By Jeff Merron
Page 2
You want numbers? We've got them. Check out how the AFC and NFC's offenses and defenses stack up, according to average weight and yards per game.
There are some interesting things here. For instance, the AFC's two heaviest offenses (Bills and Ravens) are the worst offenses in the conference -- but the NFC's heaviest offense (Vikings) is also its second-best (thanks Daunte). Plus, the Broncos, despite having the lighest offensive unit in the AFC, have the third-best offense in the conference.
And on the other side of the ball, the heaviest defenses in each conference (Raiders and Lions) are also two of the poorest (13th and 12th, respectively). Meanwhile, the lightest defense in the NFC (Buccaneers) is very strong (2nd), while the lightest defense in the AFC (Colts) is ranked dead last.
Take a look for yourself.
At 360, Mike Williams anchors the AFC's heaviest offense, while Reuben Droughns runs behind the AFC's lightest unit.
| AFC OFFENSIVE UNITS | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Team | Average weight | Weight rank | Unit rank (YPG) |
| Bills | 278 | 1 | 15 |
| Ravens | 273 | 2 | 16 |
| Bengals | 269 | 3 | 12 |
| Raiders | 269 | 4 | 11 |
| Jaguars | 268 | 5 | 9 |
| Patriots | 267 | 6 | 4 |
| Steelers | 266 | 7 | 8 |
| Dolphins | 264 | 8 | 14 |
| Titans | 264 | 9 | 10 |
| Chargers | 263 | 10 | 5 |
| Colts | 261 | 11 | 2 |
| Texans | 260 | 12 | 6 |
| Jets | 259 | 13 | 7 |
| Browns | 258 | 14 | 13 |
| Chiefs | 256 | 15 | 1 |
| Broncos | 254 | 16 | 3 |
Warren Sapp (99) anchors Oakland's heavy D. The Colts, meanwhile, are easy to push around.
| AFC DEFENSIVE UNITS | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Team | Average weight | Weight rank | Unit rank (YPG) |
| Raiders | 253 | 1 | 13 |
| Patriots | 252 | 2 | 11 |
| Ravens | 248 | 3 | 2 |
| Texans | 246 | 4 | 15 |
| Bills | 245 | 5 | 3 |
| Titans | 245 | 6 | 7 |
| Browns | 244 | 7 | 9 |
| Chargers | 243 | 8 | 8 |
| Jets | 242 | 9 | 6 |
| Chiefs | 240 | 10 | 14 |
| Steelers | 240 | 11 | 1 |
| Jaguars | 239 | 12 | 10 |
| Broncos | 237 | 13 | 4 |
| Dolphins | 234 | 14 | 5 |
| Bengals | 232 | 15 | 12 |
| Colts | 231 | 16 | 16 |
With a 260-pound QB, it's no wonder the Vikes have the NFL's heaviest offense. Mike Vick's Falcons are light on their feet.
| NFC OFFENSIVE UNITS | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Team | Average weight | Weight rank | Unit rank (YPG) |
| Vikings | 279 | 1 | 2 |
| Cowboys | 276 | 2 | 6 |
| Cardinals | 272 | 3 | 13 |
| Bears | 268 | 4 | 15 |
| Buccaneers | 263 | 5 | 12 |
| Giants | 262 | 6 | 8 |
| Rams | 262 | 7 | 3 |
| Lions | 260 | 8 | 16 |
| Saints | 260 | 9 | 7 |
| Redskins | 260 | 10 | 14 |
| Panthers | 257 | 11 | 9 |
| 49ers | 257 | 12 | 11 |
| Seahawks | 257 | 13 | 4 |
| Eagles | 255 | 14 | 5 |
| Packers | 254 | 15 | 1 |
| Falcons | 252 | 16 | 10 |
The Detroit defense tips the scales, while Booger McFarland (92), Greg Spires (94) and the Bucs are thinking thin.
| NFC DEFENSIVE UNITS | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Team | Average weight | Weight rank | Unit rank (YPG) |
| Lions | 251 | 1 | 12 |
| Seahawks | 250 | 2 | 4 |
| Vikings | 246 | 3 | 14 |
| Giants | 246 | 4 | 3 |
| Cardinals | 245 | 5 | 6 |
| Redskins | 245 | 6 | 1 |
| Saints | 244 | 7 | 16 |
| Falcons | 242 | 8 | 8 |
| Bears | 242 | 9 | 11 |
| Packers | 242 | 10 | 7 |
| Eagles | 242 | 11 | 5 |
| 49ers | 240 | 12 | 9 |
| Rams | 240 | 13 | 15 |
| Panthers | 238 | 14 | 10 |
| Cowboys | 237 | 15 | 13 |
| Buccaneers | 233 | 16 | 2 |
The Fat Fives
Is big better? Not necessarily. The Broncos, who historically have the lightest offensive lines in the NFL, once again have the lightest line in the AFC -- and a powerful running game. The AFC's heaviest lines all anchor some of the conference's weakest offenses.
