Trying To Figure Out DVOA

December 7th, 2008
FootballOutsiders.com are trying to ruin how fans experience the NFL. Despite that fact, a writer for that site has an interesting article on how the Bucs drafts and free agent signings, including last years No. 1 draft pick Gaines Adams, have been fantastic.

FootballOutsiders.com is trying to ruin how fans enjoy the NFL. Regardless, a writer for that site has an interesting article on how Bucs drafts and free agent signings have been fantastic, including last year's No. 1 pick Gaines Adams.

Obviously, Joe loves the NFL. Joe also likes baseball and hockey, too (more on that in the coming months). But one of the things that has endeared Joe to football more over recent years is how football is devoid of the statheads.

Baseball has all but been taken over by the statheads, such as Bill James and his ilk. Joe actually knows people who claim to be hardcore baseball fans who will argue to they’re blue in the face that a player is good but they’ve never seen the guy play once!

These same “fans” base their arguments on only Excel spreadsheets filled with made-up statistical gibberish. These same “fans” look down their noses at the Neanderthals who actually judge how good a player is by watching him play. Can you imagine?

If Joe enjoyed mathematical gymnastics, he would have majored in trigonometry.

Sadly, there is something out there called FootballOutsiders.com, where people with a mindset like James, who has done more to pollute baseball than any player agent, are also trying to trash football with the same nonsense. James should have done the sporting public a favor and kept his job as a night watchman at a pork and beans factory. 

Where is Joe going with this? FootballOutsiders.com has an interesting article about how strong the Bucs drafts and free agents signings have been of late. Sadly, in the article, an acronym of DVOA is used. Joe had no idea what this means. He found out through the magic of Google that DVOA stands for Defense-adjusted Value Over Average.

Joe has no idea what the hell this means. But the article is otherwise interesting.

Current standout linebacker Barrett Ruud was taken in the second round from Nebraska, but the new philosophy really paid off in the 2007 draft. Clemson end Gaines Adams was taken in the first round to replace Rice, and Syracuse safety Tanard Jackson was a steal in the fourth round. The Bucs melded this new defensive draft focus with the ability to get fine performances out of veteran pickups like Kevin Carter, Chris Hovan and Jovan Haye. Greg White, who led the Bucs in sacks last season with eight, was recommended to Gruden by his brother, Jay, a former Arena League quarterback, who had seen White playing for the Orlando Predators. Tampa Bay rebounded to finish fourth in Defensive DVOA in 2007, and the Bucs are third after 13 weeks this season. The NFC South was theirs in 2007, and it could very well be again.

Please statheads, stick to baseball, or play with a calculator if you must, or try something daring like sampling human beings better known as girls. Don’t try to ruin football, as well.

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