How much did our defense really improve in second half of last season

[*SHRacerX*]

(06-05-2020, 12:42 PM)fredtoast Wrote: Yes I can do that, and it is significant.  First half of the season we allowed teams to gain over 80 yards more than what they usually do and we only held one opponent below their season average.  Second half of the season we hold 5 of 8 opponents below their season average and only allowed teams on average to gain only 18 yards more than their season average.


To me holding a team whose offense averages over 400 yards a game to 360 yards is a better defensive performance than letting a team whose offense only averages 330 yards a game to gain 350.  The raw total of yards allowed can be deceptive based on how good the opposing offense is.

But when you just look at yards, you can't account for the offense doing a better job sustaining drives (remember how they changed the scheme and the rushing attack was among the best in the NFL down the stretch after being nonexistent in the first half of the season?

I guess if you broke down yards per drive...or maybe factored in time of possession in some way that it would help isolate the defense's improvement outside of the improved offense.