saw this on drafthistory.com for whatever its worth. There is also a chart on that site, i'll copy/paste even though it gets all out of whack on an MB.
QuoteTuesday, January 24, 2006
Passes Defensed Statistics May Help Identify Premier Defensive Backs
It is nary impossibly to identify the best pass defenders by their statistics. Some of the great defenders are ballhawks and have gaudy interception totals. But it is also frequently the case that defensive backs with a high number of interceptions are either players who often gamble and either come up big or lose big or are player who are picked upon. And some shutdown corners don't have high interception totals because offenses try to avoid throwing into their areas like the plague or because they are good at swatting balls away but have hands of stone. The statistics just don't tell the full story.
Nevertheless, the numbers do provide some insights as well as fodder for interesting conversations. New statistics being tracked are also adding to the usefullness of the data, although the numbers still a far from being good indicators of a player's true worth. NFL.com includes figures on Passes Defensed in its player statistics. The relatively new statistic may provide information that will cause teams and fans alike to reevaluate the worth of many pass defenders. Lets take a quick look at the data from 2005.
The league leaders at intercepting passes in 2005 were: the aging Ty Law who snared 10 errant throws and provided one of the few bright spots in the New York Jets solemn season; Deltha O'Neal who led the take-a-way hungry Cincinnati Bengals by making 10 thefts, the Vikings Darren Sharper who had nine picks; and the Bears' Nathan Vasher and the Broncos' Champ Bailey who each intercepted eight passes. Chris Gamble of the Vikings stole seven passes. For those with an eye to the draft, note how many of those players were playing with a team other than the one that drafted them. Defensive backs are paid big money, sometimes so much that teams feel they can get by with less expensive talent.
The league leaders in passes defensed were: the Steelers' Ike Taylor who was credited with defending 23 passes; the Eagles' Sheldon Brown who thwarted 21 throws and Brian Dawkins who stopped 19; the Chargers' Quentin Jammer who denied 17 passes; and a group of players who defended 15 pass including the Broncos' Champ Bailey, the Buccaneers Ronde Barber, the 49ers Shawntae Spencer and the Cardinals' David Macklin.
Only one defender appeared near the top of both lists: Champ Bailey of Denver, who is considered by many to be the top shut down cornerback in the game. But the league leader in passes defended, Pittsburgh's Ike Taylor, and the fourth best player in that same category, San Diego's Quentin Jammer, only had one interception each. And the league leaders in interceptions, New York's Ty Law and Cincinnati's Deltha O'Neal only defended eight passes apiece.
If the best pass defenders happened to be the players with the highest combined totals of interceptions and passes defensed: Sheldon Brown (Philadelphia), Ike Taylor (Pittsburgh), Champ Bailey (Denver), Brian Dawkins (Philadelphia) and Ronde Barber (Tampa Bay) would get the nod.
One unknown player who made a good showing in the passes defensed column was the Cleveland Browns' Leigh Bodden who defended 14 passes. Bodden entered his third season just hoping to stick with the team. Injuries to others provided him significant playing time. He more than held his own. Bodden started on opening day, but did not play in three of the next four games and did not get another start until game seven. He was a starter for the rest of the season. He is credited with defending at least three passes in a game on three separate occasions against a group of very worthy receivers including the Texans' Andre Johnson, the Bengals Chad Johnson and the Raiders' Randy Moss and company. In those games the Browns beat the Raiders, lost to a significantly superior Bengals team on a field goal as time expired and incurred a three point loss to the Texans. Bodden had only three interceptions but he remains a bright spot on the Browns' roster and it will be interesting to see if the number of passes he defensed in 2005 is any indication of how good of a player he truly is.
I am not advocating that the passes defensed statistics is a good indicator of a solid defensive back, just as I am not convinced that players with the most interceptions are necessarily the best defenders. Frankly, I wonder sometimes who it is that determines which player, if any, deserves to be credited with a pass defended. Nonetheless, it is an additional tool in our kit for evaluating players. So let's take a look at this new statistic over the next few years to see if it bears the test of time.
League Leaders in Total Interceptions Plus Passes Defended in 2005
Name Team Tot Pass.
