The season is coming to an end and the NFL playoffs are about to begin. Every team has fought hard to get there, but only a few will be able to move on. And there are many factors that decide which team will make it to the next round.
It’s the last month of the NFL season, and fans are starting to look forward to Super Bowl 56. But not many people realize that there is a whole other level of play called the NFL defensive rankings, which take into account factors like scoring defense, yards per play, and overall defense. In case you missed it during this season, here are the defensive rankings for all 32 teams in the NFL playoff race.
| Rk | Tm | G | PA | Yds | Ply | Y/P | TO |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Buffalo Bills | 17 | 289 | 4637 | 1014 | 4.6 | 30 |
| 2 | New England Patriots | 17 | 303 | 5284 | 1038 | 5.1 | 30 |
| 3 | Denver Broncos | 17 | 322 | 5544 | 1039 | 5.3 | 19 |
| 4 | New Orleans Saints | 17 | 335 | 5410 | 1064 | 5.1 | 25 |
| 5 | Tampa Bay Buccaneers | 17 | 353 | 5635 | 1093 | 5.2 | 29 |
| 6 | Tennessee Titans | 17 | 354 | 5607 | 1039 | 5.4 | 22 |
| 7 | Dallas Cowboys | 17 | 358 | 5967 | 1082 | 5.5 | 34 |
| 8 | Kansas City Chiefs | 17 | 364 | 6272 | 1060 | 5.9 | 29 |
| 9 | San Francisco 49ers | 17 | 365 | 5270 | 1032 | 5.1 | 20 |
| 10 | Indianapolis Colts | 17 | 365 | 5834 | 1050 | 5.6 | 33 |
| 11 | Arizona Cardinals | 17 | 366 | 5597 | 1028 | 5.4 | 27 |
| 12 | Seattle Seahawks | 17 | 366 | 6445 | 1201 | 5.4 | 18 |
| 13 | Green Bay Packers | 17 | 371 | 5579 | 1037 | 5.4 | 26 |
| 14 | Cleveland Browns | 17 | 371 | 5296 | 1056 | 5.0 | 19 |
| 15 | Los Angeles Rams | 17 | 372 | 5863 | 1118 | 5.2 | 25 |
| 16 | Miami Dolphins | 17 | 373 | 5738 | 1081 | 5.3 | 26 |
| 17 | Cincinnati Bengals | 17 | 376 | 5964 | 1075 | 5.5 | 21 |
| 18 | Philadelphia Eagles | 17 | 385 | 5590 | 1076 | 5.2 | 16 |
| 19 | Baltimore Ravens | 17 | 392 | 6178 | 1033 | 6.0 | 15 |
| 20 | Pittsburgh Steelers | 17 | 398 | 6139 | 1116 | 5.5 | 22 |
| 21 | Carolina Panthers | 17 | 404 | 5201 | 1028 | 5.1 | 16 |
| 22 | Chicago Bears | 17 | 407 | 5384 | 1009 | 5.3 | 16 |
| 23 | New York Giants | 17 | 416 | 6032 | 1137 | 5.3 | 22 |
| 24 | Minnesota Vikings | 17 | 426 | 6522 | 1152 | 5.7 | 24 |
| 25 | Washington Football Team | 17 | 434 | 6108 | 1065 | 5.7 | 19 |
| 26 | Las Vegas Raiders | 17 | 439 | 5732 | 1103 | 5.2 | 15 |
| 27 | Houston Texans | 17 | 452 | 6535 | 1101 | 5.9 | 25 |
| 28 | Jacksonville Jaguars | 17 | 457 | 6002 | 1068 | 5.6 | 9 |
| 29 | Atlanta Falcons | 17 | 459 | 6194 | 1114 | 5.6 | 20 |
| 30 | Los Angeles Chargers | 17 | 459 | 6122 | 1103 | 5.6 | 21 |
| 31 | Detroit Lions | 17 | 467 | 6456 | 1092 | 5.9 | 19 |
| 32 | New York Jets | 17 | 504 | 6760 | 1145 | 5.9 | 14 |
With the NFL playoffs in full swing, we’ve looked at the best defenses of each conference. Our rankings are based on data from our NFL defense analytics platform. Here’s how the top five fared against a month into the playoffs.
The Buffalo Bills are on a serious tear and look like Super Bowl favorites. They currently hold the No. 1 defensive ranking in the NFL. The Bills have the best defense in the NFL for its first time in 22 seasons. But what about their other stats? In inaugural regular-season MVP quarterback, Tom Brady’s the best offenses in their respective conferences.
The NFL is renowned for its highly competitive and high-scoring offenses. But these days, the league’s defenses are starting to become more important than ever. In fact, some experts believe that the emergence of defensive talent will soon make the difference between winning and losing in the playoffs. Here are our rankings of the best defenses in the NFL right now.
The NFL playoff rankings show that defenses are king this season. In fact, there are only three defensive units who have the stats to go all the way in the playoffs: Los Angeles Rams, Kansas City Chiefs, and Jacksonville Jaguars. Here’s a look at those teams and what it takes to create a top-ranked defense.
Fantasy NFL Defense Rankings for Week 18
1. Buffalo Bills vs. NYJ
2. Tampa Bay Buccaneers vs. CAR
3. Green Bay Packers @ DET
4. New England Patriots @ MIA
5. New Orleans Saints @ ATL
6. Indianapolis Colts @ JAX
7. Tennessee Titans @ HOU
8. Cincinnati Bengals @ CLE
9. Kansas City Chiefs @ DEN
10. Baltimore Ravens vs. PIT
11. Los Angeles Rams vs. SF
12. Dallas Cowboys @ PHI
13. Washington Football Team @ NYG
14. Arizona Cardinals vs. SEA
15. Cleveland Browns vs. CIN
16. Minnesota Vikings vs. CHI
17. Chicago Bears @ MIN
18. Los Angeles Chargers @ LV
19. Seattle Seahawks @ ARI
20. San Francisco 49ers @ LAR
21. Pittsburgh Steelers @ BAL
22. Las Vegas Raiders vs. LAC
23. Miami Dolphins vs. NE
24. Philadelphia Eagles vs. DAL
25. New York Giants vs. WAS
26. Denver Broncos vs. KC
27. Houston Texans vs. TEN
28. Jacksonville Jaguars vs. IND
29. Atlanta Falcons vs. NO
30. Carolina Panthers @ TB
31. Detroit Lions vs. GB
32. New York Jets @ BUF
The NFL regular season has been completed, and now the playoffs are upon us. The Super Bowl is here, and it is the game that decides who will be the best team in the entire league. This year’s matchup pits two of the best defenses against each other: New England Patriots vs Philadelphia Eagles.
Blog Conclusion: While the NFL playoffs are underway, it’s time to look at some of the best defenses in the league. To do this, we’ve compared each team’s defensive stats against their opponents and then used that data to rank them accordingly. This year’s top five defenses have been ranked based on these results. These rankings will give you a good idea of which teams are most likely to advance to the next round.