Writers of Pro Football Prospectus 2008

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Innovative Statistics

Football Outsiders exclusive statistics


2008 TEAM EFFICIENCY RATINGS, DEFENSE

Regular season totals, playoffs not included

Revised as of 12/29/2008

This page lists DVOA (Defense-adjusted Value Over Average) for total defense as well as rushing and passing defense separated. The DVOA system is explained here. All numbers below are adjusted to an average schedule of opponents and an average percentage of fumbles recovered by the defense. The exceptions are the final three columns, which are unadjusted total, passing, and rushing defense. Rushing data includes all rushing, not just running backs.

WEIGHTED DEFENSE is adjusted so that earlier games in the season become gradually less important. It better reflects how the team was playing at the end of the season. LAST YEAR represents 2007 rank.

VARIANCE measures the statistical variance of the team's weekly DVOA performance. Teams are ranked from most consistent to least consistent.

Remember, since positive numbers represent more scoring, defense is better when it is NEGATIVE.

TEAM DEFENSE
DVOA 		LAST
YEAR 		WEIGHTED
DEFENSE 		RANK PASS
DEFENSE 		PASS
RANK 		RUSH
DEFENSE 		RUSH
RANK 		NON-ADJUSTED VAR RANK
TOTAL PASS RUSH
1 PIT -26.4% 2 -28.1% 1 -29.7% 1 -22.4% 2 -23.5% -28.1% -17.9% 5.3% 9
2 BAL -24.5% 9 -22.3% 3 -23.3% 2 -26.0% 1 -25.6% -24.9% -26.5% 6.1% 16
3 PHI -20.7% 12 -24.5% 2 -22.1% 3 -19.1% 3 -21.1% -25.6% -15.6% 4.7% 8
4 MIN -18.2% 17 -16.0% 4 -19.1% 5 -17.0% 4 -10.7% -7.0% -15.8% 5.8% 13
5 TEN -16.9% 1 -10.1% 5 -21.3% 4 -11.1% 6 -15.6% -19.0% -11.2% 5.9% 14
6 TB -7.6% 4 -0.1% 10 -12.3% 6 -3.0% 12 -5.2% -6.9% -3.5% 17.2% 32
7 CHI -5.5% 7 -2.5% 7 3.3% 11 -16.5% 5 -5.2% 4.2% -17.1% 7.0% 21
8 NYG -4.0% 14 -2.1% 8 -1.0% 9 -7.7% 9 -3.6% -0.1% -7.9% 16.0% 31
9 DAL -0.7% 10 -7.8% 6 1.0% 10 -2.8% 13 -1.7% 0.7% -4.7% 6.9% 19
10 CAR 1.3% 19 4.5% 13 -4.1% 8 8.0% 24 2.7% 0.1% 5.7% 8.7% 25
11 WAS 1.9% 6 4.2% 12 6.2% 15 -3.5% 11 2.6% 5.0% -0.3% 4.1% 4
12 GB 2.7% 15 5.0% 14 -7.8% 7 13.4% 29 3.6% -7.5% 14.9% 5.4% 10
13 MIA 3.0% 32 7.0% 17 4.8% 12 0.6% 17 -0.7% -2.5% 1.6% 9.5% 27
14 IND 3.7% 3 1.4% 11 6.2% 14 1.3% 19 3.6% 5.2% 2.1% 7.1% 22
15 CIN 3.7% 24 -0.6% 9 16.3% 21 -8.5% 7 5.7% 17.1% -5.3% 9.2% 26
16 NYJ 3.9% 25 6.0% 15 12.6% 16 -7.7% 8 1.8% 10.5% -9.7% 6.8% 18
TEAM DEFENSE
DVOA 		LAST
YEAR 		WEIGHTED
DEFENSE 		RANK PASS
DEFENSE 		PASS
RANK 		RUSH
DEFENSE 		RUSH
RANK 		NON-ADJUSTED VAR RANK
TOTAL PASS RUSH
17 CLE 8.4% 22 7.3% 18 12.8% 17 5.0% 22 11.1% 16.9% 6.6% 6.1% 15
18 OAK 8.6% 23 9.7% 20 5.1% 13 11.5% 26 14.4% 12.2% 16.2% 13.9% 30
19 SF 8.8% 28 14.5% 24 15.7% 20 1.0% 18 7.1% 11.8% 1.7% 2.7% 2
20 NE 8.9% 8 6.1% 16 21.7% 27 -4.7% 10 6.0% 19.9% -8.6% 10.6% 28
21 ARI 9.3% 20 12.3% 23 19.7% 23 -1.7% 15 6.4% 14.4% -2.1% 8.3% 24
22 SD 10.7% 5 10.5% 21 15.3% 19 4.1% 21 12.0% 17.6% 4.0% 7.0% 20
23 ATL 11.4% 29 11.2% 22 13.4% 18 9.1% 25 12.4% 14.7% 9.7% 11.5% 29
24 NO 11.6% 27 9.6% 19 19.4% 22 3.1% 20 11.3% 17.1% 5.1% 2.6% 1
25 BUF 13.5% 18 16.6% 27 20.1% 24 6.6% 23 11.3% 15.8% 6.7% 4.6% 6
26 JAC 15.0% 13 15.5% 25 31.4% 30 -1.9% 14 16.1% 33.3% -1.8% 3.6% 3
27 SEA 16.3% 11 15.6% 26 29.8% 29 -0.4% 16 16.1% 28.4% 1.0% 4.7% 7
28 KC 17.5% 16 17.9% 30 22.5% 28 12.4% 28 19.9% 28.1% 11.7% 4.4% 5
29 HOU 19.1% 30 17.7% 29 21.1% 26 17.2% 30 19.0% 22.8% 15.1% 5.5% 12
30 STL 23.3% 26 17.3% 28 21.0% 25 25.3% 31 21.9% 20.0% 23.5% 6.4% 17
31 DEN 26.2% 21 30.5% 32 41.4% 31 11.9% 27 26.9% 43.6% 11.3% 5.4% 11
32 DET 33.3% 31 28.8% 31 41.4% 32 26.2% 32 35.0% 45.4% 26.0% 7.1% 23

