How best to determine defensive efficiency?

[Roy CO HSKR]

If a defense gives up a lot of yards (passing or rushing), but scores little, isn't that defense considered effective? If a defense is on the field only a few times, but yields touchdowns each time, isn't that defense doing a poor job even if the opponents score is low?

How about calculating the points scored by the opponents offense PER DOWN? In other words, if it takes the opponent many chances and always long drives to score, isn't that a better defense than the 2 scenarios described above? One kicker to this approach is if the offense turns over the ball inside their own territory giving the opponents offense a short field. On the other hand it took TT several downs to score on us in the second have when they had a short field and twice they were field goals. Overall, it seems to me that this might be a fairer approach to judging how efficient a defense is.

What do you X and O guys and gals think?

 

[Eric the Red]

If a defense gives up a lot of yards (passing or rushing), but scores little, isn't that defense considered effective? If a defense is on the field only a few times, but yields touchdowns each time, isn't that defense doing a poor job even if the opponents score is low?
How about calculating the points scored by the opponents offense PER DOWN? In other words, if it takes the opponent many chances and always long drives to score, isn't that a better defense than the 2 scenarios described above? One kicker to this approach is if the offense turns over the ball inside their own territory giving the opponents offense a short field. On the other hand it took TT several downs to score on us in the second have when they had a short field and twice they were field goals. Overall, it seems to me that this might be a fairer approach to judging how efficient a defense is.

What do you X and O guys and gals think?

With a team like TT, that's about all you can do. Their QB was on fire, WR's hardly dropped a ball. It's called bend, but don't break.

I don't know if there are technical calculations to it, but if the other team doesn't score that's a good thing.