League Full of Trash Defense

[Blitzen]

Poor defense is a staple in the NFL and becoming a league issue. All teams ranked below the top 14 teams give up 23 or more points per game on average. Seven total teams allow less than 20ppg, and only three less than 18. Seattle gives up 18.0 ppg and has one more win than the Cowboys. Tampa gives up 19.8 ranking 7th in the league (record is 3-6).

Buffalo gives up 23.4ppg and ranks 16th overall but is 7-1; Detroit gives up 23.6 and is 6-2. Winning games in the league is much more complicated than oh, but the defense. Most teams do not have great balance (great offense and defense which is the true unicorn in the NFL). It’s usually one or the other-great offense or great defense (and pray the other side is decent).

 

[Reality]

When you expand beyond their favorite teams, fans are a lot more likely to watch and rave about high scoring games with multiple lead changes than games that are defensive battles.

The NFL knows this so they aim for those 21-38 scoring range games because that keeps fans in their seats and watching commercials longer.

The reality is every score is a network timeout (more commercials!) and every lead change keeps more fans from leaving (more sustained viewers) to watch or do something else.

 

[gtb1943]

So many rules now benefit the offense. It is incredibly hard to build a D like the vikings have; its a lot easier to build an offense.

 

[kskboys]

Poor defense is a staple in the NFL and becoming a league issue. All teams ranked below the top 14 teams give up 23 or more points per game on average. Seven total teams allow less than 20ppg, and only three less than 18. Seattle gives up 18.0 ppg and has one more win than the Cowboys. Tampa gives up 19.8 ranking 7th in the league (record is 3-6).

Buffalo gives up 23.4ppg and ranks 16th overall but is 7-1; Detroit gives up 23.6 and is 6-2. Winning games in the league is much more complicated than oh, but the defense. Most teams do not have great balance (great offense and defense which is the true unicorn in the NFL). It’s usually one or the other-great offense or great defense (and pray the other side is decent).

Not that simple.

Firstly, it's a QB driven league. Always has been and always will be. So, your first step is getting a good QB.

Secondly. It's almost impossible to win a super bowl w/o a viable D. Ask BUFF.

Now look at the last few super bowls. Just off the top of my head: SEA, Philly, Rams, Bucs, Pats, all won w/ D. Chiefs: Only have the best QB in the game, and pair that w/ a decent D. And, here are their D rankings from their 3 super bowl wins:

2023: 2nd
2022: 11th
2019: 17th

So, the saying that D wins super bowls really means that you're not going to win one w/o a D. History confirms.

 

[Rayman70]

Poor defense is a staple in the NFL and becoming a league issue. All teams ranked below the top 14 teams give up 23 or more points per game on average. Seven total teams allow less than 20ppg, and only three less than 18. Seattle gives up 18.0 ppg and has one more win than the Cowboys. Tampa gives up 19.8 ranking 7th in the league (record is 3-6).

Buffalo gives up 23.4ppg and ranks 16th overall but is 7-1; Detroit gives up 23.6 and is 6-2. Winning games in the league is much more complicated than oh, but the defense. Most teams do not have great balance (great offense and defense which is the true unicorn in the NFL). It’s usually one or the other-great offense or great defense (and pray the other side is decent).

Good point. It's what the league heads wanted isn't it. Now they got it. They wanted high flying entertainment and it's at the expense of defenses. The rules are geared to offenses and makes it impossible almost to hold a team under 30, with rare exception ie Minnesota and Denver, San fran.

 

[Blitzen]

Not that simple.

Firstly, it's a QB driven league. Always has been and always will be. So, your first step is getting a good QB.

Secondly. It's almost impossible to win a super bowl w/o a viable D. Ask BUFF.

Now look at the last few super bowls. Just off the top of my head: SEA, Philly, Rams, Bucs, Pats, all won w/ D. Chiefs: Only have the best QB in the game, and pair that w/ a decent D. And, here are their D rankings from their 3 super bowl wins:

2023: 2nd
2022: 11th
2019: 17th

So, the saying that D wins super bowls really means that you're not going to win one w/o a D. History confirms.

Who said having a great defense does not help win SBs? I see many fans complain about the defense in Dallas. Not that unique-league wide issue. Many other teams suffer from the same problems. The magic formula of great offense and great defense is the most rare of finds. It takes so much effort just to field a great defense (then there is timing, health, and good fortune needed).

