When selecting a defense, is it better to go after sacks or interceptions? And by “go after” I’m talking stats. Let’s forget about who’s on which team and the system and who’s coaching and which starter just got hurt and whatnot. Looking just at how the team fared last year, are you better targeting a team that had a bunch of sacks? Or a team that had a bunch of interceptions?
I’m leaving fumbles out, because that’s seems to be largely a volatile, luck-driven category.
I looked at the last 10 years, so that’s about 320 teams.
Of that group of teams, 44 had at least 22 interceptions. That group in their next season averaged 16.5 interceptions and 36 sacks.
With sacks, on the other hand, 43 defenses have had at least 45 sacks in the last. That group in their next season averaged 15.9 interceptions and 40 sacks.
So for this quick glance, sacks win. If you pick out of that group (relative to picking for interceptions) you tend to come out about 4 sacks ahead while only a half interception behind.
This trend isn’t super meaningful for this year because there are too many crossover defenses. Carolina, Buffalo, Kansas City, Arizona and Seattle all had at least 44 sacks and 20 interceptions last year.
In the charts below, cross-over teams (ones appearing on both lists) are tagged with dots. Teams from last year are in bold.
DEFENSES WITH 45-PLUS SACKS | |||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|
. | . | . | . | Next | Next |
Year | Team | Int | Sack | Int | Sack |
2006 | San Diego Chargers | 16 | 61 | 30 | 42 |
2006 | • Baltimore Ravens | 28 | 60 | 17 | 32 |
2013 | Carolina Panthers | 20 | 60 | ? | ? |
2008 | Dallas Cowboys | 8 | 59 | 11 | 42 |
2013 | • Buffalo Bills | 23 | 57 | ? | ? |
2007 | New York Giants | 15 | 53 | 17 | 42 |
2013 | St. Louis Rams | 14 | 53 | ? | ? |
2012 | St. Louis Rams | 17 | 52 | 14 | 53 |
2012 | Denver Broncos | 16 | 52 | 17 | 41 |
2008 | Pittsburgh Steelers | 20 | 51 | 12 | 47 |
2012 | Cincinnati Bengals | 14 | 51 | 20 | 43 |
2011 | Minnesota Vikings | 8 | 50 | 10 | 44 |
2005 | Seattle Seahawks | 16 | 50 | 12 | 41 |
2011 | Philadelphia Eagles | 15 | 50 | 8 | 30 |
2005 | Miami Dolphins | 14 | 49 | 8 | 47 |
2013 | New Orleans Saints | 12 | 49 | ? | ? |
2008 | Philadelphia Eagles | 15 | 48 | 25 | 44 |
2004 | Atlanta Falcons | 19 | 48 | 16 | 37 |
2011 | Baltimore Ravens | 15 | 48 | 13 | 37 |
2010 | Pittsburgh Steelers | 21 | 48 | 11 | 35 |
2011 | New York Giants | 20 | 48 | 21 | 33 |
2009 | Minnesota Vikings | 11 | 48 | 15 | 31 |
2013 | New England Patriots | 17 | 48 | ? | ? |
2009 | Pittsburgh Steelers | 12 | 47 | 21 | 48 |
2012 | Green Bay Packers | 18 | 47 | 11 | 44 |
2003 | • Baltimore Ravens | 24 | 47 | 21 | 39 |
2005 | Pittsburgh Steelers | 15 | 47 | 20 | 39 |
2010 | Oakland Raiders | 12 | 47 | 18 | 39 |
2005 | Jacksonville Jaguars | 19 | 47 | 20 | 35 |
2010 | San Diego Chargers | 16 | 47 | 17 | 32 |
2007 | New England Patriots | 19 | 47 | 14 | 31 |
2006 | Miami Dolphins | 8 | 47 | 14 | 30 |
2010 | • Green Bay Packers | 24 | 47 | 31 | 29 |
2004 | Philadelphia Eagles | 17 | 47 | 17 | 29 |
