Author: Chip Bennett

Auditing WordPress Plugins for License Information
The wordpress.org Plugin Repository requires adherence to a few simple guidelines in order for plugin authors to have their plugins hosted there:
1. Your plugin must be GPL Compatible.
2. The plugin most not do anything illegal, or be morally offensive (that’s subjective, we know).
3. You have to actually use the subversion repository we give you in order for your plugin to show up on this site. The WordPress Plugins Directory is a hosting site, not a listing site.
4. The plugin must not embed external links on the public site (like a “powered by” link) without explicitly asking the user’s permission.
Lately, however, those guidelines have apparently been interpreted somewhat more strictly (emphasis added):

(13:27:03) KnxDT: By the way: Is the GPL header necesary?
(13:27:18) markr: very.
(13:27:28) KnxDT: because WP didn’t mention in the standar readme.txt
(13:27:37) markr: Ideally you would include the gpl in a gpl.txt file
(13:27:57) markr: not including the declaration will get it removed
(13:28:10) markr: users have to know what they can do if they wish

I find the assertion that not including explicit license information with a plugin would result in the plugin being removed from the repository to be at odds with the current state of plugins in the repository. To confirm my suspicion that a significant number of plugins hosted at the wordpress.org Plugin Repository did not conform to this requirement, I did a quick audit of both my own installed plugins, and the current Top Ten Most Popular plugins in the repository. I posted my findings in the WPTavern forum. In short:
- Almost 2/3 of the plugins I personally have installed don’t have GPL information in the plugin
- 2 of the Top Ten most popular plugins at Extend don’t have GPL information in the plugin
- 1 of the Top Ten most popular plugins at Extend violates the requirement that the entire plugin be distributed under a GPL-compatible license
Based on these findings, I decided to audit a few well-known and influential plugin authors – not to pick on the more high-profile developers per se, but rather to determine the state of license inclusion in plugins developed by those who, ideally, should be leading by example.

Here’s what I found:

Matt Mullenweg

Plugins:
- bbPress: License File: YES. Plugin Header License Notice: NO.
- HyperDB: License File: NO. Plugin Header License Notice: NO.
- Akismet: License File: NO. Plugin Header License Notice: NO.
- Close Old Posts: License File: NO. Plugin Header License Notice: NO.
- SyntaxHighlighter Plus: License File: YES. Plugin Header License Notice: NO.
- Yahoo Autotag: License File: NO. Plugin Header License Notice: NO.
- Twitter Friends: License File: NO. Plugin Header License Notice: NO.
- Top Comments: License File: NO. Plugin Header License Notice: YES.
- Matt’s Community Tags: License File: NO. Plugin Header License Notice: NO.
- Random Redirect: License File: NO. Plugin Header License Notice: NO.
- Hello Dolly: License File: NO. Plugin Header License Notice: NO.
- Sympathy For The Devil: License File: NO. Plugin Header License Notice: NO.
- Google AdSense for Feeds: License File: NO. Plugin Header License Notice: NO.
- Cache Images: License File: NO. Plugin Header License Notice: NO.
- Advanced Caching: License File: NO. Plugin Header License Notice: NO.
- fauxML: License File: NO. Plugin Header License Notice: NO.
- Admin IP Watcher: License File: NO. Plugin Header License Notice: NO.
- No WWW: License File: NO. Plugin Header License Notice: NO.
- Firefox Counter: License File: NO. Plugin Header License Notice: NO.
- WYSIWYG Editing: License File: NO. Plugin Header License Notice: NO.
- Staticize Reloaded: License File: NO. Plugin Header License Notice: NO.
- Blogtimes: License File: NO. Plugin Header License Notice: NO.
- Protect Old Posts: License File: NO. Plugin Header License Notice: NO.
Notes:
- bbPress was originally a stand-alone script, that included a license.txt file.
- SyntaxHilighter Plus was written by Viper007Bond, but credited to Matt.
- Top Comments was written by Andrew Ozz.
- Sympathy For The Devil was written by Jeff Schult
Summary:

(0/19) of Matt Mullenweg’s plugins written as a plugin and maintained by him have license notice of some kind. Shockingly, the majority of Matt’s plugins lack even a readme.txt file.

