Stats-deluded writer argues "there are no great defenses left in the playoffs" & NE doesn't count

[Soul_Survivor88]

An Offense Is Going to Win the Super Bowl

It’s a dream scenario for the NFL and the fans who just want to see beautifully crafted scoring plays: Four of the best quarterbacks in the league squaring off against four adequate-at-best defenses.

New England (ranked 16th in defensive DVOA at the end of the regular season) and Pittsburgh (11th) don’t have bad defenses, but Atlanta (27th) and Green Bay (20th) do. All four of the remaining squads finished the year outside the top 10 in defensive DVOA, in stark contrast to last season, when the Panthers (second) faced off with the Cardinals (third) and the Broncos (first) played the Patriots (12th). In fact, this is the first time in the history of Football Outsiders DVOA, which goes back to 1989, that zero top-10 regular-season defenses made it to the conference championship round. Hell, there’s been only one other season (2007) without at least one top-five defense in the final four.

Now, you might be saying, “But what about the Patriots? They had the best scoring defense in the league!” And allow us to stop you right there. They had that against the easiest schedule of offenses in the NFL this season. Sure, you can beat only who’s in front of you, but context is important. In a quarterback-driven league, the Patriots lucked into a schedule heavy on game managers, backups, and turnover machines. They got the bad, early-season versions of Carson Palmer and Ryan Tannehill, faced off against Brock Osweiler twice — and let’s stop here for a second. The Patriots played one of the worst quarterbacks in the NFL in the divisional round of the playoffs! Oh, they also faced Tyrod Taylor twice, and his team doesn’t even seem to want him anymore. They beat Charlie Whitehurst, Cody Kessler, Andy Dalton, and Landry Jones (who played when Ben Roethlisberger was out with a meniscus injury in Week 7), and lost to the best quarterback on their schedule, Russell Wilson, at home. The rest of the group is a meditation on sub-average signal-calling: Colin Kaepernick, Ryan Fitzpatrick, Jared Goff, Joe Flacco, Trevor Siemian, Bryce Petty, and Matt Moore.

We’ll finally get to see how the Patriots stack up against a top-tier quarterback next weekend. Devin McCourty, Dont’a Hightower, and Co. have yet to stop a trio like Roethlisberger, Le’Veon Bell, and Antonio Brown — partially because they’ve yet to play anyone nearly as good.

So tired of the disrespect. I've changed my mind. If we're fortunate enough to advance to the Super Bowl, I want the Pats to face the Falcons... so our "overrated, not-as-good-as-your-record" #1 scoring defense can shut down the #1 scoring offense - and shut these people up for good!!

For now... we're onto Pittsburgh. GO PATS!!!

 

[yukon cornelius]

Russel Wilson is a top-level QB?

 

[AtomicDawg]

I'm not tired of the disrespect. Let them disrespect these guys all they must. This D knows it's been marginalized all year. They've even said it multiple times. But they have improved and the stats show it. Let 'em all hate. They're the ones that will be on the top of the mountain.

 

[fightingirish595]

DVOA. Lol more clowns. I'd like to know who invented that one.

 

[Rhodey]

Of course, Pittsburgh has to face the Gronkless-less Patriots, who are one of the best offensive teams in the NFL. Has anybody forgotten that? Methinks, PIT has theirs hands full...in Foxborough. Bring it on!

 

[70Dart]

I'm not tired of the disrespect. Let them disrespect these guys all they must. This D knows it's been marginalized all year. They've even said it multiple times. But they have improved and the stats show it. Let 'em all hate. They're the ones that will be on the top of the mountain.

Not only will this piss the Defense off, it will piss the Offense as well. I wouldn't be surprised to see this type of article hanging in the locker room as motivation.

 

[patsinthesnow]

Our defense has the potential to either get exposed or be remembered with the 2003/2004 defenses. The whole schedule argument will be forgotten if they perform well vs. the Steelers and Packers/Falcons.

 

[70Dart]

Of course, Pittsburgh has to face the Gronkless-less Patriots, who are one of the best offensive teams in the NFL. Has anybody forgotten that? Methinks, PIT has theirs hands full...in Foxborough. Bring it on!

We don't have Gronk but to be honest, the Pats, in particular Brady, has played really well without him. Now I am not saying we don't need Gronk, because we absolutely do. But without Brady having his security blanket it is forcing him to throw to other receivers and spread the ball around more. We also still have one half of the twin towers in Martysaurus. And a three headed Monster running game. Gronk is one weapon (granted arguably the most dangerous weapon) in an arsenal of weapons.

 

[70Dart]

An Offense Is Going to Win the Super Bowl

It’s a dream scenario for the NFL and the fans who just want to see beautifully crafted scoring plays: Four of the best quarterbacks in the league squaring off against four adequate-at-best defenses.

