Will the offense, defense or ST be in the top 10?

[ghst187]

who cares, we could finish #20 in all three but still win, which is what counts.

I do think that our defense should be top 5 with all of the talent, offseason additions, and another offseason for last year's rookies.....if our D isn't top 10, Zimmer should be strung up at the gallows...

 

[Hostile]

I wish I could get boxscore stats from 1991 versus the Detroit Lions.

Dallas played Detroit twice that year. Once in the regular season, and again in the playoffs. In both games if you looked at the stats sheets Dallas destroyed the Lions.

Passing yards
Rushing yards
Time of possession
First downs

If I remember right (it has been 15 years so I could be wrong), neither the defense nor the Special teams of the Lions scored in either game.

In some of the stats Dallas had twice as many as Detroit.

Regular season game score, Detroit 34, Dallas 10. (I had to put a Lions bumper sticker on my car for 1 month. Took it off Thanksgiving Day.)

Divisional Playoff game score, Detroit 38, Dallas 6. (I had to get the Lions logo shaved into one side of my head and the score on the other side and go to work that way, no cap. The next day I was bald.)

I am never going to agree that yardage is a better method of measuring offenses or defenses and as long as it is used people like Troy Aikman will pan it and I will agree.

 

[theogt]

Hos, I never claimed that yardage is a good measure. I've said numerous times that it is inadequate. I actually hate it when people use it as a measure. I just believe that overall scoring is even worse. The best, obvious, is a system like Aikman's. I think, and hope, that his system becomes the most popular measure. Til then, though, I think everyone would agree that yardage is the most popular measure.

 

[big dog cowboy]

I am never going to agree that yardage is a better method of measuring offenses or defenses and as long as it is used people like Troy Aikman will pan it and I will agree.

Agreed. The final score is determined by points not yards. Simple enough for me.

 

[Doomsdayblitz]

With so many of the rookies/new additions on defense having so many reps last year, they are bound to be better just from the experience & the chemistry getting better. What is really encouraging is that the defense ended up at #11 in spite of serious down time to such key players as Henry, Nuygen, and Singleton, plus the heavy minutes put in by so many rookies.

As I've mentioned before, there is a huge difference in so many ways between a player's first & second year. With so many rookies starting last year, plus with the mending of rookies Thomas Johnson & Kevin Burnett, who were plagued by nagging injuries, this defense can't help but get better. These rookies will come back with so much more confidence, not to mention 10-25 lbs. more muscle from Super Joe's Strength & Conditioning program.

I was concerned, to say the least, that we didn't grab one of the MANY talented offensive linemen in the first day. Even more so after we picked Skyler Green??!! with big Rob Sims of Ohio St. still on the board. Anyway, our line may improve in spite of our drafting defaults in that area. Sounds like Petitti really worked his butt off over the winter, & is determined to guard the corner. That will only make both he & Fabini better for it from the competition. I'm just hoping Green shows some special talent on special teams to validate such a high pick for a return specialist.

After reading extensively about this two TE system, I am really excited about the possibilities. It should really open up holes in the defenses-especially on third & long situations.

Having said all that, my grades are:

Defense- #5

Offense- #7

Special Teams- #9

 

[theogt]

Agreed. The final score is determined by points not yards. Simple enough for me.

That's what you call a tautological argument. The point is that the final score isn't the best predictor for offenses.

 

[big dog cowboy]

That's what you call a tautological argument. The point is that the final score isn't the best predictor for offenses.

Maybe not. But if we score more points than the other team, we win every time regardless of the yardage.

 

[Hostile]

Maybe not. But if we score more points than the other team, we win every time regardless of the yardage.

The only time scoring is losing is if it's with your sister-in-law.

Right? :wink2:

 

[theogt]

Maybe not. But if we score more points than the other team, we win every time regardless of the yardage.

Agreed, but we're talking about offenses, not winning games.

 

[Hostile]

Agreed, but we're talking about offenses, not winning games.

To be better, you have to score, not necessarily move the ball.

