Nathaniel Hackett Dishes on How Broncos Use In-Game Analytics

Denver Broncos head coach Nathaniel Hackett's usage of analytics has arguably hindered the team's prospects more than it has helped this season.

It led to the Broncos hiring the vastly experienced former Baltimore assistant Jerry Rosburg to help with game management decisions. Those analytics-based decisions have seen the Broncos go for the win against the Indianapolis Colts, only failing to convert. Win some, lose some.

More scrutiny has fallen on quarterback Russell Wilson's failure to execute rather than Rosburg giving Hackett the thumbs up to go for the win in overtime. That being said, the whole subject of how the new coaching staff incorporates percentages and tendencies through the usage of in-game analytics continues to be a hot topic.

Hackett remains entirely focused on getting these in-game decisions right and his players executing, finally.

“Regardless of what you decide, you have to make sure it works,” Hackett said on Friday. “That has been a huge topic of conversation, both for me as I start and all coaches across the league. There is this thing called analytics that are out there that give you a great starting point. I think for me and all the coaches, that is what we want to hear first. What are the true analytics on that one? But in the end, it’s about the play, it’s about the players, and executing and making that play. In the end, we have to execute, and we have to convert, then it’s a great decision. If you don’t convert, it’s a really, really bad decision.”

What happens next for the Broncos? Don't miss out on any news and analysis! Take a second and sign up for our free newsletter and get breaking Broncos news delivered to your inbox daily!

Levels of complexity arrive because, by its construction, the game of football throws up tricky decisions in every single different play. Hackett explained how juggling those moving pieces is a challenge unlike any other sport out there, but he embraces the process of spinning multiple plates.

“I think everyone is analyzing analytics now, whether it’s the right thing to do, where that information comes from, by yardage, by what happens after the play—both good and bad," Hackett said. "It’s funny, because now that analytics have entered into the game, people, in my opinion, have been more aggressive. Everybody wants to go for it on fourth-down because the analytics say so. I’d be curious to dive into it more recently because that aggressiveness has changed, so that has changed some of the results of those plays. Those are things we look at too. We look at every single thing across the board. When you compare to other sports, football, to me, is a completely different sport than others. It’s not a flow sport. Every single play is completely independent of the other.”

One thing that isn't up for any debate is that Hackett prefers following the lead of other coaches when it comes to deciding on whether to be aggressive once all the variables are weighed up. The apparent trouble with that strategy is that, with the 2-3 are Broncos already teetering on the brink of season collapse, will Hackett remain as bold if the game is on the line once again on Monday night?

Stay tuned.

Follow Keith on Twitter @KeithC_NFL.

Follow Mile High Huddle on Twitter and Facebook.

Subscribe to Mile High Huddle on YouTube for daily Broncos live-stream podcasts!

Get your Broncos tickets from SI Tickets HERE!