The Detroit Lions and Buffalo Bills turn possessions into points better than anyone in the NFL. After Week 6, Detroit averages 3.09 points per drive and Buffalo 3.08, a full point above the league average of 2.06.
Detroit leads on the narrowest of margins without playing in Week 6. The Lions, on their bye at 3–2, have scored 164 points on 53 drives in five games, never fewer than 26 in a game. Their last outing was a 45–21 win over Arizona in which Jared Goff threw three touchdown passes and Jahmyr Gibbs ran for 151 yards and two scores.
Buffalo closed the gap in Las Vegas. The Bills scored on seven of their 10 possessions in a 33–30 win on Sunday, October 18: three touchdowns and four Tyler Bass field goals. Josh Allen completed 23 of 33 passes for 255 yards and two touchdowns, and James Cook III ran for 95 yards and a score as Buffalo moved to 5–1.
We're live with Offensive Coordinator Pete Carmichael following yesterday's week six win over the Las Vegas Raiders.
https://t.co/lNnzXVJK2L— Buffalo Bills (@BuffaloBills) October 19, 2026
Points per drive leaders after Week 6
| Rank | Team | G | Drives | Offensive points | Points per drive | Week 6 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Detroit | 5 | 53 | 164 | 3.09 | bye |
| 2 | Buffalo | 6 | 64 | 197 | 3.08 | 33 on 10 |
| 3 | San Francisco | 6 | 60 | 170 | 2.83 | 23 on 9 |
| 4 | Dallas | 6 | 56 | 151 | 2.70 | 13 on 10 |
| 5 | Jacksonville | 6 | 59 | 154 | 2.61 | 31 on 10 |
| 6 | Kansas City | 5 | 55 | 140 | 2.55 | 22 on 11 |
| 7 | Cincinnati | 5 | 49 | 121 | 2.47 | bye |
| 8 | Carolina | 5 | 58 | 139 | 2.40 | 25 on 12 |
| 9 | Baltimore | 6 | 67 | 156 | 2.33 | 10 on 11 |
| 10 | Las Vegas | 6 | 69 | 160 | 2.32 | 30 on 10 |
Points per drive divides the points an offense scores by the number of possessions it has. We count only offensive points here, so interception, fumble and kick-return touchdowns and safeties are left out. It is a cleaner test than points per game because it ignores pace: a team that runs the clock gets fewer drives, and a team facing a fast-scoring opponent gets more.
San Francisco, 6–0, is third at 2.83 after scoring 23 points on nine drives in its Monday night win over Washington. Dallas is the surprise at fourth. The Cowboys average 2.70 a drive but are 2–4, because their defense gives back 2.65 a possession and lets opponents convert 54.7% of third downs, the worst rate in the league. In Week 6 they managed 13 points on 10 drives in a 23–13 loss at Green Bay.
The bottom six
| Rank | Team | G | Drives | Offensive points | Points per drive | Week 6 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 27 | Tampa Bay | 6 | 69 | 112 | 1.62 | 19 on 14 |
| 28 | Denver | 6 | 66 | 107 | 1.62 | 17 on 13 |
| 29 | Cleveland | 6 | 71 | 106 | 1.49 | 13 on 11 |
| 30 | Miami | 5 | 47 | 70 | 1.49 | bye |
| 31 | Tennessee | 6 | 59 | 77 | 1.31 | 19 on 10 |
| 32 | LA Chargers | 6 | 72 | 90 | 1.25 | 6 on 12 |
The Chargers have the least productive offense in the league at 1.25 points per drive, and Week 6 dragged them lower: six points on 12 possessions at Kansas City, with no points on three trips inside the 20. Los Angeles has scored 90 points in six games and is 0–6.
Tennessee is 31st at 1.31. The Titans scored 26 points in their first win of the season against Indianapolis, but seven came on a blocked punt return, so their offense counts 19 on 10 drives. Miami and Cleveland are next at 1.49; the Browns are 4–2 anyway, behind a defense that allows 1.79 a drive.
Chicago and New England opened Week 7 on Thursday, so their numbers above are through Week 6. The Bears scored 30 points on 10 drives in their 30–24 win and the Patriots 24. Full team rankings are on our team stats page.
What comes next
Detroit hosts Green Bay on Sunday, October 25, at 4:25 p.m. EDT. Buffalo is off in Week 7 and returns against Baltimore on Sunday, November 1, at 1 p.m. EST. The Chargers, also idle this week, play the Rams later that afternoon, and Tennessee hosts Cleveland on Sunday at 1 p.m. EDT.
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