Mike Nolan Stats by Team

[QuincyCarterEra]

I think this is going to be the key.

honestly I think the plan ultimately is that the defense is going to give up some points. But if they can force a couple turnovers a game and give the offense some short fields to work with. We can out score the opponents.

Are we cool with this? Is that what we would prefer?

 

[glimmerman]

Marinelli scheme drove me nuts. Richard came in and confused things IMO. Sounds like Nolan’s Defenses are middle of the road. So our Defense won’t be better or worse. Who knows. I just want to see us get some turnovers. Blitz. Cool stuff. Lol..

 

[phildadon86]

Yeah Tomsula is the one where I'm not concerned with. Everyone else scares me....

My favourite hire is Fassell. Can’t wait to see this team with a proper ST coach

 

[Denim Chicken]

Some DVOA rankings (better measure of defense) https://www.footballoutsiders.com/stats/nfl/team-defense:


Baltimore
2001 (before Nolan) #5
2002 (enter Nolan) #9
2003 #1
2004 #3
2005 (after Nolan) #6

Denver
2008 (before Nolan) #32
2009 (enter Nolan) #10
2010 (after Nolan) #30

Miami
2009 (before Nolan) #16
2010 (enter Nolan) #7
2011 #10
2012 (after Nolan) #17

Atlanta
2011 (before Nolan) #4
2012 (enter Nolan) #14
2013 #30
2014 #31
2015 (after Nolan) #22

 

[jterrell]

Nolan pushes for takeaways and uses multiple sets.
It can be more aggressive and allow more big plays but also attempts to create more scoring opps.

It is essentially the fundamental opposite approach to bend but don't break and probably pairs best with an aggressive offense.
You are looking to overwhelm teams and score a lot of points.

Rod's defense was fine for the 2014 and 2016 style games.
That's what teams did in the 90s and it worked.
But rules make passing more rewarding now and scoring is up across the board.
Teams with good or better QBs no longer want to slow games down and limit possessions until they are ahead at the very end.

 

[TheMarathonContinues]

I question the defensive personnel on every level of the defense, never mind the coaching.

Yeah Tomsula is the one where I'm not concerned.

Happens every year. Whoever is new here gets a **** ton of credit for everything and is always overhyped. This includes free agents, the draft class, new coaches, everything. While what we've had in place gets all the blame. If there's ever a bad free agent signing or draft pick "this has Jerry's finger prints all over it" then we have a slam dunk pick and "Will McClay is a god".

Yep. You're 100% right. McCarthy is getting credit for a good draft when this team has been drafting well before him lol.

 

[TheMarathonContinues]

My favourite hire is Fassell. Can’t wait to see this team with a proper ST coach

Sorry should've added Fassel too. He and Tomsula I'm the least concerned with.

 

[QuincyCarterEra]

Some DVOA rankings (better measure of defense) https://www.footballoutsiders.com/stats/nfl/team-defense:


Baltimore
2001 (before Nolan) #5
2002 (enter Nolan) #9
2003 #1
2004 #3
2005 (after Nolan) #6

Denver
2008 (before Nolan) #32
2009 (enter Nolan) #10
2010 (after Nolan) #30

Miami
2009 (before Nolan) #16
2010 (enter Nolan) #7
2011 #10
2012 (after Nolan) #17

Atlanta
2011 (before Nolan) #4
2012 (enter Nolan) #14
2013 #30
2014 #31
2015 (after Nolan) #22

I like DVOA better but it would have been more work.

Wow this is bad.

Check out Balt's DVOA after 2005. Crazy impressive. Top 2 two of the next 3, and top 5 the next four.

 

[QuincyCarterEra]

Yeah Tomsula is the one where I'm not concerned.

Yep. You're 100% right. McCarthy is getting credit for a good draft when this team has been drafting well before him lol.

We've heard time and time again, this was a "scouts draft". When the **** did McCarthy become a scout?

 

[Doomsday101]

Yeah Tomsula is the one where I'm not concerned.

Yep. You're 100% right. McCarthy is getting credit for a good draft when this team has been drafting well before him lol.

I think when it came to the staff Jerry and Stephen both came out and said it would be McCarthy picks on who would be on his staff.

In terms of the draft I think like every team there is approach that involved a lot of people including the HC but not HC alone. McCary is a big part of it and working with the HC on what their plans our factors into that. These are not McCarthy picks nor McCray picks these are Cowboys picks meaning a lot of people are involved in the draft.

 

[DoctorChicken]

This is the one hire I don’t like. This guy is done nothing to earn a D-Coordinator job in his career.

 

[Denim Chicken]

Rankings (Yards per Drive / Points per Drive) https://www.footballoutsiders.com/stats/nfl/overall-drive-statsdef

*Some people prefer Drive stats to measure defense.

