Safeties

daves

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Interesting article... per PFF, Branch and Bethea are ranked the 3rd & 9th best safeties in the league so far this year.
http://www.azcardinals.com/news-and...ardinals/0914f552-66c1-4864-84f7-6c3a8157945d

There has been a lot of talk about what a blunder it was to let Jefferson and Swearinger leave. Now with those two playing well, plus the addition of Budda Baker, and Mathieu still in the fold, would keeping last year's safeties really have been worth it?

...dbs
 

kerouac9

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Last year the Cards' defense was ranked 3rd in DVOA overall, 3rd in pass defense DVOA, and 7th in rush defense DVOA.

This year so far the Cards are 19th, 24th, and 4th, respectively. PFF's ratings are no bueno.
 

WindCardinal

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I loved the attitude Swearinger brought to the defense now he's a captain in washington. You need that crazy take your head off guy on your defense

Swearinger was much better after Jefferson went down IMO. he was a good SS but not so much FS like Washington is playing him
 
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daves

daves

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Last year the Cards' defense was ranked 3rd in DVOA overall, 3rd in pass defense DVOA, and 7th in rush defense DVOA.

This year so far the Cards are 19th, 24th, and 4th, respectively. PFF's ratings are no bueno.

Not at all surprised that the Cardinals have such a low overall pass defense ranking - just thought it bizarre that PFF rates Branch and Bethea among the top 10 safeties, and we know that PP has been playing as well as ever... yet the pass D overall has been so bad. I guess that means it's all on Bethel, Baker, and Mathieu.

...dbs
 

Finito

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Our passing rating is low because we can't get pressure on the QB. I don't care who it is you give an NFL QB all day he can't find the open man. It's a dominoe effect
 

oaken1

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my guess is safeties will rank better when the ball rarely comes there way
 

JeffGollin

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Last year the Cards' defense was ranked 3rd in DVOA overall, 3rd in pass defense DVOA, and 7th in rush defense DVOA.

This year so far the Cards are 19th, 24th, and 4th, respectively. PFF's ratings are no bueno.
Drop in performance is not necssarily due to change in safeties. Golden's absence takes some of the heat off our pass rush. And we're not getting enough production from our #2 corner. But then too, there's the matter of the 2017 Badger vs the 2016 Badger. We're also facing different QB's and passing offense in some instances.

All of which is to say: Use stats with some degree of caution.
 

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Not at all surprised that the Cardinals have such a low overall pass defense ranking - just thought it bizarre that PFF rates Branch and Bethea among the top 10 safeties, and we know that PP has been playing as well as ever... yet the pass D overall has been so bad. I guess that means it's all on Bethel, Baker, and Mathieu.

...dbs

Baker usually is only the field for D assignments less than 5 times per game. Not going to hold anything against him.

Despite Chandler setting team record for sacks in first 6 games... there hasn't been any consistent pressure on any QB this season. Allows the likes of Dak, Fitzpatrick, Hoyer, etc to put of career numbers against us.

If anything, it highlights how great a season PP is having. Depending on how long he can keep it up, we may be watching one of the greatest of all time.

Go Cards!!!
 

WisconsinCard

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Drop in performance is not necssarily due to change in safeties. Golden's absence takes some of the heat off our pass rush. And we're not getting enough production from our #2 corner. But then too, there's the matter of the 2017 Badger vs the 2016 Badger. We're also facing different QB's and passing offense in some instances.

All of which is to say: Use stats with some degree of caution.

Especially one as subjective as DVOA. It is a made up stat to compare what is perceived as the same situations. But as we all know no two plays are just alike.
 

kerouac9

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Especially one as subjective as DVOA. It is a made up stat to compare what is perceived as the same situations. But as we all know no two plays are just alike.

DVOA is far more objective than what PFF puts out there, which are literally subjective grades put out by one dude and not normed.

The word you're probably looking for is "arbitrary," but if the arbitrary measure is applied consistently, it should reveal something. Not sure why something like success rate (a 4-yard stop on 3rd and 5 is more valuable than a 4-yard stop on 1st-and-10 isn't important or meaningful.
 

WisconsinCard

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DVOA is far more objective than what PFF puts out there, which are literally subjective grades put out by one dude and not normed.

The word you're probably looking for is "arbitrary," but if the arbitrary measure is applied consistently, it should reveal something. Not sure why something like success rate (a 4-yard stop on 3rd and 5 is more valuable than a 4-yard stop on 1st-and-10 isn't important or meaningful.

Except there are too many variables to consider them all the same. I agree that ppf is no different.
 
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