The Patriots’ running game is finally getting its due. After a 234-yard, 6-touchdown explosion to defeat the Colts in the divisional round, the New England rushing attack is suddenly in the spotlight.

But to followers of advanced metrics, that is far from a surprise, as the Patriots have been mercilessly efficient on the ground for the past several years. Using success rate to measure running effectiveness provides a much more accurate picture of how the Patriots win with the run than traditional measures like total yards or even yards per carry.

Success rate is the proportion of plays on which a team improves its net scoring potential. For example, on a traditional stat sheet, a 2-yard run would appear to be fruitless and would lower a team’s average yards per carry. But on third-and-2, those same 2 yards would mean a first down conversion and would be considered a success. Likewise, a 2-yard rush on first-and-10 would not be deemed successful. A first-down rush typically needs to gain 5 yards to “stay ahead of the sticks” and be a success.

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This season, including last weekend’s game, the Patriots rank third in the league with a 45 percent run success rate, and that is nothing new. From 2006 through 2012, they never ranked worse than third, finishing first, first, second, third, first, first, third and second. That is an amazing string of excellence, especially considering the changes at running back and on the offensive line during that span, and even at quarterback for the 2008 season.