NFL stats are the lifeblood of NFL teams and obsessive fans. It measures player and team performance and has helped give birth to fantasy sports and, of course, betting on NFL odds.
But today, fans have expanded the standard numbers like touchdowns, yards, and team records; it’s all about analytics.
NFL analytics break down offensive, defensive, quarterback, rushing, receiving, and advanced metrics to evaluate how teams and players are actually performing. Some statistics focus on volume, while others focus on efficiency. Advanced metrics such as Expected Points Added (EPA) and Defensive-adjusted Value Over Average (DVOA) help provide context that raw totals sometimes miss.
In this guide, we’ll break down the main NFL stat categories, then explain the functional metrics like EPA and DVOA, answer common questions, and show why all these numbers matter.
And once this guide teaches you these basics, you can start understanding how to apply these concepts to betting in our NFL sports betting stats guide.
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NFL Offensive Stats: What the Numbers Actually Mean
Offensive NFL stats measure how effectively a team moves the ball and scores points. While no single statistic tells the entire story of a game, offensive stats are based on objective measurements, making them one of the most reliable ways to evaluate performance.
Passing Yards
Passing yards measure the total distance gained through completed passes from quarterbacks. QBs deserve most of the attention here, but passing production is influenced by receivers, offensive line play, and coaching strategy.
Total passing yards can sometimes be misleading. A team trailing by three touchdowns may accumulate significant passing yards late in the game against a prevent defense. Those yards count in the box score but may not reflect offensive dominance.
Rushing Yards
Rushing yards track how many yards a team gains on running plays.
While total rushing yards matter, many analysts prefer yards per carry (YPC). This statistic divides rushing yards by rushing attempts, providing a clearer picture of efficiency.
A running back with 100 yards on 30 carries averaged just 3.3 yards per attempt – hardly dominant. Another back with 80 yards on 12 carries averaged 6.7 yards per attempt and may have been more effective despite the lower total.
Total Offensive Yards
Total offense combines passing and rushing production.
This number provides a broad snapshot of how much a team moved the ball, but it should always be viewed alongside scoring and turnovers. A team can gain 450 yards and still lose if it repeatedly turns the ball over or struggles in the red zone.
Points Per Game
Points per game is arguably the most important offensive statistic.
Football ultimately comes down to scoring. Teams that consistently rank near the top of the league in points per game tend to be among the strongest offenses regardless of their style of play.
Turnovers
Turnovers include interceptions thrown and fumbles lost.
This is one of the strongest indicators of success or failure in the NFL. Teams that protect the football generally win more games, while teams that regularly give away possessions put themselves at a major disadvantage.
For bettors, understanding offensive efficiency beyond simple yardage can help identify teams that may be stronger or weaker than the scoreboard suggests.
NFL Defensive Stats: How to Read What the Defense is Doing
Defense is often harder to evaluate than offense, but several key NFL defense stats provide valuable insight and remain objective.
Points Allowed Per Game
Points allowed per game measure how many points a defense gives up on average.
This is often the most important defensive team statistic because it directly impacts game outcomes and bets on NFL totals.
Yards Allowed Per Game
Yards allowed measures how many yards a defense gives up.
Like offensive yardage, context matters. Some defenses allow yards but tighten up in the red zone. Others give up fewer yards but struggle to prevent touchdowns.
Sacks
A sack happens when a quarterback is tackled behind the line of scrimmage before throwing a pass. However, it’s ultimately another tackle, and there are debates over whether sack numbers tell the whole story of effective pressure from a pass rush.
Turnovers Forced
Turnovers forced include interceptions and recovered fumbles.
This is one of the defensive stats most closely tied to winning. Turnovers give the offense another chance at scoring and can completely change the outcome of a game.
Total Tackles
Total tackles combine a defender’s tackles (worth one) and assisted tackles (worth 0.5) to represent how often he took down an offensive player against the run and pass.
While it does not necessarily indicate defensive quality on its own, it provides a useful measure of how active a player is around the football.
NFL QB Stats: What to Look at Beyond Touchdowns and Yards
Quarterbacks touch the ball on nearly every offensive down, making NFL QB stats some of the most discussed numbers in football.
Passer Rating
Passer rating is a traditional quarterback metric that combines completion percentage, yards per attempt, touchdowns, and interceptions into a single number.
The scale ranges from 0 to 158.3. While imperfect, it remains one of the most widely cited quarterback statistics.
Completion Percentage
Completion percentage measures how many pass attempts result in catches or completions.
A higher completion percentage indicates accuracy, but it can be misleading if a QB relies on short passes that go nowhere rather than downfield throws that set up scoring plays.
Touchdowns and Interceptions
The touchdown-to-interception ratio provides a quick snapshot of quarterback decision-making.
A quarterback who throws 35 touchdowns and 10 interceptions is generally managing the offense better than one who has 25 touchdowns and 18 interceptions.
Yards Per Attempt (Y/A)
Yards per attempt gives how many yards a QB is earning per pass.
Many analysts consider this a more useful measure than total passing yards because it rewards efficiency rather than volume.
