We like to think we can predict things with some degree of accuracy, in every fantasy arena. But there are always exceptions that prove what a guessing game we're involved in, none more so than the 2015 Buffalo Bills defense.
The Bills racked up a league-best 111 sacks in the 2013-2014 seasons, finishing 2nd and 1st in sacks in those two years. They then hired Rex Ryan as their head coach, and he'd come off overseeing a Jets pass rush that ranked 6th the previous season. Gold!
But Buffalo crashed heavily in 2015, finishing with a mere 21 sacks -- better than only Atlanta. Mario Williams is handed a lot of the blame, but he's just one guy. Clearly there were defensive scheme fit problems with other Bills players.
At the other end of the spectrum were a pair of AFC North teams: Pittsburgh, which ranked 25th and 26th in sacks in 2013-2014. Last year they zoomed up to 48, 3rd in the league. And Cincinnati, last in sacks a year ago and 9th last season.
Three-year sack trends, by NFL rank, for each team are shown in the table below. They're sorted by the biggest increase (or decline) from 2014 to 2015.
TEAM SACKS, 2013-2015, NFL RANK | ||||
---|---|---|---|---|
Team | 2013 | 2014 | 2015 | +/- |
Cincinnati | 10 | 32 | 9-10 | +23 |
Pittsburgh | 25-27 | 26 | 3 | +23 |
Oakland | 18-19 | 30-31 | 14-16 | +16 |
Houston | 29-30 | 19 | 5 | +14 |
New England | 5 | 13-15 | 2 | +11 |
Denver | 13-15 | 9-12 | 1 | +8 |
Tampa Bay | 23-24 | 22-23 | 14-16 | +8 |
Carolina | 1 | 13-15 | 6 | +7 |
Washington | 21-22 | 20-21 | 14-16 | +6 |
San Diego | 23-24 | 29 | 24 | +5 |
Tennessee | 21-22 | 16-18 | 12-13 | +4 |
Dallas | 25-27 | 28 | 25-27 | +3 |
Seattle | 8-9 | 20-21 | 17-19 | +3 |
Green Bay | 8-9 | 9-12 | 7-8 | +2 |
St. Louis | 3 | 13-15 | 11 | +2 |
Minnesota | 13-15 | 9-12 | 7-8 | +2 |
Kansas City | 6-7 | 5 | 4 | +1 |
New Orleans | 4 | 25 | 25-27 | 0 |
Atlanta | 29-30 | 30-31 | 32 | -1 |
Cleveland | 16-17 | 27 | 28 | -1 |
Detroit | 28 | 8 | 9-10 | -1 |
Arizona | 6-7 | 24 | 20-21 | -3 |
Chicago | 31-32 | 16-18 | 22-23 | -6 |
NY Jets | 13-15 | 6-7 | 12-13 | -6 |
San Francisco | 18-19 | 22-23 | 29 | -7 |
Miami | 11-12 | 16-18 | 25-27 | -9 |
Indianapolis | 11-12 | 9-12 | 22-23 | -13 |
Jacksonville | 31-32 | 6-7 | 20-21 | -14 |
Baltimore | 16-17 | 2-3 | 17-19 | -15 |
Philadelphia | 20 | 2-3 | 17-19 | -15 |
NY Giants | 25-27 | 4 | 30 | -26 |
Buffalo | 2 | 1 | 31 | -30 |
--Andy Richardson