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Kevin Coyle's defense, what do the statistics say?

Discussion in 'Miami Dolphins Forum' started by Paul 13, Jan 4, 2015.

  1. Paul 13

    Paul 13 Chaotic Neutral & Unstable Genius Staff Member

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    Yes, we've all heard the complaints... Kevin Coyle sucks... he isn't using Dion Jordan properly... he doesn't make in game adjustments effectively.... he's too slow to adjust... his critical 4th quarter defense fell apart against the Packers and Lions... The Jets ran all over us in the first game... Geno Smith had a perfect qb rating in the second game... GENO SMITH!?

    There's a lot of passion there. But what do the statistics say? Should he really be fired? We had a top 5 defense by most accounts up until the 11th or 12th game... He's been here for three years now... is there a trend that shows one way or the other which way the defense is progressing? Some empirical evidence perhaps??

    Lets take a look at how the defense has ranked the last three years:

    Scoring defense..

    2014: 20th. 23.3 points.
    2013: 8th. 20.9 points.
    2012: 7th. 19.8 points.


    total yards per game:

    2014: 12th. 343.4 yards
    2013: 21st. 359.4 yards
    2012: 21st. 356.8 yards

    yards per play:

    2014: 12th. 5.3 yards per play
    2013: 11th. 5.2 yards per play
    2012: 17th. 5.3 yards per play

    Lets go to a much more used stat... red zone scoring defense (TD only):

    2014: 16th. 52.73%.
    2013: 5th. 46.43%.
    2012: 1st. 42.59%.


    Some would argue this is the most important stat of all for a defense. There's a clear downward trend here.

    Lastly... how about opponent third down conversion percentage, my personal favorite:

    2014: 29th. 43.95%
    2013: 15th. 38.24%
    2012: 9th. 36.55%


    Once again, the progression here is really telling. The inability to get off the field on 3rd down gradually wears a defense down as the season progresses. Especially if you don't have the depth to withstand it. Especially if your two best players (Grimes and Wake) are on the plus side of 30. Certainly injuries don't help... but injuries aren't an excuse. Tell that to the Ravens and their secondary... or the Panthers and theirs.

    So, when you take away all the opinions... all the emotion... and just look at the stats.. the important ones, it's hard to justify that Kevin Coyle should be kept. It's hard to point to anything from a statistical point of view, in looking at the last three years and say we're an improving defense. Sure, there have been individual accomplishments. Jelani Jenkins... Olivier Vernon... Brent Grimes... Cameron Wake... I'd argue that Jamar Taylor showed some glimpses.... especially at the point of attack. Reshad Jones... But in the end, it's about the defense as a whole. And it's clearly progressing the wrong way.
     
  2. NyPhinfan

    NyPhinfan Season Ticket Holder

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    I totally agree.. When you have the bend but don't break philosophy...it leaves very little margin for error. When you are so passive at times on defense..its so hard to turn that switch off and become a physical defense. Defense to me is mostly points given up...please dont give me rankings against the run or the pass unless BOTH of them are top ten. Anyone who viewed this defense all year...beginning to end...couldnt possible view it as a top defense and especially as one going in the right direction
     
    dolphin25 likes this.
  3. Pauly

    Pauly Season Ticket Holder

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    I want a breakdown of how our defense stood broken into 4 game stretches. i.e. games 1-4, 5-8, 9-12, and 13-16.

    My recollection is that they would rank as good, great, good, horrible.
     
    dolphin25 likes this.
  4. Fin-Omenal

    Fin-Omenal Initiated

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    Thee...Ohio State University
    It's Monday.....why is Kevin Coyle still an employee of the Miami Dolphins??
     
  5. HardKoreXXX

    HardKoreXXX Insensitive to the Touch

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    Damn. That 2012 D was pretty damn great. Too bad Tannehill was a rookie and Hartline was the #1 WR.

    As for Coyle, yeah, he's gone.
     
