Stats That Matter: What the Washington Redskins Must Maintain or Improve in 2012

Stats can sometimes be overrated, but it's nice to be able to set goals based on what's tangible. And oftentimes, there is a direct correlation between good statistics and success in the win column. I dug deep to find five statistics that the Washington Redskins need to either maintain or improve upon in order to have a successful 2012 season.

Maintain: Offensive play total

I was surprised to see that the Redskins actually ran 1,032 offensive plays in 2011, which ranked ninth in the league. That despite the fact the defense was ranked 21st overall. Both the offense and defense were middle-of-the-pack on third down, but the 'Skins ran about two more plays per game on offense than the opposition. They were the only non-winning or .500 team to make the top 10 in this category, and they should only improve that and their average time of possession number (30:21 last year) under Robert Griffin III.

Improve: Turnover differential

What's really amazing is that the 'Skins possessed the ball much more often than their opponents despite being ranked 30th in the league with a minus-14 turnover differential.They finished ranked third in the league with 24 interceptions, 10th with 11 lost fumbles, and had just 21 takeaways on defense. I doubt those offensive numbers will improve much in 2012, so defensive playmakers such as DeAngelo Hall, Josh Wilson and Jarvis Jenkins need to help Brian Orakpo and Ryan Kerrigan by forcing more turnovers.

Improve: Blocking on the right side

While Griffin will benefit from having the sturdy Trent Williams protecting his blind side, Pro Football Focus reports that right tackles Jammal Brown (12 starts) and Tyler Polumbus (four starts) gave up a ridiculously high 56 pressures in 2011. And the year prior, Brown and Stephon Heyer combined to surrender 62. Believe it or not, Rex Grossman's sack percentage (13.9) was really good considering the amount of pressure he faced in his 13 starts. With Griffin, it's a whole new ballgame. For him to stay healthy, that'll have to change. It couldn't hurt to give Willie Smith a shot on the right side.

Improve: Yards per rushing attempt

Considering all the good things we hear about that zone-blocking offense, the Redskins have to support the passing game with a better average on the ground. The running game mustered just 4.0 yards per carry in 2011, which ranked ahead of only seven other teams. In Washington's defense, it was difficult to get into a rhythm with injuries to Tim Hightower (early) and Roy Helu (late), so I'm confident that Hightower, Helu and Evan Royster can improve that number to make second- and third-downs easier on their rookie quarterback in 2012.

Improve: Deep passing efficiency

This is mainly on RG3, but it'll help that Pierre Garcon and Josh Morgan are in town now, too. ESPN Stats & Information reports that in 2011, the 'Skins had the worst completion percentage in football on passes travelling 20 yards or more (22 percent). You can't post a number like that or throw only two touchdown passes from 20-plus yards and win consistently in the NFC East (or anywhere, for that matter).