Rob0729

KC Joyner listed his most improved defense and offenses based on draft picks. He has the Pats at #1 in the defensive category. Here is what he wrote:

NFL- Improvement expected from drafting on one side of the ball - ESPN

KontradictioN

Yeah but yards given up doesn't matter and the 2011 defense was just fine, as BB showed with this year's draft.

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CREDIT - Sicilian

Deus Irae

"Throw in 10 more sacks...."

Yes, and those 10 sacks would have made them the league leader last season, and will have to come without Anderson and, maybe, Carter.....


Joyner should have done a proofread and fact check.

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"The object in life is not to be on the side of the majority, but to escape finding oneself in the ranks of the insane."
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ctpatsfan77

You're assuming a causality that few people here actually claimed: "the D wasn't as bad as it looks via yards, so it doesn't need any work."

I think many of us were a lot closer to "Yeah, this D could use help in the draft . . . BUT it wasn't as bad as it looked by yards alone."

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"Momentum was quickly snatched away by New England, who once again proved that any Patriot, at any moment, can make a play." —Inside the NFL, Packers v. Patriots

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jsull87

Yeah it all sounds a bit flimsy to me. Throw in 10 more sacks, a couple of interceptions and a clean bill of health... and eureka you have an improved defense.

DarrylS

Have to keep in mind that it is ESPN... so the quality is less than expected.

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"Being the best doesn't mean you always win. It just means you win more than anyone else".. tweet from Kurt Warner to Tom Brady.

betterthanthealternative

This is football geekdom gone wild. Extensive analysis that creates and uses complicated statistics, that even if it were done well (and it wasn't), would tell us something that we already know from common sense.

Nomma

You must hate baseball metrics then.

goheels22002

"But the defense really needs a boost in the bad decision rate (BDR) metric, a stat that tracks how defenses capitalize on offensive mistakes. The dynasty Patriots teams always ranked at or near the top in this category, but last year's unit finished 24th, with a 2.2 percent BDR. If this group can raise its BDR to the 3 percent mark, it would equal about eight more interception opportunities. If four of those chances are indeed intercepted, using a formula that has an interception equaling about 50 yards, that trims off 200 yards of total defense. Throw in 10 more sacks, at about 8 to 10 yards per sack, and that's about another 100 yards. And with those 18 plays factored in, that could also remove roughly 300 yards in stretch vertical passes."

I knew there was something I was missing and KC Joyner nailed it. This stat leaves me with more questions:

What is the statistic for letting Ben Roethlisberger stand back there and carve up the Patriots secondary like an Easter ham?

Does Bad Decision Rate (BDR) measure the impact of signing Albert Haynesworth and Bah-randon Merriweather's stupid penalties?

Does Bad Decision Rate (BDR) factor in finishing 29th in the NFL in 3rd down conversion rate by the opponent's offense?

The Patriots' problems on defense go way beyond 18 plays going in the Patriots' favor.

ausbacker

A decrease of 600 yards? That's 37.5 yards a game. Meh.