How bad are we really on defense? (1 Viewer)

[TheRealJRad]

I know our defense has been less than ideal this season, but it seems like our guys have showed a lot of effort and seem less confused about assignments. Yet, we're still giving up a lot of yards.

However, I think we've played a pretty difficult offensive schedule that has contributed to our poor defensive stats.

Top Offenses (YPG)
#1 - Atlanta
#2 - New Orleans
#4 - Carolina
#8 - Oakland
#13 - NY Giants
#15 - San Diego

Basically, every offense that we have competed against is in the top half of the league in offensive yards per game. This makes us look just a little less terrible on defense in my eyes.

Or...

Just 1 game against our defense pushes any offense into the top half of the league.

Maybe they all ranked that high because they played our defense.

Well, let's see. First, let's use the actual stat, points per game:
*Normal I suck at math disclaimer

Atlanta - 199 points, 33.2 PPG (1st)
Carolina - 161 points, 26.8PPG (3rd)
San Diego - 173 points, 28.8PPG (2nd)
Oakland - 150 points, 25.3PPG (9th)
NY Giants - 116 points, 19.3PPG (21st)

All those teams have played 6 games. Against us, they scored:

Atlanta - 45 (154)
Carolina - 38 (123)
SD - 35 (138)
Oakland - 35 (115)
NYG - 16 (100)

Number in parenthesis is the difference if you remove our game.

Which brings the 5 game averages to:

Atl - 30.8 (3rd)
Car - 24.6 (16th)
SD - 27.6 (3rd)
Oak - 23 (17th)
NYG - 20 (T22nd)

Edit: Removed personal thoughts to keep this post about just the numbers.

 

[Mr. Sparkle]

Well, let's see. First, let's use the actual stat, points per game:
*Normal I suck at math disclaimer

Atlanta - 199 points, 33.2 PPG (1st)
Carolina - 161 points, 26.8PPG (3rd)
San Diego - 173 points, 28.8PPG (2nd)
Oakland - 150 points, 25.3PPG (9th)
NY Giants - 116 points, 19.3PPG (21st)

All those teams have played 6 games. Against us, they scored:

Atlanta - 45 (154)
Carolina - 38 (123)
SD - 35 (138)
Oakland - 35 (115)
NYG - 16 (100)

Number in parenthesis is the difference if you remove our game.

Which brings the 5 game averages to:

Atl - 30.8 (3rd)
Car - 24.6 (15th)
SD - 27.6 (3rd)
Oak - 23 (17th)
NYG - 20 (T22nd)

Only Carolina and Oakland had a significant boost from playing us.

Actually every team except NYG got a boost playing us.

ATL, CAR and OAK all scored 10+ points above their average against us.

Considering the difference between the #9 scoring offense and the #1 scoring offense is just under 8 points per game, that's a pretty big boost.

 

[saint_drago]

Well the defense hasn't been great but just wait. We have some dudes out there lurking and healing. When they come back this defense could be absolutely adequate at least!

 

[TheRealJRad]

Actually every team except NYG got a boost playing us.

ATL, CAR and OAK all scored 10+ points above their average against us.

I meant significant boost in ranking.

And yes, you are correct - they scored above their average on us, but their average stays close if you remove our game. I don't know if that actually means anything, I just had a few minutes to kill.

 

[RaDaRkInG]

Bad but not historically bad so better?

So the new "Better than Historically Bad" defense...has a nice ring to it.

 

[bradman1965]

Last by close to 3 points in scoring defense, the only stat that really matters. Been flashes, but long way to go.

NFL Stats: by Team Category

 

[Tee08]

Its mostly about coaching and holding players accountable. But you gotta have some talent to work with as well. If you wanta see really good coaching, watch the Cowboys on defense. The Saints and Cowboys are fairly close in overall talent on defense. But the Cowboys rarely have busted plays, nor do they give up big chunks of yardage and points like the Saints do on a regular basis. Coaching, coaching, coaching.

 

[SuperSaint]

Didn't I see a graphic during the game that we set a new NFL record for the most home games in a row giving up 25+ points?

 

[Big_L]

So the pick 6 ATL scored and blocked FG for a TD NYG scored count against our D?

Also we have something like 10 DBs on IR.

 

[Saint Brees]

That Giants game is the fault of the offense. That was a very poor offensive performance against a below average defense.

 

[JackT.]

we are down to our 6th and 8th corners starting and it is week 6.

 

[Saint Kamara]

we are abysmal

as in, after every defensive series, I have to drink some pepto abysmal

 

[dapperdan]

once breaux and rankins are back, we'll see the defense getting better. if only we werent down to our 5th/6th corners every game...

More like 6th and 7th. Breaux, Lewis (only cut because of health), Swann, Kyle Wilson, and PJ Williams.

 

[RJ in Lafayette]

Our defense is terrible. The reasons are the number of injuries and lack of depth and talent at certain positions. At linebacker, we simply do not have the talent. At cornerback, injuries have killed us.

 

[crawfish2010]

Bad but not historically bad so better?

The Saints are giving up 33.6 pts per game. So far I've looked back all the way to 1994 and no team has given up that many points per game in a season. Even if you take away the blocked FG and the pick 6 this team is giving up 31.4 pts per game--that's terrible.

If the 2016 Saints defense was just a normal bad defense they would probably make the playoffs. A normal 32nd ranked defense gives up 26-28 points per game.

Breaux was the worst in the NFL last season in passing TDs against, he is not going to save the defense and we don't know who Rankins is.