The NFL’s modern era has evolved from a game where decisions were made based on a coach’s intuition or instincts to a version that has enabled analysts to become more involved in the decision-making process.
One case in point is the NFL’s trend to go for short fourth-down conversions instead of punting the football.
Cleveland has gone for it on fourth down a league-high 28 times this season, converting 18 of those attempts through 11 games.
That’s a change from the conservative style most NFL coaches employed in past years, attempting to keep their offense on the field longer against an opponent’s defense.
It’s also one that is infuriating to some veterans of the game, including Browns legend Greg Pruitt.
In a recent interview, Pruitt shared his belief that Cleveland should punt more to allow the Browns’ defense longer fields to force turnovers.
Pruitt said the unit is being disserved by the use of analytics, a new tool football teams use that the Browns legend could not hide his disdain for.
“This analytics, I hate it. I hate it. Everybody says, ‘Oh, it was down there.’ I say, ‘Oh, I didn’t see analytics out there. Is he tackling somebody? Is he throwing the ball?’ I don’t know,” Pruitt said.
Pruitt admitted that he was “old school,” describing a simpler process of how the game should be played.
The Browns legend played in Cleveland from 1973 until 1981 after being selected by the Browns in the second round of the 1973 NFL Draft.
Pruitt was named a Pro Bowl player five times in his career, finishing his 12-year NFL tenure with the Raiders from 1982 until 1984.
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