley plays 4 games at LT, before being replaced by Pitts who plays the final 12 games there. Injuries play a significant role in the season, giving Milford Brown a lot of playing time at LG. McKinney plays most of but not a full year at center.
2005 - Running outside left drops .7 yards per carry. Running between LT and LG increase .3 ypc. Running between guards increases again. These two increases make it appear Brown is a good run blocker, and it also appears it is indeed true - McKinney is a good run zone blocking center. Running between RG and RT remains consistent again, but running outside right makes a 1.5 ypc improvement. Either Wade found his blocking skills again, or we did well there after Weigert replaced him. The data isn't granular enough to tell. I think Wade's blocking probably improved. For the first year in our history running up the middle was our most effective area.
Other conclusions:
1) Wand should have been given the same opportunity to improve his skills from his first year starting to his second that Pitts had. His pass blocking would have improved, especially if the Texans implemented the same double teaming schemes with Wand/Pitts that they did with Pitts/Brown. If Wand's excellent run blocking had improved even incrementally it would have helped the 2005 offense quite a bit.
2) McKinney seems to be a good zone blocking center for the run.
3) Brown may be a good run blocking guard.
4) I don't know about Wade
5) Weigert is consistent.
So. Judging by the data and not the "common knowledge" of the board, what do you think?