  6. Maple Phin

    Maple Phin New Member

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    At this point I'd even take Jim Haslett over this clown
     
  7. Larryfinfan

    Larryfinfan 17-0...Priceless Club Member

    Paul, you got me at the red zone section until I re-read the numbers...you switched the years from the rest of your article...but I agree whole-heartedly...he should be gone by now and Philbin should be in the process of getting a better candidate... The silence from the organization is deafening to fans...
     
  8. DolphinGreg

    DolphinGreg Season Ticket Holder Club Member

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    I'm more interested in learning how things devolved. Obviously the defense was terrible by the time the season ended.

    How was this defense so good 3 years ago if its supposedly so horrible today?

    Why are people assuming that a unit that was amongst the better groups in the league 2 years ago and looked very similar early this year can't be resolved without a rebuild?

    Why did the defense decline as it did when it had the same DC and the personnel turnover was minimal?

    It's not like injuries were the reason either. Wake played all year. So did Grimes, Vernon, Odrick, Mitchell, Starks, Jenkins. Finnegan was hurt but we had Davis and Taylor behind him so we should've been okay. Jones was gone for the first 4 games but the defense was okay during that stretch and Jones didn't miss any games after he returned.

    I still don't understand why this defense wasn't playing better towards the end. I came into this year thinking Vernon, Odrick, Misi, Jones, and others were good players but none really had great years if you ask me. I think I may have over-rated the personnel if I'm honest. Cam Wake is way over-rated. Vernon had a mediocre year. No one on the interior played outstandingly well. Jimmy Wilson was horrible. Jones was about average. Grimes declined a bit. Finnegan was pretty bad. Misi was playing an entirely new position which is probably not right for him.

    Maybe a new DC will turn things around. I don't know honestly though. This group should have played better but when it had opportunities it largely failed.
     
  9. Stringer Bell

    Stringer Bell Post Hard, Post Often Club Member

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    Cheapest option for the organization. If you're planning on flushing everyone next offseason, why add more to the tab?
     
  10. MrClean

    MrClean Inglourious Basterd Club Member

    Well, if we signed Haslett, the defensive players couldn't complain about the defense being too complicated or had too many possible plays from week to week. Haslett's scheme is one of the simplest in the NFL.
     
  11. Colmax

    Colmax Well-Known Member

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    In defense of the defense:

    How many 3 and outs did the offense have, broken down by quarters of a season, and does that relate to these statistics from the defense?

    With that, there will be questions regarding this. Did it matter? If no, was it the opposing offenses catching up to the defensive game plan? If yes, then some potential blame could be placed on the offense, no?

    I do not know if it fits either way, but it could be relative....
     
  12. Paul 13

    Paul 13 Chaotic Neutral & Unstable Genius Staff Member

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    hmm.. no I don't think so. they are all listed starting with 2014 and counting backwards to 2012.
     
  13. Paul 13

    Paul 13 Chaotic Neutral & Unstable Genius Staff Member

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    I'll add two more stats here:

    % of drives ending in a score:
    2014: 23rd, 36.7%
    2013: 16th, 33.5%
    2012: 14th, 32.2%

    avg starting field position:
    2014: 26th, 29.5 yard line (I'd argue this had more to do with Fields' poor season than anything to do with the offense and their inability to move the ball)
    2013: 10th, 26.8 yard line
    2012: 21st, 28.3 yard line
     
  14. Paul 13

    Paul 13 Chaotic Neutral & Unstable Genius Staff Member

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    Also, a word on the offense for 2014... total plays per drive is 6.0... that's good enough for 9th in the league... avg starting field position for the Dolphins offense was 31.1 yard line... THAT'S BEST IN THE LEAGUE. How can you go from the best offensive starting field position to the 23rd best in defensive starting field position? I think it's the kicking game. And it's not just Fields... It's Sturgis' inability to kick it in the endzone but also his inability to make a field goal... he's 27th in the NFL in FG% made. Keep missing those 40 yard plus kicks and your defensive field position #'s will feel it.
     
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