What Drives is

Offensive drives: the number of possessions the offense had. It sets the pace that every other drive-level number is measured against — a team with few drives and many points per drive is efficient; one with many drives is playing fast or getting the ball back often.

Higher is better. It is shown per game, so a team's number does not depend on games played. Source: P + N.

In 2021 the Steelers led at 11.88; the league average was 10.90.

League snapshot — 2021

League leader

PIT · 11.88

League average

10.90

Best to worst

All 32 teams, higher is better.

Rank	Team	Value	Games
1	PIT	11.88	17
2	MIN	11.65	17
3	NO	11.65	17
4	BAL	11.53	17
5	CAR	11.47	17
6	TB	11.47	17
7	DAL	11.35	17
8	HOU	11.24	17
9	CIN	11.18	17
10	LV	11.18	17
11	NYG	11.18	17
12	SEA	11.18	17
13	BUF	11.12	17
14	MIA	11.06	17
15	NYJ	11.06	17
16	SF	11	17
17	TEN	10.88	17
18	LAR	10.82	17
19	WAS	10.65	17
20	ARI	10.59	17
21	CLE	10.59	17
22	IND	10.59	17
23	JAX	10.59	17
24	ATL	10.53	17
25	CHI	10.53	17
26	DET	10.53	17
27	LAC	10.41	17
28	GB	10.29	17
29	NE	10.29	17
30	PHI	10.29	17
31	KC	10	17
32	DEN	9.88	17

At a glance — 2021

Where the 32 teams sit on this stat this season.

League leader

PIT · 11.88

League laggard

DEN · 9.88

League average

10.90

Spread (max − min)

Rank	Team	Value	Δ vs avg	Percentile
1	PIT	11.88	0.99	100%
2	MIN	11.65	0.75	96.8%
3	NO	11.65	0.75	93.5%
4	BAL	11.53	0.63	90.3%
5	CAR	11.47	0.58	87.1%
6	TB	11.47	0.58	83.9%
7	DAL	11.35	0.46	80.6%
8	HOU	11.24	0.34	77.4%
9	CIN	11.18	0.28	74.2%
10	LV	11.18	0.28	71%
11	NYG	11.18	0.28	67.7%
12	SEA	11.18	0.28	64.5%
13	BUF	11.12	0.22	61.3%
14	MIA	11.06	0.16	58.1%
15	NYJ	11.06	0.16	54.8%
16	SF	11	0.10	51.6%
17	TEN	10.88	-0.01	48.4%
18	LAR	10.82	-0.07	45.2%
19	WAS	10.65	-0.25	41.9%
20	ARI	10.59	-0.31	38.7%
21	CLE	10.59	-0.31	35.5%
22	IND	10.59	-0.31	32.3%
23	JAX	10.59	-0.31	29%
24	ATL	10.53	-0.37	25.8%
25	CHI	10.53	-0.37	22.6%
26	DET	10.53	-0.37	19.4%
27	LAC	10.41	-0.48	16.1%
28	GB	10.29	-0.60	12.9%
29	NE	10.29	-0.60	9.7%
30	PHI	10.29	-0.60	6.5%
31	KC	10	-0.90	3.2%
32	DEN	9.88	-1.01	0%

Does Drives matter against the spread?

Run as a one-stat algorithm against the closing line, this stat went 771–807–37 ATS (48.9%) across 2020–2025, #271 of 296 ranked.

Its best season was 2025 (141–128, 52.4%); its worst 2023 (120–138, 46.5%).

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

Season	Games	ATS record	ATS %
2020	256	133–121–2	52.4%
2021	272	128–142–2	47.4%
2022	271	126–138–7	47.7%
2023	272	120–138–14	46.5%
2024	272	123–140–9	46.8%
2025	272	141–128–3	52.4%

Drives in 2021 vs 2020

Steelers lead at 11.88 — they ranked #2 last year. Broncos are last at 9.88 — #3 last year.

The league average is 10.90, down 0.09 from 10.99 last year.

Biggest riser: Panthers, #31 → #5. Biggest faller: Eagles, #1 → #30.

Spread between first and last: 2; 21 teams are within 0.50 of the average.

Year-over-year — 2021 vs 2020

Biggest movers from last season.

