Originally <a href='https://www.sportsbookreview.com/forum/showthread.php?p=27353143'>posted</a> on 11/14/2017:
The Giants defense is a grading conundrum, as are the Broncos, because the capacity is for far between than what we have seen from them, Denver #1 and NYG #2 on the Football Outsiders adjusted ratings last year, without many changes in personnel. So some of their downfall may be football regression off of 2016 being a little too good, and some of it certainly stems from a lack of passion in recent weeks. But is there a sense of professionalism still there with either that could have them trying to right the wrongs? The situations are vastly different, one team with coaches on the way out, and another with a new staff trying to build something, but I will be doing a lot of reading between the lines for both, their attitudes influencing how I weigh their statistics. I can't fault a KC Over notion, since the Chiefs run some complex offensive schemes that force an opponent to study hard during the week, which NYG may not do, all the while if McAdoo is on the way out, he may get creative and open up his own offensive playbook down the stretch (certainly no reason not to).
My Patriot defensive upgrades have been slow, but gradual. In watching their games it is as much what the opposition is doing wrong as what they have been doing right, even admitting that part of the program for them is in getting the opposition to be inefficient. I am still keeping them down because they just aren't making plays to force action: #32 in Yards Per Rush; #20 in Interception% and #27 in Sack%. They have to rely on the opposition not maximizing, because they still aren't stepping up and making clean stops.
There is a lot to be said for itemizing the Lee In/Out based on the opposition, but there has also been a body of work accumulating - while he wasn't a starter as a rookie in 2010, since then he has missed 22 regular-season games. It may be more of an issue this time because one of the things the Cowboys have done intentionally has been to get their best players on the field in the DL, regardless of traditional position fits, and while that has made the pass rush dynamic, they are #24 in yards per rush allowed, and I believe when the Football Outsiders have their updated rush defense rankings out tomorrow morning the Cowboys are going to be #31. They can get after QBs, but they can also be blocked at the point of attack on running plays, and without lee cleaning up against the run, his absence may be magnified this time.
Originally posted by SportsHec8
My Patriot defensive upgrades have been slow, but gradual. In watching their games it is as much what the opposition is doing wrong as what they have been doing right, even admitting that part of the program for them is in getting the opposition to be inefficient. I am still keeping them down because they just aren't making plays to force action: #32 in Yards Per Rush; #20 in Interception% and #27 in Sack%. They have to rely on the opposition not maximizing, because they still aren't stepping up and making clean stops.
There is a lot to be said for itemizing the Lee In/Out based on the opposition, but there has also been a body of work accumulating - while he wasn't a starter as a rookie in 2010, since then he has missed 22 regular-season games. It may be more of an issue this time because one of the things the Cowboys have done intentionally has been to get their best players on the field in the DL, regardless of traditional position fits, and while that has made the pass rush dynamic, they are #24 in yards per rush allowed, and I believe when the Football Outsiders have their updated rush defense rankings out tomorrow morning the Cowboys are going to be #31. They can get after QBs, but they can also be blocked at the point of attack on running plays, and without lee cleaning up against the run, his absence may be magnified this time.