Seahawks Coach Gave Game Ball To An Analytics Nerd, And That's Awesome

For years, the "old guard" in the NFL have fought against analytics. Coaches rolled their eyes, broadcasters mocked "aggressive" fourth-down decisions, and "football guys" insisted that math had no place in a sport built on toughness.

Then the Seattle Seahawks handed a game ball to their research analyst.

After Seattle’s 18-16 win over the Colts, head coach Mike Macdonald stood in the locker room and announced that Brian Eayrs, the team’s head number cruncher, earned the ball for his role in Seattle's timeout usage late in the victory. Seeing an honor usually reserved for players go to an analytics guy sent my inner-nerd into a state of euphoria.

Late in the game, with Seattle clinging to a 15-13 lead, 44-year-old Philip Rivers completed a third-down pass that moved the Colts past midfield. Indianapolis was not quite in traditional field goal range, but anyone who follows modern NFL decision-making could see what was coming. The Colts were going to run the ball, bleed the clock and try a walk-off kick without giving Sam Darnold another possession.

Eayrs saw it instantly and told Macdonald to use all three defensive timeouts right away. Most coaches wait until the opponent is closer to the end zone. That approach usually leads to the exact scenario Seattle wanted to avoid: a last-second kick that leaves no time for an offensive response. Eayrs pushed for the aggressive timeout plan before the Colts could put their plan into action. 

Seattle Seahawks head coach Mike Macdonald awarded a game ball to Brian Eayrs, an analytics staffer who suggested when the team should use its timeouts in a last-minute win over the Indianapolis Colts. 

(Mark J. Rebilas/Imagn Images)

On the ensuing three plays, the Colts ran the ball twice and threw one quick pass; Seattle called a timeout after each play. Indianapolis then sent out Blake Grupe, who drilled a 60-yard field goal to give the Colts a one-point lead with 47 seconds left. 

Those 47 seconds were the direct result of Eayrs’ intervention. Rashid Shaheed set the team up in good field goal position with a solid kickoff return and then Darnold hit Shaheed for a pair of completions to give Jason Myers a shot at a 56-yard game winner. Myers connected to give Seattle the lead, and set a franchise record with his sixth field goal of the day to boot. 

After the game, Macdonald explained the decision and didn’t hesitate to credit the person who drove it.

"Brian Eayrs did a phenomenal job managing it," he said. "He got a game ball because he put us in position to have a chance to win."

This is exactly why analytics is here to stay. It is not about being reckless or "aggressive." In many cases, the analytical decision is the conservative one because it gives the team the best chance to win. 

Analytics is about improving decision-making when the margins are razor-thin. Timeout management is one of the most misunderstood parts of NFL strategy, and Seattle treated it like a solvable math problem. It's astounding how many NFL head coaches, who are paid millions of dollars, don't understand basics related to timeout usage. 

The Seahawks rewarded the process and the person who championed it. A numbers guy earned a game ball in a locker room full of professional athletes because he made a crucial game-changing decision. 

We are watching the NFL evolve in real-time, and I am here for it.