Defensive: Drive Averages · Time avg (allowed)

DEF · Drive AveragesP only
About this stat ↓

What Time avg (allowed) is

Average time of possession per opponent drive, in seconds. Tempo and control from the other side, not quality.

Higher is better. It is a rate, so a team's number does not grow with games played. Source: P.

In 2020 the Patriots led at 190.00; the league average was 166.66.

League snapshot — 2020

League leader
NE · 190.00
League average
166.66
Best to worst
43.00

All 32 teams, higher is better.

At a glance — 2020

Where the 32 teams sit on this stat this season.

League leader
NE · 190.00
League laggard
LAR · 147.00
League average
166.66
Spread (max − min)
43.00

Does Time avg (allowed) matter against the spread?

Run as a one-stat algorithm against the closing line, this stat went 756–822–37 ATS (47.9%) across 2020–2025, #286 of 296 ranked.

Its best season was 2022 (141–123, 53.4%); its worst 2021 (119–151, 44.1%).

For picks, this is noise. One stat is not a recipe — the algorithms combine many.

SeasonGamesATS recordATS %
2020256123–131–248.4%
2021272119–151–244.1%
2022271141–123–753.4%
2023272120–138–1446.5%
2024272121–142–946.0%
2025272132–137–349.1%

Time avg (allowed) in 2020 vs 2019

Patriots lead at 190.00 — they ranked #31 last year. Rams are last at 147.00 — #16 last year.

The league average is 166.66, up 4.84 from 161.81 last year.

Biggest riser: Patriots, #31 → #1. Biggest faller: Commanders, #2 → #29.

Spread between first and last: 43.00; 21 teams are within 10.98 of the average.

Year-over-year — 2020 vs 2019

Biggest movers from last season.

Biggest riser
NE · +50.00
Biggest faller
WAS · −27.00
Most consistent
MIN · 0.00
League trend 2020 vs 2019
▲ 4.84

Multi-year context

7-year window (2020–2026)

Multi-year leader
KC · 176.00
Multi-year laggard
CLE · 155.43
Biggest improver
MIA · +6.39/yr
Biggest decliner
HOU · −4.14/yr

Multi-year heatmap

32 teams across 7 seasons. Cells colored by quintile within each season; click a column header to jump to that year.

Team2020202120222023202420252026
NE190.00171.00168.00161.00185.00171.00158.00
HOU188.00171.00169.00165.00154.00155.00165.00
TEN184.00153.00167.00182.00164.00171.00205.00
NYG183.00175.00168.00157.00168.00170.00158.00
DET182.00178.00173.00159.00157.00162.00175.00
ARI176.00166.00164.00179.00187.00173.00161.00
NYJ174.00176.00166.00150.00182.00175.00174.00
CAR173.00153.00169.00161.00184.00192.00152.00
MIN173.00167.00165.00171.00163.00178.00146.00
JAX170.00193.00172.00155.00189.00159.00177.00
KC170.00176.00169.00168.00179.00185.00185.00
CLE169.00164.00157.00127.00146.00160.00165.00
LV169.00177.00172.00173.00167.00188.00154.00
DAL168.00151.00160.00162.00164.00175.00196.00
GB168.00162.00171.00179.00168.00199.00176.00
TB168.00159.00162.00170.00159.00160.00159.00
SEA167.00190.00172.00186.00165.00164.00154.00
IND166.00161.00160.00159.00169.00181.00165.00
LAC166.00178.00161.00169.00165.00160.00146.00
BAL163.00152.00168.00154.00160.00177.00167.00
ATL162.00191.00183.00161.00181.00177.00159.00
DEN162.00177.00160.00168.00161.00156.00165.00
CHI161.00170.00176.00155.00167.00165.00140.00
BUF159.00157.00175.00160.00180.00155.00182.00
CIN157.00162.00155.00163.00166.00174.00171.00
NO157.00155.00169.00150.00178.00179.00177.00
MIA154.00159.00170.00163.00160.00183.00201.00
PHI154.00168.00167.00173.00159.00171.00175.00
WAS154.00169.00141.00166.00176.00192.00156.00
SF150.00166.00158.00169.00169.00181.00181.00
PIT149.00165.00167.00163.00164.00182.00163.00
LAR147.00177.00180.00163.00185.00173.00164.00

Time avg (allowed) since 2018

Leaders since 2018: 2018 Bengals (177.00), 2019 Cardinals (184.00), 2020 Patriots (190.00).

The best season on record is Patriots 2020 at 190.00; the worst Eagles 2019 at 139.00.

Distribution

How the 32 teams cluster for 2020.

About this stat
Stat ID
def_drives_time_avg
Side
defensive
Family
Drive Averages
Data source
P only
Polarity
higher is better (or neutral)
Display grain
rate
Algorithm eligibility
Algorithm-eligible: this stat can be picked in the Algorithm Builder.