Pass/Run Ratio: NFL vs CFL

CFL Talk
1

Okay... I broke down last night and watched some NFL because I had an hour to do on the elliptical machine and there was NOTHING else on (well... except for Mythbusters I had seen before). The commentator announced that Philadelphia's Offensive Coordinator was the most "pass-happy" coach in NFL HISTORY! His pass to run ratio as 58.2:41.8. That's right, he passes 58.2% of the time. The commentators were astounded and I guess that in a 4 down league that IS a high ratio.

It got me wondering, in the past 30 years, who was the LEAST pass-happy CFL coach? Was that number lower than the high total for the NFL? Do we even have those stats anywhere?

2

well, considering the NFL has stats for everything you can imagine, i'm sure they don't..

NFL probably has the stat

number of throws by a QB on 3rd down in the 2nd qtr, while running to the right.

number of runs by a Running back, while being touched but not tackled, while gaining 10 yards.

number of times a team does 3-4 defense while 2nd down, inside their 35yd line, while leading and having a winning record.

3

What's wrong with that? I like it when Al Michaels or the Monday Guys toss out stats like that.

4

Number of hot dogs with mustard consumed by QBs on the sidelines

Number of hot dogs with onions consumed by QBs on the sidelines

Number of players who won't go near a QB who has just consumed onions

5

Ummm… does this mean that nobody knows? :slight_smile:

6

i think baseball is the worst for stats that mean zilch.

7

That’s true. They probably have a stat about what the batting average is for guys who were born on a Wednesday afternoon in Missouri who are facing left-handed pitchers from Puerto Rico on Thursday nights in August when the temperature is over 70F but under 72F and the humidity is 98%.

8

In 4 down football it makes a lot more sense to run the ball a lot more often. Passing is always a bigger risk bigger reward type scenario because of the potential to gain 0 yards on an incompletion or have a pass get intercepted. Running the ball is a safer bet and when you need an average of 3-4 yards per carry to get a first down without using 4th down. That kind of average is completely doable for a starting level running back in the nfl so why not run the ball more than pass

9

I actually quite like that about baseball, but maybe it’s just me lol.

10

NFL is designed for TV.

with their 40 second clock… and stats for everything. and the big productions the networks put on, all the fancy graphics and so on… they make a great TV product… but the actual on field product itself, when you’re in person… is nothing to be bragging about!

I’d love to see Michaels and MNF do a CFL game and still pull off all their NFL style reports and discussions at the end of the game when there is a close game and anyone can win with 30 seconds to go, instead of the winning team walking off the field with a minute to go…

I bet they’d have to totally restructure their production to fit the CFL.

11

agreed. its designed for television. not exciting to watch live.

i find though, Rod black tries to be like the “stats guy.” but he only knows like 3 stats. “arland bruce used to play for toronto” “kerry Joseph was the 2007 MOP” and i heard he is working on the third stat he knows.

so it would nice to have a few more stats sent our way, especially reguarding the cis stats in the younger days. but too much gets a little annyoing

12

I dunno, I'd MUCH rather see an NFL game live. Watching it on TV is too often just too dull, especially with the 40 second clock and all the freakin' time outs. Even live the time outs are pretty ridiculous. The CFL is usually way more exciting whether live or on TV.

This year the run seems to have seen a resurgence in the CFL, and I couldn't be happier. There are a number of very high quality backs this year and teams that seem to have learned how to use them. Is anything more thrilling than an exciting long run from scrimmage, busting through traffic? We've seen some really awesome examples of that this year.

13

Well its tough to fill airspace between pitches so you have to have something to talk about.

14

Me too. I wish it was more like that with CFL telecasts.

15

I guess not.

While I do wish we had access to a few more stats that are probably kept but aren’t posted at CFL.ca, I don’t want there to be so many stats that it gets ridiculous. There are a few defensive stats I’d like to see at CFL.ca like how many times a D has rushed a QBs throw or how many passes have been knocked down at the line of scrimmage. We know they keep those stats but they just don’t share them with us.

16

since CFL expansion and Fluties second nfl coming- NFL stats probably would show more passing and less completion % AS pre spread and run @ shoot(west coast) offences in NFL used the run to set up the pass, So passing plays had less risk, Also there was more use of RB,s for 1st ,2nd and 3rd down,s . -- if you have the time just add up the QB,s pass % combined, for each league and the RB,s run avg,s vs number of carrie,s i think this would give you the numbers your looking for.

17

I heard a few weeks ago that Winnipegs pass-run ratio was close to 50-50 (don't know if this is still true).

But comparing the NFL's pass-run ratio to the CFL's is comparing apples to oranges. With it being 4 down football it skews the ratio. If the CFL runs on first down and left with a second and long they have to pass, in the NFL they can still run that play.

Also comparing apples to oranges again the NFL's top qb's routinely throw more td passes throughout a season in less games than CFL qb's.