*Still waiting for that INT

[CDub2]

Perusing through the DSFL season stats, I noticed my character Cameron Taylor had 0 interceptions and 0 pass deflections. Am I the worst safety in the league? Or is my build wrong? Or am I lacking in a very important stat? Well, I'm going to look at other safeties to figure out what's going on. I've been told that speed, agility, hands, and intelligence are all important towards getting INTs. Let's see if I'm adequate in those areas.

My build (according to most recent roster): 73 speed, 71 agility, 60 intelligence, 65 hands.
I wish I was faster, but I don't think I'm too deficient anywhere. 0 INTs 0 PDs

League leader in INTs - FS E. Kim (TIJ)
73 speed, 73 agility, 50 intelligence, 55 hands.

League leader in PDs (for safeties) - SS J. Masvidal (SA)
85 speed, 70 agility, 40 intelligence, 55 hands.

Fellow Teammate FS with 4 INTs and 5 PDs - FS Z. Richter (POR)
71 speed, 70 agility, 52 intelligence, 62 hands.

Fellow draft class mate, highest TPE Safety of the draft class, 2 INTs and 2 PDs - SS D. Morris (SA)
79 speed, 70 agility, 73 intelligence, 70 hands.

Well, it turns out that the league leader in INTs has the worst hands, bad intelligence, and is one of the slower players listed. The best rookie safety has 2 picks and 2 deflections. So that goes against the common thought. Now, I'm not denying that running sim after sim, the higher speed, hands, and intelligence will result in more INTs, but as far as this league goes, how do we make sense of this? We are told that certain stats should produce certain results, so why doesn't Morris have the league lead in INTs?

Regarding my build, if I were to compare my build to the other 4, I feel like I should have a better chance at grabbing INTs that the rest except Morris. I have better hands and intelligence and similar speed to the other 3. Yet, Morris and I have the worst INT numbers of the bunch.

The best safety in the DSFL, Morris, only managed to grab 2 INTs and 2 PDs and his coverage stats are out of this world. We see a pretty low TPE player in Richter double Morris's numbers. So what's going on here?

My two theories:
1) Myself and Morris are good at coverage so nobody throws our way, limiting the chance for INTs. We see the lower intelligence guys get picks, but maybe they give up more catches too? I think this may apply to Morris, but I'm not at his level of coverage ability so I'm not sure this is the reason I get no picks. We also see this with really good corners, like Bly Jr. Maybe he's so good at coverage that nobody throws his way and that why he only has 3 INTs, yet he's one of the highest TPE players in the league.
2) Strong Safeties are cursed. It sound ridiculous, but hear me out. The list above, the better INT numbers belong to the FSs. Masvidal being the exception because as a backup SS, he likely lines up at CB once in a while. The top 5 safeties in the league with the most interceptions are all Free Safeties except 1. As a group, the FSs snagged 21 INTs this year. The SSs grabbed only 13. So maybe it's not a matter of build or stats, but how the game uses the safeties differently. If the sim thinks that FSs are more for coverage and SS more for run support, of course the FSs will get more INTs. So my advice to any incoming safeties looking to get some INTs, ask your GM to play you at FS.

In summary, I have no clue how to get more interceptions other than line up at Free Safety. I can't find a trend in TPE allocations to determine that one particular stat will help get more INTs or PDs. Or, it could be that I am indeed the worst sim safety in the league.

Code:

677 words. Ready for grading

GRADED

[timeconsumer]

Don't get discouraged, there are several factors at play here.

1) INTs are one of the more complex things in this sim. They are not attributable to any particular stat for either the QB or the DB. I have run plenty of statistical analyses (correlation, regression....) between every attribute for both sides of the ball and end up with zero correlation. However that does not mean that your attributes do not matter. Rather it means that the sim bases the INT on the attributes and play for all three involved, quarterback, wide receiver, and DB.

1b) This trend really continues for more than just INTs. Really everything about DBs is extremely difficult to determine from the stats. PDs also aren't that predictable. My analysis for this can basically be summed up as "Have lots of TPE to get good stats sometimes."

