The New York Giants have had a trend of taking defensive linemen in the first round of NFL Drafts. This has been one of the key reasons that they have had success with some playoff runs. Pressure on a Quarterback has a tremendous affect in lowering the opposing team’s QB rating. And the QB rating differential between two teams correlates highly with wins and losses.
Here is just one example:
During the New England Patriots 16-0 run in 2007, they had a QB rating differential of +37.9, a very substantial margin. It was why they won so many games and went undefeated during the regular season. However, in the Super Bowl, the Giants were on the plus side of the equation with a +4.8 rating. The biggest difference in that game was the heavy reduction of Tom Brady’s usual QB rating. Eli Manning was just slightly above his career rating, and the team effort kept them on the plus side of the margin.
In the 2013 NFL Draft, the Giants drafted OT Justin Pugh. For value to be realized, he must be able to play and stick at right tackle for the long term. Based on his analytical profile, I believe it is a longshot that he will stick at offensive tackle and will have to make a move to offensive guard within the next 3-5 years. If Justin Pugh can overcome the odds and become a successful RT, it will have a significant impact to the QB rating on the offensive side of the ledger for Eli Manning and the New York Giants.
[…] NFL Data Consultants made the prediction that OT Justin Pugh would have to move inside within the fi…, and we don’t make predictions just for the fun of it but to emphasize that NFL Data Consultants provides fantastic football analysis (yes, Nick Foles made the Pro Bowl this year; and we have advice for any team needing QB help this offseason). […]