Biggest riser

CAR · +1.28

Biggest faller

DEN · −1.87

Most consistent

PIT · +0.01

League trend 2021 vs 2020

▼ -0.09

Rank	Team	2021	2020	Δ
1	CAR	11.47	10.19	+1.28
2	HOU	11.24	10.25	+0.99
3	BAL	11.53	10.88	+0.65
4	NYG	11.18	10.56	+0.61
5	MIN	11.65	11.06	+0.58
6	LV	11.18	10.75	+0.43
7	NE	10.29	9.88	+0.42
8	NO	11.65	11.25	+0.40
9	TEN	10.88	10.50	+0.38
10	BUF	11.12	10.88	+0.24
11	CLE	10.59	10.38	+0.21
12	TB	11.47	11.38	+0.10
13	PIT	11.88	11.88	+0.01
14	GB	10.29	10.31	−0.02
15	DAL	11.35	11.38	−0.02
16	NYJ	11.06	11.13	−0.07
17	CIN	11.18	11.25	−0.07
18	SEA	11.18	11.31	−0.14
19	DET	10.53	10.75	−0.22
20	IND	10.59	10.81	−0.22
21	JAX	10.59	10.88	−0.29
22	KC	10	10.31	−0.31
23	MIA	11.06	11.38	−0.32
24	ATL	10.53	10.94	−0.41
25	SF	11	11.44	−0.44
26	LAC	10.41	11	−0.59
27	ARI	10.59	11.19	−0.60
28	CHI	10.53	11.19	−0.66
29	LAR	10.82	11.50	−0.68
30	WAS	10.65	11.44	−0.79
31	PHI	10.29	11.88	−1.58
32	DEN	9.88	11.75	−1.87

Multi-year context

7-year window (2020–2026)

Multi-year leader

CLE · 11.44

Multi-year laggard

KC · 10.36

Biggest improver

CLE · +0.28/yr

Biggest decliner

DAL · −0.31/yr

Rank	Team	Avg	Slope/yr	2020	2021	2022	2023	2024	2025	2026
1	CLE	11.44	+0.28	10.38	10.59	10.65	13.18	11.82	11.47	12
2	PIT	11.27	−0.13	11.88	11.88	10.65	11.41	11.18	10.47	11.40
3	SEA	11.23	+0.11	11.31	11.18	11	10.53	11.18	11	12.40
4	MIN	11.21	−0.07	11.06	11.65	11.88	10.53	11.29	10.82	11.20
5	HOU	11.17	+0.08	10.25	11.24	11.65	11.35	11.35	11.35	11
6	NYJ	11.10	−0.12	11.13	11.06	11.47	12.35	10.29	10.82	10.60
7	TB	11.09	−0.12	11.38	11.47	11.47	10.76	10.76	10.76	11
8	DEN	11.08	−0.05	11.75	9.88	11.82	11.18	11.18	11.18	10.60
9	WAS	11.06	−0.06	11.44	10.65	11.59	11.71	10.41	9.82	11.80
10	BAL	11.03	−0.03	10.88	11.53	10.65	11.65	10.82	10.47	11.20
11	IND	11.02	−0.01	10.81	10.59	11.53	11.59	11.41	10.18	11
12	NO	11.01	−0.17	11.25	11.65	10.94	11.53	10.76	10.35	10.60
13	LAC	10.99	+0.09	11	10.41	11.18	11.24	10.76	10.35	12
14	LV	10.91	+0.12	10.75	11.18	10.18	10.53	11.24	10.71	11.80
15	CAR	10.84	+0.01	10.19	11.47	11.29	10.59	11	9.82	11.50
16	CHI	10.82	−0.01	11.19	10.53	10.65	10.88	10.76	10.94	10.80
17	LAR	10.82	−0.04	11.50	10.82	10.41	10.88	10.06	10.65	11.40
18	NYG	10.81	−0.06	10.56	11.18	10.53	11.76	10.94	10.12	10.60
19	CIN	10.81	−0.21	11.25	11.18	11.06	11.06	10.71	10.59	9.80
20	PHI	10.79	−0.13	11.88	10.29	10.94	10.53	10.76	10.53	10.60
21	ATL	10.77	+0.07	10.94	10.53	10	11.59	10.12	10.82	11.40
22	DAL	10.75	−0.31	11.38	11.35	11.47	10.12	11.29	10.41	9.20
23	TEN	10.74	−0.08	10.50	10.88	11.24	10.65	11.35	10.76	9.80
24	DET	10.72	+0.03	10.75	10.53	10.41	11.06	10.71	11	10.60
25	NE	10.71	+0.05	9.88	10.29	11.29	12	10.53	10.35	10.60
26	JAX	10.70	−0.09	10.88	10.59	10.65	11.47	10.41	11.12	9.80
27	ARI	10.68	−0.07	11.19	10.59	11	10.65	9.94	10.18	11.20
28	BUF	10.67	−0.09	10.88	11.12	10.81	10.65	10.18	10.29	10.80
29	SF	10.65	−0.22	11.44	11	10.94	10.53	10.41	10.06	10.20
30	MIA	10.64	−0.25	11.38	11.06	10.59	10.94	10.71	10.41	9.40
31	GB	10.47	+0.09	10.31	10.29	10.53	10.24	10.71	9.82	11.40
32	KC	10.36	+0.05	10.31	10	10.65	10.53	10	10	11

