With captains, do we see the limits of heavy fouling in the NFL? Bills, Seahawks Provide Clues – The Athletic

No NFL team can match the Kansas City Captains in terms of superb offensive firepower over the past three seasons.

With Patrick Mahomes pitching to Tireek Hill, Travis Kelce and friends, the 2018-20 captains led the NFL in regular and advanced stats alike. Most Scores, Most Expected Scores, Most Touches, Highest Explosive Pass Rate – to name a metric that reflects attacking excellence and Captains may be leading the league match or nearest. More than any team, they understand the value of passing and have the staff to maximize their advantage.

Eight games into the 2021 season, the Captain is still #1 in terms of early, early-game passes, but they are also leading the league in penalties. They ranked 23rd in explosive pass rate, including 32nd in the past four weeks. Kansas City has failed to go above 20 points in three of its past four games. The captains scored at least 21 points in all but two of Mahomes’ previous 50 regular-season starts. They are leading 4-4 ​​after just beating the New York Giants on Monday night, 20-17.

What once appeared easy for the chiefs’ offense has become a crushing one. Could it be too much of a good thing?

For years, the analytics community has urged groups explore the limits of passing frequency instead of focusing on setting up a running track. Chiefs and Buffalo Bills mandatory. Both peaked in 2020 using frequent early passes to exploit the defence’s tendency to respect the run ( Seattle Seahawks Football Team joined them for a while).