When it comes to analytics in the NFL, the Baltimore Ravens are No. 1.
That's the take of analytics staffers around the league, as polled by ESPN in our first NFL analytics survey. Of course, it's a tricky question. There's some visible evidence of analytics work -- on fourth-down decisions or draft-day trades, for example -- but there's even more that's invisible to those outside each organization. There's secrecy and competitive advantage involved, so no one knows exactly what everyone else is doing. Which is why we ask, because if anyone has a good sense of how analytics are playing a role, it's the analytics staffers themselves.