The NFL's Best Defense Has a Team Record of 3-5, and It Isn't the Minnesota Vikings. Here Are All 32, Ranked, With Six Big Surprises.
Blitz rates, schedules, points allowed and what the numbers say about every defense through Week 8.
THE BEST DEFENSE IN THE NFL HAS A LOSING RECORD
The Tampa Bay Buccaneers are 3-5, and by our opponent-adjusted numbers they have the best defense in football. They allow 18.9 points per game, fifth-fewest. They are tied with the Green Bay Packers for the most takeaways in the league (15). They have held offenses to a 29.9 percent third-down conversion rate, second-best behind the Chicago Bears. And they are 3-5, because the offense gives them almost nothing.
The lead is slight. The Minnesota Vikings are second and close enough to call even. Both have faced a similar mix of good and bad offenses, so the schedule isn't the difference. Tampa Bay pulled ahead by shutting down the Carolina Panthers and the Atlanta Falcons in the last two weeks.
HOW TO READ THE RANKINGS
Negative is better. Each number is how many expected points per 100 plays a defense allows compared with average, after adjusting for the offenses it faced. The full explanation is at the bottom of this page.
THE TOP FIVE
Tampa Bay Buccaneers: -14.7
Minnesota Vikings: -13.4
Seattle Seahawks: -12.5
Jacksonville Jaguars: -9.1
Green Bay Packers: -8.4
Jacksonville has the best run defense in the league. Green Bay has allowed a 20-plus yard pass on only 3.3 percent of throws, the fewest in the NFL.
SURPRISE 1: THE MINNESOTA VIKINGS BLITZ ON 73 PERCENT OF PLAYS
The league average blitz rate is 32 percent. The Minnesota Vikings blitz on 73 percent of dropbacks. The next-highest team, the Washington Commanders, is at 44.
It works: Minnesota has the best sack rate in the league (11.0 percent of dropbacks, 24 sacks) and is 6-1 with the lowest points allowed per game in the NFL (13.3). Oddly, they allow almost the same expected points whether they blitz or not, so the pressure is coming from the sheer volume of sacks, not from blitzing being magic.
SURPRISE 2: THE SEATTLE SEAHAWKS ARE THIRD AND HARDLY BLITZ AT ALL
Seattle blitzes on just 22 percent of dropbacks, one of the lowest rates in the league, and still rates as the third-best defense. The Cincinnati Bengals (18 percent) and Indianapolis Colts (21) blitz even less and rate 17th and 27th.
Across the league, teams that blitz more tend to grade a bit better, but the relationship is loose (about -0.39). Blitzing is a choice, not a cheat code.
SURPRISE 3: THE KANSAS CITY CHIEFS' POINTS ALLOWED DON'T TELL THE STORY
The Kansas City Chiefs allow 18.7 points per game, fourth-fewest in the NFL. They rank 20th in our adjusted rating. They have faced the weakest group of offenses in the league, and they have the lowest sack rate in football (2.9 percent).
The Pittsburgh Steelers are a similar case: third-fewest points allowed (18.0) and 13th in the rating, behind a soft schedule.
SURPRISE 4: THE ATLANTA FALCONS ARE SEVENTH AND THE ARIZONA CARDINALS GIVE UP 30
It goes the other way too. The Atlanta Falcons allow 23.6 points per game (17th) but rank seventh by the adjusted number, after facing a slightly tougher group of offenses. The Los Angeles Chargers (25.0 points per game, 20th) rank 11th.
The Arizona Cardinals allow the most points in the NFL (29.8 per game) and rank 21st, so part of that is the offense putting them in bad spots.
SURPRISE 5: THE MIAMI DOLPHINS FACED THE TOUGHEST OFFENSES AND ARE STILL 31ST
Nobody has faced a tougher group of offenses than the Miami Dolphins, and it doesn't excuse them. They allow opponents to convert 59.4 percent of third downs, the worst rate in the league, and they are 1-6.
The Dallas Cowboys are last overall at +13.9 (53.8 percent third-down conversions allowed), followed by the Miami Dolphins, Las Vegas Raiders, Tennessee Titans and Carolina Panthers. The Houston Texans allow a 20-plus yard pass on 12.0 percent of throws, the most in the NFL.
SURPRISE 6: PASS DEFENSE IS WHERE DEFENSES SEPARATE
The gap between the best and worst pass defenses is about twice as wide as the gap between the best and worst run defenses. The Tampa Bay Buccaneers and Minnesota Vikings tie for the best pass defense (-17.0), and the Jacksonville Jaguars (-9.0) and New England Patriots (-6.5) have the best run defenses.
If you want to know why a defense is good or bad, start with the pass.
DOES DEFENSE WIN GAMES?
Mostly, yes. The ten best-rated defenses have won 60 percent of their games. The ten worst have won 34 percent. Tampa Bay and Atlanta, both 3-5, are the clearest exceptions near the top.
