Size Matters, But Not Always: Broncos' Rushing Success

0:00On April 2nd, the Denver Broncos reign with the second lightest offensive line in the league last season, averaging light weights across their starters. Yet they still hit 15th in yards per carry at 4.43. Teams like the Ravens crushed rushing with a heavy line, including a 370 pound ride guard. So the big question, does packing on the pounds up front lead to more rushing yards, especially on those gut middle runs? Diving into the data on running back carries, only counting backs with at least 10 attempts, the Broncos averaged 4.47 yards per carry, 13th in the league, just above the 4.38 average. But on middle runs, they dropped to 3.82, dead last at 24th versus the 4.13 norm. Overall, heavier lines showed a 0.17 correlation to better yards per carry, decent for football stats, and interior lines nudged it to. 0.18 teams mix up their run schemes wildly, which muddies the picture. Falcons win heavy on edge runs with 238, Saints barely 41.

1:03Average squad hits middle 40%, off tackle 37, edge 23. Bingles maxed inside at 58.2%. Broncos stayed middle of the pack. Short yardage tells another story. Broncos converted just 61.1% on one to three yard needs 25th place. No link to line weight, correlation at negative 0.01, goal line. They sat 27th at 36.4% success. Again, no boost from big bodies, slight negative correlation. Bottom line, size helps a bit on overall yards, but not much on middles or clutch spots. Scheme and Scheme choice drive the bus more than sheer mass.