What Start avg is

Average starting field position, in yards from the opponent's goal line — so a lower number means the offense started closer to scoring. It is mostly a product of the defense and special teams, which hand the offense its starting point.

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

In 2019 the Dolphins led at 785.31; the league average was 848.11.

League snapshot — 2019

League leader

MIA · 785.31

League average

848.11

Best to worst

142.94

All 32 teams, lower is better.

Rank	Team	Value	Games
1	MIA	785.31	16
2	CAR	810.07	16
3	SEA	810.97	16
4	ATL	813.48	16
5	TB	818.55	16
6	ARI	820.93	16
7	NO	823.35	16
8	WAS	823.67	16
9	IND	828.09	16
10	CLE	829.17	16
11	DET	830.91	16
12	LV	831.06	16
13	CIN	833.70	16
14	NYG	835.01	16
15	BAL	836.23	16
16	HOU	843.01	16
17	SF	851.25	16
18	LAC	852.70	16
19	PIT	855.72	16
20	LAR	856.88	16
21	MIN	858.52	16
22	KC	861.27	16
23	NE	864.11	16
24	GB	868.31	16
25	PHI	872.89	16
26	NYJ	875.48	16
27	DEN	878.52	16
28	JAX	880.24	16
29	TEN	880.48	16
30	CHI	883.54	16
31	DAL	898.00	16
32	BUF	928.25	16

At a glance — 2019

Where the 32 teams sit on this stat this season.

League leader

MIA · 785.31

League laggard

BUF · 928.25

League average

848.11

Spread (max − min)

142.94

Rank	Team	Value	Δ vs avg	Percentile
1	MIA	785.31	-62.80	100%
2	CAR	810.07	-38.04	96.8%
3	SEA	810.97	-37.14	93.5%
4	ATL	813.48	-34.63	90.3%
5	TB	818.55	-29.56	87.1%
6	ARI	820.93	-27.18	83.9%
7	NO	823.35	-24.76	80.6%
8	WAS	823.67	-24.44	77.4%
9	IND	828.09	-20.02	74.2%
10	CLE	829.17	-18.94	71%
11	DET	830.91	-17.20	67.7%
12	LV	831.06	-17.05	64.5%
13	CIN	833.70	-14.41	61.3%
14	NYG	835.01	-13.10	58.1%
15	BAL	836.23	-11.88	54.8%
16	HOU	843.01	-5.10	51.6%
17	SF	851.25	3.14	48.4%
18	LAC	852.70	4.59	45.2%
19	PIT	855.72	7.61	41.9%
20	LAR	856.88	8.77	38.7%
21	MIN	858.52	10.41	35.5%
22	KC	861.27	13.16	32.3%
23	NE	864.11	16.00	29%
24	GB	868.31	20.20	25.8%
25	PHI	872.89	24.78	22.6%
26	NYJ	875.48	27.37	19.4%
27	DEN	878.52	30.41	16.1%
28	JAX	880.24	32.13	12.9%
29	TEN	880.48	32.37	9.7%
30	CHI	883.54	35.43	6.5%
31	DAL	898.00	49.89	3.2%
32	BUF	928.25	80.14	0%

Does Start avg matter against the spread?

Run as a one-stat algorithm against the closing line, this stat went 822–756–37 ATS (52.1%) across 2020–2025, #165 of 296 ranked.

Its best season was 2025 (155–114, 57.6%); its worst 2024 (130–133, 49.4%).

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	135–135–2	50.0%
2022	271	140–124–7	53.0%
2023	272	129–129–14	50.0%
2024	272	130–133–9	49.4%
2025	272	155–114–3	57.6%

Start avg in 2019 vs 2018

Dolphins lead at 785.31 — they ranked #2 last year. Bills are last at 928.25 — #20 last year.

The league average is 848.11, down 1.66 from 849.77 last year.

Biggest riser: Seahawks, #24 → #3. Biggest faller: Jets, #6 → #26.

Spread between first and last: 142.94; 22 teams are within 29.75 of the average.

Year-over-year — 2019 vs 2018

Biggest movers from last season.

