Wednesday, Oct. 20, 1999

By the numbers

Statistical nuggets on defensive players

By Ron Pollack, Editor-in-chief

This week I felt like looking at the numbers for defensive players. Here are the statistics that grabbed my attention:

Defensive backs

• Vikings S Robert Griffith averaged only 5.75 tackles a game the first four games of the season, but he has averaged 14 tackles the last two games.

• Titans CB Denard Walker has five passes defensed in his last two games. He had only one in the previous three games.

• Redskins CB Darrell Green has at least one pass defensed in every game this season and has two or more in all but one game. His sidekick, Champ Bailey, had only one in his first two games but has seven in his last three games.

• Raiders CB Charles Woodson did not have a single pass defensed in his first three games this season but has five in his last three games.

• Saints CB Ashley Ambrose has had at least one pass defensed in every game this season, including three on two separate occasions. He also has four interceptions.

• The "it’s about time" award goes to Broncos CB Dale Carter. Carter did not have a single pass defensed in the first four games of this season. He finally had one in the Broncos’ fifth game of the season, and then he exploded to tally four last Sunday against the Packers.

• Dolphins CB Sam Madison had four passes defensed the first two games of the season, but he has not had even one in his last three games. He did force a fumble, however, last Sunday against New England.

Defensive linemen

• Panthers DT Sean Gilbert has three passes defensed the last two games he’s played. Something doesn’t seem right when a defensive tackle making that much money has three passes defensed but only half a sack.

• Bears DE Clyde Simmons is acting as though he’s found the fountain of youth. He has five sacks this season and, in the two games he failed to register a sack, he tallied a pass defensed in each of those two outings.

• Jaguars DE Tony Brackens has been a one-man wrecking crew. He has 5.5 sacks, two passes defensed, four forced fumbles and one fumble recovery. Of those statistics, the four forced fumbles really impress me.

Linebackers

• Jaguars LB Kevin Hardy has nine or more total tackles (including assists) in four of his six games this season.

• Browns LB Wali Rainer has posted some nice tackle totals as Chris Spielman’s replacement. Rainer is averaging 9.3 tackles per game.

• Packers LB Brian Williams is averaging 11 tackles per game.

• Buccaneers LB Derrick Brooks had 158 tackles last season (9.9 per game). He posted 10 or more tackles in eight games last season. Yet this season, Brooks has cracked double digits in a game only once, when he had 13 in the season opener against the Giants. He’s averaging 8.4 tackles per game this season.

• Dolphins LB Zach Thomas has had exactly 10 tackles in three separate games this season.

Editor's note: To see the NFL statistical section that Pollack refers to, click here, and to see the NCAA statistical section that is also available, click here.

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1999 - 2000 Season