Great numbers. We are doing great at some important things: hanging onto the ball, being efficient with the pass when we choose to use it, keeping the defense off the field with time of possession and 3rd down conversions. The most interesting thing to me is that our rushing numbers are suffering a bit. We are still doing well running the ball, but what the numbers reflect is the absence of the big plays we got so often last year. If you had told me before the season that our yards-per-carry average and total rushing average would decrease this year, I would have either not believed you, or expected us to be in some serious trouble. Glad that isn’t the case.

A word of caution should be included with these numbers, however, and it’s the same thing I’ve said for a couple of weeks: We have only faced one legit opponent so far this season in Miami, and they throttled us. Defensive scheme change notwithstanding, this team is vulnerable. And while these statistical changes are positive, most of them are marginal, with turnovers, 3rd down %, and pass efficiency being glaring exceptions. Have the improvements been statistically significant? Perhaps, and there’s not a game left on the schedule that we can’t win. But if the level of play remains constant, we’re looking at Nashville this December. A little more fire in their bellies—what CPJ called killer instinct—is what this team needs, and I think we’ve seen the start of that on offense in our last two games. If they can crank it up a bit more, and manage to infect the defensive and special teams guys with the same mindset, there’s no reason not to book a room for the Orange Bowl.

I would love to see this stat on there. Also, we need to see the field goal kicking stats. And our red zone offense. I think these are two key areas that must improve!