Mark Jaquith

Plugins:
- Quiz: License File: NO. Plugin Header License Notice: NO.
- I Make Plugins: License File: NO. Plugin Header License Notice: YES.
- Page Links To: License File: NO. Plugin Header License Notice: YES.
- Woopra Analytics Plugin: License File: YES. Plugin Header License Notice: YES.
- Bad Behavior: License File: NO. Plugin Header License Notice: YES.
- Category Checklist Expander: License File: NO. Plugin Header License Notice: YES.
- Gravatar Signup: License File: NO. Plugin Header License Notice: NO.
- Forget User Info: License File: NO. Plugin Header License Notice: NO.
- Antispam Collateral Condolences: License File: NO. Plugin Header License Notice: NO.
- WordPress Version Check: License File: NO. Plugin Header License Notice: YES.
- Comment Inbox: License File: NO. Plugin Header License Notice: NO.
- Age Verification: License File: NO. Plugin Header License Notice: YES.
- Subscribe to Comments: License File: NO. Plugin Header License Notice: NO.
- Subpage Listing: License File: NO. Plugin Header License Notice: YES.
- Redirect Old Slugs: License File: NO. Plugin Header License Notice: YES.
- Kramer: License File: NO. Plugin Header License Notice: YES.
- Clutter Free: License File: NO. Plugin Header License Notice: NO.
- Multiple Authors: License File: NO. Plugin Header License Notice: YES.
- Page Hover Titles: License File: NO. Plugin Header License Notice: NO.
- Identify External Links: License File: NO. Plugin Header License Notice: YES.
- Nice Categories: License File: NO. Plugin Header License Notice: YES.
Summary:

(13/21) of Mark Jaquith’s plugins have license notice of some kind (including one with both a license.txt file and plugin header license notice).

Ozh

Plugins:
- YOURLS: WordPress to Twitter: License File: NO. Plugin Header License Notice: NO.
- Ozh’ Admin Drop Down Menu: License File: NO. Plugin Header License Notice: NO.
- Liz Comment Counter by Ozh: License File: NO. Plugin Header License Notice: NO.
- Ozh’ Better Plugin Page: License File: NO. Plugin Header License Notice: NO.
- Ozh’ Absolute Comments: License File: NO. Plugin Header License Notice: NO.
- Ozh’ Better Feed: License File: NO. Plugin Header License Notice: NO.
- No Login: License File: NO. Plugin Header License Notice: NO.
- Ozh’ Who Sees Ads: License File: NO. Plugin Header License Notice: NO.
- Ozh’ Random Words: License File: NO. Plugin Header License Notice: NO.
- Ozh’ FAQ Auto Responder: License File: NO. Plugin Header License Notice: NO.
- Ozh & COLOURlovers’ Admin CSS Designer: License File: NO. Plugin Header License Notice: NO.
- Ozh’ Click Counter: License File: NO. Plugin Header License Notice: NO.
- Ozh’ Auto Moderate Comments: License File: NO. Plugin Header License Notice: NO.
- Ozh’ IP To Nation: License File: NO. Plugin Header License Notice: NO.
- Ozh’ Correctly Spell WordPress: License File: NO. Plugin Header License Notice: NO.
- Ozh’ Avatar Popup: License File: NO. Plugin Header License Notice: NO.
Summary:

(0/16) of Ozh’ plugins have license notice of some kind.

Peter Westwood (westi)

Plugins:
- wp smtp contact form: License File: YES. Plugin Header License Notice: YES.
- WordPress Beta tester: License File: NO. Plugin Header License Notice: NO.
- PJW JS Hotkeys: License File: NO. Plugin Header License Notice: YES.
- PJW Mime Config: License File: NO. Plugin Header License Notice: YES.
- WP Contact Form: License File: NO. Plugin Header License Notice: NO.
- PJW Blogminder: License File: NO. Plugin Header License Notice: NO.
- WordPress Version Check: License File: NO. Plugin Header License Notice: YES.
- PJW Query Child Of: License File: NO. Plugin Header License Notice: NO.
- PJW Page Excerpt: License File: NO. Plugin Header License Notice: NO.
Summary:

(4/9) of Westi’s plugins have license notice of some kind (including one with both a license.txt file and plugin header license notice).

