November 13, 2011; Cleveland, OH, USA; St. Louis Rams middle linebacker James Laurinaitis (55) drags Cleveland Browns quarterback Colt McCoy (12) out of bounds in the fourth quarter at Cleveland Browns Stadium. St. Louis won 13-12. Mandatory Credit: Rick Osentoski-US PRESSWIRE

It is an utter travesty and clear evidence in the failure of the voting system that James Laurinaitis has been deprived of a Pro Bowl appearance. There are a number of reasons that may have contributed to this disrespect, whether is be the lack of media coverage that the Rams receive, the lack of talent around him that has consistently ranked the Rams defense in the lower tier of the league, or the presence of Patrick Willis in the same conference hogging all the publicity. Whatever the reasoning may be, Laurinaitis has received little attention on the national stage for his production and efficiency. But how can you truly gauge efficiency? Tackles, sacks, and pass deflection can hold a light to the true picture of efficiency, but in order to see the whole picture you need a much more detailed evaluation.

Pro Football Focus recently compiled a massive three-year database of statistics, analyzing individual players on anything from the amount of pressures a running back has given up to the average number of yards per route ran by a particular wide receiver. Included in that, of course, is some extremely useful information on tackling; specifically, total tackles, missed tackles totals, and tackle efficiency for all linebackers over the past 3 years.

In terms of overall tackles, Laurinaitis ranks 5th among all linebackers, and, more importantly, 1st in the NFC West. Laurinaitis has amassed 346 total tackles, a combination of 299 solo tackles and 47 assisted tackles. Other notable names within the Top 10 are London Fletcher with 389 tackles (1st), Patrick Willis with 343 (6th), and Ray Lewis with 309 (9th).

On the other side of the coin, PFF also reveals the linebackers most likely to have their tackles broken off, where they listed the players with the most missed tackles over the past three years. Included in the list are OLB Lance Briggs with 38 missed tackles (1st), who made the Pro Bowl roster as a starter in 2009, and MLB London Fletcher with 32 missed tackles (6th), who made the Pro Bowl in both 2010 and 2011. Granted, the more attempted you have at tackles, the  greater your chances of missing, but a Pro Bowl caliber player should not be on this list. Other notable payers on this list, possibly of interest to the Rams, are current OLB Rocky McIntosh (T-8) and ex-Ram MLB Will Witherspoon (T-10).

Now for the real analysis, the real judgement of efficiency. Raw numbers are a poor indicator of actual performance, since all statistics have to be taken within a greater, more encompassing context. For context, you need a variety of numerical values formulated to give a more accurate assessment of the desired variable. PFF combines the key elements of  ”tackling” to create their formula. Their equation for efficiency is pretty straightforward:

In more basic terms, it is the number of times a player attempted to tackle an opposing runner over the number of times they failed to bring the carrier down.  This puts “tackling” in context, since attempts will be counterbalanced through the weight put on missing tackles. The players at the high end of this list are those who maximize every opportunity to tackle a ball carrier, and very rarely make a mistake. Of the Top 10 players listed in total tackles, only three of those players are in Top 10 in tackling efficiency (TE), which goes to show that raw numbers do not tell the whole picture. Those three include: Patrick Willis with a 25.5 TE (2nd), Jerod Mayo with a 20.0 TE (8th), and…  James Laurinaitis with a 22.6 TE (6th).

Not only does Laurinaitis put up the numbers through raw totals, but he supports those numbers with efficiency in tackling, something that the Rams linebacking core has not had in the recent future. How a Pro Bowl spot has eluded Laurinaitis to this point is beyond comprehension, but at the end of the day, regardless of his lack of hardware, the St. Louis Rams have one of the greatest linebackers in the NFL as their defensive signal caller. Lets hope we can get him that contract soon and keep him in the Blue and Gold for a long, long time.

While it’s a travesty that SJ39 isn’t named, the list actually isn’t bad. Larry Fitzgerald is at the top, followed closely by Patrick Willis, Justin Smith, and Vernon Davis. I don’t have any huge problems here, although if I was making the list Willis would be far and away my number one overall. I think Laurinaitis is about where I expected him to be, and I was pleasantly surprised that Long is finally getting some recognition for how good of a player he has become. Maybe I’m crazy here, but Steven Jackson should be on the list over guys like Russell Okung (8) who was injured for much of his rookie season, and Mike Iupati (10) who is a guard, just to name a few. I’m going to put it in your hands. Check out the poll on the side of the page to rank where you think Jackson belongs in the scope of this division. We will see what the Rams nation thinks of SJ39 and if ESPN isn’t giving him the respect he deserves.

St. Louis Rams-James Laurinaitis

2009 Stats: Laurinaitis took the starting job for the Rams as a rookie, and he ran with it. He compiled 120 tackles (107 solo) with 2 sacks and two interceptions. He defended five passes, and he also forced a fumble. Laurinaitis is a rising star in the league, but he will have to prove his rookie season wasn’t a fluke.

My Take: I think Laurinaitis is a star in the making, and he established himself as a solid NFL middle backer as a rookie. I really want to see if he takes a step forward in his sophomore campaign, but all signs point to another big year. He might not be All-Star worthy yet, but I have a feeling he will be one day soon.

San Francisco 49ers: Patrick Willis

2009 Stats: Willis has been a machine since entering the league as a rookie in 2007, and his 2009 season was no different. He finished with 152 tackles, and he hasn’t totaled less than 141 tackles in his three seasons. He also recorded four sacks, and he picked off three passes, one of which went for a touchdown. He forced three fumbles on the season, and he pretty much terrorized every opposing offense that took the field against him.

My Take: Willis is probably the best MLB in the league, so it stands to reason that he is the best in his own division. I loved this guy coming out of college, and he has only gotten better as an NFL player. Having him man the middle of our All-Star defense will certainly improve our chances in the competition.

Seattle Seahawks-Lofa Tatupu

2009 Stats: Tatupu was injured for much of the 2009 season, as he played in just 5 games. He managed to record 32 tackles and one sack in his limited play, but injuries killed much of his production. Tatupu has enjoyed a nice career with the Hawks, as he has gone over 100 tackles in three of his five years. His best season was in 2007, when he totaled 109 tackles and intercepted 4 passes.

My Take: Tatupu needs to get healthy to prove he still has it, but his body of work has been fairly impressive. Still, with Willis and Laurinaitis in the division, he really isn’t in the conversation for the team.

Arizona Cardinals-Gerald Hayes

2009 Stats: Hayes played in 14 games in 2009, with 13 of those coming as a starter. He made 62 tackles, with 49 of those coming solo. He didn’t record any sacks, but he did total four in 16 starts in 2007. Hayes made 98 tackles in that 2007 season, which was his best as a pro.

My Take: It’s pretty obvious that Hayes is at the bottom of the pack in this group, and there really isn’t much more to say about it. He has been decent when given the chance in his career, but he is not in the class of the other players at the position.

Verdict: This is one of the easiest picks, as Willis is one of the top defensive players in the league. Laurinaitis is well on his way to joining the top echelon of MLBs in the league, but not even he is on the same level as Willis.