Digging Deep Into The Stats

The Packers are good.

By now, even the naysayers have begun to admit that the 2011 version of the green and gold are having a historically superior season. Sitting at 12-0, they have their foot on the gas and have begun to realize that going undefeated in the regular season is a real possibility.

But just how good of a season are the Packers having statistically? In particular, how do some of the individual statistics this year compare to other “great” Packers seasons?

This morning, I decided to dig deep into the Packers storied history and try to find some answers to these questions. The answers varied from somewhat commonly known answers to some truly

Among some of the highlights that were found were:

• The Packers will tie their team record for most regular season victories in a season of 13-and there are still 4 games left to play. I knew this was the case, but when I thought about how good the 1996, 1997, and 2007 teams were (all of them had won 13 games) it is amazing to think this years team is going to surpass that by a substantial margin one would imagine.
• Tim Masthay is .04 off the pace for setting the highest gross punt average in Packers regular season history (45.04 vs 45.0) It seems like just yesterday we were talking about the Derrick Frost disaster at this position, and now have a player challenging all time franchise greatness for a season.
• Jermichael Finley 215 yards from breaking Paul Coffman’s record for most receiving yards for a Packers TE in a season-with 4 games to play. While Finley may not be having the off the charts dominating season many expected, it has been anything but a bust. While some may say that he is overrated, others may say that he is underperforming. Whatever your view is, a tight end with 600 receiving yards and 6 touchdowns twelve weeks into the season is nothing to complain about.
• Randall Cobb has the highest kickoff return average for the Packers since 2003 with 27.6 yards per return. Even this number is misleading. If you take away the 31.6 yard average Najeh Davenport had in 2003 on 16 returns, Cobb has the highest kickoff return average for the Packers since 1971. Think about that-40 years since the kickoff return was considered a weapon for the Packers. And now they have a legitimate threat at the position for years to come.
• Randall Cobb’s 11.9 yards per punt return the highest for the Packers since Desmond Howard averaged 15.1 in 1996. Anytime your name is mentioned with Desmond Howard and the season for the ages he had in 1996, you know it is something special. As was the case with kickoff returns, Cobb has turned the return game into a weapon for the Packers for the next decade.
• Aaron Rodgers is just 615 yards from breaking Lynn Dickey’s  team record for passing yards in a season-with 4 games to play. If you never saw Lynn Dickey play, you missed out. The high flying offense the Packers incorporated in the early 1980′s was scary. Consider that Dickey’s record of 4,458 yards was set in 1983. His record has stood the test of time for the last 28 years, surviving the entire Favre era and the beginning of Rodgers reign in Green Bay. There is a reason that Dickey had to throw so much-his defense was non existent that season, giving up 439 points. They had to throw to keep up with their opponents. Rodgers on the other hand is doing it with pinpoint accuracy, rather than just pass attempts. Competing 70.6% of his passes compared to Dickey’s 59,7% in 1983, 37 touchdowns already compared to Dickey’s 32, and you begin to understand just how good of a season Rodgers is having. One final stat to consider: Dickey threw 29 interceptions that year-Rodgers has thrown a total of five. When the chapter closes on the 2011 season, Aaron Rodgers will have had the greatest season a quarterback has ever had in the 92 year history of the Green Bay Packers. And there are still four games left to play.

It was fun to dive into the Packers statistical history to try and fully understand just how good of a season they are having. While some are having a sensational start to a career, others are having career defining seasons, and doing so in the midst of an undefeated season. The focus is on the bigger picture for the team, but sometimes the individual stats are just as much fun to watch.