Opinion: Analytics ruining the Ravens and Chargers
Analytics are ruining the NFL as a reliable product. I hate to say this because of my love for the NFL. But, I do believe numbers don’t tell the whole story. The only numbers that matter the most to me is the Win/Loss column and the scoreboard. Analytics tell me that coaches need to trust the advance numbers and stats more than their own players who is out there on Sundays, Mondays and Thursdays. If that’s the case they need to be playing Madden if they going rely on stats and not coaching. There are two main teams that comes to mind when you say “analytics” The Baltimore Ravens and the LA Chargers.
Both teams has had decisions during games that left many questioning “Why?” Their Head Coaches responses during the press conferences have said “analytics led us to them decisions.” Let me elaborate:
On Sunday The LA Chargers made a decision to go for it on 4th and 1 leading by 4 with 1:51 left. Knowing the Chargers recent history. Analytics led to that decision because they ran the ball thinking they can get the 1 yard. But, not knowing that they only rushed for 30 yards on 15 carries the whole game. Also, only averaging 2.0 yards per carry. Now you might say, they needed one yard and they averaged 2 yards per carry. Yes, that may be true for the Chargers to run the ball. But, they didn’t have a consistent running game the entire game. The Chargers did fail to convert on the 4th and 1. The Chargers were able to sling the ball all over the field with Keenan Allen and Mike Williams both having over 120 a piece. Justin Herbert throwing for over 400 yards. Brandon Staley need to start looking at the game through his eyes more instead of analytics all the time because it doesn’t work out for him and the Chargers. The Chargers are two or 3 wins better if they make decisions better. Then the Chargers wondering why they either blowing leads late in games or falling short every year of the playoffs.
The Ravens on the other hand have suffered similar fate with analytics but with higher expectations. John Harbaugh has gone on record saying that he is a advocate of analytics and he relies on them a lot. There has been a handful of times late in game when Harbaugh decided to not put the game in his kickers legs (no pun intended) or trust his defense to get a crucial stop. An example of this for the Ravens would be last season vs the Buffalo Bills. The Ravens had the Bills on the ropes driving. Harbaugh decides to for it instead of kicking it with Justin Tucker to take the lead. Putting his defense in a position to get a stop. Harbaugh stated that it was “hindsight” that if they kicked the FG. The Bills would’ve had to drive the length of the field to win the game. But, on the other side of that saying. If they didn’t convert on 4th down at the two. He had confidence to stop the Bills. Stating that’s the way analytics set it up that way. Harbaugh needed to just look with his eyes on what was happening on the field. Plus how the game went because it costs the Ravens a game last year which they only lost the division by 1 game.
In Closing, analytics based decisions will be the reasoning , in my opinion, on why Brandon Staley and John Harbaugh will no longer be head coaches in the near future. All I am asking is Just TRUST YOUR PLAYERS in crucial moments instead of numbers that you can’t fully explain afterwards because it’s coming back and biting both coaches in the rear.
