2018 Defeats

by Vincent Verhei Our look back at 2018 data continues. Today we are going to focus on defeats, and what they can tell us about some of the best defenders in the league. We have lots of statistics to measure quarterbacks, running backs, wide receivers, even kickers, but our numbers for individual defensive players are a lot more limited. Defeats are one way to account for defenders who make frequent appearances on highlight reels. As a reminder, a defender is credited with a defeat any time he makes one of the following plays:

• A tackle that results in a loss of yardage, including sacks.
• Any play that results in a turnover, including tipped passes which are then intercepted.
• Any tackle or tipped pass that leads to a stop on third or fourth down.

Your leader in defeats for 2018 is a defender who has been making life miserable for NFC South offenses for several years now.

Luke Kuechly has made at least 23 defeats every year since he was drafted ninth overall in 2012, even when he missed six games in 2016. He has made the top ten four times in the past, but he has never led the league in this category until now. This is why he was a first-team All-Pro for the fifth time in his career. Kuechly's league-best 38 defeats in 2018 break down like so:

• A league-high 18 tackles on run plays at or behind the line of scrimmage.
• A league-high eight tackles on completions at or behind the line of scrimmage.
• Four tackles on third-down completions that gained yards but still failed to pick up a first down.
• Three tackles on third-down runs that gained yards but still failed to pick up a first down.
• Two forced fumbles.
• 2.0 sacks.
• One interception.
• One deflected pass on third down.

(Yes, that adds up to more than 38, because some plays fit more than one category -- in Kuechly's case, a tackle on a screen pass for a loss of 1 yard and a forced fumble.) Kuechly narrowly beats out another linebacker, Colts rookie sensation Darius Leonard, for the league lead in defeats. Leonard made more noise as a pass-rusher than Kuechly, with 7.0 sacks and four forced fumbles. He just missed becoming the first rookie to lead the league in defeats since Houston's Brian Cushing also had 37 in 2009. Aaron Donald of the Los Angeles Rams finished third in defeats, but he won his second-straight AP Defensive Player of the Year award. That's because his total of 36 defeats was exceptional for an interior lineman.

Donald had nine more defeats than any other interior lineman. Kansas City's Chris Jones was second at the position with 27, but he was closer to eighth-place Denico Autry than he was to Donald. Donald led the league with 20.5 sacks, and he and Jones tied for the lead with 21 pass defeats. Yes, it is odd to see two defensive linemen ahead of all the edge rushers and linebackers in this category, and it speaks to how great both players are at penetrating into the backfield. Damon Harrison, who played for both the Giants and Lions, led all interior linemen with 18 run defeats.

It was a disappointing year for the Jacksonville defense, which fell from first in DVOA in 2017 to sixth last season, but still an excellent campaign for veteran defensive end Calais Campbell. At age 32, Campbell set career highs with 72 total tackles and 20 tackles for loss, with 10.5 sacks. Campbell also led all edge rushers with 18 run defeats, but he was not the leader in pass defeats. That honor went to Denver's Von Miller, whose 19 pass defeats included 14.5 sacks. Dallas' Demarcus Lawrence is the other standout here -- he was second at the position behind Campbell in both run defeats (16) and total defeats (30), and his 14 pass defeats were nothing to sneeze at either.

We've already discussed Kuechly and Leonard, so let's spend some time on Tampa Bay's Lavonte David, who finished third at the position in both run defeats (15) and total defeats (30) despite missing two games. It was the sixth time in David's seven seasons he has finished in the top five in the NFL in defeats (that's all players, not just linebackers); in his other season, 2017, he was tied for 18th despite missing three games. All this guy does, year in and year out, is make more disruptive plays than almost any other linebacker in football. Yet he has made just one Pro Bowl (2015) and one first-string All-Pro team (2013). Leonard and Cory Littleton of the Rams tied for the lead among linebackers with 20 pass defeats. Kuechly had the most run defeats at the position.

Box safeties obviously have an advantage here over free safeties because they play closer to the line of scrimmage. Young safeties may have an advantage too -- the top four safeties in 2018 were all in their first or second seasons. Jamal Adams of the New York Jets was the triple crown winner, finishing first at his postion in pass defeats (tied with the Chargers' Derwin James), run defeats, and total defeats. Arizona's Budda Baker was right behind him -- second in run defeats and total defeats, tied for third in pass defeats. The Rams' John Johnson was also tied for third in pass defeats and finished third in total defeats.

Defeats are somewhat meaningless for corners, and tell us a lot more about the circumstances in which a person played than they do his abilities as a player. The three cornerbacks who tied for the lead with 21 total defeats were radically different players. Houston's Kareem Jackson has had about as good a career a corner can have without ever making the Pro Bowl -- he started every game in 2018 and has now started 124 of 132 games in his nine-year career. Indianapolis' Kenny Moore was a slot corner as a rookie in 2017 before collecting 16 starts last year. Minnesota's Mackensie Alexander, meanwhile, only started six games last year, bringing his career totals to six starts in 42 games. He is strictly a nickelback and is not expected to start in 2019 either. Speaking of nickelbacks, Pittsburgh's Mike Hilton led all corners with seven run defeats despite starting only two games. This is the second straight season Hilton has had the most run defeats among corners without seeing enough targets in coverage to qualify for our leaderboards. Forget being a nickelback -- Hilton is more like a 5-foot-9, 184-pound linebacker.