CHARLOTTE, N.C. -- Turnover margin was one of the first things Dom Capers mentioned at his day-after-the-game news conferences during his four seasons as the head coach of the Carolina Panthers.
He believed it to be one of the biggest -- if not the single biggest -- factors in determining the outcome of games.
Statistics prove him out.
So far this season teams that win the turnover battle have won 82.4 percent of their games (61-13), according to ESPN Stats and Information. Since 2001 that winning percentage is 78.9.
So that the Panthers are 4-3 heading into Sunday's game at Tampa Bay after having won the turnover margin only once is somewhat of an anomaly.