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The following is a list of 11 major defensive statistical categories taken from NFL.com, and how the Bills ended up ranking league-wide under Schwartz last season and under Pettine in '13 (in parenthesis).
Points per game--4--(20)
Yards per game--4--(10)
Yards per point--3--(6)
1st downs allowed per game--5--(12)
3rd down % allowed--1--(14)
Fumbles recovered--10--(25)
Rush yards per game--11--(28)
Passing yards per game--3--(4)
Sacks--1--(2)
Interceptions--6--(2)
QB rating--2--(3)
As you can see, the defense improved in '14 in every category except one (interceptions), some significantly.
In '14, the team ranked in the Top 6 in the league in nine of the eleven, in '13 five.
In '14, the team ranked in the top third in virtually every category, in '13 they weren't even able to crack the top 20 in three, including two of the most significant (points allowed and rushing yards allowed).
In another very significant category, third down percentage allowed, the jump from '13 to '14 was monumental...from middle of the pack (14th) to the very best (#1).
Pettine's D was good against the pass, horrible against the run, not so great in points allowed, and had trouble closing out drives (3rd downs). It could actually be argued that Pettine's 'success' against the pass is a little bit of an illusion considering how poorly they fared against the run. Why pass the ball when you can gouge the defense on the ground consistently?
Schwartz's defense, with virtually the same roster, was dominant, even without a Pro Bowl safety and a DROY candidate at LBer. Not just in spots, but across the board. Even last year's worst category, rushing yards per game, was 17 spots better than '13, and nowhere near the bottom 5 in the league. Not to get all 'Wys-ie', but consider the Oakland game an anomaly and the '14 defense would have been top 10 in that category also.
You can't win without talent, granted, regardless of the scheme that is employed, but if the above isn't an indication that success is built through matching up talent with scheme than I don't know what is.
Rex doesn't think 4th is good enough? With his scheme and this roster, he has a better chance of reverting to results similar to what we saw under Pettine, as opposed to getting better than Schwartz. I'm by no means a negative nancy, as a matter of fact I tend to lean on the homer side of the fence, but I do have my moments and the defensive 'switch-back' this off-season is one of them.
Points per game--4--(20)
Yards per game--4--(10)
Yards per point--3--(6)
1st downs allowed per game--5--(12)
3rd down % allowed--1--(14)
Fumbles recovered--10--(25)
Rush yards per game--11--(28)
Passing yards per game--3--(4)
Sacks--1--(2)
Interceptions--6--(2)
QB rating--2--(3)
As you can see, the defense improved in '14 in every category except one (interceptions), some significantly.
In '14, the team ranked in the Top 6 in the league in nine of the eleven, in '13 five.
In '14, the team ranked in the top third in virtually every category, in '13 they weren't even able to crack the top 20 in three, including two of the most significant (points allowed and rushing yards allowed).
In another very significant category, third down percentage allowed, the jump from '13 to '14 was monumental...from middle of the pack (14th) to the very best (#1).
Pettine's D was good against the pass, horrible against the run, not so great in points allowed, and had trouble closing out drives (3rd downs). It could actually be argued that Pettine's 'success' against the pass is a little bit of an illusion considering how poorly they fared against the run. Why pass the ball when you can gouge the defense on the ground consistently?
Schwartz's defense, with virtually the same roster, was dominant, even without a Pro Bowl safety and a DROY candidate at LBer. Not just in spots, but across the board. Even last year's worst category, rushing yards per game, was 17 spots better than '13, and nowhere near the bottom 5 in the league. Not to get all 'Wys-ie', but consider the Oakland game an anomaly and the '14 defense would have been top 10 in that category also.
You can't win without talent, granted, regardless of the scheme that is employed, but if the above isn't an indication that success is built through matching up talent with scheme than I don't know what is.
Rex doesn't think 4th is good enough? With his scheme and this roster, he has a better chance of reverting to results similar to what we saw under Pettine, as opposed to getting better than Schwartz. I'm by no means a negative nancy, as a matter of fact I tend to lean on the homer side of the fence, but I do have my moments and the defensive 'switch-back' this off-season is one of them.
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