Viper007Bond

Plugins:
- WordPress Admin Bar: License File: NO. Plugin Header License Notice: YES.
- SyntaxHighlighter Evolved: License File: YES. Plugin Header License Notice: NO.
- Enable oEmbed Discovery: License File: NO. Plugin Header License Notice: NO.
- jQuery Lightbox for Native Galleries: License File: NO. Plugin Header License Notice: NO.
- YOURLS: Short URL Widget: License File: NO. Plugin Header License Notice: NO.
- Local Time: License File: NO. Plugin Header License Notice: NO.
- Breadcrumb Titles for Pages: License File: NO. Plugin Header License Notice: YES.
- Viper’s Video Quicktags: License File: NO. Plugin Header License Notice: YES.
- Regenerate Thumbnails: License File: NO. Plugin Header License Notice: YES.
- Clean Archives Reloaded: License File: NO. Plugin Header License Notice: YES.
- oohEmbed: License File: NO. Plugin Header License Notice: NO.
- Dashboard: Pending Review: License File: NO. Plugin Header License Notice: NO.
- Twitter Tools: bit.ly Links: License File: NO. Plugin Header License Notice: NO.
- WordPress Download Counter: License File: NO. Plugin Header License Notice: NO.
- WordPress.org One-Click Install: License File: NO. Plugin Header License Notice: NO.
- Registered Users Only: License File: NO. Plugin Header License Notice: NO.
- Phone: License File: NO. Plugin Header License Notice: NO.
- SyntaxHighlighter Plus: License File: YES. Plugin Header License Notice: NO.
- Dashboard: Scheduled Posts: License File: NO. Plugin Header License Notice: NO.
- Disable Trackbacks: License File: NO. Plugin Header License Notice: YES.
- Dashboard Widget Manager: License File: NO. Plugin Header License Notice: NO.
- Direct Image URLs for Galleries: License File: NO. Plugin Header License Notice: YES.
- Disable Theme Preview: License File: NO. Plugin Header License Notice: YES.
- More To The Top: License File: NO. Plugin Header License Notice: YES.
- Allow Numeric Stubs: License File: NO. Plugin Header License Notice: YES.
- Dashboard: Latest Spam: License File: NO. Plugin Header License Notice: NO.
- BBCode: License File: NO. Plugin Header License Notice: YES.
- Dashboard: Draft Posts: License File: NO. Plugin Header License Notice: NO.
- Chili Code Highlighter: License File: NO. Plugin Header License Notice: YES.
- Global Plugin Update Notice: License File: NO. Plugin Header License Notice: NO.
- Dashboard Fixer: License File: NO. Plugin Header License Notice: NO.
- Templatedia: License File: NO. Plugin Header License Notice: NO.
- Battlefield 2 Stats: License File: NO. Plugin Header License Notice: NO.
- Templatedia Chess: License File: NO. Plugin Header License Notice: NO.
- Viper’s Plugins Used: License File: NO. Plugin Header License Notice: NO.
Notes:
- SyntaxHighlighter Evolved includes license.txt file from original SyntaxHighlighter written by Andrew Ozz
- SyntaxHighlighter Plus includes license.txt file from original SyntaxHighlighter by Alex Gorgatchev
Summary:

(11/33) of Viper007Bond’s plugins have license notice of some kind.

Overall Summary

Overall, for the plugin authors listed, only 28 out of 107 plugins (26%) have license notice of some kind (including two plugins that have both a license.txt file and a plugin header license notice). And the number is only that high thanks to Mark Jaquith, without whom the percentage of plugins with license notice of some kind would drop to less than 18%. Only 2 out of 107 plugins (<2%) include both a license.txt file and license information in the plugin header.

I find these numbers to be downright shocking, considering the unwritten rule now being enforced regarding removal from the repository of plugins that lack license disclosure, as well as the assertion that plugins should “ideally” include a license.txt file.

Let me be clear: I fully support the effort to ensure that plugin authors explicitly disclose license information in their plugins, either in the plugin header or in a separate license.txt file. The assertion that users need to be given explicit explanation of their rights to use, modify, and distribute plugins.

That said, perhaps those in the WordPress project leadership, and the plugin developers whom others look up to, should ensure that they are leading by example before a more-strict interpretation of the Plugin Repository guidelines is enforced against plugin developers at large.

Further, since new plugin developers will likely refer to the official wordpress.org Plugin Repository Readme File standard (which currently is silent on the matter of license disclosure) when determining what information needs to be included with their plugins, I would recommend that the standard be modified to include a License section – perhaps something like such:

== License ==

This program is free software; you can redistribute it and/or modify it under the terms of the GNU General Public License as published by the Free Software Foundation; either version 2 of the License, or (at your option) any later version.

This program is distributed in the hope that it will be useful, but WITHOUT ANY WARRANTY; without even the implied warranty of MERCHANTABILITY or FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE. See the GNU General Public License for more details.

This way, new plugin authors would have a standard means of disclosing license information in their plugin – and also, users searching Extend for new plugins would have a known means of determining the license of any given plugin.

