Defensive Notes

Earlier in the week I ran a table showing team rankings in sacks over the last five years. A reader asked about the relationship between sacks and points allowed. At the time I guessed that there wouldn't be much of a direct correlation.

For the most part, that appears to be the case. Six of the top-10 teams in terms of fewest points allowed, including the league-best Jets, ranked 16th or worse in sacks; essentially, the bottom half of the league. Six of the top 10 in sacks ranked outside the top 12 in terms of points allowed.

One thing that can be said is that the league's worst defenses are pretty awful in both categories. The bottom 6 teams in terms of sacks all managed to also rank 24th or worse in terms of points allowed. Not surprisingly, if you get absolutely no pressure on the quarterback, you're probably going to get lit up.

The numbers, showing teams ordered by sacks, with the other columns reflecting points allowed in 2009 and their ranking in that category, are presented below. Dallas, San Francisco, and Minnesota are the three teams that ranked in the top 10 in both categories.

2009, Sacks versus points allowed

Sk    Pts    Rk (Pts)
48    312    10    Minnesota
47    324    13    Pittsburgh
44    390    25    Miami
44    337    19    Philadelphia
44    281    4    San Francisco
43    322    12    Arizona
42    250    2    Dallas
40    375    21    Cleveland
40    336    18    Washington
39    324    13    Denver
37    297    7    Green Bay
37    379    23    Oakland
35    375    21    Chicago
35    341    20    New Orleans
35    320    11    San Diego
34    291    6    Cincinnati
34    307    8    Indianapolis
32    261    3    Baltimore
32    326    16    Buffalo
32    427    30    NY Giants
32    233    1    NY Jets
32    402    28    Tennessee
31    308    9    Carolina
31    285    5    New England
30    333    17    Houston
28    325    15    Atlanta
28    390    25    Seattle
28    400    27    Tampa Bay
26    494    32    Detroit
25    436    31    St. Louis
22    424    29    Kansas City
14    380    24    Jacksonville

--Andy Richardson

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