Biggest riser

BUF · +68.97

Biggest faller

SEA · −59.31

Most consistent

LV · +2.13

League trend 2019 vs 2018

▼ -1.66

Rank	Team	2019	2018	Δ
1	BUF	928.25	859.28	+68.97
2	CIN	833.70	772.67	+61.03
3	KC	861.27	801.19	+60.08
4	LAR	856.88	807.33	+49.55
5	NYJ	875.48	826.00	+49.48
6	DAL	898.00	857.87	+40.13
7	MIN	858.52	829.71	+28.81
8	PHI	872.89	847.64	+25.25
9	CHI	883.54	865.05	+18.49
10	GB	868.31	861.45	+6.86
11	NO	823.35	816.80	+6.55
12	DEN	878.52	875.66	+2.86
13	LV	831.06	828.93	+2.13
14	NYG	835.01	838.05	−3.04
15	NE	864.11	871.32	−7.21
16	HOU	843.01	850.42	−7.41
17	JAX	880.24	891.09	−10.85
18	MIA	785.31	797.90	−12.59
19	LAC	852.70	866.00	−13.30
20	CLE	829.17	847.74	−18.57
21	PIT	855.72	874.88	−19.16
22	TEN	880.48	900.32	−19.84
23	SF	851.25	873.43	−22.18
24	ATL	813.48	836.28	−22.80
25	WAS	823.67	849.97	−26.30
26	IND	828.09	855.88	−27.79
27	ARI	820.93	850.75	−29.82
28	TB	818.55	853.70	−35.15
29	BAL	836.23	873.12	−36.89
30	CAR	810.07	857.01	−46.94
31	DET	830.91	885.00	−54.09
32	SEA	810.97	870.28	−59.31

Multi-year context

7-year window (2020–2026)

Multi-year leader

DET · 766.70

Multi-year laggard

LAR · 812.10

Biggest improver

WAS · −73.06/yr

Biggest decliner

DET · −51.32/yr

Rank	Team	Avg	Slope/yr	2020	2021	2022	2023	2024	2025	2026
1	DET	766.70	−51.32	770.16	833.01	859.55	869.67	915.14	874.30	245.10
2	CIN	769.72	−64.55	818.79	888.17	842.05	890.05	856.49	866.71	225.81
3	CHI	775.60	−53.48	800.29	859.44	844.98	884.11	894.25	865.24	280.89
4	LV	777.64	−52.93	759.23	875.87	896.71	878.60	876.16	902.85	254.05
5	CAR	777.75	−72.24	793.73	909.59	940.85	927.60	815.07	868.77	188.62
6	IND	779.54	−58.36	807.79	867.17	884.44	866.10	908.72	868.35	254.20
7	DAL	780.07	−65.29	815.21	879.89	914.60	889.45	875.91	840.14	245.26
8	ATL	780.24	−57.30	848.66	833.60	851.61	900.52	866.56	888.19	272.53
9	NYJ	783.24	−61.39	817.55	837.31	947.46	887.32	889.04	845.25	258.77
10	TEN	784.05	−59.87	791.63	872.88	935.92	882.61	896.83	842.07	266.42
11	JAX	784.47	−53.01	790.75	872.70	874.60	893.28	890.54	890.67	278.73
12	ARI	785.53	−68.72	849.22	896.61	885.20	890.88	906.80	814.96	255.02
13	NYG	786.40	−62.42	810.65	907.12	895.77	890.86	873.47	860.12	266.84
14	NO	789.38	−63.97	814.29	899.09	930.73	889.82	856.50	881.62	253.60
15	WAS	789.56	−73.06	863.77	886.51	966.72	862.15	861.00	835.99	250.79
16	GB	790.01	−57.57	826.06	894.00	864.37	864.27	906.56	912.47	262.32
17	BUF	792.51	−61.36	829.58	906.42	871.25	912.84	854.19	919.44	253.87
18	KC	794.82	−65.23	847.44	870.42	885.96	938.09	906.49	909.88	205.48
19	NE	797.95	−53.19	801.05	876.43	885.73	954.29	872.40	907.19	288.56
20	HOU	798.65	−53.58	806.83	852.21	904.53	942.68	895.07	933.35	255.85
21	MIN	800.48	−52.15	802.16	889.77	865.17	927.43	931.82	902.06	284.98
22	MIA	800.62	−64.78	858.11	893.42	910.67	884.87	910.83	892.23	254.24
23	LAC	801.97	−52.00	830.69	835.64	875.99	942.43	953.14	897.44	278.45
24	SEA	802.84	−52.86	807.37	912.82	878.43	873.32	929.56	938.52	279.87
25	PHI	803.34	−58.51	840.86	869.42	940.03	868.45	907.75	935.26	261.60
26	SF	803.40	−66.96	839.96	943.87	911.80	895.32	881.29	891.49	260.05
27	TB	804.77	−63.49	823.51	896.10	959.22	914.72	895.58	884.04	260.22
28	PIT	805.18	−66.85	851.91	890.76	931.64	947.85	889.77	865.60	258.74
29	BAL	806.61	−68.17	841.08	939.15	917.49	901.18	939.11	853.76	254.53
30	DEN	807.67	−58.46	819.42	916.14	941.51	851.75	914.76	950.13	260.01
31	CLE	810.44	−56.04	821.50	895.97	883.00	963.39	918.47	920.41	270.32
32	LAR	812.10	−67.24	904.23	908.70	895.77	904.36	876.73	918.32	276.61