2) Yes, you are correct that when starting at the SS position you get fewer stats as a DB. SS is heavily involved in the gameplan, but isn't in coverage all that often. They do get a lot of fun safety blitzes though. However also remember that just because somebody is listed as a SS or FS doesn't necessarily mean that's where they start. Most NSFL teams start their best two DBs (no matter the designation) at CB, their third best at FS, and their newest guy at SS. Some teams even start a DB (of any type) at LB. It's an extremely fluid position.

[Roly]

Well, obviously, I can definitely say I feel your pain, although 0 INT and 0 PD is definitely a tough run of luck.

I gotta say that I’m not too worried about those stats though. A good safety doesn’t only worry about making big plays on double coverage, but bailing out his CBs when they get burned or wrecked down the line. Right @The_Hero?

Sure it’d be nice to have killer numbers, but D is a team position and look at Portland man - you guys rocked at D this year with the fewest points allowed (barely edging out us in SA). That’s a group victory, not to mention the badass 11-3 record.

Besides you forgot my 1 DTD which still makes me better than Hero’s Fletcher

[CDub2]

Don't get discouraged, there are several factors at play here.

1) INTs are one of the more complex things in this sim. They are not attributable to any particular stat for either the QB or the DB. I have run plenty of statistical analyses (correlation, regression....) between every attribute for both sides of the ball and end up with zero correlation. However that does not mean that your attributes do not matter. Rather it means that the sim bases the INT on the attributes and play for all three involved, quarterback, wide receiver, and DB.

1b) This trend really continues for more than just INTs. Really everything about DBs is extremely difficult to determine from the stats. PDs also aren't that predictable. My analysis for this can basically be summed up as "Have lots of TPE to get good stats sometimes."

2) Yes, you are correct that when starting at the SS position you get fewer stats as a DB. SS is heavily involved in the gameplan, but isn't in coverage all that often. They do get a lot of fun safety blitzes though. However also remember that just because somebody is listed as a SS or FS doesn't necessarily mean that's where they start. Most NSFL teams start their best two DBs (no matter the designation) at CB, their third best at FS, and their newest guy at SS. Some teams even start a DB (of any type) at LB. It's an extremely fluid position.

1) Very true. There are many factors. But I feel like the relationship between TPE and good stats is more evident on the offensive side of the ball. Ex: Higher TPE WRs, TEs, and RB, put up bigger numbers whereas DBs maybe not so much. But your above points are very true. Thanks.

2) Yeah I figured most teams lined up their entire DB core in different places but I was just grasping at straws trying to rationalize why my player got 0 INTs and 0 PDs

Also @Roly, I agree, team defence is much more important. Both of our teams had nasty defences even if we didn't get a ton of stat sheet love.

[White Cornerback]

1) Very true. There are many factors. But I feel like the relationship between TPE and good stats is more evident on the offensive side of the ball. Ex: Higher TPE WRs, TEs, and RB, put up bigger numbers whereas DBs maybe not so much. But your above points are very true. Thanks.

2) Yeah I figured most teams lined up their entire DB core in different places but I was just grasping at straws trying to rationalize why my player got 0 INTs and 0 PDs

Also @Roly, I agree, team defence is much more important. Both of our teams had nasty defences even if we didn't get a ton of stat sheet love.

@`To12143` It's like us from a season ago...

[Oles]

@`To12143` It's like us from a season ago...

Ah good times, it was also like me and cushing this season

[The_Hero]

Well, obviously, I can definitely say I feel your pain, although 0 INT and 0 PD is definitely a tough run of luck.

I gotta say that I’m not too worried about those stats though. A good safety doesn’t only worry about making big plays on double coverage, but bailing out his CBs when they get burned or wrecked down the line. Right @The_Hero?

Sure it’d be nice to have killer numbers, but D is a team position and look at Portland man - you guys rocked at D this year with the fewest points allowed (barely edging out us in SA). That’s a group victory, not to mention the badass 11-3 record.

Besides you forgot my 1 DTD which still makes me better than Hero’s Fletcher

Whoa whoa whoa! Now who leads the league PD's??? Sure maybe I'm a little low on tackles and interceptions and TD but damn it at least I got the PD's!! Lol

[Daybe]

Ah good times, it was also like me and cushing this season

me too lol