With so much emphasis these days on spread offenses and scoring points, is one of the NFL’s most proven strategies–controlling the clock–less important than it used to be? For evidence it’s still relevant, let’s look at two examples from this year.
Last Sunday, the (1-7) Atlanta marched into New Orleans, controlled the clock, and beat the 7-1 Saints, 26-9. The Falcons’ gameplan was to run the ball and dictate the tempo. They did just that. Atlanta had the ball for 33 minutes and converted third down plays at a 40% rate.
Falcons ran and made first downs (photo, Canal St. Chronicles)
The Falcons were up against a high-powered offense, which had been averaging 330+ yards a game. But a team, like New Orleans, can’t score when the other side has the ball. It’s as simple as that.
Teams that control the clock are typically at the top of the standings. This year, the 49ers are #1 with the Ravens, Patriots, and Saints following. But what happens when less-than-good teams try to maintain possession time? The record shows they’ll do it by running the ball 30-40 times.
For example, in the Week 5 matchup between Kansas City and Indianapolis, the Colts had the ball for a whopping 37+ minutes. Like the Falcons did last week, Indy ran the ball repeatedly and kept converting on 3rd downs. The Colts won that game, 19-13. One reason they won is that the Chiefs only had the ball for 22 minutes.
The formula, then, is clear: to control the clock and dictate tempo, the offense needs to run the ball effectively and convert on 3rd downs, and the defense needs to force a lot of three-and-outs.
Yes, time-of-possession is important, especially when odds are stacked against an underdog team. The longer you have the ball, the less time is available for powerful offensive teams, like the Saints and Chiefs, to move up and down the field.
So is time-of-possession overrated in the NFL? Not a chance!
