Ranking the last 4 defenses

Patsfanin Philly said:

With all due respect, your numbers are off. You are taking points allowed and dividing by 16. You don't take into account special teams points ( blocked punt and punt return versus PHilly) or points allowed by the offense ( pick 6 versus Philly). That's 21 points right their off the top of my head. Not that other teams don't allow them as well but let's compare defensive points allowed to defense only...

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So....anybody want to figure those numbers out? Anyone?

patsfanincleveland said:

If our offense is healthy........where exactly do any of these defenses matchup exactly?

patsfans.com spent a whole week convincing itself of the terror that was the KC front seven and pass rush.

What happened?

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I wasn't afraid of KC at all, I knew they had a good team but the definition of game manager as QB and a garbage Head Coach, turns out both threw any chances of keeping in the game down the toilet in the final 2 minutes.

That said, Denver defense brought them to the AFCCG, I watched some Cardinals games and their defense abused QB's and receivers, the Panthers defense is the one I have less film, that comeback they allowed to the Colts tells me that Brady can their them apart, anyway all I hear is that they are good.

I want no part with the Panthers, they are playing with a high level of confidence and competency, Ron Rivera is doing a phenomenal job and Cam Newton is not feeling the pressure at all. That offense is working despite Benjamin out of the season and all the personnel they lost recently. People are stuck in that idea from training camp that their offense would struggle. They found another guys and Newton is making them work, BB and Brady does that all the time, I'm surprised people still think that offense is not championship caliber.

aluminum seats said:

So....anybody want to figure those numbers out? Anyone?

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quick and dirty while at work eliminating opposing offensive/ST TDs
pts allowed by the defense ( including 2 pt conversion attempts)
Den 273... 17.1 ppg
NE 287.....17.9
Carolina 287...17.9
Arizona 306....19.1

I really didn't get a chance to watch CAR during the reg season but based on Sunday I am mixed.

Their first 1/2 performance was obviously dominating. That front 4 and the speed they have at LB is incredible. Coleman and Norman are outstanding.

However....

They sucked eggs in the 2nd 1/2. Norman isn't nearly as good of a cover guy as I thought. Coleman took some poor angles on balls and McClain was shredded.

AZ....... has a very active defense and are fast but I don't consider them a stout defense. They remind me of the Colts defenses of the mid/late 2000s. I think - if they make it can do some serious damage vs that D.

DEN......I'm sorry but I do not respect that defense. Matt Flynn is right. They are soft. Give TB12 the offensive weapons and he'll hang 35 on them.

aluminum seats said:

So....anybody want to figure those numbers out? Anyone?

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Not sure why the official stats count ST and turnover-created scores in the defensive stats. While watching the Carolina/Seattle game, either Buck or Aikman made a comment along the lines of "when has Seattle's D ever allowed 31 points in a half"? Good question--since 7 of those points came off a Pick 6 by Kuechly.

robertweathers said:

I really didn't get a chance to watch CAR during the reg season but based on Sunday I am mixed.

Their first 1/2 performance was obviously dominating. That front 4 and the speed they have at LB is incredible. Coleman and Norman are outstanding.

However....

They sucked eggs in the 2nd 1/2. Norman isn't nearly as good of a cover guy as I thought. Coleman took some poor angles on balls and McClain was shredded.

AZ....... has a very active defense and are fast but I don't consider them a stout defense. They remind me of the Colts defenses of the mid/late 2000s. I think - if they make it can do some serious damage vs that D.

DEN......I'm sorry but I do not respect that defense. Matt Flynn is right. They are soft. Give TB12 the offensive weapons and he'll hang 35 on them.

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I agree with everything you said, and I'll also add, if Collins and Hightower are ready to go, we are just as good, if not better than those 3.

All 4 are really solid defenses, and it's hard for me to pick between Denver, Carolina, and Arizona. Probably Carolina first, Arizona second, and Denver a close third. I do think we are a bit behind those three, but not by much, and it way well be the our scheme does not give the impression of being a great defensive because it tends to be a little less aggressive - i.e., the bend-don't-break cliche of allowing no big plays, making an offense string together 10 plays, and, at worse, forcing field goals.

I do know that I would take our defense in the red zone, regardless of the overall percentages across the season.

