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Offensive: Drive Averages · Time avg

OFF · Drive AveragesP + N
About this stat ↓

Showing the 2026 season — the most recent season with data for this stat.

What Time avg is

Average time of possession per drive, in seconds. Tempo and control, not quality — a long, slow drive can still end in a punt.

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

Through Week 8 of 2026, the Cowboys lead at 1,441.00; the league average is 1,277.47.

League snapshot — 2026

League leader
DAL · 1,441.00
League average
1,277.47
Best to worst
375.00

All 32 teams, higher is better.

At a glance — 2026

Where the 32 teams sit on this stat this season.

League leader
DAL · 1,441.00
League laggard
LAC · 1,066.00
League average
1,277.47
Spread (max − min)
375.00

Does Time avg matter against the spread?

Run as a one-stat algorithm against the closing line, this stat went 827–751–37 ATS (52.4%) across 2020–2025, #156 of 296 ranked.

Its best season was 2020 (144–110, 56.7%); its worst 2023 (127–131, 49.2%).

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

SeasonGamesATS recordATS %
2020256144–110–256.7%
2021272139–131–251.5%
2022271144–120–754.5%
2023272127–131–1449.2%
2024272137–126–952.1%
2025272136–133–350.6%

Time avg in 2026 vs 2025

Cowboys lead at 1,441.00 — they ranked #10 last year. Chargers are last at 1,066.00 — #2 last year.

The league average is 1,277.47, down 1,703.47 from 2,980.94 last year.

Biggest riser: Jets, #31 → #8. Biggest faller: Chargers, #2 → #32.

Spread between first and last: 375.00; 19 teams are within 98.95 of the average.

Year-over-year — 2026 vs 2025

Biggest movers from last season.

Biggest riser
NYJ · −1,310.00
Biggest faller
LAC · −2,230.00
Most consistent
NYJ · −1,310.00
League trend 2026 vs 2025
▼ -1,703.47

Multi-year context

7-year window (2020–2026)

Multi-year leader
GB · 2,848.29
Multi-year laggard
NYJ · 2,441.57
Biggest improver
TB · −75.21/yr
Biggest decliner
CLE · −227.18/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
DAL2,441.002,777.002,675.003,255.002,685.003,059.001,441.00
IND2,830.003,119.002,753.002,656.002,505.003,039.001,421.00
TB2,511.002,737.002,654.002,801.003,124.003,084.001,421.00
ARI2,530.003,030.002,865.002,955.003,121.003,017.001,407.00
NE2,814.003,095.002,662.002,444.002,902.003,141.001,405.00
PIT2,557.002,591.003,105.002,705.002,826.002,828.001,391.00
CHI2,658.003,011.002,860.003,081.002,932.002,927.001,387.00
NYJ2,420.002,594.002,571.002,413.003,031.002,686.001,376.00
LAR2,726.002,806.002,958.002,946.003,048.002,961.001,361.00
BAL2,911.003,002.003,051.002,780.003,003.002,897.001,338.00
NYG2,644.002,638.003,031.002,637.002,906.003,169.001,329.00
PHI2,407.003,066.002,882.003,100.003,135.003,042.001,326.00
JAX2,502.002,726.002,879.002,838.002,715.002,990.001,307.00
MIA2,710.002,843.002,918.002,840.003,144.002,885.001,301.00
ATL2,780.002,770.003,117.002,628.003,021.002,871.001,271.00
SF2,660.002,990.003,024.003,070.003,027.003,159.001,263.00
CIN2,757.002,942.002,842.002,928.003,030.002,952.001,261.00
DEN2,399.003,227.002,642.002,806.002,833.003,005.001,260.00
GB3,117.003,278.003,149.003,047.002,974.003,124.001,249.00
LV2,906.002,866.003,125.002,833.002,702.002,703.001,247.00
DET2,538.002,913.002,972.002,895.003,174.002,935.001,242.00
MIN2,680.002,619.002,665.002,868.002,771.002,773.001,239.00
NO2,849.002,766.002,792.002,806.002,719.002,845.001,226.00
CLE2,978.003,021.003,074.002,592.002,700.002,678.001,211.00
SEA2,585.002,386.002,734.002,653.002,720.002,844.001,200.00
TEN2,645.003,157.002,669.002,931.002,833.002,828.001,195.00
HOU2,593.002,575.002,539.002,730.002,824.002,933.001,174.00
BUF2,848.002,997.002,705.003,120.003,017.003,352.001,173.00
KC2,880.003,215.002,951.002,989.003,216.003,137.001,173.00
WAS2,591.003,021.002,986.002,618.003,176.003,028.001,136.00
CAR2,944.002,754.002,618.003,015.002,640.003,202.001,082.00
LAC2,886.002,961.002,818.002,677.002,996.003,296.001,066.00

Time avg since 2018

Leaders since 2018: 2018 Ravens (2,923.00), 2019 Ravens (3,242.00), 2020 Packers (3,117.00), 2021 Packers (3,278.00), 2022 Packers (3,149.00), 2023 Cowboys (3,255.00), 2024 Chiefs (3,216.00), 2025 Bills (3,352.00), 2026 Cowboys (1,441.00).

Packers have led this stat 3 of 9 seasons.

The best season on record is Bills 2025 at 3,352.00; the worst Chargers 2026 at 1,066.00.

The league average has fallen from 2,624.47 in 2018 to 1,277.47 in 2026.

Distribution

How the 32 teams cluster for 2026.

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