Baltimore
2001 (before Nolan) #1 / #1
2002 (enter Nolan) #14 #15
2003 #1 / #2
2004 #6 / #2
2005 (after Nolan) #4 / #10

Denver
2008 (before Nolan) #31 / #31
2009 (enter Nolan) #10 / #7
2010 (after Nolan) #28 / #31

Miami
2009 (before Nolan) #26 / #26
2010 (enter Nolan) #9 / #13
2011 #11 / #8
2012 (after Nolan) #19 / #9

Atlanta
2011 (before Nolan) #16 / #17
2012 (enter Nolan) #22 / #10
2013 #29 / #32
2014 #32 / #30
2015 (after Nolan) #28 /#18

 

[gimmesix]

Some DVOA rankings (better measure of defense) https://www.footballoutsiders.com/stats/nfl/team-defense:


Baltimore
2001 (before Nolan) #5
2002 (enter Nolan) #9
2003 #1
2004 #3
2005 (after Nolan) #6

Denver
2008 (before Nolan) #32
2009 (enter Nolan) #10
2010 (after Nolan) #30

Miami
2009 (before Nolan) #16
2010 (enter Nolan) #7
2011 #10
2012 (after Nolan) #17

Atlanta
2011 (before Nolan) #4
2012 (enter Nolan) #14
2013 #30
2014 #31
2015 (after Nolan) #22

Based on that, Atlanta appears to be the only defense among these that got depreciably worse when Nolan took over. And even with Atlanta, his defense got 20 interceptions during 2012.

Here's some interception numbers from those stops:

Denver finished 13th in INTs in 2009 (17), Miami finished 28th in 2010 (11) and 16th in 2011 (16), while the Falcons finished 29th in 2013 (10) and 12th in 2014 (16).

For a reference point, Dallas had seven interceptions last year.

 

[Denim Chicken]

I like DVOA better but it would have been more work.

Wow this is bad.

Check out Balt's DVOA after 2005. Crazy impressive. Top 2 two of the next 3, and top 5 the next four.

He improved most defenses. Atlanta was a bad stint, though.

 

[Point-of-the-Star]

NYG 4 seasons:
Average NFL ranking in yards allowed: 12th best
Average points allowed: 8th

Wash 3 seasons:
Yards: 24th
Points: 20th

Improved dramatically once Nolan left

NYJ 1 season:
Yards: 10th
Points: 13th

Baltimore 3 seasons:
Yards: 10th
Points: 10th

Went on the be the dominant Balt defense we knew in the mid-2000's after Nolan left

SF9ers 4 seasons(Only stint as head coach):
Yards: 24th
Points: 27th

Improved dramatically after Nolan left

Denver 1 season:
Yards: 7th
Points: 12th

Miami 2 seasons:
Yards: 11th
Points: 10th

Stayed the same in point against, but regressed in yards allowed once Nolan left.

Atlanta 3 seasons:
Yards: 28th
Points: 20th

Improved dramatically once Nolan left

Average finish in yards: 17.5th best
Average finish in points: 16th best (2 finishes in the top 5, 5 finishes in the bottom 5)

Remember a few things:
1. We don't make excuses for current and past coaches ever. It's always their fault when it comes to performance.
2. Nobody has any clue the talent he had around him- good, bad, or indifferent.
3. Saying "couldn't be worse than X" is an ignorant statement.
4. On the forum Richard was the second coming of Christ

I've looked at these and similar stat lines. I am concerned we don't have a top notch D coordinator IMHO.

 

[Denim Chicken]

Based on that, Atlanta appears to be the only defense among these that got depreciably worse when Nolan took over. And even with Atlanta, his defense got 20 interceptions during 2012.

Here's some interception numbers from those stops:

Denver finished 13th in INTs in 2009 (17), Miami finished 28th in 2010 (11) and 16th in 2011 (16), while the Falcons finished 29th in 2013 (10) and 12th in 2014 (16).

For a reference point, Dallas had seven interceptions last year.

Not to mention, from his Balt job, he had a top #10 defense (in DVOA) every year he was a DC except in ATL.

 

[CalPolyTechnique]

Seemed to me Maranelli defenses, at least during the last 4-5 years or so was predicated on not giving up big plays and being reactionary/waiting for offenses to simply mess up on their own. That in part is supported by the fact we ranked very low in terms of blitzing.

I think that approach worked in the past for him, but in today’s efficient passing era where the short passing game is utilized as effectively as the run, offenses have much greater success against his style of defense.

 

[jterrell]

The test will be if it doesn't work do they keep trying with the same guy or replace him.
Richard was a god-send year 1 but once we settled into his scheme it became uber predictable.
Teams just avoided Byron and attacked up everywhere else on the field.
We had zero play to play change ups.

I still argue the worst coaching I have seen at this level was watching Jaylon get singled up on Goal to go with WR3, handle that, they toss WR2 at him and he handles that, then they come with WR1 and ...TD.
If I were Jaylon a coach would have been punched in the mouth.

 

[Idgit]

I liked the Nolan hire, but he’s definitely the weak link in terms of track record. Your analysis isn’t entirely fair though. He got that SF HC job mostly for the work he did in BALT as DC. Sometimes stats can be a trailing indicator. He hasn’t exactly crushed it anywhere, though, beyond the takeaway stats we’ve already talked about.

 

[CowboysFaninHouston]

For me it is simple, McCarthy want him here to run his defense. This is not a Jerry or Stephen hire this is McCarthy putting his staff together. What Nolan did or did not do at any other stop means nothing to me, only thing that matters is how he puts this defense together and coaches them.

exactly. let the head coach decide on his staff and then hold him accountable/responsible. if the current defense hold as they have...the offense improves, the key thing would be situational coaching, making the critical calls, and calling the right plays in critical situations that would make the difference. we don't need a top 10, top 5 dominant defense. KC won it with the 14th best defense. The defense does need to make plays and make key stops, I am not dismissing that. You can't put the onus totally on one side of the ball and expect to win championships.....but last year we lost a few games due to poor coaching....that alone hopefully will be the difference maker....