Team Success Rate and Explosive Play Rate Leaders
Team Success Rate and Explosive Play Rate — 2017 NFL leaders, updated Oct 10, 2026. New England Patriots led the league in success rate at 48.3%, ahead of 31 other qualifying teams. Based on verified 2017 play-by-play data (nflverse); Half-PPR scoring. Through the 2017 season.
These are the two halves of moving the ball, and a team can be excellent at one and poor at the other. Success rate counts the share of snaps that gained positive expected points — staying on schedule, second and four instead of second and nine — with no extra credit for how far the play went. Explosive rate counts the share that went 20 yards or more. An offense high in success and low in explosives grinds and rarely scores from distance; the reverse is the boom-bust offense that punts a lot and then scores from the far 40. Both columns appear twice, because a defense is measured on the same two questions with the signs reversed: the best defenses here are the ones lowest in both.
| # | Team | Off Succ% | Off Expl% | Def Succ% | Def Expl% | Off Plays | Read |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | New England Patriots | 48.3% | 6.9% | 44.8% | 5.9% | 1,057 | Read |
| 2 | New Orleans Saints | 45.8% | 9.1% | 41.3% | 6.9% | 978 | Read |
| 3 | Pittsburgh Steelers | 45.7% | 6.0% | 40.8% | 6.2% | 1,031 | Read |
| 4 | Atlanta Falcons | 44.4% | 6.8% | 44.2% | 5.0% | 972 | Read |
| 5 | Kansas City Chiefs | 44.2% | 7.1% | 44.3% | 5.7% | 977 | Read |
| 6 | Green Bay Packers | 44.1% | 4.9% | 42.2% | 6.6% | 993 | Read |
| 7 | Los Angeles Chargers | 43.9% | 7.1% | 41.7% | 5.5% | 1,003 | Read |
| 8 | Tampa Bay Buccaneers | 43.9% | 5.0% | 44.3% | 7.1% | 1,032 | Read |
| 9 | Philadelphia Eagles | 43.3% | 5.8% | 38.5% | 5.3% | 1,061 | Read |
| 10 | Dallas Cowboys | 43.3% | 4.6% | 44.6% | 5.1% | 999 | Read |
| 11 | Los Angeles Rams | 42.8% | 7.0% | 38.5% | 6.5% | 979 | Read |
| 12 | Baltimore Ravens | 41.9% | 3.6% | 40.2% | 5.8% | 1,038 | Read |
| 13 | Minnesota Vikings | 41.8% | 6.6% | 37.6% | 4.3% | 1,034 | Read |
| 14 | Jacksonville Jaguars | 41.5% | 5.2% | 39.3% | 4.7% | 1,067 | Read |
| 15 | Las Vegas Raiders | 41.1% | 6.0% | 44.0% | 6.0% | 944 | Read |
| 16 | Tennessee Titans | 41.1% | 5.3% | 41.7% | 3.9% | 960 | Read |
| 17 | San Francisco 49ers | 41.0% | 5.4% | 42.8% | 5.7% | 1,046 | Read |
| 18 | Seattle Seahawks | 40.8% | 7.0% | 37.9% | 5.1% | 994 | Read |
| 19 | Carolina Panthers | 40.6% | 5.6% | 42.4% | 6.3% | 1,009 | Read |
| 20 | New York Giants | 40.5% | 4.0% | 40.6% | 6.5% | 1,034 | Read |
| 21 | Detroit Lions | 40.2% | 7.0% | 42.3% | 5.2% | 976 | Read |
| 22 | Washington Commanders | 40.2% | 6.4% | 41.2% | 6.6% | 973 | Read |
| 23 | Miami Dolphins | 39.3% | 5.2% | 42.2% | 7.2% | 988 | Read |
| 24 | Houston Texans | 39.1% | 5.8% | 40.3% | 6.9% | 1,024 | Read |
| 25 | Buffalo Bills | 39.0% | 5.6% | 43.5% | 5.4% | 993 | Read |
| 26 | New York Jets | 38.4% | 6.2% | 39.0% | 7.1% | 967 | Read |
| 27 | Chicago Bears | 38.4% | 4.3% | 41.4% | 4.6% | 930 | Read |
| 28 | Cincinnati Bengals | 38.3% | 4.6% | 40.9% | 4.9% | 908 | Read |
| 29 | Denver Broncos | 38.0% | 5.9% | 38.5% | 5.9% | 1,068 | Read |
| 30 | Indianapolis Colts | 37.9% | 4.5% | 41.6% | 7.4% | 982 | Read |
| 31 | Arizona Cardinals | 37.4% | 5.7% | 38.6% | 5.3% | 1,046 | Read |
| 32 | Cleveland Browns | 37.3% | 6.0% | 42.5% | 5.8% | 1,005 | Read |
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- Rushing Yards Over Expected
- Target Share
- Running Back Receiving Efficiency
- Completion Percentage Over Expected
- Adjusted Net Yards per Attempt
- Quarterback Pressure Rate
- Defensive Blitz Rate
- Quarterbacks vs Man and Zone Coverage
- Pass Rate Over Expected
- Clean-Core Rating
- Usage vs Production
- Team Expected Points Added
- Quarterback EPA per Dropback
- QB Composite Rating
- Air Yards Share
- Stacked Box Rate
- Regression Flags
- Weighted Opportunity Rating
- Snap Share
- Pass-Snap Share
- Receiving Yards per Pass Snap
- Availability
- Tight End Receiving Efficiency
- Tight End Average Depth of Target
- Stat Stickiness
- Play-Action Rate
- Pre-Snap Motion Rate
- Drop Rate
- Contested Catch Rate
- Interception-Worthy Throw Rate
- Quarterback-Fault Sack Rate
- Quarterback Intended Air Yards
- Team Air Yards and Passing Volume
- Receiver Separation and Cushion
- Wide Receiver Receiving Efficiency
- Goal-Line Usage
- Quarterback Deep Ball
- Team Pace
- Screen Pass Rate
- No-Huddle Rate
- RPO Rate
- Light Box Rate
- Quarterbacks vs the Blitz
- Throwaway Rate
- Catchable Throw Rate
- Out-of-Pocket Rate
- Time to Throw
- Aggressiveness
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