AzorianPats said:

I agree with everything you said, and I'll also add, if Collins and Hightower are ready to go, we are just as good, if not better than those 3.

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I think so too.

CAR is an average team in man coverage. The seemed to have played a lot of zone vs SEA. Maybe it was because of Wilson's scrambling ability and respect for their WRs....not sure.

I'd say

#1 Panthers
#2 Broncos
#3 AZ
#4 Pats

Panthers though are the clear #1 and AZ/Pats are both underrated and good. Broncos are a tad overrated.

I'd say:

1. CAR
2. ARI
3. DEN
4. NE

All would be top 10 in the league, and all can be exploited.

supafly said:

Pretty sure I read that CAR currently has the top rated offense, although I'm not sure what that's going off of. I'm assuming points scored, although it may only have been in the regular season if the poster above is true and we're scoring 33.0 to their 31.2.

At any rate, I fear you may be selling them a bit short. They have a solid run game, a TE which is proven and comparable to ours, and a WR corps that produces far more than anyone expected them to (remember all of the threads and comments about how ****ty CAR was going to be due to their lack of receiving options?). Cam Newton, as you mention, is obviously the straw that stirs the drink, and is the clear cut MVP this season.

After considering this as well as their very strong defense, I will be rooting for ARZ, should we come to that point at 6:30 Sunday evening.

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d%#*!@t Sup! Every time this season I have got my rose colored pie in the sky goggles going, you just fogged 'em right up. Just stop it already!

Denver gave up 6.7 yards per play (which is the worst of any playoff team) last week to a decimated Steelers offense. Steelers had their top red zone targets out, so that's why they failed to put up more points.

Pats gave up 4.3 yards per play, which ranks near the top.

Obviously it's just a sample size of 1, but how the defense, or more importantly the entire team, is playing at this stage is far more important than anything that transpired during the regular season.

Patsfanin Philly said:

quick and dirty while at work eliminating opposing offensive/ST TDs
pts allowed by the defense ( including 2 pt conversion attempts)
Den 273... 17.1 ppg
NE 287.....17.9
Carolina 287...17.9
Arizona 306....19.1

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Adding in the Strength of schedule... I could only find SOS leading into the season, not adjusted post 2015 regular season.
#5 Arizona .557
#10 Denver .541
#22 Patriots .477
#27 Carolina .434
2015 NFL schedule: Which teams have the easiest and hardest matchups?

I think it's important to note current health too, in particular at cornerback compared to who was playing during the regular season. Denver's #2 CB who also plays the slot (Chris Harris) has a bad shoulder and was limited both in role and effectiveness last week. The Panthers lost their #2 (Charles Tillman) to a torn ACL a few weeks ago, leaving Robert McClain (cut by the Pats in September, unemployed until mid December) and Cortland Finnegan (retired until late November) as their #2 and #3. The Cardinals lost safety/slot CB Tyrann Mathieu to a torn ACL, and replacement Justin Bethel has been targeted a ton over the last month with plenty of success.

That's a big question mark at CB for any team the Pats could face the rest of this season, and they're once again very well equipped to challenge a team's depth at CB, much like they did against the Ravens and Seahawks in last year's playoffs. Meanwhile, the Pats are as healthy as ever at CB and their overall worst case scenario seems to be that they're missing one of the LBs just like they were for a lot of the season.

1 broncos
2 pats
3 panthers
4 cardinals

The Broncos are the most well rounded and ours is too, just streaky. Panthers might seem like they should be #1 but I cant overlook guys like McClain and Finnegan. Once Carolina's pass rush loses steam teams come back in the second half. Arizona took a massive hit when they lost Mathiue

Sciz basically beat me to the punch lol.

TheBostonStraggler said:

d%#*!@t Sup! Every time this season I have got my rose colored pie in the sky goggles going, you just fogged 'em right up. Just stop it already!

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Sorry, bud. At least it's pertaining to the NFC matchup, though.

My concern would be the change of scheme that would be needed to contain Newton, as opposed to being able to rush Palmer. They're both tough offenses, and both tough overall teams. It's hard to choose who to root for (should we get that far, of course), but I'm thinking that ARZ is the lesser of the two--slightly. I don't know. I could be off. I was looking at stats for the 2 earlier today, and they were pretty even.