 

[theogt]

The only time scoring is losing is if it's with your sister-in-law.

Right? :wink2:

Depends on how good she looks.

 

[big dog cowboy]

The only time scoring is losing is if it's with your sister-in-law.

Right? :wink2:

:ralph:
And to think I was having such a good weekend.

 

[theogt]

To be better, you have to score, not necessarily move the ball.

I'd say, to be better, you have to score more than your opponent. Sounds obvious, but the point is that simply scoring a lot of points doesn't make you a better team.

 

[big dog cowboy]

Depends on how good she looks.

Here is a hint.......

:eekmouse:

 

[Hostile]

Depends on how good she looks.

BDC and I have a long standing joke about our sister-in-laws, only my brother wised up and divorced the shrew.

If you have a music download service look up The Notorius Cherry Bombs and download their song "It's Hard to Kiss the Lips at Night..."

 

[theogt]

Makeup artists can do amazing things these days.

http://www.ebaumsworld.com/images2/extrememakeover1.jpg

http://www.ebaumsworld.com/images2/extrememakeover2.jpg

http://www.ebaumsworld.com/images2/extrememakeover3.jpg

http://www.ebaumsworld.com/images2/extrememakeover4.jpg

http://www.ebaumsworld.com/images2/extrememakeover5.jpg

 

[Hostile]

Makeup artists can do amazing things these days.

http://www.ebaumsworld.com/images2/extrememakeover1.jpg

http://www.ebaumsworld.com/images2/extrememakeover2.jpg

http://www.ebaumsworld.com/images2/extrememakeover3.jpg

http://www.ebaumsworld.com/images2/extrememakeover4.jpg

http://www.ebaumsworld.com/images2/extrememakeover5.jpg

All the makeup in the world couldn't cover up Marie's (my ex sis-in-law) mouth. Gorgeous woman, opens her mouth and all that beauty is ruined. Download that song. You'll know what I mean.

 

[VACowboy]

I think taking any single number as an indicator of an offense's or defense's "goodness" is a mistake. If your defense gets lots of turnovers or just generally leaves you with short fields, you can score a lot of points without racking up yards. By the same token, you can move the ball up and down the field and end up turning the ball over or kicking/missing field goals instead of making touchdowns -- in which case you end up with huge yards and no points.

But...

Of the top-ten teams in scoring, eight made the playoffs. Of the top-ten teams in yardage, seven made the playoffs. Of the eight top-ten scoring teams who made the playoffs, six were higher in scoring than yardage. Pittburgh was 9th in scoring and 16th in yardage. Carollina was 8th and 22nd.

So while I think ranking offenses/defenses based on a single statistic is less than precise, if you have to choose yards or points, points is more accurate. It all depends how you define "best," of course. I would argue that the "best" offense scores the most points in the fewest number of yards or plays or something, but ultimately gets you to the playoffs.

 

[big dog cowboy]

All the makeup in the world couldn't cover up Marie's (my ex sis-in-law) mouth. Gorgeous woman, opens her mouth and all that beauty is ruined. Download that song. You'll know what I mean.

Or attitude.

 

[theogt]

I think taking any single number as an indicator of an offense's or defense's "goodness" is a mistake. If your defense gets lots of turnovers or just generally leaves you with short fields, you can score a lot of points without racking up yards. By the same token, you can move the ball up and down the field and end up turning the ball over or kicking/missing field goals instead of making touchdowns -- in which case you end up with huge yards and no points.

But...

Of the top-ten teams in scoring, eight made the playoffs. Of the top-ten teams in yardage, seven made the playoffs. Of the eight top-ten scoring teams who made the playoffs, six were higher in scoring than yardage. Pittburgh was 9th in scoring and 16th in yardage. Carollina was 8th and 22nd.

So while I think ranking offenses/defenses based on a single statistic is less than precise, if you have to choose yards or points, points is more accurate. It all depends how you define "best," of course. I would argue that the "best" offense scores the most points in the fewest number of yards or plays or something, but ultimately gets you to the playoffs.

This is the same tautological argument that BDC made.