2024 Cardinals Defense Played 3rd Hardest Opposing Offenses

[cardinals2025]

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Interesting article, while we struggled in EPA on defense and many other stats, we improved in DVOA.

Arizona Cardinals had major defensive improvements in 2024 despite challenges

The Cardinals have bolstered their defense in 2025. But they had a surprising improvement in 2024 with less talent

sports.yahoo.com

Cardinals "moved from 32nd in defensive DVOA in 2023 to 14th in 2024" and that the improvement was impressive for a number of reasons.

1. They played the third-hardest schedule of opposing offenses in 2024 after playing the hardest schedule in 2023.
   
   
2. They lost 72.9 adjusted games to injury on defense, the fourth-highest total in the league.
   
   They lost BJ Ojulari, Dennis Gardeck, Justin Jones and Bilal Nichols to season-ending injuries.
   
   
   "If they improved that much with a roster that is markedly worse than the current one, imagine what this year's defense might be when they have an easier schedule."
   
   

 

[oaken1]

Based on those charts we showed an exceptional ability to toe the line right at league average. Impressive.

 

[kerouac9]

Cardinals "moved from 32nd in defensive DVOA in 2023 to 14th in 2024" and that the improvement was impressive for a number of reasons.

1. They played the third-hardest schedule of opposing offenses in 2024 after playing the hardest schedule in 2023.
   
   
2. They lost 72.9 adjusted games to injury on defense, the fourth-highest total in the league.
   
   They lost BJ Ojulari, Dennis Gardeck, Justin Jones and Bilal Nichols to season-ending injuries.
   
   
   "If they improved that much with a roster that is markedly worse than the current one, imagine what this year's defense might be when they have an easier schedule."

The strength of scheduled is baked into DVOA; that's why it seems like we overperformed vs metrics that aren't opponent-adjusted.

The step down from Beej, Gardeck, Jones, and Nichols to replacement level isn't that great, if anything.

That chart probably overstates how good we were on offense. If you look at the scales, the defensive variance (vert) goes from -20% to 20% (lower is better in defensive DVOA) and the offensive variance goes from 40 to -35 (higher is better).

As someone who's been dumping on San Fran all offseason, this chart should make you very nervous. DVOA also has them as a likely playoff team.