What are your thoughts?
February 10, 2010

Daily Digest for February 8th

	Chip Bennett Chip Almost time for kickoff. Go #Colts!.
	Chip Bennett And it’s 3-0 #Colts! [chip_bennett].
	Chip Bennett Chip #Colts start with a three-and-out on defense. Nice pressure on Brees, and nice run defense. Let’s go offense!.
	Chip Bennett Chip Manning has completed passes to four different receivers this drive: Clark, Addai, Garcon, and Collie. Impressive start. Go #Colts!.
	Chip Bennett Bullitt just jumped that route beautifully! Saints will punt. Go #Colts! [chip_bennett].
	Chip Bennett Chip And it’s 3-0 #Colts!.
	Chip Bennett Make that 5 different receivers for Manning, as Brown rumbles for a first down. Go #Colts! [chip_bennett].
	Chip Bennett And now it’s SIX receivers, as Wayne gets his first pass from Manning. (Oh, and Addai is running like a BEAST!) Go #Colts! [chip_bennett].
	Chip Bennett Chip Bullitt just jumped that route beautifully! Saints will punt. Go #Colts!.
	Chip Bennett Chip Make that 5 different receivers for Manning, as Brown rumbles for a first down. Go #Colts!.
	Chip Bennett My girls are #Colts fans. Lily celebrates Manning’s TD to Garcon. http://tweetphoto.com/10734535 [chip_bennett].
	Chip Bennett Chip And now it’s SIX receivers, as Wayne gets his first pass from Manning. (Oh, and Addai is running like a BEAST!) Go #Colts!.
	Chip Bennett FREENEY is a beast!!! Saints have to settle for a FG after Freeney finally drops Brees. Colts lead 10-3. Go #Colts! [chip_bennett].
	Chip Bennett Frenchie, can’t drop that one. That’s okay – you get one per game. Go #Colts! [chip_bennett].
	Chip Bennett Chip My girls are #Colts fans. Lily celebrates Manning’s TD to Garcon. http://tweetphoto.com/10734535..
	Chip Bennett Chip FREENEY is a beast!!! Saints have to settle for a FG after Freeney finally drops Brees. Colts lead 10-3. Go #Colts!.
	Chip Bennett YESSSSSSSS!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Stopped them on fourth-and-goal!!!! (S)ain’t no disrespect for this Defense! Go #Colts!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! [chip_bennett].
	Chip Bennett Chip Frenchie, can’t drop that one. That’s okay – you get one per game. Go #Colts!.
	Chip Bennett Chip YESSSSSSSS!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Stopped them on fourth-and-goal!!!! (S)ain’t no disrespect for this Defense! Go #Colts!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!.
	Chip Bennett Congrats to the Saints. Still love my #Colts! [chip_bennett].
	Chip Bennett Jim Caldwell had a great rookie season, but his decision to try a 51yd FG w/ a kicker who only has a 45yd leg prob. cost the #Colts the game [chip_bennett].
	Chip Bennett Chip What’s the point of having a Facebook Twitter app, if Facebook is going to stop pulling in my tweets? I had a lot to say during the game, but apparently Facebook isn’t going to grace you with any of it. Twitter App FAIL..
	Chip Bennett Chip Oh, and good game, Saints. Congrats. I still love my Colts and am proud of the season they had. Caldwell had a great rookie season, but his decision to try a 51yd FG with a kicker who only has a 45yd leg probably cost the Colts the game..

February 8, 2010

Daily Digest for February 5th

	Chip Bennett Chip Will test tonight on WP! RT @apeatling: BuddyPress 1.2rc is out now! Please help us by testing on WordPress and WPMU: http://bit.ly/apRYUa..
	Chip Bennett Will test tonight on WP! RT @apeatling: BuddyPress 1.2rc is out now! Please help us by testing on WordPress and WPMU: http://bit.ly/apRYUa [chip_bennett].
	Chip Bennett Good news, and about time! RT @ScottBrownMA: I have been officially certified and I have just arrived in Washington to be sworn in #masen [chip_bennett].
	Chip Bennett Chip Good news, and about time! RT @ScottBrownMA: I have been officially certified and I have just arrived in Washington to be sworn in #masen..

February 5, 2010

Daily Digest for January 30th

	Chip Bennett NFL tries to claim copyright on "Who Dat"? http://tinyurl.com/whodat1 Seriously? This #Colts fan says pound sand, NFL! via @DavidVitter [chip_bennett].
	Chip Bennett Chip NFL tries to claim copyright on "Who Dat"? http://tinyurl.com/whodat1 Seriously? This #Colts fan says pound sand, NFL! via @DavidVitter..
	Chip Bennett NFL tries to claim trademark on "Who Dat"? http://tinyurl.com/whodat1 Seriously? This #Colts fan says pound sand, NFL! via @DavidVitter [chip_bennett].
	Chip Bennett Chip NFL tries to claim trademark on "Who Dat"? http://tinyurl.com/whodat1 Seriously? This #Colts fan says pound sand, NFL! via @DavidVitter..

January 30, 2010

Daily Digest for January 28th

Chip Bennett Completely ignoring #SOTU. I’ve heard all of Obama’s lies, and can’t stand listening to them or the stilted meter he uses. #goingtobedearly [chip_bennett].

