Checkdowns: YPC Differential Leaders

by Chase Stuart on November 8, 2014

in Checkdowns, Rushing, Statistics, Trivia

Wilson's rushing prowess has powered Seattle this year

[End of Year update: Seattle finished the season with 2,762 rushing yards on 525 carries, good enough for a 5.26 YPC average. The Seahawks allowed just 1,304 yards on 380 carries, which translates to a 3.43 YPC average. Therefore, the 2014 Seahawks averaged 1.83 more yards per carry than they allowed; that’s the second best differential since the merger, and just a behind the ’63 Browns for the third best since 1950.]

Last season, the Seahawks posted the best ANY/A differential in the NFL. In fact, it was the 9th best ANY/A differential of any team since the merger, and Seattle wound up becoming the 5th team in the top ten in that statistic to win the Super Bowl.

You heard all about Richard Sherman and Earl Thomas and the great Seahawks pass defense, and it’s not as though Russell Wilson was flying under the radar, either. But this year, the Seahawks are recording even more extreme statistics in a different differential stat.

Yards per carry is super overrated: Danny Tuccitto did a nice job revealing that just a couple of days ago. But hey, I love trivia, so let’s move on.

Seattle ranks 1st in the NFL in yards per carry (5.08). Marshawn Lynch is at 4.2 YPC on 132 carries, but it’s Wilson’s 7.6 yards per carry average on 52 carries that sets the Seahawks apart. But the defense — so unstoppable against the pass in 2013 — ranks 1st in this metric, too. Seattle is allowing just 3.19 yards per carry this year; if it holds, that would be the best mark since the 2010 Steelers.

Combine, though, is where the Seahawks really stand out. Seattle has a 1.89 YPC differential, defined as YPC for the offense minus YPC allowed for the defense. How good is that? If it holds, it would be the 2nd best mark since 1950:

