NFL teams
John Parolin, ESPN Stats & Info 9y

Why are NFC South defenses so dismal?

The NFC South is the worst defensive division in the NFL -- and the metrics tell us it's not even close.

Based on statistical analysis of 10 years of NFL play-by-play data, "expected points" is how many net points the team with the ball at the start of each play is expected to score. The value accounts for factors including down, distance to go, field position, home/away status and time remaining. Offensive and defensive expected points added (EPA) give us the total impact of each play on each team's chances of scoring.

Allowing the offense to convert on third-and-12? Not very good for defensive EPA. Intercepting a pass in the end zone? Much better.

So what does the metric tell us about the NFC South? Through six weeks, the division has four of the five worst defenses in the NFL. NFC South defenses have cost their teams 224.9 expected points, more than twice as many expected points as the AFC South (101.8), the next-closest division.

ESPN Stats & Information pinpointed primary problem areas for each NFC South defense. What solutions, if any, exist? We asked the NFL Nation reporters who cover the division:

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