After the long grueling 16 games schedule the ending results are all that matters... Below are the SOS for the noted clubs, as well as I added Seattle (Wilson, 8th QB pick), and organized them by their opponets SOS... Starting with Cleveland (Weeden)... SOS= 0.507% (130-126), (Club Record 5-11), faced 8 games against winning opponents (1-7)... We have the Phins... SOS= 0.503% (129-126-1), (Club Record 7-9), faced 7 games against winning opponents (2-5)... We have Seattle... SOS= 0.496% (127-125-4), (Club Record 11-5), faced 6 games against winning opponets (5-1)... We have the Redskins... SOS= 0.492% (126-129-1), (Club Record 10-6), faced 6 games against winning opponent (3-3)... We have the Colts... SOS= 0.441% (113-143), (Club Record 11-5), faced 6 games against winning opponents (3-3)... Just food for thought... Seems like 2 of the Top 4 rookie QBs faced more competition team wise, than the other 2 did... That and execution or lack there of at skill posistions, including QB play, had an impact in the outcome...
I'd be interested in seeing SOS based on pass defenses faced(realizing the stats can sometimes be misleading because teams will most likely be able to throw on Patriot or Packer teams with big 4th quarter leads that are in prevent modes)..
Our next year looks hellish. But, some teams will drop off, some will get better. You have to believe that with our foundation, if we add a few skill positions, we will get better. Tannehill should get better with the experience he got this year. Russell Wilson at 5-1 against winning teams really stands out. He impressed me on Gurden's QB Camp, and I've been pulling for him since. Good kid who was always told he can't make it, etc.
SOS Order by Opp. Passing Yards Allowed: 1. Seattle - 3531.56 2. Cleveland - 3575.19 3. Miami - 3583.813 4. Indianapolis - 3718.06 5. Washington - 3798.44 As above but just by YPG: 1. Seattle - 220.7227 2. Cleveland - 223.4492 3. Miami - 223.988281 4. Indianapolis - 232.3789 5. Washington - 237.4023 If I'm not lazy, I'll find the Standard Deviation of all the NFL teams and see how significant these differences are.
Okay, the League Average for passing yards allowed was: 3700.563 with a Standard Deviation of 429.8039. The Colts and Redskins basically faced average pass defenses this season. The Seahawks, Browns, and Dolphins faced defenses better than average. There were six outliers that would be deemed elite defenses against the pass based on standard deviation. These are teams below 3270.7591 passing yards allowed. They were: Steelers - 2963 NYJ - 3036 Denver - 3194 San Francisco - 3203 Arizona - 3213 Seattle - 3250 Miami played Arizona, Seattle, San Francisco, and NYJ x 2. Effectively, Miami played 5 games against elite pass defenses. Removing the second Jets game in which Tannehill was injured, his passer ratings respectively were: 86.5; 97.1; 74.0; 50.2 his total rating would have been 75.9. Miami also played 3 games against teams with great pass defenses (I cut this off arbitrarily at 3500) better than the mean, not in the elite category: CIN, BUF x 2. If I have time, I'll do the other players as well.
Colts Luck played 1 game against an elite pass defense (NYJ). His passer rating in that game was 50.0. He played GB (3492 - barely made the cut), CHI, and BUF. His ratings were 81, 52.9, and 71.9. Redskins RGIII played 1 game against an elite team (PIT) and had a rating of 72.8. He had 3 games against the next tier of teams: PHI x 2 and CIN. His ratings were 158.3 (perfect), 102.4, and 90.4. Seahawks Wilson played 5 games against elite pass defenses: SF x 2, ARI x 2, NYJ. His ratings were 38.7, 115.3, 62.5, 88.0, and 131.0. He also played 3 games against the next tier of pass defenses (GB, BUF, CHI) and had ratings of 99.3, 104.4, 104.9. Browns Weeden played 3 games against elite pass defenses (PIT, DEN) and had ratings of 78.7 and 77.5. Of the next tier of pass defenses, Weeden played PHI, CIN x 2, BUF and had ratings of 5.1, 56.0, 92.7, and 65.8.
I like to add a little observation, certain teams were playing well at different times, when the Phins played the Cards they were a very different team than towards the end of the season, what about the Pats way better at the end than early on. Stats help tell the part of story. I would have rather played Houston game 14 than the first game and Buffalo not at night with freezing temperatures. I thought it was a little funny how the Pats didn't play in the Florida heat but the Phins play in the deep freeze.