 

[SteveTheCowboy]

When you expand beyond their favorite teams, fans are a lot more likely to watch and rave about high scoring games with multiple lead changes than games that are defensive battles.

The NFL knows this so they aim for those 21-38 scoring range games because that keeps fans in their seats and watching commercials longer.

The reality is every score is a network timeout (more commercials!) and every lead change keeps more fans from leaving (more sustained viewers) to watch or do something else.

Pregame betting odds and betting ads throughout the game. It's not about the game anymore.

 

[MikeT22]

Not that simple.

Firstly, it's a QB driven league. Always has been and always will be. So, your first step is getting a good QB.

Secondly. It's almost impossible to win a super bowl w/o a viable D. Ask BUFF.

Now look at the last few super bowls. Just off the top of my head: SEA, Philly, Rams, Bucs, Pats, all won w/ D. Chiefs: Only have the best QB in the game, and pair that w/ a decent D. And, here are their D rankings from their 3 super bowl wins:

2023: 2nd
2022: 11th
2019: 17th

So, the saying that D wins super bowls really means that you're not going to win one w/o a D. History confirms.

This is true. But the OP just wants everyone to feel better about our defense since there are a lot of teams with bad defenses.

But when you look deeper you will notice there are 32 teams in the league and the Cowboys defense ranks 31st. So in reality, there is only one team with a worse defense than ours.

 

[thunderpimp91]

You can win a lot of games allowing 22-23 points with a great offense. There is a reason that teams like Buffalo and Detroit are really good year after year but dont play in super bowls. Come playoff time itll be the Jacksonville, SF type of teams that can actually make deep runs.

 

[kskboys]

Who said having a great defense does not help win SBs? I see many fans complain about the defense in Dallas. Not that unique-league wide issue. Many other teams suffer from the same problems. The magic formula of great offense and great defense is the most rare of finds. It takes so much effort just to field a great defense (then there is timing, health, and good fortune needed).

It was inferred by your OP. Guess you didn't mean to infer!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

[Blitzen]

When you expand beyond their favorite teams, fans are a lot more likely to watch and rave about high scoring games with multiple lead changes than games that are defensive battles.

The NFL knows this so they aim for those 21-38 scoring range games because that keeps fans in their seats and watching commercials longer.

The reality is every score is a network timeout (more commercials!) and every lead change keeps more fans from leaving (more sustained viewers) to watch or do something else.

Yeah, the casual fan wants to see a score more than the great defensive effort. It’s too bad-that ultimate struggle is the best part of the game.

 

[Coogiguy03]

Fantasy and betting are the reason why, nobody wants to see defense it's all about stats

 

[Blitzen]

It was inferred by your OP. Guess you didn't mean to infer!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Haha-no it was not. You just took it that way. I never even mentioned a SB. My point was that winning and losing in this league is much more complex than simply keeping the other team from scoring. It is but one factor and not the holy grail.

 

[Blitzen]

This is true. But the OP just wants everyone to feel better about our defense since there are a lot of teams with bad defenses.

But when you look deeper you will notice there are 32 teams in the league and the Cowboys defense ranks 31st. So in reality, there is only one team with a worse defense than ours.

No, that is not what I’m going for. There are 5 teams that give up more points per game currently. What is your ranking based on? Yardage?

 

[LouBrown]

Defensive rankings like PPG and Yards per game are mostly about who you play.


Efficiency (EPA) in the passing game is the only predictive metric. NE and SEA were #1 and #2 last year.

 

[sunalsorises]

I don’t know. Minnesota just gave up 23 to the Bills and their defense looked really good to me. Of course, their offense was trash.

The Dallas defense looks nothing like Minnesota’s defense. Not even close.

 

[Cowboysheelsreds053]

We currently sit 3rd to the bottom of worse D’s but we know TN is in rebuild mode and LV is the worse in the league.

 

[thunderpimp91]

I don’t know. Minnesota just gave up 23 to the Bills and their defense looked really good to me. Of course, their offense was trash.

The Dallas defense looks nothing like Minnesota’s defense. Not even close.

Yeah when talking about defense who you play really matters. Over the course of a full season you get a large enough sample size where most teams have played a wide range for good and bad offenses, but at the half way mark we will still see some outliers. Minnesota giving up 23 to Buffalo isnt anywhere close to the same thing as the Cowboys giving up 23 to Indy....not to mention how much the Minnesota offense hinders their defense.