Today, I wanted to look at how run defenses have fared through Week 16, using success rates by down, game halves, and weekly views as well. Let’s jump right in.
First, let’s look at early down success rates league-wide (with scrambles, kneels, and aborted/penalty plays excluded):
- First Down Passing Success = A rush that gains less than 40% of the needed yardage.
- Second Down Passing Success = A rush that gains less than 50% of the needed yardage.
The Pittsburgh Steelers defense has been one of the strongest teams in the league at limiting first down runs, with a 59.