Writers of Pro Football Prospectus 2008

printable version

Innovative Statistics

Football Outsiders exclusive statistics


2008 SPECIAL TEAMS RATINGS

Regular season totals, playoffs not included

Revised as of 12/29/2008

This page lists an estimate of how many points, compared to league average, each team receives from the five elements of special teams: field goals/extra points, kickoffs, kick returns, punts, punt returns. The total is then converted into a DVOA percentage so that it can be added in to offense and defense to create total team DVOA.

Field goal rating compares each field goal to the league-average percentage of field goals from that distance. Yards of field position from the other four elements of special teams are translated into points using a method that gives each yard line a point value based on the average next score an NFL offense is worth from that point on the field. Punts, punt returns, and kickoffs are based on net yardage. Kickoff returns are judged on return yardage only. The system is explained here. Two-point conversions and onside kicks are not included.

All special teams numbers are adjusted for weather/altitude based on stadium type (cold, warm, dome, Denver) and week, with the exception of the two columns at the far right marked NON-ADJUSTED. VOA represents the five elements of special teams without weather adjustments. VOA w/HIDDEN adds two secondary elements of special teams over which teams have virtually no control: opponent field goal efficiency and opponent kickoff length.

LAST YEAR represents 2007 rank. The top number in each category is in bold type.

TEAM S.T.
DVOA 		LAST
YEAR 		WEI.
S.T. 		RANK FG/XP KICK KICK
RET 		PUNT PUNT
RET 		NON-ADJUSTED VAR. RANK
VOA w/HIDDEN
1 BUF 6.0% 6 7.6% 1 -3.5 6.5 16.5 7.2 8.8 5.8% 6.4% 1.7% 27
2 OAK 5.8% 29 5.8% 2 1.9 -0.8 3.6 13.9 15.2 6.2% 8.6% 1.9% 29
3 SF 4.6% 4 5.5% 3 4.4 9.6 6.0 5.6 1.4 4.3% 4.2% 1.0% 13
4 CLE 4.3% 2 3.2% 9 1.8 -3.0 8.2 17.5 0.6 3.3% 5.6% 1.4% 19
5 CHI 4.1% 1 5.2% 4 4.1 -3.6 16.3 15.7 -8.3 3.9% 7.4% 1.2% 17
6 NE 3.5% 7 1.9% 11 7.1 -0.7 9.6 2.9 1.5 2.4% 3.5% 1.4% 21
7 ATL 3.3% 14 3.7% 7 5.2 9.2 1.8 4.8 -1.6 4.5% 4.6% 0.7% 4
8 NYJ 2.8% 10 3.9% 6 -3.7 7.4 9.0 1.9 2.1 2.1% 1.9% 1.6% 25
9 SEA 2.8% 11 4.9% 5 4.6 6.1 4.0 1.0 0.6 2.4% 1.3% 0.8% 6
10 CAR 2.5% 30 3.3% 8 6.6 17.3 -2.4 -10.5 4.0 3.0% 2.2% 1.6% 24
11 NYG 2.0% 20 1.8% 14 4.4 -10.9 4.4 11.7 2.0 1.4% 2.1% 0.8% 7
12 SD 1.7% 5 1.9% 12 -2.4 -3.3 6.7 10.1 -1.1 2.1% 1.7% 1.3% 18
13 PHI 1.6% 31 1.2% 15 -1.8 3.5 4.3 3.4 0.1 0.3% -0.6% 1.2% 15
14 DET 1.4% 23 1.1% 16 10.7 7.7 -13.2 7.2 -4.4 2.0% 0.0% 1.1% 14
15 TEN 1.3% 17 2.9% 10 6.6 1.4 3.7 -2.4 -1.8 1.6% 4.9% 0.9% 9
16 HOU 0.5% 3 0.1% 17 3.5 6.8 -7.1 -6.6 6.3 0.4% -2.4% 1.0% 12
TEAM S.T.
DVOA 		LAST
YEAR 		WEI.
S.T. 		RANK FG/XP KICK KICK
RET 		PUNT PUNT
RET 		NON-ADJUSTED VAR. RANK
VOA w/HIDDEN
17 BAL 0.2% 13 1.8% 13 -2.2 -7.0 -7.4 20.7 -2.8 -1.1% -2.6% 1.5% 23
18 STL -0.2% 27 -0.4% 19 5.1 2.3 -10.9 4.2 -1.8 0.5% -3.1% 0.7% 5
19 TB -0.3% 12 -0.1% 18 -4.8 4.5 2.9 -5.4 1.4 0.8% 0.8% 1.7% 28
20 GB -0.3% 8 -1.8% 21 -1.1 -1.6 -6.6 5.1 2.6 -0.7% -0.8% 1.4% 20
21 JAC -0.5% 15 -2.3% 26 -7.2 14.1 -7.7 -1.4 -0.6 0.4% -1.4% 0.9% 8
22 NO -0.6% 25 -2.0% 23 -5.3 -7.0 1.3 -3.8 11.4 0.5% -1.1% 2.5% 32
23 PIT -1.1% 21 -2.2% 25 0.9 8.2 -10.3 4.4 -9.4 -1.9% -2.2% 0.4% 2
24 CIN -2.1% 19 -2.2% 24 2.2 -1.3 -1.2 -8.8 -3.3 -3.0% -3.1% 0.6% 3
25 WAS -2.1% 16 -0.4% 20 -9.4 5.7 7.2 -15.3 -0.6 -2.9% -3.1% 1.6% 26
26 IND -2.2% 32 -1.8% 22 -3.5 1.3 -9.0 8.6 -10.2 -1.5% -1.9% 0.3% 1
27 DAL -2.9% 18 -2.5% 27 8.2 -7.0 -1.8 -7.6 -8.9 -3.0% -4.2% 2.1% 31
28 ARI -3.1% 26 -3.9% 30 4.2 -7.7 -1.8 -6.6 -6.5 -3.3% -2.2% 1.2% 16
29 MIA -4.9% 22 -2.8% 28 0.2 -9.1 -4.1 -13.9 -2.1 -4.1% -5.5% 0.9% 10
30 KC -5.7% 24 -6.1% 31 -8.4 -15.9 -6.8 0.7 -3.4 -6.3% -8.5% 1.0% 11
31 DEN -5.8% 28 -7.4% 32 -12.2 -8.9 -7.3 -5.8 0.2 -4.1% -7.1% 1.5% 22
32 MIN -6.5% 9 -3.3% 29 -0.5 -4.9 -4.7 -24.6 -3.8 -5.2% -5.4% 2.0% 30