Pro Football Focus: The Patriots have the best secondary coverage in the League

New England's secondary coverage PFF grade
Logan Ryan: 86.5
Patrick Chung: 86.4
Duron Harmon: 86.0
Devin McCourty: 84.7
Malcolm Butler: 81.4

Can't see the right side of the image, maybe because it's on my phone? Anyway surprised not to see Jets on the list. Also, not sure what those numbers mean for Pats players.

venecol said:

Can't see the right side of the image, maybe because it's on my phone? Anyway surprised not to see Jets on the list. Also, not sure what those numbers mean for Pats players.

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Theres nothing on the right side, and the numbers are their simplified versions as xx out of 100 instead of seeing something like +43.7 on the year like they used to use..

Not possible without a Revis. Not looking, not listening, diddnt happen, made up.

I have no idea of the accuracy of this stat. Yet assuming for argument sake PFF is semi close to the truth, the big loser on this list is who is not on it -- the Jets. You pay extremely huge dollars for a CB, Revis, you expect that will put you into the elite NFL pass coverage list.
I don't know the Jets coverage make up or their success so it is possible Revis has made a big impact that is otherwise not easily seen to the casual observer. But for me if you pay that kind of massive longer term guaranteed money to a defensive player, that player should be making the kind of splash/impact that is relatively striking.

This is another one of those instances where I don't know whether or not to trust the evaluation of PFF. I don't believe that everything they say is wrong, but they've had some wacky type of analysis before, and plenty of times at that.

That all said, I do believe that we have one of the better secondaries this year, and I do believe that it's been a collective effort in improving that based on some of the specific matchups that guys like Chung and Harmon provide.

I don't trust PFF either. I need to look at a bunch of other numbers to validate their analysis.

In terms of raw stats, the 2015 Pats already have more PDs and QB hurries in 13 games than last year's team over 16 games.

Maybe they are on to something?

They are great for snap counts, yards after contact, stuff like that. but to give a grade on a play that you don't know what the DBs responsibilities were for the defense that was called is pretty flawed

PFF and all, but if Butler really is our "worst" cover guy, we're in pretty good shape.

robertweathers said:

I don't trust PFF either. I need to look at a bunch of other numbers to validate their analysis.

In terms of raw stats, the 2015 Pats already have more PDs and QB hurries in 13 games than last year's team over 16 games.

Maybe they are on to something?

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Seems like interceptions are way down though. One would think those are important. Ah, who cares... all this home grown secret formula ratings crap is like monkeys throwing darts.

How good is the secondary? Trust your eyes... and look at the record. 1st in the conference.

oldrover said:

Seems like interceptions are way down though. One would think those are important. Ah, who cares... all this home grown secret formula ratings crap is like monkeys throwing darts.

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Actually last year "only" had 16. So with 10 they are behind but it's not a huge dropoff.

Fixit said:

PFF and all, but if Butler really is our "worst" cover guy, we're in pretty good shape.

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It actually does make sense that Butler is graded as our "worst" cover guy, because he is regularly matched up with the best receiver the other team has to offer, on a weekly basis, as opposed to the #2 or #3 receivers who are a lot less talented and physical.

Eyeball test says the secondary is better than last year. OMGHOWISTHATPOSSIBLE

A "Weakness of Schedule" statistic exists but does a "Weakness of QB on Schedule" exist as well?
Let's be completely honest.....NE and its secondary has faced a fleet of J.A.G QBs this year.......which allowed BB to redeploy $$$$ elsewhere last offseason. So far so good. The Pittsburg combo of Brown/Bryant will be the ultimate test if this game should happen.

It's PFF.

You'd get just as accurate a picture if you just let paint drops from a skyscraper land on a list of the NFL teams that was left on the sidewalk below.

borg said:

A "Weakness of Schedule" statistic exists but does a "Weakness of QB on Schedule" exist as well?
Let's be completely honest.....NE and its secondary has faced a fleet of J.A.G QBs this year.......which allowed BB to redeploy $$$$ elsewhere last offseason. So far so good. The Pittsburg combo of Brown/Bryant will be the ultimate test if this game should happen.

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It will be interesting to see how that duo fares against the Broncos secondary tomorrow.

You could rename that list to "Best Defensive Lines in the NFL" and almost all of those teams would still be present.

VrabelJr said:

You could rename that list to "Best Defensive Lines in the NFL" and almost all of those teams would still be present.

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Which was what we thought BB was up to. Improve the front 7, make life a little (or a lot) easier for the back 4.

TheBostonStraggler said:

I have no idea of the accuracy of this stat. Yet assuming for argument sake PFF is semi close to the truth, the big loser on this list is who is not on it -- the Jets. You pay extremely huge dollars for a CB, Revis, you expect that will put you into the elite NFL pass coverage list.
I don't know the Jets coverage make up or their success so it is possible Revis has made a big impact that is otherwise not easily seen to the casual observer. But for me if you pay that kind of massive longer term guaranteed money to a defensive player, that player should be making the kind of splash/impact that is relatively striking.

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The Jets went from 30th in passer rating against last year to 5th this year. I'd say that's a pretty damn big impact.

borg said:

A "Weakness of Schedule" statistic exists but does a "Weakness of QB on Schedule" exist as well?
Let's be completely honest.....NE and its secondary has faced a fleet of J.A.G QBs this year.......which allowed BB to redeploy $$$$ elsewhere last offseason. So far so good. The Pittsburg combo of Brown/Bryant will be the ultimate test if this game should happen.

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Still 3 games to go but if you believe QB rating is an indicator on how good a QB is, they have faced more efficient QBs this year than last year.

2015
Roeth- 97 (good)
Taylor-101 x2 (caretaker)
Tannehill- 88 x2 (meh)
Bortles 88 (30 tds)
Weeden 92 (illusion...he sucks)
Luck- 75 (sucks this year)
Fitzy 90 x2 (good year)
Cousins 93 (good year)
Eli 96 (good year)
Ossy- 85 (game of his life vs Pats)
Bradford 83 (he sucks)
Hoyer 93 (meh)
Mariota: 92


Average: 91

2014
GB Rodgers 112 (great)
DEN Manning 101 (start of decline)
SD Rivers 94 (Solid)
KC A Smith 93 (Solid game manager)
MIA Tannehill 93 x 2 (better in 2014)
CHI Cutler 89 (meh)
BUF Orton 88 x 2 (meh)
DET Stafford 86 (better in 2015)
CIN Dalton 83 (meh)
MN Cassell - 66 (awful)
OAK Carr 77 (rookie last year and way better in 2015)
NYJ G Smith 78 x 2 (has two decent games vs Pats)
IND Luck 97 (very good last year...except vs pats)

Average 89