Is Barry Church Better Than James Ihedigbo? NFL Stats Decide

This is as close as it gets. Barry Church and James Ihedigbo split the statistical categories evenly — 2 apiece — making this one of the most genuinely contested S comparisons in NFL history. When the numbers are this balanced, the debate comes down to which statistics matter most to you.

James Ihedigbo's Sacks of 9 compared to Barry Church's 2.5 represents a 260% advantage — dramatically better than their counterpart in this critical category. It is the single most decisive number in this comparison and the clearest statistical argument for James Ihedigbo's edge.

The most competitive category in this matchup is Pass Deflections, where Barry Church posts 26 against James Ihedigbo's 24 — a gap of just 8.3%. James Ihedigbo can point to this as evidence that the overall comparison is closer than the final 2-2 tally suggests. In any debate, Pass Deflections is the statistical ammunition for the James Ihedigbo side.

Defensive impact in the NFL is notoriously difficult to quantify. Sacks and tackles capture individual production, but disruption, coverage grades and run-stopping ability paint the complete picture of defensive excellence.

With categories split evenly, this comparison ultimately comes down to which statistics matter most to you. James Ihedigbo claims the tiebreaker through Sacks advantage — a 260% edge — but reasonable people can, and do, argue both sides of this NFL debate.