ISFL ONLY, not DSFL
We're halfway through the season of our new sim engine, so let's take a look at the difference in defensive stat-share from last year to this year. Obviously we're working with a small sample size with the new sim, but the numbers are interesting nonetheless.
S26 - 625 total sacks by 131 different players
S26 percentage breakdown of sacks by position
S27 - 429 total sacks by 113 different players
To put the linebackers' rise into perspective, they already have more sacks through 9 games than they did all of last season. (174 vs. 165). And for some perspective about free safeties, they would have to play for more than four total seasons at the current pace to just reach last year's sack total (103 vs. 12)
Some notes:
Now, let's look at interceptions.
S26 - 171 interceptions by 78 different players
S27 - 99 interceptions by 62 different players
Some notes:
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S26 - 11,319 total tackles by 169 different players
S27 - 5887 total tackles by 171 different players
Some notes:
S26 - 468 total TFL by 99 different players
S27 - 282 TFL by 91 different players
Some notes:
(1446 words)
We're halfway through the season of our new sim engine, so let's take a look at the difference in defensive stat-share from last year to this year. Obviously we're working with a small sample size with the new sim, but the numbers are interesting nonetheless.
S26 - 625 total sacks by 131 different players
- ~39 sacks per week across the league.
- 12 players finished the season with 10+ sacks. Here's the positional breakdown of those 12 players: 6 LB, 2 DT, 2 FS, 1 DE, 1 SS.
- Obviously LB reign supreme among high-sack players, but roughly a quarter of them come from safeties and none of them are cornerbacks. This is also our first peek into the low sack totals that DE got previously.
S26 percentage breakdown of sacks by position
- LB - 26.4%
- DE - 24.9%
- DT - 21.3%
- FS 16.5%
- SS 6.7%
- CB 4.2%
S27 - 429 total sacks by 113 different players
- Last year, there were 39 sacks per game week. This year, there's an incredible 48 per game week.No wonder quarterbacks have been spending more time in the ice-bath after games.
- We also already have five players with 10+ sacks and another 19 with at least six sacks. If just half of those 19 players hit the 10 sack mark, that would give us 15 double-digit sackers. Last year we only had 12.
- Let's look at those five players who already have 10+ sacks - 3 are DE and 2 are LB. Remember that last year, one quarter of the 10+ sack players were safeties.
- Let's expand the list and look at the top 16 players in sacks - 8 DE, 7 LB, 1 SS. That is a stark difference to last season, which saw a lot more sacks from the safety and defensive tackle position.
- LB - 40.5% (26.4%)
- DE - 31.2% (24.9%)
- DT - 10.7% (21.3%)
- SS - 10.7% (6.7%)
- CB - 3.9% (4.2%)
- FS - 2.8% (16.5%)
To put the linebackers' rise into perspective, they already have more sacks through 9 games than they did all of last season. (174 vs. 165). And for some perspective about free safeties, they would have to play for more than four total seasons at the current pace to just reach last year's sack total (103 vs. 12)
Some notes:
- linebackers and defensive ends are the new sack masters of the league.
- free safeties and corners rarely blitz, which is a big change from the large number of sacks that FS had last year.
- defensive tackles are not sacking the quarterback hardly at all
- If you combine DL, their sack share went from 41.9% to 46.2%.
- If you combine safeties, their sack share went from 23.2% to 13.5%.
Now, let's look at interceptions.
S26 - 171 interceptions by 78 different players
- 10.69 interceptions per game week.
- CB - 40.9%
- FS - 35.1%
- LB - 14.0%
- SS - 9.3%
- DE - 0.6%
S27 - 99 interceptions by 62 different players
- We're seeing a slight uptick in total interceptions from last year, averaging 11 per game week.
- CB - 54.5% (40.9%)
- LB - 21.2% (14.0%)
- SS - 15.2% (9.3%)
- FS - 9.1% (35.1%)
Some notes:
- Cornerbacks need just 16 more INT to match last year's total.
- Linebackers need just 3 more INT to match last year's total.
- Strong safeties need just 1 more INT to match last year's total.
- Free safeties, on the other hand, would need to play for three more seasons at the current pace to match last year's total.
- If you combine safeties, their INT share goes from 44.4% to 24.3%
- Cornerbacks are the new interception leaders and it isn't close.
- Linebackers have taken over essentially all the stats now - having long led in tackles, they are now more than a threat in sacks and interceptions.
- If you are a free safety, don't look too long at your stats. There may not be any.
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S26 - 11,319 total tackles by 169 different players
- 707 tackles per week across the league.
- 33 players finished the season with 100+ tackles: 22 LB, 6 FS, 4 CB, 1 DE
- No surprise that linebackers accounted for the most high-tackle totals, but interesting to see that free safeties were second on that list.
- LB - 29.4%
- CB - 23.5%
- FS - 19.2%
- DE - 12.2%
- DT - 9.9%
- SS - 5.5%
S27 - 5887 total tackles by 171 different players
- 654 tackles per game week, which is down almost 10% from last season.
- We're on pace for 22 players with 100+ tackles which is way down from the 33 we saw last season.
- Of those 22, 12 are LB and 10 are CB. A massive difference from last year's 100+ (22 LB, 6 FS, 4 CB, 1 DE)
- The highest tackling safety this year is ranked 52nd. The highest tackling safety last year ranked 5th.
- LB - 34.0% (29.4%)
- CB - 28.5% (23.5%)
- DT - 11.9% (9.9%)
- DE - 9.3% (12.2%)
- SS - 9.0% (5.5%)
- FS - 7.1% (19.2%)
Some notes:
- If you combine DL, their share stayed almost the exact same (22.1% to 21.2)
- If you combine safeties, their tackle share went from 24.7% to 16.1%
S26 - 468 total TFL by 99 different players
- 29 TFL per game week
- DE - 68.8%
- LB - 13.6%
- DT - 9.4%
- CB - 4.5%
- FS - 2.9%
- SS - .06%
S27 - 282 TFL by 91 different players
- 31 TFL per game week, which is up slightly from last season.
- Last year, we had three players average at least 1.0 TFL per game. This year, the highest average is 0.777.
- Last year, we had 17 players with 10+ TFL. This year, we're on pace for 13.
- LB - 43.9% (13.6%)
- DE - 35.1% (68.8%)
- DT - 17.0% (9.4%)
- SS - 2.8% (.06%)
- FS - .07% (2.9%)
- CB - .03% (4.5%)
Some notes:
- if you combine all DL, their TFL share went from 78.2% to 52.1%
- if you combine all safeties, their FTL share went from 2.96% to 2.87%. Essentially the same.
- Linebackers are the stat leaders in a big way.
- Safeties (especially free safeties) are essentially absent from the stat-sheet compared to last year
- Defensive line had their TFL nerfed, but bounced back with a nice sack increase.
- Corners are now the statistical leaders of the secondary, dwarfing safeties in virtually every category.
(1446 words)