Drive Success Rate, Average Drive Result, and More

Nothing is more fundamental in football than the drive. When you get the ball on offense, your goal is to the score points. Ultimately, you want to get a TD. However, I think every coach and fan would consider it a successful drive (though not perfect) if you get into field goal range.

For this experiment, we’re going to consider a 52 yard field goal or closer a “successful scoring opportunity”. We have a chart below that contains the following:

Yards per Drive – How many yards the team averaged per drive

Yards needed for successful scoring opportunity – The amount of yards the team needs to get to the opponents 35 yard line (52 yards field goal) or closer. We consider this a successful scoring opportunity.

Difference – The difference between the yards the team average’s per drive and the yards they need for a successful scoring opportunity. The yards they need for a successful scoring opportunity is also an average based on the team’s average starting field position.

Average Result of Drive – The exact yard line that the team’s average drive takes them to.

Team	Yds/Drive	Yds Needed For Successful Scoring Opp.	Difference (yds)	Average Result of Drive
Texans	36.16	39.43	-3.27	Opp. 38.27 yd line
Patriots	36.11	32.34	+3.77	Opp. 31.23 yd line
Colts	36.04	37.49	-1.45	Opp. 36.45 yds line
Chargers	35.53	36.29	-0.76	Opp. 35.76 yd line
Saints	34.67	36.36	-1.69	Opp. 36.69 yd line
Falcons	32.93	34.35	-1.42	Opp. 36.42 yd line
Packers	32.90	35.28	-2.38	Opp. 37.38 yd line
Buccaneers	32.54	36.16	-3.62	Opp. 38.62 yd line
Eagles	32.30	33.44	-1.14	Opp. 36.14 yd line
Jaguars	31.76	34.74	-2.98	Opp. 37.98 yd line
Cowboys	31.74	36.29	-4.55	Opp. 39.55 yd line
Steelers	30.43	33.68	-3.25	Opp. 38.25 yd line
Giants	30.04	34.55	-4.51	Opp. 39.51 yd line
Ravens	29.77	35.24	-5.47	Opp. 40.47 yd line
Chiefs	29.06	34.31	-5.25	Opp. 40.25 yd line
Broncos	29.02	37.62	-8.60	Opp. 43.60 yd line
Raiders	28.64	36.43	-7.79	Opp. 42.79 yd line
Bengals	28.44	33.61	-5.17	Opp. 40.17 yd line
Jets	28.03	32.25	-4.22	Opp. 39.22 yd line
Dolphins	27.60	36.68	-9.08	Opp. 44.08 yd line
Lions	27.33	35.69	-8.36	Opp. 43.36 yd line
Browns	26.88	35.19	-8.31	Opp. 43.31 yd line
Titans	26.86	33.59	-6.73	Opp. 41.73 yd line
Vikings	26.45	34.84	-8.39	Opp. 43.39 yd line
Redskins	26.44	36.10	-9.66	Opp. 44.66 yd line
49ers	26.39	36.33	-9.94	Opp. 44.94 yd line
Bills	26.28	35.85	-9.57	Opp. 44.57 yd line
Rams	25.05	34.42	-9.37	Opp. 44.37 yd line
Seahawks	24.97	33.88	-8.91	Opp. 43.91 yd line
Bears	24.32	31.63	-7.31	Opp. 42.31 yd line
Cardinals	22.60	35.17	-12.57	Opp. 47.57 yd line
Panthers	20.62	36.52	-15.90	Own 49.10 yd line

We’re in the process of collecting data that will enable us to compute the % of successful scoring opportunity drives a team averages, which would just be successful scoring opportunity drives / total drives. We’ll have all this for you, and defensive numbers, this week.