Panthers 2011 Season Final Team Stats & Rankings - Offense

by Jaxon on Jan 2, 2012 11:04 AM EST in Panther Player & Position Reviews

The regular season is finished and we will watch the playoffs from the outside looking in. But we have a lot of good stuff to reflect back on this offseason. We likewise have plenty to be hopeful about for 2012. In 2011 Ron Rivera essentially took a broken team and fixed half of it. Unexpected was the defense-oriented coach would actually fix the offense first which adds to my level of faith that he will turn around the defense this year. So let's see where the Panthers finished as a team with a look back at the mid-season reports to see what the trend was going into the offseason. I'm just looking at NFL stats today but will follow-up with the DVOA stats later this week.

Here's the Panthers final team stats and rankings, starting with the offense:

Yards per Game: 389.8 (7th) This was a drop from mid-season but I attribute that more to Cam Newton's blistering start passing the ball. Regardless of the trend this was a great finish for the offense. OC Rob Chudzinski should feel a degree of satisfaction with the job he did this season.

Yards per Play: 6.2 (4th) An amazing stat that you would expect from a playoff bound team but the turnovers and a defense that couldn't get off the field counteracted it.

Points per Game: 25.4 (5th) What a jump from the mid-season review this is. The Panthers were at 23.4 (14th) at midseason, a two point jump in average. considering we finished last season averaging 12.2 points game I was thrilled with the amount of Panther scoring in 2011, in particular the second half of the season.

3rd Down Completion Success: 40% (10th) Though this is a slight drop off from the midseason 9th ranking but not much.

Turnovers: +1 (16th) This was a big improvement from the midseason report when the Panthers were -3 (23rd). So they went from -3 to +4 in their final eight games.

We will look at the defense in the next installment of our 2011 season review.

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Comments

Re Offensive rankings:

I don’t have access to advanced stats services, but I recall seeing it mentioned a few weeks ago that we had a #1 ranking in 80 yd+ TD drives, a very high rank in Red Zone TD production, , plus better than average in 3rd down conversions (which was a MAJOR deficit in 2010) – and that Newton had a big lead on every player in the league, in individual rushing conversions for 3rd downs, which is unheard of for a QB.

If someone could research how those came out, I think many would show us at #1 or #2 in the league.

You mentioned that Rivera was a defensive minded coach, who concentrated on fixing our Offense first. Looking back to where we were at this time last year, that’s no wonder, as he saw the 2010 Defense as not lacking that much, and the Offense as needing a complete overhaul.

Mission accomplished (!) for the Offense – what a turnaround!!

The Defense was decimated – now he can focus on a second overhaul. If it’s even HALF as wildly improved as the Offense was, we’ll be a force to be reckoned with next year, and for a long while after.

by bigdavis on Jan 2, 2012 11:14 AM EST reply actions

If the defense spends less time on the field,

The offense will have more time to put points on the board!
Scary thought.

by criolle johnny on Jan 2, 2012 11:36 AM EST reply actions

I think the defense tried that yesterday when they

let the Saints score in 1:39 on their first possession

STICK THE KNIFE IN AND TURN IT!!!!!

by MrBernz on Jan 2, 2012 12:37 PM EST up reply actions

They went 80 yards in 4 plays I believe on the first drive

by Atlantapanther on Jan 2, 2012 2:34 PM EST up reply actions

Yep they did.

Then I think they went 81 yards on the last possession of the first half with about 6 or 8 plays, taking 1:11 to do it.

STICK THE KNIFE IN AND TURN IT!!!!!

by MrBernz on Jan 2, 2012 10:45 PM EST up reply actions

Live Press conference at Panthers.com

DT "When Did You Get Here?"
Greg Hardy "Man...I've been here all day."

by elecp on Jan 2, 2012 12:03 PM EST reply actions

I think you'd be doing everyone a favour, Jax, if you didn't post that defensive installment.

Those numbers are going to be BRUTAL.

As for the offensive stats, they’re all pretty impressive. The big thing now is consistency. These are the kind of stats that we have to put up year on year if we want to have any success. Keeping Chud and Shula would play a big part in that happening. I’m sure Rivera is loathe to make Newton et al learn a new offensive system so how that story plays out is going to be one of the key things in this offseason.

"Nah, you look like Elijah Wood." - danmerqury

by OldhamA on Jan 2, 2012 12:20 PM EST reply actions

Yeah...thought I would wait a day for that ;)

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by Jaxon on Jan 2, 2012 4:34 PM EST up reply actions

Certainly a drastic improvement...

