So the Patriots fumble rate went up this season....

[Faceplant]

For many of us here at ROD, the Patriots amazing run of "good luck" when it came to ball security since 2007 season was....ummm....a bit suspicious. This article illustrates just how "almost impossible" that streak of nine years was with regards to fumble rates. It also reminds us of the rule that was changed in 2006 to allow teams to use their own footballs for away games (rule was lobbied for by Brady himself). I was curious if that would change this past year after the suspension and all the scrutiny the team faced. Of course it did. More proof of how shady that organization is. Here are fumble rates for the last 3 years for reference.....



2014 Season.......

2015 Season.......

And of course this past season.......

 

[tempests]

Seems like every team's fumble rate changed year to year.

 

[LACHAMP46]

That's so huge of a discrepancy that I'm SURE there is no doubt that there is only one way to explain it...

I bet there are a couple fumbles today....or drops...

 

[Faceplant]

Seems like every team's fumble rate changed year to year.

Of course, but this is far more than a small adjustment. Did you click the link in the OP?

 

[tempests]

Of course, but this is far more than a small adjustment. Did you click the link in the OP?

I looked at all the teams. I see Minnesota's fumble rate dropped from 1.4 in 2013 to 0.6 in 2014. What happened there?

 

[Mackeyser]

I would bet Minnesota's would be likely attributed to more inside games = fewer fumbles.

The issue all along was that outdoor games, especially after Nov = more fumbles. The ONLY team to buck that trend was New England. Moreover, New England was at the top of the pack of teams that were dome teams.

So as a team that played in harsh outdoor conditions, they were the ONLY team playing in those conditions for nearly a decade to consistently record fumble levels of a disciplined indoor team.

Statistically, it was deemed impossible. Not improbable, but impossible.

Now that there is ample scrutiny, they are not even middle of the pack.

Which means that their "super special methods" of using crappy balls and wet balls in practice a) aren't necessarily unique and b) even if they were aren't especially effective in light of actual enforcement of the rules on game day.

 

[Boston Ram]

Not sure what the point is here. If it's deflate gate the 2015 season is the season after deflategate and they were still top of the league.

 

[shovelpass]

Wasn't the rule changed last season? Wouldn't it be more telling to compare last season to the season before?

 

[Faceplant]

Not sure what the point is here. If it's deflate gate the 2015 season is the season after deflategate and they were still top of the league.

Meh, I consider this the first post deflate gate season. That was my point.

 

[Boston Ram]

Wasn't the rule changed last season? Wouldn't it be more telling to compare last season to the season before?

Not sure of the actual change but the accusations came out Jan 2015 which would encompass the 2014 season. I want to say the rule change happened before the 2015 season.

 

[Boston Ram]

Meh, I consider this the first post deflate gate season. That was my point.

I get it, but in fairness it's the 2nd season.

 

[shovelpass]

Not sure of the actual change but the accusations came out Jan 2015 which would encompass the 2014 season. I want to say the rule change happened before the 2015 season.

I'm pretty sure they changed it after the issue, before the 2015 regular season.

 

[-X-]

A lot of what they've been able to do pre-[insert-gate] has defied statistical norms.
It's simply impossible to be able to legitimately achieve some of the things they've achieved.

Sooner or later (likely later) a lot of this will come out.

 

[Boston Ram]

I'm pretty sure they changed it after the issue, before the 2015 regular season.

Just checked but having trouble copy and pasting from my phone, but July 27, 2015 officials were notified of the new process for pregame footballs.

 

[Boston Ram]

A lot of what they've been able to do pre-[insert-gate] has defied statistical norms.
It's simply impossible to be able to legitimately achieve some of the things they've achieved.

Sooner or later (likely later) a lot of this will come out.

I understand the hate but what do you mean "a lot", post deflategate has 1 Super Bowl and their 2nd AFC championship today and a legit chance to win the SB this year. Love them or hate them they are pretty good. Go to your team cheats.com, every team pushes the rules, people only care about the Patriots though. Didn't Pittsburgh deflate balls this year?

 

[-X-]

I understand the hate but what do you mean "a lot", post deflategate has 1 Super Bowl and their 2nd AFC championship today and a legit chance to win the SB this year. Love them or hate them they are pretty good. Go to your team cheats.com, every team pushes the rules, people only care about the Patriots though. Didn't Pittsburgh deflate balls this year?

It wasn't discovered that they tape opponents, jam opponents' headset signals, deflate balls, etc., until they had already won a shit-ton of games and a few Championships. They've been skirting the rules for a very long time. As the article @Faceplant pointed out (as well as others), they are so far removed from statistical norms that it's virtually impossible to achieve. There was no other team even close to being near to their rate of 187 offensive plays (passes+rushes+sacks) per fumble. The league average was 105 plays/fumble. Most teams are within 21 plays of that number. The odds of such a statistical distribution were calculated at 1 in 16,233. Nobody is that good or lucky.

 

[Dodgersrf]

Their fumble rate doubled.
You don't need to be a conspiracy theorist to see that.

 

[Memento]

Cheatriots gonna cheat.

 

[OldSchool]

That's the one thing that Marshall Faulk said about the whole deflate gate thing. A RB or WR will love a deflated ball more than any QB will care about it(which was supported by Warner). New England have set NFL records over the past decade for fumbling so little.

 

[Boston Ram]

It wasn't discovered that they tape opponents, jam opponents' headset signals, deflate balls, etc., until they had already won a crap-ton of games and a few Championships. They've been skirting the rules for a very long time. As the article @Faceplant pointed out (as well as others), they are so far removed from statistical norms that it's virtually impossible to achieve. There was no other team even close to being near to their rate of 187 offensive plays (passes+rushes+sacks) per fumble. The league average was 105 plays/fumble. Most teams are within 21 plays of that number. The odds of such a statistical distribution were calculated at 1 in 16,233. Nobody is that good or lucky.

Well everything you listed are things other teams have been accused of also. Jammed signals happen all the time, Dallas and SF were caught filming oppenents, SD and Pitt have deflated balls, heck GB over inflated balls. I don't disagree they don't cheat, but everyone pushes the rules or cheats. Why are the Patriots the only team the has had this 16 year run. Nobody is even close. Must be some serious high level cheating for this run lol.

As a sports fan I enjoy watching greatness. We may never see a 16 year run like this again. What fans want to execute them for are rules other teams have violated also, yet they still suck and nobody cares.