Originally posted by Ninerjohn:
Have to agree. Thanks Phoenix for sending that by the way. However, it would still be nice to see how they actually measure the effectiveness of a NT. I mean, it isnt going to be for sacks. You would think it would be about stopping the run and the Niners do that well.
They go well beyond just looking at sacks or tackles, this is like football Sabermetrics. They get pretty in-depth, for a defensive lineman they adjust points based on the quality of the point.....IE......shutting down Beanie Wells vs shutting down Adrian Peterson, yards per carry when on the field vs when off, tackles completed after a 4 or 5 yard carry vs tackles completed after 1 or 2 yards....and so on.
Sopoaga by ranked as the worst 49ers defensive lineman against the run.
Justin Smith-22.9(one of the best in the NFL)
Ray McDonald-11.8
Soap- -5.6(one of the worst in the NFL)
RJF 5.7
Dobbs 4.6
LB's
Willis- 15.8
Bowman 12.5
Smith - 9.2
Brooks 9.5
Here are Soap's combined results for 2012 and 2011
2012- -9.6 overall, -4.5 vs the run, -4.0 pass rush
2011- 4.5 overall, 4.0 vs the run, -2.0 pass rush
These numbers only confirm what is obvious to those watching, Soap's performance has gone downhill drastically this season, he is not stopping the run at the same rate, and his overall effectiveness has left much to be desired. This is one factor in the decrease of effectiveness of the 49ers run defense, still one of the very best in football, but not nearly as dominating as they were last season.
Additionally, when comparing the team numbers between 2011 and 2012, 49ers suffered a decrease in overall team pass rush and pressure generated, it becomes even more glaring if you pull Aldon from the equation.