This is why team stats after five games against beat up opponents are worthless

[Fletch]

Sure, we have the 1st overall run defense. Here's a list of the healthy RBs that we've faced:

Lamar Miller
Damien Williams - 36 total rushing yards this season, all against us and Oakland, on 3.3 ypc
Donald Brown - 126 rushing yards on 2.1 ypc
Alfred Blue - 165 rushing yards, 3.9 ypc
George Winn - 64 rushing yards, mostly against us, 4.0 ypc

Forte had 83 yards on 4.8 ypc against us and they gave up using him.

Vereen and Ridley, after Forte, are the best we've faced, but that's not saying much. Vereen's career high four seasons in is 251. Ridley had one good seasons two seasons ago, two mediocre ones, and is tracking for another lackluster 900 yard season with a career ypc average of 4.3 despite lining up behind Brady.

Anyone not having factored that is has been remiss.

All of a sudden our defensive rankings have dropped significantly.

Tied for 7th and 1 point/game from average in points allowed.

11th in yardage D.

26th in pass D.

22nd in yards per attempt allowed.

25th in passing TDs allowed.

20th in passer rating.

27th in completion percentage.

Does anyone know how difficult it's going to be trying to climb back into the top-10 on most of these now?

Those are consistent with our past teams. Oh sure, we rank 2nd in sacks, tied with four other teams including Jax and Jets, and in a 4-way tie for 11th in INTs, essentially average there. But we don't miss Byrd. We have 6 INTs, two against Fitzpatrick and one against Tannehill, and two against Cutler in that debacle of a game of his. He lit us up in yardage nonetheless. None on Rivers or Brady. One on Stafford who only had Golden Tate to throw to who lit us up too. Good thing that the rest of Detroit's starters were all out.

Many of you here claim that I and a few others here don't know what we're talking about or how to analyze things, but dam if we haven't pointed these things out dozens of times ahead of time.

Either way, I'm awaiting all the detailed explanations as to why a defense that's been called elite here for a couple of weeks now is ranked so low in so many categories.

This defense is hardly elite. The LBs and DBs are both average at best units. The DL is very good but Kyle Williams is the only player that plays consistently. Both Mario and Dareus are known for showing up sporadically. Hughes, strangely, might be the next most consistent player on the DL. TBD

[TheBrownBear]

I don't know. Maybe it's because we've faced mostly good passers (Cutler, Stafford, Rivers and Brady)? Two of which are occasional pro bowlers and the other two being HOFers. In our two games against mediocre quarterbacks, we held up well. Is it surprising we dropped after the GOAT qb threw for almost 400 yards against us?

Having said that, I agree with your overall premise that this is currently not an "elite" D. But how many "elite" Ds currently exist in the NFL? Even the best defense in the league was sliced and diced by both San Diego and Dallas. We have a good D that will have more good games than bad. When we face a truly elite quarterback on a good day for them, we will look like we did yesterday or the way Seattle looked against San Diego and Dallas. That's the just the nature of the current QB dominated NFL.

Also, let's see where we're at with our pass D ratings after we've had the benefit of playing Bridgewater and Geno Smith over the next two weeks.

[Fletch]

I don't know. Maybe it's because we've faced mostly good passers (Cutler, Stafford, Rivers and Brady)?

Once again, Cutler threw for a buttload against us but just made too many mistakes.

Tannehill lit us up in the second half.

Rivers played very well against us despite not having his top 2 weapons at full strength, Allen not even playing the entire game.

Stafford was without all of his starting RBs and WRs except for Golden Tate who posted the best game of his career against us. How would that have turned out had Calvin Johnson not been hurt? I detect us being 2-4 right now.

Brady, besides Gronk who didn't contribute much at all on four scoring drives comprised of 277 passing yards with 1 1st-down and only 35 yards, the rest of the damage over our LBs and secondary was done by a very average Edelman and backup caliber WRs LaFell and Tyms. Ever even heard of Tyms prior to this game? I hadn't. He beat Gilmore for a TD catch.

So again, before you just look at QBs, add to that the receiving weapons that they had to work with on the days that we played them.

Either way, you completely stepped over the fact that prior to this game we were ranked much better if not top 10 in most of those categories. So your statements about Stafford, Rivers, and Cutler make no sense.

Yes, wins are wins, but the stats have to include looking at those things if you're going to boast them. The start of this season mirrors the end of the 2004 season for us.

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Nice post Fletch.Youre a welcome bit of reason here

I think it's more of an unwelcome bit of reason, but thanks.

[trapezeus]

Nice post Fletch.Youre a welcome bit of reason here

really? you are thanking your other persona now? pathetic.

[Fletch]

Yeah, I'm having a little party with myself and my other 7, or is it 8 or 9, anyway, I lose track, accounts.

Out of ammunition on anything reasonable to say?

Funny, for all of your profane and childish criticizing of me over the months, once again, feel free to come over and sniff my jock and maybe some of the vapors will penetrate that golf ball sized brain of yours and give you some insights in the future.

[trapezeus]

blah blah blah....weeks of losses, the "smartest guys" in the room are the guy with the same mannerisms talking from two different handles and two different fonts. on wins, they stay away... neither seems to get that people kind of agree with them, but just find them to be incredible douchebags in their tone.

and routinely you guys have the easiest position to defend by just disagreeing with everything done. "watkins blows because he isn't worth 9 first round picks" "defense isn't elite because other teams make mistakes."

while your grand vision is probably accurate, your joy in being right is obnoxious. and you can't actually ever defend the points you are trying to make because you overanalyize the stats. using the stats when it's convenient and ignoring them when they aren't useful.

If we wanted to hear from someone who doesn't know **** about football, we'd talk to a pats fan.

[Mr. Pink]

But Watkins stats through 5 games means everything?

Got it.

[BertSquirtgum]

Stick those stats up your ass.

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Nice post Fletch.Youre a welcome bit of reason here

Stop thanking yourself. It's pathetic.

[BertSquirtgum]

blah blah blah....weeks of losses, the "smartest guys" in the room are the guy with the same mannerisms talking from two different handles and two different fonts. on wins, they stay away... neither seems to get that people kind of agree with them, but just find them to be incredible douchebags in their tone.

and routinely you guys have the easiest position to defend by just disagreeing with everything done. "watkins blows because he isn't worth 9 first round picks" "defense isn't elite because other teams make mistakes."

while your grand vision is probably accurate, your joy in being right is obnoxious. and you can't actually ever defend the points you are trying to make because you overanalyize the stats. using the stats when it's convenient and ignoring them when they aren't useful.

If we wanted to hear from someone who doesn't know **** about football, we'd talk to a pats fan.

This is the same douche bag who doesn't say a word when the Bills win, but they lose....Holy fack. Look out, your going to see ten threads in two days from feltch preaching why Bills suck.

[trapezeus]

it's too bad that othe rbills site folded. it seems like all the dumbasses over there are slowly coming over here and its harder to talk football and more about watching the same troll pop up over and over.