January 28, 2010

Daily Digest for January 25th

	Chip Bennett Ready for kickoff, so the #Colts can go get this thing done. Sick of the "team of destiny" talk. Colts make their own destiny, on the field. [chip_bennett].
	Chip Bennett Chip Ready for kickoff, so the #Colts can go get this thing done. Sick of the "team of destiny" talk. Colts make their own destiny, on the field..
	Chip Bennett Kickoff kickoff kickoff! Starting at the 30. Go #Colts! [chip_bennett].
	Chip Bennett Chip Kickoff kickoff kickoff! Starting at the 30. Go #Colts!.
	Chip Bennett Wide Right! #Colts hold on defense, after 2 straight tackles-for-loss, and a great no-gain on a bubble screen. Feeley shanks from 44 yards. [chip_bennett].
	Chip Bennett Chip Wide Right! #Colts hold on defense, after 2 straight tackles-for-loss, and a great no-gain on a bubble screen. Feeley shanks from 44 yards..
	Chip Bennett The #Colts linebackers are playing OUTSTANDING so far. Teams trade three-and-outs. [chip_bennett].
	Chip Bennett Chip The #Colts linebackers are playing OUTSTANDING so far. Teams trade three-and-outs..
	Chip Bennett What can Brown and Frenchie do for you? 2 Plays, 40 yards, that’s what! Go #Colts! [chip_bennett].
	Chip Bennett Chip What can Brown and Frenchie do for you? 2 Plays, 40 yards, that’s what! Go #Colts!.
	Chip Bennett What can Brown and Frenchie (@ShowTimeP85) do for you? 2 Plays, 40 yards, that’s what! Go #Colts! [chip_bennett].
	Chip Bennett Chip What can Brown and Frenchie (@ShowTimeP85) do for you? 2 Plays, 40 yards, that’s what! Go #Colts!.
	Chip Bennett Chip And Stover nails it. #Colts lead 3-0..
	Chip Bennett And Stover nails it. #Colts lead 3-0. [chip_bennett].
	Chip Bennett Lacey just got beaten. No help over the top. Jets up 7-3. [chip_bennett].
	Chip Bennett Chip Lacey just got beaten. No help over the top. Jets up 7-3..
	Chip Bennett Wayne just absolutely schooled Revis. [chip_bennett].
	Chip Bennett Chip Wayne just absolutely schooled Revis..
	Chip Bennett And now Joe-Joe "Buster" Addai is making that no. 1 rush defense look stupid. Go #Colts! [chip_bennett].
	Chip Bennett Chip And now Joe-Joe "Buster" Addai is making that no. 1 rush defense look stupid. Go #Colts!.
	Chip Bennett What a freaking pass to freaking Collie! Go #Colts! [chip_bennett].
	Chip Bennett Chip What a freaking pass to freaking Collie! Go #Colts!.
	Chip Bennett Austin Collie is a bad dude. 2 plays, 62 yards, and a TD. Colts down only 4, 17-13. Go #Colts! [chip_bennett].
	Chip Bennett Chip Austin Collie is a bad dude. 2 plays, 62 yards, and a TD. Colts down only 4, 17-13. Go #Colts!.
	Chip Bennett Chip Jets can’t rely on trick and fluke plays for the whole game. #Colts will win..
	Chip Bennett Jets can’t rely on trick and fluke plays for the whole game. #Colts will win. [chip_bennett].
	Chip Bennett Chip Not anywhere close on the 52-yard field goal attempt, and Rex the Genious gives Manning GREAT field position. Go #Colts!.
	Chip Bennett Not anywhere close on the 52-yard field goal attempt, and Rex the Genious gives Manning GREAT field position. Go #Colts! [chip_bennett].
	Chip Bennett FRENCHIE!!!!!!!!!! @ShowTimeP85 that drive was all you (and a nice first down pickup by Collie)! #Colts lead 20-17! [chip_bennett].
	Chip Bennett Chip FRENCHIE!!!!!!!!!! @ShowTimeP85 that drive was all you (and a nice first down pickup by Collie)! #Colts lead 20-17!.
	Chip Bennett Manning’s 3rd TD pass goes to Clark. #Colts have scored 21 unanswered points. One more stop, and this game is over. [chip_bennett].
	Chip Bennett Chip Manning’s 3rd TD pass goes to Clark. #Colts have scored 21 unanswered points. One more stop, and this game is over..
	Chip Bennett The #Colts are on their way to the Super Bowl. This game is over! [chip_bennett].
	Chip Bennett Chip The #Colts are on their way to the Super Bowl. This game is over!.
	Chip Bennett THERE IT IS!!!!!!! The INT for the game! Sanchez played great, but #Manning is the best. #Colts win! #Colts win! #Colts win! [chip_bennett].
	Chip Bennett Chip THERE IT IS!!!!!!! The INT for the game! Sanchez played great, but #Manning is the best. #Colts win! #Colts win! #Colts win!.

January 25, 2010

Daily Digest for January 20th

	Chip Bennett Boston Globe reporting Coakley has called to concede to @ScottBrownMA #masen http://bit.ly/8PIi8d buh-bye, ObamaCare! Can you hear us now? [chip_bennett].
	Chip Bennett Chip Boston Globe reporting Coakley has called to concede to @ScottBrownMA #masen http://bit.ly/8PIi8d buh-bye, ObamaCare! Can you hear us now?.