Def. Int Yds Avg TD Draft Team Rnd Pos College
Sheldon Brown Eagles 25 21 4 67 16.8 1 2002 Eagles 2 DB South Carolina
Ike Taylor Steelers 24 23 1 0 0.0 0 DB Louisiana-Lafayette
Champ Bailey Broncos 23 15 8 139 17.4 2 1999 taterskins 1 DB Georgia
Brian Dawkins Eagles 22 19 3 24 8.0 0 1996 Eagles 2 DB Clemson
Ronde Barber Buccaneers 20 15 5 105 21.0 0 1997 Buccaneers 3 DB Virginia
Shawntae Spencer 49ers 19 15 4 85 21.2 1 2004 49ers 2 DB Pittsburgh
Ty Law Jets 18 8 10 195 19.5 1 1995 Patriots 1 DB Michigan
Deltha O'Neal Bengals 18 8 10 103 10.3 0 2000 Broncos 1 DB California
Quentin Jammer Chargers 18 17 1 14 14.0 0 2002 Chargers 1 DB Texas
David Macklin Cardinals 17 15 2 79 39.5 1 2000 Colts 3 DB Penn State
Brian Kelly Buccaneers 17 13 4 19 4.8 0 1998 Buccaneers 2 DB USC
Terence Newman Cowboys 17 14 3 16 5.3 0 2003 Cowboys 1 DB Kansas State
Leigh Bodden Browns 17 14 3 6 2.0 0 DB Duquesne
Darren Sharper Vikings 16 7 9 276 30.7 2 1997 Packers 2 DB William & Mary
Charles Tillman Bears 16 11 5 172 34.4 1 2003 Bears 2 DB Louisiana-Lafayette
Nathan Vasher Bears 16 8 8 145 18.1 1 2004 Bears 4 DB Texas
Rashean Mathis Jaguars 16 11 5 79 15.8 1 2003 Jaguars 2 DB Bethune-Cookman
Domonique Foxworth Broncos 16 14 2 23 11.5 0 2005 Broncos 3 DB Maryland
Asante Samuel Patriots 16 13 3 15 5.0 0 2003 Patriots 4 DB Central Florida
Terrence McGee Bills 15 11 4 97 24.2 1 2003 Bills 4 DB Northwestern State
Dre' Bly Lions 15 9 6 54 9.0 0 1999 Rams 2 DB North Carolina
Deshea Townsend Steelers 15 13 2 26 13.0 0 1998 Steelers 4 DB Alabama
Roderick Hood Eagles 15 12 3 17 5.7 0 DB Auburn
Anthony Henry Cowboys 14 11 3 102 34.0 1 2001 Browns 4 DB South Florida
Will Witherspoon Panthers 14 12 2 35 17.5 1 2002 Panthers 3 LB Georgia
Marcus Trufant Seahawks 14 13 1 7 7.0 0 2003 Seahawks 1 DB Washington State
Travis Daniels Dolphins 14 13 1 4 4.0 0 2005 Dolphins 4 DB Louisiana State
Ken Lucas Panthers 13 7 6 70 11.7 0 2001 Seahawks 2 DB Mississippi
Patrick Surtain Chiefs 13 9 4 57 14.2 0 1998 Dolphins 2 DB Southern Mississippi
Nick Harper Colts 13 10 3 41 13.7 0 DB Fort Valley State
Al Harris Packers 13 10 3 30 10.0 1 1997 Buccaneers 6 DB Texas A&M-Kingsville
Sammy Knight Chiefs 13 11 2 12 6.0 0 DB USC
Aaron Glenn Cowboys 13 9 4 10 2.5 0 1994 Jets 1 DB Texas A&M
Tory James Bengals 13 8 5 5 1.0 0 1996 Broncos 2 DB Louisiana State
Nate Clements Bills 13 11 2 0 0.0 0 2001 Bills 1 DB Ohio State
Chris McAlister Ravens 13 12 1 0 0.0 0 1999 Ravens 1 DB Arizona
Chris Gamble Panthers 12 5 7 157 22.4 1 2004 Panthers 1 DB Ohio State
Brent Alexander Giants 12 8 4 45 11.2 0 DB Tennessee State
Sean Taylor taterskins 12 10 2 34 17.0 0 2004 taterskins 1 DB Miami (FL)
David Barrett Jets 12 7 5 28 5.6 0 2000 Cardinals 4 DB Arkansas
Curtis Deloatch Giants 12 11 1 20 20.0 0 DB North Carolina A&T
Ellis Hobbs Patriots 12 9 3 8 2.7 0 2005 Patriots 3 DB Iowa State
Lance Briggs Bears 11 9 2 30 15.0 1 2003 Bears 3 LB Arizona
R.W. McQuarters Lions 11 9 2 25 12.5 0 1998 49ers 1 DB Oklahoma State
Andre' Goodman Lions 11 8 3 17 5.7 0 2002 Lions 6 DB South Carolina
Donnie Edwards Chargers 11 9 2 15 7.5 0 1996 Chiefs 4 LB UCLA
Sam Madison Dolphins 11 9 2 11 5.5 0 1997 Dolphins 2 DB Louisville
Samari Rolle Ravens 11 10 1 11 11.0 0 1998 Oilers 2 DB Florida State
Drayton Florence Chargers 11 10 1 9 9.0 0 2003 Chargers 2 DB Tuskegee