New England (ranked 16th in defensive DVOA at the end of the regular season) and Pittsburgh (11th) don’t have bad defenses, but Atlanta (27th) and Green Bay (20th) do. All four of the remaining squads finished the year outside the top 10 in defensive DVOA, in stark contrast to last season, when the Panthers (second) faced off with the Cardinals (third) and the Broncos (first) played the Patriots (12th). In fact, this is the first time in the history of Football Outsiders DVOA, which goes back to 1989, that zero top-10 regular-season defenses made it to the conference championship round. Hell, there’s been only one other season (2007) without at least one top-five defense in the final four.

Now, you might be saying, “But what about the Patriots? They had the best scoring defense in the league!” And allow us to stop you right there. They had that against the easiest schedule of offenses in the NFL this season. Sure, you can beat only who’s in front of you, but context is important. In a quarterback-driven league, the Patriots lucked into a schedule heavy on game managers, backups, and turnover machines. They got the bad, early-season versions of Carson Palmer and Ryan Tannehill, faced off against Brock Osweiler twice — and let’s stop here for a second. The Patriots played one of the worst quarterbacks in the NFL in the divisional round of the playoffs! Oh, they also faced Tyrod Taylor twice, and his team doesn’t even seem to want him anymore. They beat Charlie Whitehurst, Cody Kessler, Andy Dalton, and Landry Jones (who played when Ben Roethlisberger was out with a meniscus injury in Week 7), and lost to the best quarterback on their schedule, Russell Wilson, at home. The rest of the group is a meditation on sub-average signal-calling: Colin Kaepernick, Ryan Fitzpatrick, Jared Goff, Joe Flacco, Trevor Siemian, Bryce Petty, and Matt Moore.

We’ll finally get to see how the Patriots stack up against a top-tier quarterback next weekend. Devin McCourty, Dont’a Hightower, and Co. have yet to stop a trio like Roethlisberger, Le’Veon Bell, and Antonio Brown — partially because they’ve yet to play anyone nearly as good.

So tired of the disrespect. I've changed my mind. If we're fortunate enough to advance to the Super Bowl, I want the Pats to face the Falcons... so our "overrated, not-as-good-as-your-record" #1 scoring defense can shut down the #1 scoring offense - and shut these people up for good!!

For now... we're onto Pittsburgh. GO PATS!!!

Did this guy forget the Patriots also faced the toughest defenses in the NFL? The Bills, Dolphins, Jets, Broncos, Texans and the Seahags. Of all those defenses we lost to the Bills and the Seahags. The Bills faced a thrid string rookie QB and the Seahags we were one play away from potentially tying the game.

 

[PatsWickedPissah]

I suspect that BB secretly paid to have this article written

 

[LightSkinSmurf]

I do agree that context is important. That is why I never just look at stats and nothing else. That being said, the patriots defense has the perfect opportunity to either prove their doubters wrong, or right.. Because these next two games will be against great QB's and offenses. So the "weak schedule" and "playing against bad offenses and QB's" narrative will either be proven right or wrong. No way around it. I'm excited to see how this all ends.

 

[jumbo77]

I don't understand how the Pats ended up playing such easy offenses. Don't they usually have one of the hardest schedules? I thought the schedule took into account your record and gave the better teams harder schedules?

 

[RIpats88]

I hate this argument. The defense did what it was supposed to do. It made mediocre offenses look mediocre. And werent the ravens offense supposed to be the hottest thing coming into foxboro after they blew out the dolphins?

This isnt 2011 where the defense made mediocre offenses look like world beaters.

Will better offenses make some plays on the defense? Sure. But just look at the eye test and see how this defense is playing swarming to the ball, tight coverage etc. That wont change. PATS are the best defense remaining

 

[RobertWeathers]

Monday, January 16th, 2017. 12:05pm ET. A picture of the bulletin inside the Patriot's locker room.

Might need to head over to Staples and get another one.

 

[Gronkowski123]

aside from wilson, all of the qb's we've faced have stunk!

 

[Patstopia]

I prefer this criticism to the over the top ball washing we had for the Texans matchup. It seems like the Pats always under perform when the praise reach monumental levels like last week.

 

[I.M. Fletcher]

Russel Wilson is a top-level QB?

After Rodgers and Brady, who is better than him?

 

[RobertWeathers]

aside from wilson, all of the qb's we've faced have stunk!

That is not true.

Flacco, Tannehill, Dalton and Palmer are all good QBs that had pretty good 2016s

As I said in another post, the success of the defense vs those QBs has been mixed.

I fully expect Roeth to make plays vs the Pats D on Sunday.

I also expect him to check-down 192 times and make 2-3 mistakes.....and they will be costly.

 

[fightingirish595]

After Rodgers and Brady, who is better than him?

Matt Ryan, Derek Carr, drew brees

 

[I.M. Fletcher]

The amount of people here that read things just to hate them is extraordinary. It's not as if football outsiders is some mainstream outlet that you stumble across. You have to literally be looking for this stuff to intentionally get upset about.