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Tedy Bruschi was an NFL linebacker for 13 seasons, all of them with the New England Patriots. Bruschi - now an analyst for ESPN - won three Super Bowl rings and was a two-time All-Pro selection.
Bruschi still remembers the "Patriot Way" and head coach Bill Belichick with fondness. A quote from Belichick led him to develop the "Toughness Index", published in an article for ESPN:
"You measure toughness in football by running the ball, stopping the run and covering kicks."
Bruschi expands on Belichick's thoughts in developing the index, focusing on tackling and winning the battles in the trenches.
The Criteria & Categories
Ted Bruschi used a number of statistical measures/categories to create his "Toughness Index".
The categories are as follows:
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Offensive yards before contact per rush. Does your offensive line win the line of scrimmage, to give runners space to gain yards?
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Offensive yards after contact per touch. Not just for running plays, but for all offensive touches (including receptions). Are your ball carriers tough to tackle?
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Defensive yards before contact per rush. Is your defensive line wining the line of scrimmage? Are they getting penetration to stop a runner before he gets started?
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Defensive yards after contact per touch. How good is your defense at tackling runners and receivers once they get the ball?
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And for the former special teams coach that Belichick is, opponents' kick return average and punt return average. Now at almost the halfway point of the season, there have been enough returns to measure this area.
A teams' league ranking in each category (through Week 8) is determined and then averaged out. The Rams rank 1st in the Toughness Index, with an average combined ranking of 7.33 (the lower the number the better).
Tedy Bruschi's "Toughness Index" Rankings
1. Rams -- 7.33
2. Raiders -- 8.17
3. Patriots -- 9.50
4. Chiefs -- 9.67
5. Buccaneers -- 11.17
6. Eagles -- 11.50
7. Ravens -- 12.83
8. Colts -- 13.17
9. Vikings -- 13.33
10. Cardinals -- 13.50
11. Steelers -- 13.67
12. Packers -- 14.17
13. Dolphins -- 15.17
15t. Broncos -- 15.67
15t. Falcons -- 15.67
16. Panthers -- 16.00
17. Jaguars -- 16.17
18. Seahawks -- 16.83
19. Jets -- 17.17
20. 49ers -- 17.33
21. Giants -- 17.50
22. Bills -- 17.83
23. Bengals -- 18.17
24. Cowboys -- 20.17
25. Lions -- 20.67
26. Titans -- 21.33
27. Saints -- 22.67
28. Redskins -- 22.83
29. Bears -- 23.83
30. Browns -- 24.17
31. Texans -- 24.33
32. Chargers -- 26.00
Which players contributed the most to the Rams earning the Number 1 ranking in Bruschi's Toughness Index? In my estimation, 5 players stand out in helping the Rams achieve such a high ranking: Michael Brockers, Aaron Donald, Mark Barron, Todd Gurley and Bradley Marquez (leading tackler on special teams).
Does "toughness" - as defined by Bruschi in his index - translate into wins in the NFL? The Rams are ranked as the toughest team in the NFL, and sport a 4-3 record heading into their Week 9 matchup with the Minnesota Vikings (ranked 9th in the index). The top 16 teams in the index have a combined 71-45 record (61% winning percentage). The bottom 16 teams in the index have a combined record of 48-75 (a 39% winning percentage) heading into Week 9. If the Rams can continue their high ranking in Bruschi's index and vie for a playoff berth, that won't be too tough to take at all. Let's stay "Ram tough" the rest of the way!