#1 Defense: Reality or Fluke

[Arky]

Using the word "ranking" is a bit of a misnomer but it's something everyone does, myself included. Statistically the Texan defense is #1 in least amount of yards given up/game. That is a single "stat". There's a difference between being "ranked" #1 and being #1 in a stats category. "Ranking" to me conjures up an outside group - ESPN, USA today, Coaches poll, even Football Outsiders and their calculated metrics or perhaps even a single persons opinion...

The yards/game stat has long been the unofficial way to compare one defense against the rest of the league.... Not saying it's right, just saying it is the way it has always been done....

To get a full picture of a defense, you need to look at all the defensive stats: yds/game, pts/game, yds/rush, yds/pass, 3rd downs, redzone percentage, takeaways (fumbles/INT's), etc....