2013 | Kansas City | 21 | 47 | ? | ? |
2013 | Arizona Cardinals | 20 | 47 | ? | ? |
2005 | San Diego Chargers | 10 | 46 | 16 | 61 |
2007 | Dallas Cowboys | 19 | 46 | 8 | 59 |
2010 | New York Giants | 16 | 46 | 20 | 48 |
2006 | • Green Bay Packers | 23 | 46 | 19 | 36 |
2005 | Indianapolis Colts | 18 | 46 | 15 | 25 |
2011 | Cincinnati Bengals | 10 | 45 | 14 | 51 |
2008 | Minnesota Vikings | 12 | 45 | 11 | 48 |
2004 | Indianapolis Colts | 19 | 45 | 18 | 46 |
2005 | • Carolina Panthers | 23 | 45 | 14 | 41 |
2003 | New York Giants | 10 | 45 | 14 | 40 |
2004 | • Buffalo Bills | 24 | 45 | 17 | 38 |
2004 | Tampa Bay Buccaneers | 16 | 45 | 17 | 36 |
2007 | Seattle Seahawks | 20 | 45 | 9 | 35 |
2004 | New England Patriots | 20 | 45 | 10 | 33 |
DEFENSES WITH 22-PLUS INTERCEPTIONS | |||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|
. | . | . | . | Next | Next |
Year | Team | Int | Sack | Int | Sack |
2011 | Green Bay Packers | 31 | 29 | 18 | 47 |
2005 | Cincinnati Bengals | 31 | 28 | 19 | 35 |
2007 | San Diego Chargers | 30 | 42 | 15 | 28 |
2009 | Green Bay Packers | 30 | 37 | 24 | 47 |
2003 | New England Patriots | 29 | 41 | 20 | 45 |
2006 | • Baltimore Ravens | 28 | 60 | 17 | 32 |
2013 | Seattle Seahawks | 28 | 44 | ? | ? |
2003 | Minnesota Vikings | 28 | 37 | 11 | 39 |
2009 | Buffalo Bills | 28 | 32 | 11 | 27 |
2009 | New Orleans Saints | 26 | 35 | 9 | 33 |
2004 | Carolina Panthers | 26 | 34 | 23 | 45 |
2008 | Baltimore Ravens | 26 | 34 | 22 | 32 |
2009 | Philadelphia Eagles | 25 | 44 | 23 | 39 |
2003 | Kansas City | 25 | 36 | 13 | 41 |
2010 | New England Patriots | 25 | 36 | 23 | 40 |
2003 | • Baltimore Ravens | 24 | 47 | 21 | 39 |
2010 | • Green Bay Packers | 24 | 47 | 31 | 29 |
2004 | • Buffalo Bills | 24 | 45 | 17 | 38 |
2003 | St. Louis Rams | 24 | 42 | 6 | 34 |
2005 | Chicago Bears | 24 | 41 | 24 | 40 |
2012 | Chicago Bears | 24 | 41 | 19 | 31 |
2006 | Chicago Bears | 24 | 40 | 16 | 41 |
2005 | Minnesota Vikings | 24 | 34 | 21 | 30 |
2013 | • Buffalo Bills | 23 | 57 | ? | ? |
2006 | • Green Bay Packers | 23 | 46 | 19 | 36 |
2005 | • Carolina Panthers | 23 | 45 | 14 | 41 |
2011 | San Francisco 49ers | 23 | 42 | 14 | 38 |
2003 | San Francisco 49ers | 23 | 42 | 9 | 29 |
2011 | New England Patriots | 23 | 40 | 20 | 37 |
2010 | Philadelphia Eagles | 23 | 39 | 15 | 50 |
2004 | Seattle Seahawks | 23 | 36 | 16 | 50 |
2004 | San Diego Chargers | 23 | 29 | 10 | 46 |
2008 | Cleveland Browns | 23 | 17 | 10 | 40 |
2006 | New England Patriots | 22 | 44 | 19 | 47 |
2003 | Miami Dolphins | 22 | 44 | 15 | 36 |
2007 | Tennessee Titans | 22 | 40 | 20 | 44 |
2012 | Arizona Cardinals | 22 | 38 | 20 | 47 |
2011 | Seattle Seahawks | 22 | 33 | 18 | 36 |
2009 | Baltimore Ravens | 22 | 32 | 19 | 27 |
2010 | Atlanta Falcons | 22 | 31 | 19 | 33 |
2009 | Carolina Panthers | 22 | 31 | 17 | 31 |
2008 | Tampa Bay Buccaneers | 22 | 29 | 19 | 28 |
2008 | Chicago Bears | 22 | 28 | 13 | 35 |
2007 | Indianapolis Colts | 22 | 28 | 15 | 30 |
2008 | Green Bay Packers | 22 | 27 | 30 | 37 |
2004 | Houston Texans | 22 | 24 | 7 | 37 |
—Ian Allan