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
CAR	793.73	909.59	940.85	927.60	815.07	868.77	188.62
KC	847.44	870.42	885.96	938.09	906.49	909.88	205.48
CIN	818.79	888.17	842.05	890.05	856.49	866.71	225.81
DET	770.16	833.01	859.55	869.67	915.14	874.30	245.10
DAL	815.21	879.89	914.60	889.45	875.91	840.14	245.26
WAS	863.77	886.51	966.72	862.15	861.00	835.99	250.79
NO	814.29	899.09	930.73	889.82	856.50	881.62	253.60
BUF	829.58	906.42	871.25	912.84	854.19	919.44	253.87
LV	759.23	875.87	896.71	878.60	876.16	902.85	254.05
IND	807.79	867.17	884.44	866.10	908.72	868.35	254.20
MIA	858.11	893.42	910.67	884.87	910.83	892.23	254.24
BAL	841.08	939.15	917.49	901.18	939.11	853.76	254.53
ARI	849.22	896.61	885.20	890.88	906.80	814.96	255.02
HOU	806.83	852.21	904.53	942.68	895.07	933.35	255.85
PIT	851.91	890.76	931.64	947.85	889.77	865.60	258.74
NYJ	817.55	837.31	947.46	887.32	889.04	845.25	258.77
DEN	819.42	916.14	941.51	851.75	914.76	950.13	260.01
SF	839.96	943.87	911.80	895.32	881.29	891.49	260.05
TB	823.51	896.10	959.22	914.72	895.58	884.04	260.22
PHI	840.86	869.42	940.03	868.45	907.75	935.26	261.60
GB	826.06	894.00	864.37	864.27	906.56	912.47	262.32
TEN	791.63	872.88	935.92	882.61	896.83	842.07	266.42
NYG	810.65	907.12	895.77	890.86	873.47	860.12	266.84
CLE	821.50	895.97	883.00	963.39	918.47	920.41	270.32
ATL	848.66	833.60	851.61	900.52	866.56	888.19	272.53
LAR	904.23	908.70	895.77	904.36	876.73	918.32	276.61
LAC	830.69	835.64	875.99	942.43	953.14	897.44	278.45
JAX	790.75	872.70	874.60	893.28	890.54	890.67	278.73
SEA	807.37	912.82	878.43	873.32	929.56	938.52	279.87
CHI	800.29	859.44	844.98	884.11	894.25	865.24	280.89
MIN	802.16	889.77	865.17	927.43	931.82	902.06	284.98
NE	801.05	876.43	885.73	954.29	872.40	907.19	288.56

Start avg since 2018

Leaders since 2018: 2018 Bengals (772.67), 2019 Dolphins (785.31).

The best season on record is Bengals 2018 at 772.67; the worst Bills 2019 at 928.25.

Distribution

How the 32 teams cluster for 2019.

About this stat

Stat ID: off_drives_start_avg
Side: offensive
Family: Drive Averages
Data source: P + N
Polarity: lower is better
Display grain: rate
Algorithm eligibility: Algorithm-eligible: this stat can be picked in the Algorithm Builder.