Multi-year heatmap

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

Team	2020	2021	2022	2023	2024	2025	2026
PIT	11.88	11.88	10.65	11.41	11.18	10.47	11.40
MIN	11.06	11.65	11.88	10.53	11.29	10.82	11.20
NO	11.25	11.65	10.94	11.53	10.76	10.35	10.60
BAL	10.88	11.53	10.65	11.65	10.82	10.47	11.20
CAR	10.19	11.47	11.29	10.59	11	9.82	11.50
TB	11.38	11.47	11.47	10.76	10.76	10.76	11
DAL	11.38	11.35	11.47	10.12	11.29	10.41	9.20
HOU	10.25	11.24	11.65	11.35	11.35	11.35	11
CIN	11.25	11.18	11.06	11.06	10.71	10.59	9.80
LV	10.75	11.18	10.18	10.53	11.24	10.71	11.80
NYG	10.56	11.18	10.53	11.76	10.94	10.12	10.60
SEA	11.31	11.18	11	10.53	11.18	11	12.40
BUF	10.88	11.12	10.81	10.65	10.18	10.29	10.80
MIA	11.38	11.06	10.59	10.94	10.71	10.41	9.40
NYJ	11.13	11.06	11.47	12.35	10.29	10.82	10.60
SF	11.44	11	10.94	10.53	10.41	10.06	10.20
TEN	10.50	10.88	11.24	10.65	11.35	10.76	9.80
LAR	11.50	10.82	10.41	10.88	10.06	10.65	11.40
WAS	11.44	10.65	11.59	11.71	10.41	9.82	11.80
ARI	11.19	10.59	11	10.65	9.94	10.18	11.20
CLE	10.38	10.59	10.65	13.18	11.82	11.47	12
IND	10.81	10.59	11.53	11.59	11.41	10.18	11
JAX	10.88	10.59	10.65	11.47	10.41	11.12	9.80
ATL	10.94	10.53	10	11.59	10.12	10.82	11.40
CHI	11.19	10.53	10.65	10.88	10.76	10.94	10.80
DET	10.75	10.53	10.41	11.06	10.71	11	10.60
LAC	11	10.41	11.18	11.24	10.76	10.35	12
GB	10.31	10.29	10.53	10.24	10.71	9.82	11.40
NE	9.88	10.29	11.29	12	10.53	10.35	10.60
PHI	11.88	10.29	10.94	10.53	10.76	10.53	10.60
KC	10.31	10	10.65	10.53	10	10	11
DEN	11.75	9.88	11.82	11.18	11.18	11.18	10.60

Drives since 2018

Leaders since 2018: 2018 Browns (12.75), 2019 Buccaneers (12.38), 2020 Eagles (11.88), 2021 Steelers (11.88).

The best season on record is Browns 2018 at 12.75; the worst Patriots 2020 at 9.88.

Distribution

How the 32 teams cluster for 2021.

About this stat

Stat ID: off_drives_drives
Side: offensive
Family: Drive Averages
Data source: P + N
Polarity: higher is better (or neutral)
Display grain: count
Algorithm eligibility: Algorithm-eligible: this stat can be picked in the Algorithm Builder.