24th in yards. 9th in points. 8th if you take out the points the offense has given up.
The yards and points allowed rankings are very close to what we ended with last year. IMO, points allowed is the ultimate measure of the D just like points scored is the ultimate measure of an offense.
However, they are substantially worse this year in TDs allowed in the RZ and 3rd down conversion percentage. Last year they were 2nd and 6th respectively in those metrics. This year they are 24th and 26th respectively. They have to get better in those two areas.
For some reason, the yards and points allowed are still the same. Without deeply analyzing the stats, my suspicion is this year they are much better at forcing turnovers.
Last year, the D got better and better every week until it collapsed some late due to multiple injuries. So hopefully this year they tighten up the 3rd down conversion issues, return to their excellence in the RZ, while still forcing turnovers. If they can do that, they won’t just be elite; they will be a top 3 defense.
