February 19, 2024 06:53PM
Using the college game as this is the "closest" you can get with the NFL playoff rules.
Premise is whether getting the ball second or choosing "defense first" results in more victories.
The answer so far seems to be no.

[www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov]

Scroll down to Table 2 and Table 3.

Table 2: out of 240 or so college overtime games, 51% of the time the game went to the side that chose defense first.

Table 3: even more important: 71 out of 151 Overtime games that ended after 1 OT... 47% of the time, the team that chose "defense first" won.

This means that it is almost a coin flip if you decide to get the ball second or not.

So while everyone here has made logical points as to why you should get the ball second.. the data so far does not back it up.
Granted, college is different, but this is the closest you can get and the logic used is roughly similar.

Pro- you don't know. You aren't going to start at the 25. You have better FG kickers. There is no sample size. So if you are just relying on logic, then the data right now doesn't convincingly prove one choice is better than the other.
SubjectAuthorViewsPosted

  Eric Weddle on fire about SB!

Rams43574February 19, 2024 08:47AM

  My argument for not taking the ball in OT..

sstrams137February 19, 2024 09:14AM

  Yeah, bad strategic decision, compounded by Wilkes' firing.

RockRam124February 19, 2024 09:31AM

  Re: Yeah, bad strategic decision, compounded by Wilkes' firing.

h2omelonhead107February 19, 2024 12:11PM

  Weddle is right. No need to fear the 49ers

since68101February 19, 2024 04:47PM

  Re: Weddle is right. No need to fear the 49ers

Ekern55112February 19, 2024 05:00PM

  Re: Weddle is right. No need to fear the 49ers

Old Goat67February 20, 2024 04:28AM

  relying on the run and Spags' blueprint

21Dog81February 20, 2024 04:42AM

  Re: relying on the run and Spags' blueprint

waterfield71February 20, 2024 06:35AM

  Re: relying on the run and Spags' blueprint

since6872February 20, 2024 06:46AM

  Re: relying on the run and Spags' blueprint

Ekern5549February 20, 2024 07:33PM

  Goggle Purdy highlights

LesBaker68February 20, 2024 09:19AM

  real stats

h2omelonhead88February 19, 2024 06:53PM

  IMO.

waterfield93February 20, 2024 06:34AM

  That was Kool seeing Weddle give his thoughts !

BerendsenRam76February 20, 2024 09:32AM