January 20, 2010

Daily Digest for January 19th

	Chip Bennett Finally! www.chipbennett.net is back up. Thanks, @WPWebHost & @kimparsell! Let me know if you find any errors, now that I’ve switched hosts. [chip_bennett].
	Chip Bennett Chip Finally! www.chipbennett.net is back up. Thanks, @WPWebHost & @kimparsell! Let me know if you find any errors, now that I’ve switched hosts..
	Chip Bennett An Analysis of the Colts-Jets AFC Championship Match-Up – http://toast.tw/100he9 [chip_bennett].
	Chip Bennett Chip An Analysis of the Colts-Jets AFC Championship Match-Up – http://toast.tw/100he9..
	Chip Bennett Rest In Peace, Papaw Wayne. Grandma Carrie is already waiting for you on the far side bank of Jordan, where now you both see Paradise. [chip_bennett].
	Chip Bennett Chip Rest In Peace, Papaw Wayne. Grandma Carrie is already waiting for you on the far side bank of Jordan, where now you both see Paradise..

January 19, 2010

An Analysis of the Colts-Jets AFC Championship Match-Up
As the Colts took care of business in a dominating win over the Ravens, and the Jets pulled off the only real upset of the playoffs thus far, many of the talking heads are already making noises about the Jets being a “team of destiny”.

The reasons espoused for such an opinion are the Jets’ run game and defense vs. the Colts’ run defense and game, the Jets’ supposed “momentum”, and the Jets’ Week 16 win over the Colts in Indianapolis. What do I think?

Hogwash.

Allow me to explain.

The Jets Run the Ball and Stop the Run

Much is being made of the Jets’ #1 rush offense vs. Colts’ #24 rush defense, and the Colts #32 rush offense vs. the Jets’ #8 rush defense. The Jets rushed for 172.2 yds per game while the Colts yielded 126.5 yards per game. The Colts rushed for 80.9 yards per game while the Jets yielded 98.6 yards per game.

So what?

Yards do not equal points – especially for the Colts defense, and for the Colts rushing offense. Far more important than yardage totals are scoring totals.

Total Scoring

The Colts allowed 19.2 (#8) points per game while the Jets scored 21.0 (#17) points per game. The Jets allowed 14.8 (#1) points per game while the Colts scored 26.0 (#7) points per game. So, the Colts’ #7 scoring offense will face the Jets’ #1 scoring defense, while the Jets’ #17 scoring offense will face the Colts’ #8 scoring defense.

The Colts were 15-0 against teams with an average scoring defense of #17. The Colts have beaten the #3 scoring defense (Ravens) twice, the #4 scoring defense (49ers), and the #5 scoring defense (Patriots) – not to mention, the Colts put up more than the Jets’ average points allowed per game (15 vs. 14.8) in barely one half of play.

The Jets were 11-7 against teams with an average scoring offense of #17. The Jets have lost to the #1 scoring offense (Saints) and the #6 scoring offense (Patriots), and have beaten the #4 scoring offense (Chargers) and the #6 scoring offense (Patriots).

Advantage: Colts.

Run Scoring

The Colts allowed 10 (#7) rushing TDs while the Jets scored 21 (#3) rushing TDs. The Jets allowed 11 (#11) rushing TDs while the Colts scored 16 (#12) rushing TDs.

So, the Colts’ #12 rush-TD offense will face the Jets’ #11 rush-TD defense, while the Jets’ #3 rush-TD offense will face the Colts’ #7 rush-TD defense. The Jets absolutely rely on their rushing to score TDs (21 rush TDs, 12 pass TDs), and the Colts give up less than one rush TD per game. The Colts are more-than-competent putting the ball in the end zone on the ground, but rely far more heavily on passing (16 rush TDs, 34 pass TDs).

Oh, and by the way: 2 of those 11 rushing TDs allowed by the Jets were scored by the Colts – in barely one half of the game.

Advantage: Colts.

Pass Scoring

The Colts are #1 in pass-TD offense (34), while the Jets are #1 in pass-TD defense (8). The Jets are #29 in pass-TD offense (12), while the Colts are #10 in pass-TD defense (19). The Jets can’t stop the Colts’ passing offense; they can only hope to contain it. The Colts will get both yards and scores on the Jets’ defense. On the other hand, the Colts can absolutely sell out the pass to stop the run, leaving their secondary one-on-one against the Jets receivers, because Sanchez has not proven himself at all to be any kind of deep threat.

Advantage: Colts.

Momentum?

First, on the matter of “momentum” (a concept that the Divisional Round of the 2009 playoffs squarely disproved), the Jets have won 7 of their past 8. Sounds impressive, right? Not so fast. First, the Jets preceded that stretch with a three-game losing streak, to Miami, Jacksonville, and New England. Then, their 7-of-8 streak consisted of a loss (at home) to Atlanta, and wins against Carolina, Buffalo, Tampa Bay, Indianapolis, Cincinnati, Cincinnati, and San Diego.

