The following background information is required to make sense of this post:
http://www.advancednflstats.com/2007/07/what-makes-teams-win-part-1.html
Here are the data for the Dolphins' past three games:
When we work through the equation on this page:
http://www.advancednflstats.com/2007/07/what-makes-teams-win-3.html
...the result is 11.4 wins.
In other words, the Dolphins' performance over the last three games, if extrapolated to a 16-game season, is associated with 11.4 wins.
So, rather than being the beneficiaries of luck or some other random variable, it can be said in my opinion that they've been playing like a playoff team.
http://www.advancednflstats.com/2007/07/what-makes-teams-win-part-1.html
Here are the data for the Dolphins' past three games:
OFF YPA | DEF YPA | OFF INT RATE | DEF INT RATE | OFF FUM RATE | DEF FF RATE | OFF YPC | DEF YPC | PENALTY RATE | |
LAST 3 GAMES | 7.43 | 6.73 | 1.8 | 2.5 | 1.96 | 0.0103 | 4.9 | 4.29 | 0.213 |
LEAGUE AVG | 6.71 | 7.21 | 2.7 | 2.7 | 1.97 | 0.0147 | 4.15 | 4.16 | 0.416 |
LEAGUE SD | 0.72 | 0.64 | 0.94 | 0.81 | 0.51 | 0.004144 | 0.46 | 0.4 | 0.0759 |
DOLPHINS Z | 1 | -0.75 | -0.957446809 | -0.24691358 | -0.019607843 | -1.061776062 | 1.630435 | 0.325 | -2.674571805 |
COEFFICIENT | 1.14 | -0.92 | -0.45 | 0.76 | -0.33 | 0.42 | 0.46 | -0.24 | -0.39 |
When we work through the equation on this page:
http://www.advancednflstats.com/2007/07/what-makes-teams-win-3.html
...the result is 11.4 wins.
In other words, the Dolphins' performance over the last three games, if extrapolated to a 16-game season, is associated with 11.4 wins.
So, rather than being the beneficiaries of luck or some other random variable, it can be said in my opinion that they've been playing like a playoff team.