'Not every defense is weak in the same place'

A defense can shut down the run and still give up yards to tight ends. Defense vs position splits what a defense allows by who gained it.

How it is measured, and its limits

The measurement is simple. Take every game a defense has played, add up what opposing wide receivers produced, and divide by the number of games. Do the same for the other positions. The result is four separate pictures of one defense.

Rank 1 means the defense allows the least to that position, and rank 32 the most. A receiver facing the 30th-ranked defense against wide receivers has had an easier road than one facing the 3rd.

It has limits. The number reflects who the defense has played as well as how good it is, and it says nothing about injuries this week. Treat it as context for a projection, not as the projection.

Defense vs position, answered

How many games does a defense vs position number need?

More than a handful. The pages on this site use the last two regular seasons, so no number rests on four games.

Learn the method

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