And one other stat I recall was the that Panthers lead the league in explosive plays of 20+ yards. That’s more than Aaron Rodgers’ Packers offense and more than Drew Brees’ Saints offense. So, we’ve got the ability to break games wide open with the big play now. I can’t say we excelled at that to this level in the past. I agree with BigDavis that if the defense is even half as improved next year as Rivera and Chud pulled off with the offense, it’ll be a eye-popping season again next year.

I’m looking forward to it!

by NSpicer on Jan 2, 2012 12:33 PM EST reply actions

the schedule

I think that we are not as good as some of those numbers suggest. I say this because we played a soft schedule down the stretch, and the Saints game showed our weaknesses. I think the second half play calling early i the third quarter set the tone…i don’t know what happens at halftime, but we need half the third quarter to wake up. That’s okay against the Bucs, but not against good teams. I think a lot of that has to do with CAM’s experience. In other words, we’ll be better in the 3rd quarter next year just because CAM will have more experience and a full offseason.

by usana_gaines on Jan 2, 2012 12:36 PM EST reply actions

I respectfully disagree.

"With the third pick of the 2006 NBA Draft, the Charlotte Bobcats select, Adam Morrison, Gonzaga."

by FirstCat on Jan 2, 2012 2:26 PM EST up reply actions

I actually completely agree

All the teams we beat this season were horrible. Yes, even the Texans. They didn’t have Schaub or Johnson. They didn’t win a game even after playing us. Our players or Chud need to learn to readjust to our opponents’ halftime adjustments. They’ve done a good job shutting our offense down in the 3rd quarter which forced our defense to stay on the field and stink it up.

by Atlantapanther on Jan 2, 2012 2:38 PM EST up reply actions

Those offensive stats are very good.

Especially, considering that the offense takes the 3rd quarter off every game.

Cam Newton, when a reporter asks him who will win the Heisman Trophy on Saturday: "I'll tell you Sunday."

by Son of a Newton on Jan 2, 2012 12:51 PM EST reply actions

still could improve

though the offense was good it seemed like there was alot of failure to capitalize on alot of trips this year and of course lots of turnovers not all by cam of course and then there was the inabilty to find a way to make the offense go in the second half of alot of games

by allthatremainsstillowns on Jan 2, 2012 1:01 PM EST reply actions

somewhat related...

Just read on twitter—Chud’s been contacted by the Jags. Let the finger crossing begin….

Also—long time reader, first time commenting. Really enjoy the blog and looking forward to 2012!

by chrisbrasfield on Jan 2, 2012 1:08 PM EST reply actions

I hope history doesn't repeat itself.

Del Rio turned our D around in the same way Chud turned our O around only to leave for the Jaguars HC position after one season.

"Nah, you look like Elijah Wood." - danmerqury

by OldhamA on Jan 2, 2012 1:21 PM EST up reply actions

Fortunately, Chud's not the only one they're talking to...

Per Jason LaCanfora:

The Jacksonville Jaguars have requested permission to interview Atlanta offensive coordinator Mike Mularkey, according to a team source.

Mularkey will be one of several candidates for the job, league sources said, and Jaguars general manager Gene Smith thinks strongly of Mularkey.

Mularkey’s son, Patrick Mularkey, is a Jaguars scout.

Interim coach Mel Tucker also is a candidate to keep the position, and he is interviewing for it as well. Tucker took over for Jack Del Rio on Nov. 29 and went 2-3 with the Jaguars.

So much to be done, and so few people willing to do it for me.

by Rick Bates on Jan 2, 2012 1:32 PM EST up reply actions

I wish my father was a coach, I'd be set for life.

"Nah, you look like Elijah Wood." - danmerqury

by OldhamA on Jan 2, 2012 1:40 PM EST up reply actions

Having the son and father there?

What a bunch of Mularkey

STICK THE KNIFE IN AND TURN IT!!!!!

by MrBernz on Jan 2, 2012 1:55 PM EST up reply actions 3 recs

YEEEEEEEEEEEEAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAH!

ACC Championship Member Brandon Thompson is the new Jacoby Ford. You better pick him Panthers or you will be doomed to relive the 2010 season over and over again in the Twilight Zone.

Clemson 2011 ACC Champions! Look forward to doing it again next year! :D

by Revshawn on Jan 2, 2012 2:13 PM EST up reply actions