Do Playoffs Count for Career Stats in the NFL?
The National Football League is the top professional American football league in the world and is highly competitive with teams vying for the Vince Lombardi Trophy each season. Fans often turn to the stats to compare players’ performance, so it begs the question: do playoff stats count towards the career totals of NFL players?
Regular Season Stats Count in Career Totals
When it comes to career totals, the NFL counts regular season stats first and foremost. This includes stats such as passing touchdowns, rushing yards, pass-receiving yards, etc. These stats are always tracked for every player and are the “baseline” for a player’s career performance.
Playoff Stats are Included
While the playoffs technically aren’t part of a player’s career stats, they are still taken into consideration, albeit not as heavily as regular season stats. Playoff stats are tracked and calculated separately, with both the regular season and playoff stats added together to give a complete picture of a player’s performance. For example, a quarterback may have 400 passing touchdowns in the regular season and 15 in the playoffs, giving them a total of 415 passing touchdowns for their career.
Number of Playoff Appearances will Influence Stats
The number of playoff appearances a player has made will factor into their career stats. Remember that the more games a player plays in their NFL career (including the playoffs), the more opportunities they have to add to their overall stats. For example, a player who makes it to the playoffs five times in their career will have more opportunities to score touchdowns and run for yards than a player who only makes it to the playoffs once.
Conclusion
In conclusion, while regular season stats are the main indicator for measuring the performance of NFL players, playoff stats do add to career totals. Players who make multiple playoff appearances will see a boost in their career stats.
Takeaway Points:
- Regular season stats are the main indicator for measuring the performance of NFL players.
- Playoff stats do add to career totals.
- More playoff appearances will result in more opportunities to add to career stats.
