Football's Intelligence Community

"On third-and-1, running the ball will convert for a new set of downs 36% more often than a pass will."

This information, presented in the "Pregame Show" of the 2008 Pro Football Prospectus 2008, exemplifies the advantage gained through objective analysis of what happens on the field during football games. Simply ascertaining that one is more likely to succeed in a given situation than another is invaluable information to a team that wishes to succeed (which in theory, at least, is all teams; Detroit Lions, I'm looking your way).