NFL

New Orleans Saints Shocked: The 4th Down Decision

Keith Goldner  —  @keithgoldner Sep 14th, 2012
numberFire Chief Stats Analyst Keith Goldner took a look at one of the key turning points in the Saints-Redskins game and whether the Saints made the mathematically-correct call.

RGIII was the only rookie quarterback to win on Sunday when his Redskins took down the Saints 40-32. Brees was pressured heavily all game and while it's extremely difficult to quantify the value of coaching, people are wondering what kind of effect the loss of Sean Payton will mean.

One immediate impact is strategic decision-making. Sean Payton is known for his risky decisions. And by that, I mean he is known for those decisions that are publicly perceived as "risky," even if they are the statistically correct decision. Last year, the Saints were the No. 8 team in terms of win probability forfeited on 4th down (meaning they were in the top quarter of the league in 4th-down decision-making). So, what did we learn on Sunday?

To find out what we learned, read the rest of Keith's article here: AdvancedNFLStats.com - Saints Shocked