#Nfl play by play data movie#
#Nfl play by play data tv#

However, the analysis provides precision to anecdotal expectations. Many of the findings from the analyses contained in this report align with what is already known by those that are well versed with American Football and the NFL. In this article I dive into an NFL play by play dataset that I was able to acquire online to showcase tendency analyses, to build a predictive model, and to motivate deeper usage of NFL data to help the game grow and evolve.

Today, with the availability of data and my experience in programming, I no longer have to settle for the anecdotal evidence gained from my years of watching the NFL. With the data that is publicly available as well privately collected data, there are many opportunities to evolve the game using analytics and machine learning to provide valuable insights for the coaching staff and general managers. However, the NFL and the associated teams have significantly lagged baseball or basketball in the use of analytics.

#Nfl play by play data movie#

The widely popular movie Moneyball showcased the use of analytics in baseball to broader public. Analytics are part of the staple commentary in many sporting events and ESPN uses them liberally in their programs. Furthermore, there has been a rise of analytics in the sports industry through the last decade. I couldn’t be certain with just my own observations and this inspired me to want to empirically quantify what play calling tendencies truly look like in the NFL. Over the years I’ve come to realize that I could be biased as I might only be recalling instances where the play calling seemed stale or led to a crushing loss. It irritated me that the play-callers wouldn’t take advantage of this by trying to run something more aggressive and unexpected. From my perspective, it seemed that everyone knew the Bears would run the ball if it was the 4 th quarter and they had any sort of lead. This can be particularly frustrating as I’ve witnessed many 4 th quarter losses because of conservative offensive playing calling and thereafter relying on the defense to hold the lead.

#Nfl play by play data tv#

Thereafter, I grew into a ‘backseat’ coach, shouting at the TV when a coordinator made what was in my opinion a poor play call.Īs a product of being born and raised in Chicago, I am a Bears fan and through most of my time following them, their offense has been run-heavy. It began with a simple understanding of the game and then from watching enough NFL games, I began to understand the tendencies of play calls during different parts of the game. It was inevitable that these two childhood passions would get entangled with one another. As is often typical of children, I wanted to emulate my father, which led to developing a keen interest in mathematics. In his younger years he worked as a civil engineer. Growing up with an avid sports fan as a father, I’ve watched, played, and followed sports for as long as a I remember.