NFL Rushing and Receiving Stats: The Numbers That Matter
The skill-position players are the ones who have the ball handed off to them or catch passes from the quarterback. Their success is tracked through rushing and receiving yards.
Rushing Yards and Carries
Carries and rushing yards are the primary volume measures.
Yards per carry remains the preferred efficiency statistic because it shows how productive a runner is on each attempt.
Yards After Contact
Another useful metric is yards after contact. This measures how many yards a running back gains after first being hit or grabbed by a defender. High numbers often indicate strong balance, power, and tackle-breaking ability.
Receiving Yards and Receptions
Receptions and receiving yards are the traditional receiving statistics.
Yards per reception measures how much production a receiver generates on each catch. Receivers with higher averages often serve as deep threats capable of creating explosive plays.
Targets
Receiver targets are often even more important for fantasy sports and NFL prop betting because they reveal how heavily involved a receiver is in the offense. A player receiving ten targets per game generally has more opportunities than one receiving five.
Yards After Catch (YAC)
Yards after catch measures how many yards a receiver gains after securing the football.
A high YAC total can reflect a receiver’s ability to make plays on his own.
Advanced NFL Stats: EPA and DVOA Explained
Now it’s time for the advanced stats. You’ll see some of these applied not only to NFL teams but also to NFL players. Advanced NFL Stats add context that traditional box score numbers simply cannot provide.
EPA (Expected Points Added)
Expected Points Added measures how much each play increases or decreases a team’s expected points based on down, distance, field position, and game situation.
A positive EPA play improves the offense’s scoring outlook. A negative EPA play hurts it.
For example, a 12-yard gain on third-and-10 creates far more value than a 12-yard gain on third-and-25. EPA captures that difference.
Teams with strong EPA per play are generally operating efficiently and consistently creating positive outcomes.
As we mentioned, EPA can also be applied to individual offensive players:
- EPA per Play for Quarterbacks: EPA per play measures how much value a quarterback adds to each snap compared to the expected outcome of the situation. It provides a more complete picture than raw yardage totals.
- EPA for Rushers: Rushing EPA measures how much value a running back generates on each carry. A short run that converts on third down creates more positive EPA than a longer gain in a less serious situation.
- EPA for Receivers: Receivers can also be evaluated using EPA-generated data on their targets or receptions. A receiver who frequently converts first downs and creates explosive plays will typically contribute more positive EPA than a player accumulating empty yards in low-leverage situations.
DVOA (Defense-adjusted Value Over Average)
DVOA stands for Defense-adjusted Value Over Average. This metric measures offensive and defensive efficiency relative to league average while adjusting for the quality of opponents faced.
For offenses, higher DVOA numbers are better. For defenses, lower DVOA numbers are better. One reason analysts value DVOA is that it accounts for schedule strength, giving more credit for success against elite competition.
Completion Percentage Over Expected (CPOE)
Completion Percentage Over Expected, or CPOE, is another advanced QB stat that measures how often a QB completes passes relative to the difficulty of the situation.
A positive CPOE means the quarterback completes more passes than the average quarterback would be expected to complete in the same situations.
Why Advanced Metrics Matter
Raw totals can sometimes create misleading impressions. A team may rank high in total yards because it played weak defenses. Meanwhile, another team could have fewer yards but stronger efficiency against tougher competition.
Metrics such as EPA and DVOA help account for those differences.
For bettors, these stats provide a clearer picture of team strength than wins, losses, or basic yardage totals alone.
If you’d like to apply these concepts directly to the NFL odds, take your NFL stats knowledge further with our NFL sports betting stats guide.
NFL Stats: Frequently Asked Questions
What Are NFL Stats?
NFL stats are the official performance measurements used to track players and teams throughout every game and season. The primary categories include passing, rushing, receiving, defense, and special teams.
Today, fans, teams, and experts use advanced metrics such as EPA, DVOA, and CPOE to provide additional context and measure efficiency. These stats help fans understand not just what happened, but how well a team or player actually performed.
The NFL tracks and publishes these numbers across every game. This forms the foundation of modern football analysis used by broadcasters, coaches, analysts, and bettors.
What NFL stats should beginners learn first?
Start with passing yards, rushing yards, points scored, points allowed, and turnover differential. These statistics appear in every box score and provide a strong foundation for understanding how games are won and lost.
What is EPA in NFL stats?
EPA stands for Expected Points Added. It measures how much value an offense creates per play, based on the game situation. Teams with a high EPA per play consistently improve their scoring opportunities and generate positive outcomes on offense.
What is DVOA in NFL stats?
DVOA stands for Defense-adjusted Value Over Average. It measures defensive performance relative to the league average while adjusting for opponents’ strength. A lower defensive DVOA generally indicates a more effective defense.
What does comb mean in NFL stats?
Comb is short for combined tackles or total tackles, which equals solo tackles plus assisted tackles. It is the most complete measure of a defender’s tackle involvement and is commonly displayed in NFL stat tables.
Do NFL preseason stats count?
NFL preseason stats are officially recorded, but they are not included in regular-season or career statistics. Not much weight is placed on preseason stats.
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