2008 DEFENSE vs. TYPES OF RECEIVERS

Regular season totals, playoffs not included

Revised as of 12/29/2008

DVOA ratings represent value from the point of view of the defense, not fantasy football players, and include items that have no impact on fantasy football (such as how many interceptions are caught on passes intended to certain receivers). DVOA of defense against receivers does not include sacks or passes with no intended receiver listed. Passes per game and yards per game are more useful for fantasy football players. These numbers are adjusted based on the opposing offenses and include defensive pass interference.

Note that our decision of which receiver is 'number one' and which receiver is 'number two' is somewhat subjective. Teams are ranked in order of general passing defense DVOA.

    vs. #1 WR vs. #2 WR vs. Other WR vs. TE vs. RB
Rk Team DVOA Rk Pa/G Yd/G DVOA Rk Pa/G Yd/G DVOA Rk Pa/G Yd/G DVOA Rk Pa/G Yd/G DVOA Rk Pa/G Yd/G
1 PIT -10.3% 7 9.1 59.5 -6.7% 10 5.4 34.5 -40.4% 4 5.4 26.6 -14.3% 6 5.6 35.9 -26.6% 1 7.9 39.7
2 BAL -23.2% 2 8.2 54.9 -16.3% 6 6.9 47.6 -14.9% 11 6.3 37.5 -33.1% 1 6.0 41.5 -9.0% 6 6.4 33.0
3 PHI -1.4% 13 6.0 51.2 -25.3% 3 7.2 46.8 -51.1% 2 5.1 29.5 6.9% 19 7.6 51.8 7.3% 18 6.3 33.6
4 TEN -11.0% 6 8.6 62.5 -22.9% 4 6.6 42.7 -30.2% 6 5.4 28.5 -8.7% 11 7.8 51.9 -7.4% 7 8.1 40.1
5 MIN -15.8% 5 7.0 54.0 -30.9% 2 6.3 34.9 -1.5% 20 5.4 48.5 18.0% 24 7.3 53.8 9.2% 22 7.4 41.7
6 TB 12.8% 25 7.1 59.4 -41.3% 1 4.7 30.8 6.1% 24 5.2 29.7 -18.7% 4 6.0 33.3 -24.0% 3 7.5 38.8
7 GB -25.2% 1 7.2 52.8 16.4% 24 5.5 49.1 -47.9% 3 5.0 26.0 -12.6% 9 7.9 47.6 1.5% 13 6.9 42.6
8 CAR -9.3% 8 8.3 65.6 6.6% 18 5.4 32.1 -2.5% 17 6.1 38.7 -12.9% 8 6.7 42.3 -13.6% 4 7.3 33.2
9 NYG -3.8% 12 7.0 58.9 -4.6% 11 7.6 55.6 -15.8% 10 5.0 40.6 8.7% 21 4.9 33.6 30.2% 31 6.0 36.4
10 DAL 8.9% 22 8.2 72.5 18.8% 26 5.8 48.3 -11.5% 12 4.9 33.8 19.4% 25 5.9 39.7 3.9% 15 6.6 33.7
11 CHI -4.1% 11 10.3 72.8 -11.8% 8 6.8 43.3 -2.1% 19 6.6 51.8 -25.9% 3 7.5 44.6 11.7% 24 6.9 38.4
12 MIA -8.4% 9 9.5 76.0 38.8% 30 6.3 59.1 -22.2% 8 6.5 36.5 -14.0% 7 7.5 38.6 -24.9% 2 6.9 39.8
13 OAK -21.7% 4 6.1 45.6 23.8% 28 4.7 43.8 -0.4% 22 4.9 36.4 -15.4% 5 6.3 42.3 3.9% 14 6.6 37.4