A look at the starting offensive lines from Week 11, with average weight, and rushing and passing yards per game:
| AFC OFFENSIVE LINES | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Team | Average weight | Weight rank | Rush avg. (YPG) | Pass avg. (YPG) | Total YPG |
| Ravens | 327 | 1 | 9 | 16 | 16 |
| Bills | 323 | 2 | 12 | 15 | 15 |
| Bengals | 315 | 3 | 14 | 11 | 12 |
| Dolphins | 315 | 3 | 15 | 10 | 14 |
| Chargers | 315 | 3 | 5 | 8 | 5 |
| Texans | 315 | 3 | 12 | 3 | 6 |
| Browns | 311 | 7 | 11 | 13 | 13 |
| Steelers | 309 | 8 | 1 | 14 | 8 |
| Titans | 309 | 8 | 7 | 9 | 10 |
| Colts | 309 | 8 | 6 | 1 | 2 |
| Chiefs | 309 | 8 | 2 | 2 | 1 |
| Raiders | 308 | 12 | 16 | 6 | 12 |
| Jaguars | 305 | 13 | 8 | 5 | 4 |
| Patriots | 305 | 14 | 8 | 5 | 4 |
| Jets | 301 | 15 | 3 | 12 | 7 |
| Broncos | 295 | 16 | 4 | 4 | 3 |
| NFC OFFENSIVE LINES | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Team | Average weight | Weight rank | Rush avg. (YPG) | Pass avg. (YPG) | Total YPG |
| Vikings | 331 | 1 | 5 | 1 | 2 |
| Cardinals | 326 | 2 | 8 | 12 | 13 |
| Cowboys | 325 | 3 | 11 | 6 | 6 |
| Eagles | 322 | 4 | 10 | 4 | 5 |
| Saints | 320 | 5 | 14 | 5 | 7 |
| Lions | 318 | 6 | 16 | 13 | 16 |
| Bears | 317 | 7 | 6 | 16 | 15 |
| Redskins | 313 | 8 | 9 | 14 | 14 |
| Packers | 313 | 8 | 4 | 2 | 1 |
| Giants | 311 | 10 | 3 | 11 | 8 |
| Rams | 311 | 10 | 7 | 3 | 3 |
| Bucs | 305 | 12 | 13 | 10 | 12 |
| Panthers | 305 | 12 | 12 | 8 | 9 |
| Seahawks | 305 | 12 | 2 | 9 | 4 |
| 49ers | 301 | 15 | 15 | 7 | 11 |
| Falcons | 295 | 16 | 1 | 15 | 10 |
NFL team weights
Apparently, it's better to be light. Of the 10 heaviest teams in the NFL (using starting lineups), only the Patriots and the Ravens are among the top 10 teams in this week's ESPN Power Rankings. Each of those teams has been built around strong defenses.
On the other hand, the three lightest teams -- the Broncos, Falcons, and Colts -- are ranked 7, 4, and 5, while two other 10 lightest teams -- the Eagles and the Packers -- are also among the top 10 in the Power Rankings.
| LIGHTER IS BETTER | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Team | Average weight | Weight rank | ESPN power ranking | Fattest city ranking* |
| Vikings | 262.5 | 1 | 11 | 33 |
| Bills | 261.5 | 2 | 17 | n/a |
| Raiders | 261.0 | 3 | 30 | 34 |
| Ravens | 260.5 | 4 | 8 | 23 |
| Patriots | 259.5 | 5 | 2 | 44 |
| Cardinals | 258.5 | 6 | 23 | 18 |
| Cowboys | 256.5 | 7 | 29 | 3 |
| Lions | 255.5 | 8 | 20 | 1 |
| Bears | 255.0 | 9 | 22 | 5 |
| Titans | 254.5 | 10 | 19 | 27 |
| Giants | 254.0 | 11 | 16 | 15 |
| Jaguars | 253.5 | 12 | 12 | 38 |
| Seahawks | 253.5 | 12 | 13 | 45 |
| Steelers | 253.0 | 14 | 1 | 20 (2001) |
| Chargers | 253.0 | 14 | 6 | 37 |
| Texans | 253.0 | 14 | 18 | 2 |
| Redskins | 252.5 | 17 | 27 | 25 |
| Saints | 252.0 | 18 | 25 | 22 |
| Browns | 251.0 | 19 | 26 | 9 |
| Rams | 251.0 | 19 | 14 | 5 (2003) |
| Bengals | 250.5 | 21 | 21 | n/a |
| Jets | 250.5 | 21 | 10 | 15 |
| Dolphins | 249.0 | 23 | 31 | 15 |
| Eagles | 248.5 | 24 | 3 | 7 |
| Chiefs | 248.0 | 25 | 24 | 14 |
| Bucs | 248.0 | 25 | 15 | n/a |
| Packers | 248.0 | 25 | 9 | 30 (Milwaukee) |
| Panthers | 247.5 | 28 | 28 | 29 |
| 49ers | 248.5 | 28 | 32 | 49 |
| Falcons | 247.0 | 30 | 5 | 11 |
| Colts | 246.0 | 31 | 4 | 17 |
| Broncos | 245.5 | 32 | 7 | 47 |
* Among 50 largest cities, as ranked by Men's Fitness
Source: Starters and weights from Weeks 9 and 10, according to NFL.com's Gamebook.
Jeff
Merron
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