#1 Rush Defense: Patriots, 3.49 yards per rush

[TruthSeeker]

part of the reason they are good against the run is becasue people just have to pass 24/7 on them and can move the ball at will...once the secondary gets better (if it does) you will see the rush D get a tad worse

Usually a good passing game helps a running game - making the stat that much more impressive.

 

[JMC00]

part of the reason they are good against the run is becasue people just have to pass 24/7 on them and can move the ball at will...once the secondary gets better (if it does) you will see the rush D get a tad worse

Patriots are the only team in the top 10 in rush defense that has more than 200 rush attempts against them. And 5 teams ranked higher than them have only played 7 games. Which you could make the argument that skews their ranking. For example the Buccaneers (169 att 596 yards) could get run on 35 times for 140 yards against the Raiders this weekend. Which would move the Pats and 49ers up in the rush defense rankings


They gave up two runs of 20 & 19 yard to the Rams but it was in the 4th quarter which I don't think the starting front 7 was playing, at least not all of them.

So if you put those two aside the longest run they have given up this season to a RB was 15 yards to Rice Rice. (They gave up a 17 yard wild cat run to Patrick Peterson) (Houston's longest run allowed was 19 yards, that's with only 150 rush attempts against them. 53 less than the Pats)

San Fran has been run on 192 times for 699 yards. Pats 203 for 709 yards. So statistically wouldn't that make New England's rush defense just as good as San Fran's? Been run on 11 times more and only given up 10 more yards.

 

[Deus Irae]

Patriots are the only team in the top 10 in rush defense that has more than 200 rush attempts against them....

just to put it in perspective. here is the top 10

NE 203 att against 3.5 ypr/a
MIA 163 att against 3.5 ypr/a
TB 169 att against 3.5 ypr/a
SD 154 att against 3.6 ypr/a
SF 192 att against 3.6 ypr/a
DE 202 att against 3.7 ypr/a
SEA 183 att against 3.7 ypr/a
CHI 145 att against 3.8 ypr/a
HOU 150 att against 3.9 ypr/a
MINN 222 att against 3.9 ypr/a

So it's not like they have been run on less than some of the teams and the yards per rush allowed is skewed.

................

 

[Ochmed Jones]

San Fran has been run on 192 times for 699 yards. Pats 203 for 709 yards. So statistically wouldn't that make New England's rush defense just as good as San Fran's? Been run on 11 times more and only given up 10 more yards.

Excellent point. I have been impressed with DE Jones and DE Ninkovich's ability to keep runs inside where Mayo is doing a monster job of cleaning up. If only Mayo could force fumbles, that would be huge for us.

 

[Deus Irae]

Excellent point. I have been impressed with DE Jones and DE Ninkovich's ability to keep runs inside where Mayo is doing a monster job of cleaning up. If only Mayo could force fumbles, that would be huge for us.

Ninkovich is tied for the league lead with 4 forced fumbles. Mayo is tied for 3rd in the NFL with 3 forced fumbles.

Of the 12 players in the NFL who have forced 3 fumbles or more, 4 of them are Patriots:

Ninkovich
Mayo
Jones
Spikes

 

[JMC00]

................

Wasn't going by the rush yards allowed per attempt. Was going by rush yards allowed per game. Which is how rushing defense is ranked in the NFL

Chicago 77.9 yds/g
SD 80.0 yds/g
Miami 82.0 yds/g
Houston 83.0 yds/g
Seattle 84.9 yds/g
TB 85.1 yds/g
SF 87.4 yds/g
NE 88.6 yds/g

 

[Deus Irae]

Wasn't going by the rush yards allowed per attempt. Was going by rush yards allowed per game. Which is how rushing defense is ranked in the NFL...

:bricks:

It was your own top 10 posted.

 

[Joker]

I wasn't going by the name Joker...I was using the more correct Joe Kerr...see?...HUGE DIFFERENCE!!!...

 

[RobertWeathers]

According to FO, offenses have been successful running behind their right tackle which would mean the left side of the Pats D has yielded the highest per-run ave- 4.6. -

FOOTBALL OUTSIDERS: Innovative Statistics, Intelligent Analysis | 2012 DEFENSIVE LINES

 

[Run DMC]

It's a lovely stat. Unfortunately, the NFL is pass happy and these DB's couldn't cover my grandma. :bricks:

 

[TheBostonStraggler]

It's a lovely stat. Unfortunately, the NFL is pass happy and these DB's couldn't cover my grandma. :bricks:

True enough, the secondary has got some big issues. If they don't, at minimum, stop giving up the big plays, the Patriots will struggle to win games that they otherwise would/should win handily (See: Seattle game). However, your post has a dismissive sentiment regarding the success of the rush D. That is far too narrow and/or pessimistic of a view. The ability to stop the run and force teams to have to throw is a strong positive not only for the team as a whole but the secondary itself. Whatever the secondary's issues, it is a good thing for them to know there is a pass coming and the distance to gain for a first down is frequently more than a couple of yards. Maybe they will give up those yards far too frequently. Regardless, I know for certain that if the rush D is more porous and teams feel they can rush for the first down and/or a first down is frequently only a couple yards away, this secondary will perform even worse.