Rk	Tm	Year	Record	Win %	YPC (Off)	YPC (Def)	Diff
1	MIN	2007	8-8	0.5	5.33	3.13	2.21
2	SEA	2014	5-3	0.625	5.08	3.19	1.88
3	CLE	1963	10-4	0.714	5.74	3.9	1.83
4	RAM	1984	10-6	0.625	5.29	3.56	1.73
5	ATL	2006	7-9	0.438	5.47	3.75	1.72
6	SFO	1954	7-4-1	0.625	5.65	3.94	1.71
7	SDG	1963	11-3	0.786	5.57	3.88	1.69
8	DET	1997	9-7	0.563	5.51	3.89	1.62
9	BAL	2000	12-4	0.75	4.3	2.69	1.62
10	NYG	1950	10-2	0.833	4.54	2.93	1.6
11	DET	1994	9-7	0.563	5.12	3.64	1.49
12	JAX	2006	8-8	0.5	4.95	3.48	1.48
13	DTX	1962	11-3	0.786	5.03	3.56	1.46
14	MIN	2012	10-6	0.625	5.42	3.96	1.46
15	BAL	2003	10-6	0.625	4.84	3.43	1.42
16	CLE	1958	9-3	0.75	5.32	3.92	1.39
17	PHI	2013	10-6	0.625	5.13	3.77	1.37
18	SFO	2012	11-4-1	0.719	5.06	3.7	1.36
19	STL	1960	6-5-1	0.542	4.87	3.52	1.34
20	KAN	1966	11-2-1	0.821	5.18	3.84	1.34
21	BOS	1961	9-4-1	0.679	4.31	2.97	1.33
22	PIT	1976	10-4	0.714	4.55	3.22	1.33
23	DET	1989	7-9	0.438	4.88	3.57	1.31
24	DAL	1974	8-6	0.571	4.53	3.22	1.3
25	MIN	2006	6-10	0.375	4.12	2.83	1.29
26	MIN	2011	3-13	0.188	5.17	3.9	1.27
27	BAL	2009	9-7	0.563	4.7	3.43	1.27
28	PHI	1990	10-6	0.625	4.73	3.47	1.26
29	PIT	1979	12-4	0.75	4.64	3.38	1.26
30	STL	1999	13-3	0.813	4.78	3.52	1.26
31	PIT	2001	13-3	0.813	4.78	3.53	1.26
32	NYJ	2014	1-8	0.111	4.73	3.48	1.26
33	PHI	2010	10-6	0.625	5.43	4.17	1.25
34	DTX	1961	6-8	0.429	4.97	3.72	1.25
35	DET	1981	8-8	0.5	4.69	3.46	1.23
36	ATL	2004	11-5	0.688	5.1	3.87	1.23
37	PIT	1972	11-3	0.786	5.07	3.85	1.22
38	SFO	1999	4-12	0.25	5.01	3.8	1.21
39	OAK	1973	9-4-1	0.679	4.59	3.38	1.21
40	DAL	1966	10-3-1	0.75	4.51	3.3	1.2
41	SFO	1988	10-6	0.625	4.79	3.6	1.19
42	BAL	2007	5-11	0.313	4.03	2.84	1.19
43	MIN	2008	10-6	0.625	4.49	3.32	1.18
44	BUF	1992	11-5	0.688	4.44	3.27	1.17
45	DET	1951	7-4-1	0.625	4.49	3.32	1.17
46	CLE	1952	8-4	0.667	4.53	3.37	1.16
47	NYG	1951	9-2-1	0.792	3.49	2.33	1.16
48	BUF	1973	9-5	0.643	5.1	3.95	1.15
49	DAL	1971	11-3	0.786	4.39	3.24	1.15
50	OAK	1996	7-9	0.438	4.77	3.62	1.15
51	SFO	1953	9-3	0.75	5.03	3.89	1.14
52	SEA	2005	13-3	0.813	4.73	3.6	1.14
53	RAI	1987	5-10	0.333	4.63	3.49	1.13
54	JAX	2003	5-11	0.313	4.31	3.18	1.13
55	STL	2001	14-2	0.875	4.87	3.75	1.12
56	DAL	1968	12-2	0.857	4.36	3.24	1.12
57	SFO	1998	12-4	0.75	5.18	4.08	1.11
58	BUF	1966	9-4-1	0.679	4.16	3.06	1.1
59	BUF	1964	12-2	0.857	4.15	3.04	1.1
60	KAN	1995	13-3	0.813	4.38	3.28	1.1
61	NWE	1978	11-5	0.688	4.72	3.62	1.09
62	BOS	1966	8-4-2	0.643	4.17	3.08	1.09
63	SDG	1990	6-10	0.375	4.66	3.57	1.09
64	DEN	1998	14-2	0.875	4.7	3.62	1.09
65	CLE	1950	10-2	0.833	4.57	3.49	1.08
66	DAL	1973	10-4	0.714	4.46	3.38	1.08
67	MIA	1973	12-2	0.857	4.97	3.9	1.08
68	MIN	2002	6-10	0.375	5.3	4.23	1.07
69	PIT	2010	12-4	0.75	4.08	3.02	1.07
70	PIT	1997	11-5	0.688	4.33	3.27	1.06
71	SDG	1998	5-11	0.313	3.76	2.7	1.06
72	IND	1985	5-11	0.313	5.03	3.98	1.05
73	NYG	2008	12-4	0.75	5.02	3.97	1.04
74	RAM	1956	4-8	0.333	5.15	4.11	1.04
75	DET	1984	4-11-1	0.281	4.52	3.48	1.04
76	BAL	1971	10-4	0.714	4.2	3.16	1.04
77	DEN	2002	9-7	0.563	4.96	3.93	1.03
78	CHI	1986	14-2	0.875	4.46	3.43	1.03
79	KAN	1964	7-7	0.5	4.4	3.37	1.03
80	NYJ	2013	8-8	0.5	4.38	3.35	1.02
81	PIT	1974	10-3-1	0.75	4.43	3.41	1.02
82	NYJ	2008	9-7	0.563	4.75	3.73	1.02
83	CLE	1966	9-5	0.643	5.22	4.21	1.01
84	RAM	1971	8-5-1	0.607	4.65	3.64	1.01
85	OAK	1967	13-1	0.929	4.21	3.21	1
86	WAS	2012	10-6	0.625	5.22	4.22	1
87	NWE	1976	11-3	0.786	4.99	4	0.99
88	DET	1980	9-7	0.563	4.54	3.56	0.98
89	CLE	1960	8-3-1	0.708	5.04	4.06	0.98
90	GNB	1960	8-4	0.667	4.64	3.67	0.97
91	SDG	1991	4-12	0.25	4.84	3.87	0.97
92	RAM	1973	12-2	0.857	4.44	3.47	0.97
93	CLE	1967	9-5	0.643	4.82	3.85	0.97
94	GNB	1971	4-8-2	0.357	4.46	3.49	0.97
95	SDG	2005	9-7	0.563	4.46	3.49	0.96
96	GNB	1962	13-1	0.929	4.75	3.79	0.96
97	DET	1970	10-4	0.714	4.14	3.18	0.96
98	CLE	1954	9-3	0.75	3.77	2.82	0.94
99	TEN	2009	8-8	0.5	5.19	4.26	0.94
100	PIT	1996	10-6	0.625	4.38	3.44	0.94

As Seattle is finding out this year, being dominant in ANY/A differential is better than being dominant in YPC differential. If you need more convincing, take a look at the #32 team on the list.

Tagged as: Seahawks, Yards per rush

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