Fred Thomas Orleans Saints 11 9 2 4 2.0 0 1996 Seahawks 2 DB Mississippi
Derrick Brooks Buccaneers 11 10 1 0 0.0 0 1995 Buccaneers 1 LB Florida State
DeJuan Groce Rams 11 9 2 0 0.0 0 2003 Rams 4 DB Nebraska
DeAngelo Hall Falcons 10 4 6 177 29.5 0 2004 Falcons 1 DB Virginia Tech
Darrent Williams Broncos 10 8 2 108 54.0 1 2005 Broncos 2 DB Oklahoma State
Marlon McCree Panthers 10 7 3 73 24.3 0 2001 Jaguars 7 DB Kentucky
Andre Dyson Seahawks 10 9 1 72 72.0 1 2001 Titans 2 DB Utah
Roy Williams Cowboys 10 7 3 52 17.3 1 2002 Cowboys 1 DB Oklahoma
Keith Brooking Falcons 10 6 4 50 12.5 0 1998 Falcons 1 LB Georgia Tech
Antonio Pierce Giants 10 8 2 41 20.5 0 LB Arizona
Ahmad Carroll Packers 10 8 2 38 19.0 0 2004 Packers 1 DB Arkansas
Deon Grant Jaguars 10 7 3 29 9.7 0 2000 Panthers 2 DB Tennessee
Jason David Colts 10 8 2 13 6.5 0 2004 Colts 4 DB Washington State
Dunta Robinson Texans 10 9 1 1 1.0 0 2004 Texans 1 DB South Carolina
Walt Harris taterskins 10 9 1 0 0.0 0 1996 Bears 1 DB Mississippi State
Kawika Mitchell Chiefs 10 9 1 0 0.0 0 2003 Chiefs 2 LB South Florida
Michael Boulware Seahawks 9 5 4 107 26.8 0 2004 Seahawks 2 LB Florida State
Reynaldo Hill Titans 9 6 3 88 29.3 1 2005 Titans 7 DB Florida
Lito Sheppard Eagles 9 6 3 72 24.0 0 2002 Eagles 1 DB Florida
Odell Thurman Bengals 9 4 5 59 11.8 1 2005 Bengals 2 LB Georgia
Brian Williams Vikings 9 5 4 59 14.8 0 2002 Vikings 4 DB North Carolina State
Eric Warfield Chiefs 9 8 1 57 57.0 1 1998 Chiefs 7 DB Nebraska
Lemar Marshall taterskins 9 5 4 55 13.8 1 LB Michigan State
Lofa Tatupu Seahawks 9 6 3 55 18.3 1 2005 Seahawks 2 LB USC
Mike Minter Panthers 9 8 1 47 47.0 0 1997 Panthers 2 DB Nebraska
Mike Adams 49ers 9 5 4 36 9.0 1 1987 Saints 3 DB Arkansas State
Adrian Wilson Cardinals 9 8 1 36 36.0 0 2001 Cardinals 3 DB North Carolina
Stuart Schweigert Raiders 9 7 2 35 17.5 0 2004 Raiders 3 DB Purdue
Pisa Tinoisamoa Rams 9 7 2 35 17.5 0 2003 Rams 2 LB Hawaii
Ed Reed Ravens 9 8 1 23 23.0 0 2002 Ravens 1 DB Miami FL
Keith Bulluck Titans 9 7 2 16 8.0 0 2000 Titans 1 LB Syracuse
Daylon McCutcheon Browns 9 7 2 14 7.0 0 1999 Browns 3 DB USC
Andre Woolfolk Titans 9 8 1 3 3.0 0 2003 Titans 1 DB Oklahoma
Shawn Springs taterskins 9 8 1 2 2.0 0 1997 Seahawks 1 DB Ohio State
Jeremiah Trotter Eagles 9 8 1 2 2.0 0 1998 Eagles 3 LB Stephen F. Austin
Fred Smoot Vikings 9 7 2 0 0.0 0 2001 taterskins 2 DB Mississippi State
Mike Furrey Rams 8 4 4 143 35.8 1 DB Northern Iowa
Greg Wesley Chiefs 8 2 6 106 17.7 0 DB Arkansas-Pine Bluff
Troy Vincent Bills 8 4 4 78 19.5 0 1992 Dolphins 1 DB Wisconsin
Nick Ferguson Broncos 8 3 5 59 11.8 0 DB Georgia Tech
Jordan Babineaux Seahawks 8 5 3 56 18.7 0 DB Southern Arkansas
Chris Harris Bears 8 5 3 44 14.7 0 2005 Bears 6 DB Louisiana-Monroe
Troy Polamalu Steelers 8 6 2 42 21.0 0 2003 Steelers 1 DB USC
Terry Cousin Jaguars 8 4 4 18 4.5 0 DB South Carolina
Mark Roman Packers 8 6 2 18 9.0 0 2000 Bengals 2 DB Louisiana State
Michael Lewis Eagles 8 6 2 13 6.5 0 2002 Eagles 2 DB Colorado
Kelly Herndon Seahawks 8 6 2 12 6.0 0 DB Toledo
Antoine Winfield Vikings 8 4 4 5 1.2 0 1999 Bills 1 DB Ohio State
Kenny Wright Jaguars 8 6 2 4 2.0 0 1999 Vikings 4 DB Northwest Louisiana
John Lynch Broncos 8 6 2 2 1.0 0 1993 Buccaneers 3 DB Stanford
Nick Collins Packers 8 7 1 0 0.0 0 2005 Packers 2 DB Bethune-Cookman
Bruce Thornton 49ers 8 6 2 0 0.0 0 2004 Cowboys 4 DB Georgia
Burn Lito.
