Benchmarking

Team comparison methodology

Comparisons help show both how a team changed and where it stands against relevant competition.

Supporting standardReviewed 2026-07-20

Comparison contexts

  • Division rivals for the most immediate competitive context.
  • Conference and league views for broader positioning.
  • Season-opponent context based on the teams a club is scheduled to face.
  • Position-room, unit, and matchup views where they answer a clear football question.

Like-for-like principle

Benchmark comparisons are designed to compare similar football groups with similar groups.

When a page presents an opposing-unit matchup instead, that difference should be clear to the reader.

How to read them

A team can improve and still trail its rivals, or decline slightly while remaining one of the league’s stronger rosters. Change over time and competitive position are separate questions.