OT: Eagles gained 71 points from going for it on 4th down

Submitted by taistreetsmyhero on

Analysis of all 29 of Doug Pederson's 4th down 'go for it' calls in 2017

Brian and many others on this site have harped again and again about the utility of aggressively going for it on 4th down. The Philadelphia Eagles under Doug Pederson did exactly that en route to a Super Bowl championship last year. A writer for the Philly Voice reviewed all 29 calls to go for it on 4th down and found that it led to an additional 74 points while costing only 3 points from failed attempts.

It's interesting to consider how other teams with worse offenses and/or defenses would fair from equally aggressive coaching decisions.

UMxWolverines

February 22nd, 2018 at 8:04 PM ^

The Eagles had a fantastic gameplan for the Superbowl, they threw everything but the kitchen sink at New England. Being aggressive in football is usually beneficial, not sure why we've attempted to be so conservative as a program for literally decades.

Laser Wolf

February 22nd, 2018 at 8:10 PM ^

I’m all for being aggressive on fourth down but I imagine this is heavily aided by having the league’s best defense. Good for Pederson knowing his team and figuring his defense would paper over most mistakes but mileage may vary depending on the team.

Two Hearted Ale

February 22nd, 2018 at 9:39 PM ^

If you are planning on going for it on fourth down doesn't that open the playbook on third down? E.g. third and six would make the entire playbook available instead of only passing plays and the occasional draw play.

Hotel Putingrad

February 22nd, 2018 at 10:02 PM ^

But NFL coaches are too risk-.averse. That's why the Greatest Show on Turf and Mad Mike Martz were such a breath of fresh air. That's why Pete Carroll seems to be the only guy who actually enjoys his job. Sadly, I think the NFL has dented Harbaugh's soul.