Trotter is a better DB than Lewis? :sly
Quote
Sheldon Brown Eagles 25
Brian Dawkins Eagles 22
Roderick Hood Eagles 15
Lito Sheppard Eagles 9
Jeremiah Trotter Eagles 9
Michael Lewis Eagles 8
Just so your eyes don't start bleeding trying to find the Eagles on the list.
burn kearse replace kalu
Quote from: ice grillin you on January 27, 2006, 11:00:45 AM
burn kearse replace kalu
Kearse has one more year before his contract (and career with the Eagles) blows up.
I honestly hope they have Cole and someone else starting at end and allow Kearse to line up as a "joker" or blitzing linebacker occasionally. Although, he's oddly been playing the run OK but not getting penetration.
QuoteIf the best pass defenders happened to be the players with the highest combined totals of interceptions and passes defensed: Sheldon Brown (Philadelphia), Ike Taylor (Pittsburgh), Champ Bailey (Denver), Brian Dawkins (Philadelphia) and Ronde Barber (Tampa Bay) would get the nod.
But... but... I thought Dawk lost a few steps! ???
Quote from: MURP on January 27, 2006, 10:25:30 AM
and the Cardinals' David Macklin.
i've smoked blunts with dude in college.
Quote from: rjs246 on January 27, 2006, 10:46:41 AM
Quote
Sheldon Brown Eagles 25
Brian Dawkins Eagles 22
Roderick Hood Eagles 15
Lito Sheppard Eagles 9
Jeremiah Trotter Eagles 9
Michael Lewis Eagles 8
Just so your eyes don't start bleeding trying to find the Eagles on the list.
Thank you. Now...is there a stat that shows how many times they were thrown to. Lito farging tito. This article makes me have confidence in brown again....at least.
The Eagles have a very good secondary. The two reasons they seemed kinda sucky last year are lack of a respectable rush and post-Pro Bowl complacency on the parts of Lito and Lewis. Maybe enhanced by a greater emphasis on forcing turnovers at the expense of simply defending the passes and making tackles.
Sheldon Brown being stiffed for the Pro-Bowl again this year is a farging sham of the gayest proportions.
this doesnt take into account how many pass plays came in their direction.
Quote from: PhillyGirl on January 27, 2006, 06:39:43 PM
Sheldon Brown being stiffed for the Pro-Bowl again this year is a farging sham of the gayest proportions.
He had a couple of high-profile screwups, like going for the pump fake and letting Burress school him in the first game against the Giants. We all know he had to bite, because he had to assume the pass rush was going to get there, but it looks bad for the "casual" voter. Plus, it's hard to get a lot of fan votes for the first time when your whole team is assumed to be down the crapper.
no made up stat is going to make me feel any better about how the secondary played this season.
that being said, they are the least of the eagles' problems on D.
Quote from: PhillyGirl on January 27, 2006, 06:39:43 PM
Sheldon Brown being stiffed for the Pro-Bowl again this year is a farging sham of the gayest proportions.
That just may be one of your best posts ever! And not just because it says gay either.
Quote from: hbionic on January 29, 2006, 12:09:50 PM
Quote from: PhillyGirl on January 27, 2006, 06:39:43 PM
Sheldon Brown being stiffed for the Pro-Bowl again this year is a farging sham of the gayest proportions.
That just may be one of your best posts ever! And not just because it says gay either.
:-D
nice post murp. :yay