DeForest Buckner’s impact on the Indianapolis Colts defense this season has been massive–we all know that.
However, even in knowing that, the numbers that showcase just how impactful he has been are quite impressive.
As noted by The Athletic’s James Boyd, when Buckner has been on the field this season for the Colts, the defense as a whole as generated a pressure rate of 44.4 percent. On the flip side, without Buckner, the Colts’ pressure rate is only 30.4 percent.
Beyond the massive gap between those two figures, for some added context, the most pressured quarterback in football this season is Jacoby Brissett, who is under duress on 44.1 percent of his dropbacks. Patrick Mahomes, meanwhile, is pressured on just 30.3 percent of his dropbacks, the seventh-lowest mark among quarterbacks.
Individually, Buckner has the 12th-best pass rush win rate among all interior defenders this season. But Buckner’s impact on this defense goes well past his own production. With the attention that he draws just from being on the field, that can help open up opportunities for others.
A great example of this is with Grover Stewart. According to Boyd’s metrics, when Buckner has been healthy (Weeks 1, 8, and 9), Stewart has a pressure rate of 14.8 percent and is double-teamed on 41 percent of his snaps.
Then in the games where Buckner hasn’t been available, Stewart’s pressure rate drops to only 1.9 percent and he’s double-teamed nearly 10 percent more often.
Overall, the swing in pass rush effectiveness that Buckner’s presence provides also has a trickle-down effect to the rest of the defense. Steady pressure disrupts the timing and rhythm of the throw, which can lead to mistakes and, generally speaking, less time that the secondary has to be in coverage.
The DeForest Buckner effect is very real and the Colts defense has been benefitting from it since his return from injury.