Q&A Session
Q: Why create the sack rate?
A: To put it into perspective, let’s take two extremes. Imagine a defense that only accumulates one sack all season. But teams only threw on them once. Imagine another team that collected 500 sacks in a season. But they’re thrown on twenty five thousand times. Every other passing play, the first team collected a sack. Every FIFTIETH passing play, the second team collects a sack. This puts that into perspective.
Q: Why don’t you include Hurries/Knockdowns/Factor in Quarterbacks and Divisions/Peyton Manning Factor/Sixth Senses/Roughing the Passer Penalties/Intentional Grounding?
A: To put it plainly, they’re not sacks. How much is a QB Hurry worth in relation to a sack? What about knocking the QB down? What sort of coefficient would we use to determine schedules? How would we do so, even? Similarly, what sort of bonus do we give other AFC South teams and anyone who plays a QB with a good feel for when the pocket will collapse? Do we penalize other teams too? What about turnovers created by pressure? It’s a crapload of questions that frankly, don’t have good answers. Enough people will criticize the work I’ve done already here. We don’t need even more things to argue over.
Q: I have a website and I’d like to host your data. Can I?
A: The data and analysis is my intellectual property. If you’d like to profit off of it, send me a message first.
Observations
- Congrats to the Chiefs, who cut their sack rate by about 60%. Granted, they were far and away the worst sack rate ever in 2008, and they’re still the second worst pass rush this year.
- The Saints have one of the worst sack rates of Super Bowl winning teams in the last decade. The Colts are even worse. Until lately, every super bowl winner had at least an above average sack rate.
- Once again, the average sack rate seems to be roughly sixteen. I would claim any defense that can get their sack rate below fifteen should be satisfied with their pass rush. Any team that is above sixteen should be looking to actively improve their pass rush.
Teams arranged by Sack Rate (Sack Rate)
Miami Dolphins (11.11)
Pittsburgh Steelers (11.66)
Oakland Raiders (11.83)
Minnesota Vikings (12.16)
Washington Redskins (12.78)
Denver Broncos (13.07)
Cleveland Browns (13.15)
Philadelphia Eagles (13.18)
San Francisco 49′ers (13.18)
Dallas Cowboys (13.62)
Arizona Cardinals (13.79)
Green Bay Packers (14.59)
Chicago Bears (15.17)
San Diego Chargers (15.26)
New York Giants (15.56)
New York Jets (15.66)
Carolina Panthers (15.97)
Cincinatti Bengals (16.09)
Buffalo Bills (16.22)
Baltimore Ravens (16.38)
New Orleans Saints (16.40)
New England Patriots (16.52)
Indianapolis Colts (17.15)
Tampa Bay Buccaneers (17.21)
Houston Texans (18.27)
Tennessee Titans (18.88)
Atlanta Falcons (19.18)
St. Louis Rams (19.64)
Seattle Seahawks (20.29)
Detroit Lions (20.96)
Kansas City Chiefs (23.14)
Jacksonville Jaguars (36.43)
Teams arranged by Defensive Yards Per Pass Attempt (DYPA, Sack Rate)
1. New York Jets (5.4, 15.66)
2. Buffalo Bills (6.0, 16.22)
3. Indianapolis Colts (6.2, 17.15)
4. Denver Broncos (6.3, 13.07)
5. Cincinatti Bengals (6.4, 16.09)
6. Green Bay Packers (6.4, 14.59)
7. Philadelphia Eagles (6.5, 13.18)
8. Carolina Panthers (6.6, 15.97)
9. San Diego Chargers (6.7, 15.26)
10. Baltimore Ravens (6.7, 16.38)
11. Houston Texans (6.7, 18.27)
12. Arizona Cardinals (6.7, 13.79)
13. Dallas Cowboys (6.8, 13.62)
14. San Francisco 49′ers (6.8, 13.18)
15. Pittsburgh STeelers (6.9, 11.66)
16. Chicago Bears (6.9, 15.17)
17. New Orleans Saints (6.9, 16.40)
18. Washington Redskins (7.0, 12.78)
19. New England Patriots (7.0, 16.52)
20. Minnesota Vikings (7.1, 12.16)
21. Tennessee Titans (7.2, 18.88)
22. Tampa Bay Buccaneers (7.2, 17.21)
23. Seattle Seahawks (7.2, 20.29)
24. New York Giants (7.4, 15.56)
25. Atlanta Falcons (7.5, 19.18)
26. Kansas City Chiefs (7.6, 23.14)
27. Jacksonville Jaguars (7.6, 36.43)
28. Cleveland Browns (7.9, 13.15)
29. St. Louis Rams (8.0, 19.64)
30. Oakland Raiders (8.1, 11.83)
31. Detroit Lions (8.1, 20.96)
32. Miami Dolphins (8.2, 11.11)
Out of the 12 teams with the highest sack rate…
- 5 of them made the playoffs. (Vikings, Eagles, Cowboys, Cardinals, Packers)
- 4 recieved picks in the top 12 in the NFL draft (Dolphins, Redskins, Raiders, Browns)
- 3 ranked in the bottom 12 in Defensive Yards Per Pass Attempt (DYPA) (Dolphins, Raiders, Browns)
- 4 ranked in the top 12 of DYPA (Broncos, Eagles, Cardinals, Cowboys)
Out of the 12 teams with the lowest sack rate…
- 3 of them made the playoffs (Colts, Patriots, Saints)
- 6 recieved picks in the top 12 in the NFL draft (Jaguars, Chiefs, Lions, Seahawks, Rams, Buccaneers)
- 6 ranked in the bottom 12 of DYPA (Lions, Rams, Jaguars, Chiefs, Falcons, Seahawks)
- 2 ranked in the top 12 of DYPA (Colts, Texans)
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