One of the surest ways to lose a football game is to have more turnovers than the opposition. Against the Dallas Cowboys, the Green Bay Packers had four turnovers, while the Cowboys had but two. In the Packers’ games so far in 2016, the pattern has held in four out of five games – the one exception was when the Packers defeated the Giants despite losing the turnover battle, two to one.
In the Packers’ 2015 season, the winning team had more turnovers than the loser only twice; in the Bronco’s 29-10 win, despite Denver having the game’s only turnover, and in Detroit’s 18-16 win, despite Detroit having the only turnover. The teams tied in the number of turnovers three times.
In 2014, the winning team had more turnovers than the loser only once, when Green Bay lost to Detroit 19-7 despite having one turnover while Detroit had three. The teams were tied in turnovers four times.
Since the start of 2014, the Packers have had two more turnovers than their opponent four times, all losses: a 44-23 drubbing by the Saints in 2014, a 17-13 loss to the Bears in 2015, a still-painful 38-8 loss to the Cardinals in 2015, and Sunday’s loss to the Cowboys.
In 2014 overall, the Packers had 16 turnovers, 15 fewer than their opponents. In 2015, the Packers had 19 turnovers, six fewer than the opposition. The Packers’ turnover advantage seems to be shifting, however.
So far in 2016, the Packers have committed nine turnovers, three more than the teams they have faced.