14 IND 6.6% 21 6.3 51.9 4.8% 16 4.5 39.9 -10.7% 13 4.7 27.3 1.5% 14 7.2 49.1 8.5% 20 7.1 39.6
15 WAS -22.6% 3 9.5 56.4 14.6% 22 5.5 44.5 -3.9% 16 4.4 29.6 -3.9% 12 5.3 36.0 17.1% 28 7.5 50.0
16 NYJ -6.3% 10 7.6 49.1 -0.1% 12 5.9 52.8 7.9% 25 6.7 54.5 25.3% 29 8.2 59.8 8.6% 21 7.0 38.1
x NFL 2.8% x 7.9 64.8 3.4% x 6.2 46.9 -7.5% x 5.1 35.4 3.0% x 6.4 44.8 3.5% x 6.6 37.4
    vs. #1 WR vs. #2 WR vs. Other WR vs. TE vs. RB
Rk Team DVOA Rk Pa/G Yd/G DVOA Rk Pa/G Yd/G DVOA Rk Pa/G Yd/G DVOA Rk Pa/G Yd/G DVOA Rk Pa/G Yd/G
17 CLE -0.1% 14 7.7 67.1 48.3% 32 4.7 50.3 -30.8% 5 4.2 33.1 -10.2% 10 5.3 41.9 -4.1% 10 4.5 21.0
18 ATL 1.2% 16 8.9 70.6 5.7% 17 6.2 40.4 -28.1% 7 5.2 27.1 25.1% 28 6.7 54.1 20.8% 29 6.5 37.7
19 SD 12.4% 24 9.0 76.5 -16.1% 7 7.8 54.3 -6.8% 14 5.9 30.5 19.9% 26 8.7 68.3 -10.5% 5 6.8 33.9
20 SF 6.2% 20 8.2 64.3 3.3% 15 7.3 50.4 8.2% 26 4.8 44.5 3.3% 17 4.8 27.8 -4.3% 9 8.2 47.8
21 CIN 22.2% 29 8.5 74.9 15.7% 23 5.9 47.5 4.2% 23 3.7 28.9 -28.7% 2 6.7 42.8 4.1% 17 6.0 29.9
22 NO 17.6% 27 9.5 90.1 -22.0% 5 7.6 41.3 -0.7% 21 4.9 37.5 7.6% 20 4.7 35.9 7.4% 19 5.4 30.2
23 ARI 17.8% 28 6.8 61.6 1.8% 14 6.2 44.8 16.7% 27 6.2 52.2 14.5% 22 5.3 35.3 1.4% 12 7.2 44.2
24 BUF 28.7% 30 7.8 67.2 -7.7% 9 6.5 49.1 -16.8% 9 4.9 31.0 -1.2% 13 6.1 37.8 15.9% 26 5.7 36.0
25 STL 5.4% 19 7.6 64.4 9.9% 19 6.4 59.0 25.5% 31 3.8 46.0 2.7% 16 5.4 38.3 -0.9% 11 5.1 28.3
26 HOU 2.3% 17 7.2 74.1 11.0% 20 7.2 50.5 32.0% 32 4.5 38.0 4.3% 18 5.7 42.9 16.2% 27 5.2 37.9
27 NE 15.8% 26 8.0 64.5 19.9% 27 5.1 48.5 -2.2% 18 5.2 38.6 2.3% 15 6.1 43.9 4.0% 16 5.1 25.4
28 KC 1.1% 15 7.2 61.3 1.7% 13 7.2 54.2 -53.0% 1 3.8 19.2 15.7% 23 6.8 49.4 22.5% 30 6.5 44.8
29 SEA 38.3% 31 8.6 87.9 17.6% 25 7.0 61.8 -5.4% 15 5.4 38.2 20.2% 27 6.9 44.5 14.2% 25 6.9 39.3
30 JAC 2.6% 18 7.6 68.7 12.4% 21 5.2 41.9 23.3% 29 5.0 40.0 26.6% 30 5.3 53.5 34.1% 32 6.2 41.6
31 DEN 11.1% 23 7.7 60.5 34.2% 29 6.1 53.1 23.8% 30 4.6 23.9 32.0% 31 5.9 58.1 11.6% 23 6.8 48.8
32 DET 39.3% 32 7.7 77.6 46.4% 31 5.0 47.7 22.3% 28 3.3 29.1 38.1% 32 6.8 57.4 -6.4% 8 5.4 32.9
x NFL 2.8% x 7.9 64.8 3.4% x 6.2 46.9 -7.5% x 5.1 35.4 3.0% x 6.4 44.8 3.5% x 6.6 37.4