Relationship between rushing plays and wins - bad statistics?

[alexey]

They keep showing that comparison rushing plays per game and wins... They make it sound like all we need to do is rush the ball 32+ times a game.

It seems any team will end up running the ball more if they win... but that does not mean they will win if they rush more.

[909997]

if u run 32+ a game it means ur getting first downs and going down the feild

[alexey]

if u run 32+ a game it means ur getting first downs and going down the feild

Or complete some bombs downfield in the first half and run a lot in the second

[alexey]

Here is an interesting stat.. http://killersports.com/nfl.py/query for wins in 2005 shows that a winner had an average of 33.0 rushes and 29.2 passes per game.

[Art McDonough]

That's one of those duh! stats. If you rush the ball 33 times you win the vast majority of your games....duh...if you are leading in the game you rush more to control the clock. If you're behind, you can't do that so you throw more.

[afkidd]

it's kind of a padded stat, much like when the rams made their run to win the superbowl a few years ago, that their defense had one of the best rushing defenses in the league. but it's not too hard to figure out why, the rams offense were slaughtering their opponents early, forcing the opposing team to drop the run and go to the pass fast.

much like that stat, if u are behind in a game, especially during the fourth quarter, you are more likely to throw the ball then pass, where as you will run the ball instead of throw to take time off the clock if u are ahead.

i use this strategy in madden all the time. get a 10 point lead and then run the ball the rest of the game.

edit: art beat me too it.

[skinzplay]

statistics can be a bit misleading. more rushing doesn't give rise to more wins.

it would very well be the case - and probably is - that most teams (including our Skins) build a lead and then rush the ball a lot to kill the clock. so that would add to the stats for number of rushes.

man, these producers love to stick with a stat and shove it down your throat for the whole game.

[alexey]

It sounds obvious, but they keep repeating that same stat over and over again... sounds like it became "the thing to say"