As I have been doing this season, oops, before I continue I must tell you that this post is being brought to you by A Big Old Can of Whoop Ass, brought to you by the Silver and Black Mob Squad, where Branch, Seymour, Howard, Nnamdi and Morrison bring IT weekly, it is time to update some defensive numbers.
As you, who have been reading this Blog for more than a season, know, I look at a value of indicators and then compile them together to get a true Defensive Ranking. It is not an exact science, and I am open to suggestions to add to the matrix, but here it is:
Here is one EXAMPLE (Interceptions in relation to Scoring Offense):
I am compiling yards allowed, with points allowed and turnovers forced. The best score would be a three with the worst being a 96.
Here is where our Raiders rank:
In total Yards allowed: 26
Total Points Allowed: 25
Turnovers forced: 16
That is an aggregate of 77, and is a pretty indicator of a 2-4 team.
Now before you go crazy about the defense being terrible or it all being the offense's fault, you must lean heavily on the side that blasts the offense. Quite simply put, the Oakland Offense is historically bad. So Let's try this:
Average Per Rush: 20th
Average Per Pass: 10th
That is an average of 15th, which is fantastic for a defense who has seen the field more often than Clay Wood! (A Little Shout to the A's/Raider fans on the board)
Turnovers and sacks are a product of how many oppurtunities a defense gets, especially against the pass, so let's divide those by the number of opportunities:
The Raiders have seen the 16th most passing attempts in the League, and are 17th in interceptions and 6th in Sacks!!! That is VERY solid. In fact the Raider lead the NFL in sacks per pass attempt!!! THANK YOU JIM MARSHALL!!!
The Raiders have seen the 4th most rushing attempts and are 20th against the run in yards per attempt, that is pretty stout. IN comparison, the Cardinals see the least amount of rushing attempts and are ranked first.
Teams are running the ball against the Raiders because the offense cannot score, not because they have a terrible run defense.
So, as you can see, when you really look into the numbers this defense is a fantastic pass rushing defense that, IF, the offense can score some points, can, perhaps carry us to the Playoffs!!!
Today may be the day that we can get some picks and really improve our, Defensive Ranking!!!
GOOO RAIDERS!!!!!