Before any application of the rankings of the ten worst pass defenses, I need to explain what will now happen with these rankings. No longer will they line-up with the stats provided by the NFL pre-game shows and in-game announcers. I have changed these ranking to reflect a rolling three-game average. Why? Because NFL offenses and defenses change based on how they were successively attacked and defended. Why should one team's averages be pulled one way or another by a good game or a bad one? With a rolling average I hope to capture what is going on now.
The two worst pass defenses are facing teams with passing issues. The Denver Broncos face off against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and its QB Brian Griese and his no-name receiving corps. If Jeff Garcia hadn't whined his way 3rd string, I'd be touting him as a safe start this week. Unfortunately, Brian Griese doesn't inspire me against the worst pass defense in the league. Nevermind, the Broncos have the 11th worst rush defense over the past three games. Why couldn't Earnest Graham and Warrick Dunn do what Larry Johnson did last week?
For the Miami Dolphins, I am not concerned about QB Chad Pennington going against the San Diego Chargers secondary. I worry more about his receiving targets. As a Dolphins fan I want Ted Ginn Jr, to be good, but he isn't. Can RBs Ronnie Brown and Ricky Williams and TEs Anthony Fasano and David Martin catch enough balls to make the difference? Maybe not, but I like them more because of Pennington.
The Ten Worst Pass Defenses:
| Rank | Team | PYA | Vs |
|---|---|---|---|
| 32 | Denver | 315.7 | TB |
| 31 | San Diego | 286.3 | @MIA |
| 30 | Chicago | 283 | @DET |
| 29 | NY Jets | 277.3 | BYE |
| 28 | New Orleans | 263.7 | MIN |
| 27 | Detroit | 256 | CHI |
| 26 | Miami | 250.5 | SD |
| 25 | Dallas | 243 | CIN |
| 24 | Jacksonville | 242.7 | PIT |
| 23 | Washington | 230.7 | @PHI |