Net Yards Per Play Report for NFL Week 8 (Ravens Take Over No. 2 Spot)

We're approaching the halfway point of the NFL season which means our metrics and analytics are getting more and more dialed in.

It's that time of week where we look at my favorite stat in the NFL; Net Yards per Play. If you don't know what it is, it's simply the number that's left over when you take a team's average yards per play gained on offense and subtract the average yards given up per play on defense.

If you want my picks for every Week 8 game, check out the latest edition of the "Road to 272 Bets" here!

Obviously, Net Yards per Play isn't the only thing we should use to evaluate teams as it doesn't take into consideration things like turnovers, red zone efficiency, or penalties, but it is a good starting point for our handicapping process. After all, the of the final four teams left in the NFL Playoffs last year, three of them ranked in the top four in this stat.

Let's look where each team ranks in Net Yards per Play ahead of Week 8 action.

Net Yards per Play Standings Week 8

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Ravens are Super Bowl Contenders

The Miami Dolphins still hold on to the top spot despite their Week 7 loss to the Philadelphia Eagles, but it's the Baltimore Ravens who sneak into the No. 2 spot after dominating the Detroit Lions in a 38-6 victory.

People know the Ravens but good before this past week, but the win has opened people's eyes to just how great this team can be. Leading up to this week, they head been inside the top five in Net Yards per Play, but some unlucky losses earlier in the season made people think they weren't as good as they truly are.

Now, their record matches their underlying metrics. With that being said, their Super Bowl odds still have plenty of value, available as high as +1400. Jump on the Ravens train now before it's too late.

Chargers are in Trouble

Not only are the Chargers sitting at 2-4 through the first seven weeks of the season, but their statistics show that their record isn't just a result of bad luck.

They're currently sitting in 26th in Net Yards per Play. That's one spot below the Cardinals and one spot above the Steelers, which is not promising company to be in. At home, they've been even worse, sporting a Net Yards per Play of -0.8 which ranks 27th in the league.

If there's a time for them to turn their season around it's Week 8 when they'll face the lowly Chicago Bears on Sunday Night Football. Despite their poor metrics, they're still 8.5-point favorites against Chicago.

Odds refresh periodically and are subject to change.

You can check out all of Iain's bets here!