The LabThe fingerprint of every playbook

New England PatriotsScheme DNA

Least no-huddle rate, most deep shots in the league. Their closest twin is Jets (74% alike), then Colts and Jaguars. 547 offensive snaps read, 485 of them charted.

League map Patriots verdict JSON

No-huddle rate0.7%3th percentile · league 6.5%

Deep shots15.0%81th percentile · league 11.5%

Middle of the field15.4%13th percentile · league 21.0%

Outside runs18.5%23th percentile · league 23.4%

Bottom lineTheir loudest habits: no-huddle rate (0.7%, 3th percentile), deep shots (15.0%, 81th percentile), middle of the field (15.4%, 13th percentile).

How to read this chart

The flower:: each petal is one play-calling habit, labeled around the edge. Petal length is the team's rank among the 32 (long = does it more than most; for tempo, long = fast). The dashed ring is the league middle.
The bars:: the same habits as a list: the bar is the rank (the tick in the middle is the league middle), then the real value and the percentile (90 = more than 90% of teams). Jargon: pass rate over expected = how much more or less they throw than the situation predicts; RPO = run-pass option; men in the box = defenders near the line against the run.

Offense

The playbook

Pass rate over expected−1.3%61

Early-down pass rate51.8%68

Shotgun rate59.6%36

No-huddle rate0.7%3

Pre-snap motion57.7%48

Play action20.8%26

Screen rate8.6%45

RPO rate2.9%23

Deep shots15.0%81

Middle of the field15.4%13

Outside runs18.5%23

Tempo38.4s29

Defense

The defense

Blitz rate37.2%74

Five-plus rushers37.2%74

Men in the box6.6561

Stacked boxes12.7%84

Pass rate faced−3.6%36

Deep shots allowed11.9%61

Defensive twins: Broncos (89%), Bears (87%), Cardinals (83%).

Twins

Offenses most like theirs

Solid shape: Patriots · outline: the twin

Bottom linePatriots and Jets, 74% alike. Both throw less over the middle and huddle more than most of the league; Patriots and Jets differ most in deep shots (15.0% vs 11.5%) and early-down pass rate (51.8% vs 46.0%).

How to read this chart

Each card is one twin:: an offense that calls games like Patriots. The colored shape is Patriots's fingerprint, the white outline the twin's. Where the two match, the habits match.
The %: is how alike the two are across all offensive habits: 100% would be identical, 0% the most different pair in the league.

#1 twinJets74%Both throw less over the middle and huddle more than most of the league; Patriots and Jets differ most in deep shots (15.0% vs 11.5%) and early-down pass rate (51.8% vs 46.0%).

#2 twinColts64%Both huddle more than most of the league; Patriots and Colts differ most in deep shots (15.0% vs 10.6%) and play action (20.8% vs 27.6%).

#3 twinJaguars64%Both huddle more and run fewer RPOs than most of the league; Patriots and Jaguars differ most in deep shots (15.0% vs 10.6%) and outside runs (18.5% vs 26.5%).

Run game

Where they run

Arrow size = share of carries · color = EPA per carry

Bottom lineTheir favorite lane: middle, 40% of runs, -0.09 EPA per carry.

How to read this chart

Seen from behind the offense:: the line at the bottom is the line of scrimmage, with seven running lanes from the left end to the right end.
Arrow size: and the % above it = share of the team's runs that go there.
Arrow color: = how well those runs work, in EPA per carry (expected points added: above zero helps the offense). Green works, grey is average, red hurts.

Pass game

Where they throw

Share of targets · EPA per throw

Bottom lineMost targeted zone: short left, 33% of throws, -0.15 EPA per throw.

How to read this chart

The field from the quarterback's eyes:: left, middle and right; the bottom row is short throws, the top row deep throws.
Each box: shows the share of throws that go there (more solid = more throws) and its color the EPA per throw: green helps the offense, grey is average, red hurts.

Formation Tell

What the formation gives away

How to read this chart

Two dots on one line from 0% to 100%:: how often they throw when the quarterback is under center, and how often from shotgun, on neutral downs.
The gap between them: is what a defense learns from the formation alone: a wide gap means the alignment tips run or pass.

Under center31%pass rate, neutral downs

Shotgun77%pass rate, neutral downs

A 46-point gap: one of the most readable offenses in the league (7 of 32). See all 32 →