Carolina, Tampa Bay, and Buffalo were a combined 16-31. The Colts were winning 15-10 (and getting the ball back) in the third quarter when they benched their starters in a game in which they had nothing to play for to begin with. The Bengals not only had little to play for in the season finale, but were also clearly in a bit of a slide from their mid-season peak (and were also dealing with the dual tragedies of the deaths of DC Zimmer’s wife and WR Chris Henry). The Chargers proved themselves to be the most over-rated “hot” team in the playoffs. (Of San Diego’s 11 consecutive wins, 8 were against teams with .500 or worse records: KC, OAK, NYG, DEN, KC, CLE, TEN, WAS.)

That 7-of-8 win stretch proves very little about the caliber of team the Jets are, or how they will play against the Colts.

Speaking of how the Jets will play against the Colts, let’s review that Week 16 Jets-Colts game, shall we?

Jets’ 29-15 Week 16 Win

First, the Jets were fighting for their playoff lives, and the Colts had absolutely nothing to play for (with respect to their goal of winning the Super Bowl – I couldn’t care less about the perfect-season furor). The Jets came out with their season on the line (and played like it), and the Colts came out with a keep-the-offense-sharp-and-stay-healthy game plan (and played like it). The Colts played as vanilla as they can get, and the Jets blitzed as if it were going out of style. Oh, yeah: and the Colts, already playing short-handed (on offense, no Charlie Johnson at LT or Pierre Garcon at WR; on defense, no Jerraud Powers at CB, no Clint Session at LB, and both Freeney and Mathis on pitch-counts at DE), benched their starters early in the third quarter.

Colts Starters vs. Jets Starters

So, what was the outcome of first-string Colts versus first-string Jets? As 18to88 have also pointed out, both teams had six possessions with the first-stringers on the field. The Colts offense ammassed 296 yards and 15 points, gaining 13 first downs in 42 plays. The Colts defense held the jets to 141 yards and 3 points (not including the kick return for TD to start the second half), limiting them to 8 first downs in 33 plays. The Colts also allowed no turnovers.

Colts Offensive Starters vs. Jets Starters

Yards: 296, Points: 15
Plays: 42, 1st Downs: 13, Drives: 6, Scores: 3 (50%), 3-and-out: 0 (0%)
Yards Per Drive: 49.6, Points Per Drive: 2.5, First Downs Per Drive: 2.2

Colts Devensive Starters vs. Jets Starters

Yards: 141, Points: 3
Plays: 33, 1st Downs: 8, Drives: 6, Scores: 1 (16.7%), 3-and-out: 3 (50%)
Yards Per Drive: 23.5, Points Per Drive: 0.5, First Downs Per Drive: 1.3

Manning, who was 14 of 21 for 192 yards in only six series, led the Colts on scoring drives of 54, 86, and 81 yards. The Jets had one scoring drive of 63 yards.

Oh, and as for the Colts’ supposed lack of a running game: in those same six series, Addai was 6 for 40 (6.7ypc) with one touchdown, and Brown (who struggled early) was 5 for 20 (4ypc) and a TD on the final series with the first-string offense.

Colts Reserves vs. Jets Starters

Once the Manning-led offense left the game, the Colts went nowhere and did nothing – except for surrendering a fumble that was recovered for a Jets defensive TD.

With the Colts second-stringers going against the Jets first-stringers: The Colts offense managed 42 yards and 0 points, gaining no first downs in 17 plays. The Colts defense surrendered 145 yards and 11 points (1 FG, 1 TD), allowing 7 first downs in 29 plays. The Colts gave up two turnovers (one fumble returned for a touchdown, and one interception).

Colts Offensive Reserves vs. Jets Starters

Yards: 42, Points: 0
Plays: 17, 1st Downs: 0, Drives: 6, Scores: 0 (0%), 3-and-out: 3 (50%)
Yards Per Drive: 7, Points Per Drive: 0, First Downs Per Drive: 0

Colts Devensive Reserves vs. Jets Starters

Yards: 145, Points: 10
Plays: 29, 1st Downs: 7, Drives: 4, Scores: 2 (50%), 3-and-out: 0 (0%)
Yards Per Drive: 36.3, Points Per Drive: 2.5, First Downs Per Drive: 1.8

Compare and Contrast

Colts Offense vs. Jets: Week 16 Overall

Yards: 277, Points: 15
Plays: 58, 1st Downs: 18, Drives: 12, Scores: 3 (25%), 3-and-out: 3 (25%)

Colts Offensive Starters vs. Jets Starters: Full-Game Extrapolation*

Yards: 493, Points: 26.3
Plays: 70, 1st Downs: 21.7, Drives: 10, Scores: 5 (50%), 3-and-out: 0

In an extrapolated game, the Colts would gain almost twice as many yards, and score almost twice as many points.

