What is Game Script?

No matter which NFL team you pledge your allegiance to, you know that when you tune into your team’s game, there are a few different ways in which the game can unfold for your team. Each game his a distinct type of “flow”: your team may lead for most of the game, stay locked in a close, back-and-forth affair, or fall into a hole early and trail most of the game. Game flow—otherwise known as game script—refers to the scoring margin at any point in a game.

Positive Game Script

As I mentioned, the first way a game can unfold is a team will jump out to an early lead and never relinquish it, forcing the opponent to abandon the running game in an effort to come back. The team that established an early lead can afford to feature its running game, particularly late in the game to bleed out the clock and sit on its lead. When a team plays with a positive scoring margin, it is called positive game script.

An example of a team in positive game script was the Patriots in the infamous Deflategate AFC Championship game against the Colts on January 18, 2015, where the Patriots scored less than five minutes into the game, led 14-0 after the first quarter, and went on to win 45-7. Despite starting future Hall of Fame Quarterback Tom Brady at quarterback, the Patriots rushing plays outnumbered their passing plays, 41-36.

Neutral Game Script

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About the Author

chrisraybon
Chris Raybon (chrisraybon)

One of the most well respected DFS analysts in the industry. Chris Raybon (@Chris Raybon) is the Senior DFS Editor for 4for4.com and the host of the DFS MVP Podcast. Nominated for the FWSA‘s Newcomer of the Year award in 2015, Raybon is known for his DFS Playbook positional strategy guides as well as his groundbreaking work on stacking with running backs in DFS tournaments. A Syracuse University alum who specialized in accounting, Raybon believes in the synergy of quantitative and qualitative analysis. He started playing fantasy as a kid in the mid-90s and has seen every single play of every single NFL game since 2010.