Colts Defense vs. Jets: Week 16 Overall

Yards: 293, Points: 29
Plays: 65, 1st Downs: 17, Drives: 10, Scores: 3 (30%), 3-and-out: 3 (30%)

Colts Defensive Starters vs. Jets Starters: Full-Game Extrapolation*

Yards: 235, Points: 5
Plays: 55, 1st Downs: 13.3, Drives: 10, Scores: 2 (20%), 3-and-out: 5

In an extrapolated game, the Colts would hold the Jets to about 20% fewer yards (Jets yardage was likely skewed lower than expected by the two turnovers surrendered by the Colts’ second-unit offense, as well as much better starting field position in general after the starters were benched), and about 80% fewer points (not too difficult to imagine, since half of the Jets’ points came off of special teams and defense).

So, in an extrapolated game:
- The Colts offense would amass almost 500 yards and 22 first downs, scoring 5 times in 10 drives. Given that the Colts actually scored 2 TDs and 1 FG, it is reasonable to assume that those 5 scores would be either 2 TDs and 3 FGs or 3 TDs and 2 FGs – for a scoring range of 23 – 27 points.
- The Colts defense would hold the Jets to 235 yards, 13 first downs, and 2 scores in 10 drives. Given that the Jets actually scored 1 FG against the Colts starters, it is reasonable to assume that those 2 scores would either be 2 FGs or 1 TD and 1 FG – for a scoring range of 6 – 10 points.
* Note: for purposes of extrapolation, the following assumptions were made:
1. Each team is assumed to have a total of 10 drives
2. The Colts’ two touchdowns were assumed to be 7 points, so as not to compound missed PATs in the extrapolation. In other words, it is assumed that the Colts would make successive PATs. The two added points (blocked PAT and failed two-point conversion) were then deducted from the calculated total.
Uncharacteristic Special Teams Play

The game was also uncharacteristic with respect to special teams. The Colts surrendered a blocked PAT, which led them to attempt a failed two-point conversion following their second TD. The Jets also managed a kick return for touchdown, and were successful on two-point conversion attempts on two of their touchdowns.

Interestingly, the Colts yielded exactly one kick return for touchdown and exactly one defensive touchdown on the season: both took place in this game. In every other game, the Colts gave up neither a return touchdown nor a fumble/interception return touchdown. Thus, both in this game were clearly atypical, and likely due to the personnel decisions in the game. (My suspicion is that an already depleted special teams unit came out deflated to start the second half, after the team was nformed at halftime that the starters would be benched after one series each – which resulted in the opening kick being returned for the TD.)

Disregard the uncharacteristic special teams play, and the starters likely would have left the Week 16 game with a 17-3 lead – which may have been enough, even considering the kitchen sink that the Jets threw at Curtis Painter after Manning sat down, since the second-string defense only gave up 11 points.

What Week 16 Means for AFCCG Match-Up

Overall, there is nothing about that game that gives me any concern whatsoever regarding how the Colts can and should perform in the AFC Championship game. Just extrapolating from the previous game (which, again, isn’t entirely analogous, given the Colts players that didn’t play at all in that game, and the Colts’ vanilla game plan), assuming both teams would have had 10 offensive possessions (and even allowing for the aberrant kick-return for touchdown, the blocked PAT, and the two-point conversion attempts by both teams), the Colts would have won that game by an approximate score of 26-13.

Take away the uncharacteristic special-teams play, and the Colts would have won that game by an approximate score of 27-6.

And that’s still not accounting for the vanilla game plan and the inactive starters.

With all due respect to pundits such as Bob Kravitz, who admonishes Colts fans to be careful what we wish for – I’m absolutely licking my chops to be getting what I’ve wished for: a road to the Super Bowl that includes a bye, and home games against both wild card teams; an AFC Championship game against a team that the Colts match up very well against and that is suddenly getting over-hyped.

Prediction

Can the Colts lose? Of course. If they come out Sunday and fail to execute in all three phases, they absolutely can lose.

Should the Colts lose? Not a chance.

This game is the Colts’ to win or lose. I would love to see them repay the Jets for their 41-0 drubbing of the Colts in the 2002 playoffs – and I think they’re capable of it. But I’m just going to predict, based on the last game, that the Colts will win by roughly the same score that they likely would have had in the Week 16 matchup if the starters had played the whole game:

Colts win: 27-6
January 18, 2010

Daily Digest for January 17th

	Chip Bennett MaxBlogPress and the WordPress Plugin Repository – http://toast.tw/100gh7 [chip_bennett].
	Chip Bennett Chip MaxBlogPress and the WordPress Plugin Repository – http://toast.tw/100gh7..

January 17, 2010

Author: Chip Bennett

Matt Mullenweg

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Mark Jaquith

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Ozh

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Peter Westwood (westi)

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Viper007Bond

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Overall Summary

The Jets Run the Ball and Stop the Run

Total Scoring

Run Scoring

Pass Scoring

Momentum?

Jets’ 29-15 Week 16 Win

Colts Starters vs. Jets Starters

Colts Reserves vs. Jets Starters

Compare and Contrast

Uncharacteristic Special Teams Play

What Week 16 Means for AFCCG Match-Up

Prediction