THE FULL RANKINGS, ALL 32 DEFENSES
| 1 | Tampa Bay Buccaneers | -14.7 | 3-5 | -17.0 | -5.5 | -17.9 | 38.9 | 18.9 | 41 | 5.1 | 12.3 | 5.7 | 8.9 | 29.9 | 15 | -0.002 |
| 2 | Minnesota Vikings | -13.4 | 6-1 | -17.0 | -3.4 | -16.4 | 37.0 | 13.3 | 73 | 11.0 | 24.8 | 5.7 | 13.5 | 31.0 | 12 | -0.011 |
| 3 | Seattle Seahawks | -12.5 | 4-4 | -13.1 | -6.4 | -12.1 | 37.8 | 19.9 | 22 | 6.0 | 18.4 | 4.4 | 5.9 | 31.3 | 11 | +0.017 |
| 4 | Jacksonville Jaguars | -9.1 | 5-2 | -6.5 | -9.0 | -10.2 | 41.4 | 15.9 | 30 | 4.3 | 15.2 | 7.4 | 5.2 | 38.1 | 12 | -0.008 |
| 5 | Green Bay Packers | -8.4 | 5-3 | -10.5 | -3.2 | -9.9 | 42.8 | 20.5 | 34 | 7.0 | 14.8 | 3.3 | 8.8 | 44.1 | 15 | -0.001 |
| 6 |  Los Angeles Rams | -6.6 | 4-4 | -7.6 | -3.3 | -7.9 | 41.7 | 21.0 | 29 | 3.4 | 11.2 | 6.9 | 10.2 | 34.9 | 8 | -0.011 |
| 7 |  Atlanta Falcons | -6.2 | 3-5 | -5.9 | -5.0 | -3.4 | 43.1 | 23.6 | 25 | 6.2 | 16.5 | 7.6 | 13.0 | 41.0 | 11 | +0.030 |
| 8 |  Denver Broncos | -5.6 | 6-2 | -10.6 | +3.0 | -3.2 | 40.6 | 20.6 | 35 | 6.7 | 21.0 | 6.0 | 12.9 | 42.0 | 11 | +0.030 |
| 9 |  Chicago Bears | -5.4 | 6-2 | -10.2 | +2.0 | -9.0 | 38.8 | 20.0 | 41 | 10.0 | 15.4 | 7.8 | 9.7 | 22.4 | 9 | -0.028 |
| 10 |  New England Patriots | -3.8 | 5-3 | +0.4 | -6.5 | -0.0 | 42.4 | 20.2 | 37 | 7.5 | 17.0 | 9.0 | 9.0 | 37.9 | 8 | +0.036 |
| 11 |  Los Angeles Chargers | -2.7 | 0-7 | -4.9 | +2.1 | +0.5 | 45.9 | 25.0 | 27 | 4.7 | 16.1 | 9.1 | 11.8 | 32.3 | 11 | +0.033 |
| 12 |  Cleveland Browns | -1.9 | 5-3 | -4.1 | +1.7 | -2.0 | 41.5 | 21.6 | 25 | 7.2 | 17.3 | 7.8 | 15.6 | 41.2 | 10 | +0.004 |
| 13 |  Pittsburgh Steelers | -1.6 | 6-2 | -0.9 | -2.0 | -4.8 | 42.7 | 18.0 | 27 | 8.0 | 16.3 | 9.4 | 9.7 | 35.8 | 12 | -0.032 |
| 14 |  San Francisco 49ers | -0.5 | 6-1 | +2.8 | -4.8 | -3.0 | 44.4 | 19.9 | 32 | 6.1 | 13.2 | 5.5 | 3.3 | 39.8 | 8 | -0.029 |
| 15 |  Baltimore Ravens | -0.4 | 4-4 | +2.8 | -3.7 | -0.5 | 43.6 | 25.4 | 33 | 5.3 | 16.4 | 8.3 | 7.6 | 41.5 | 8 | -0.009 |
| 16 |  New York Jets | +0.2 | 2-6 | +4.0 | -2.9 | +2.2 | 45.5 | 23.5 | 39 | 7.1 | 14.6 | 8.4 | 8.4 | 41.6 | 8 | +0.005 |
| 17 |  Cincinnati Bengals | +1.5 | 5-2 | +2.3 | -0.2 | +1.8 | 43.9 | 22.6 | 18 | 7.1 | 15.4 | 9.3 | 13.5 | 44.2 | 12 | -0.007 |
| 18 |  Houston Texans | +1.7 | 2-5 | +2.6 | +0.5 | +6.4 | 41.5 | 24.3 | 26 | 6.4 | 15.3 | 12.0 | 9.1 | 43.2 | 6 | +0.032 |
| 19 |  New York Giants | +2.0 | 4-2-1 | -2.7 | +6.8 | +1.5 | 43.8 | 23.0 | 42 | 4.1 | 10.9 | 6.8 | 14.3 | 39.2 | 9 | -0.012 |
| 20 |  Kansas City Chiefs | +2.3 | 5-2 | +3.5 | -1.3 | -1.5 | 40.5 | 18.7 | 26 | 2.9 | 10.9 | 8.5 | 8.8 | 42.0 | 11 | -0.055 |
| 21 |  Arizona Cardinals | +3.6 | 3-5 | +10.7 | -5.5 | +6.0 | 42.8 | 29.8 | 32 | 7.5 | 14.6 | 9.7 | 9.3 | 41.2 | 7 | +0.004 |
| 22 |  Buffalo Bills | +3.7 | 6-1 | +0.5 | +5.0 | +5.1 | 45.6 | 25.9 | 39 | 5.3 | 18.0 | 7.8 | 11.7 | 43.5 | 9 | -0.004 |
| 23 |  Washington Commanders | +3.8 | 2-4-1 | -0.3 | +5.9 | +2.9 | 46.1 | 26.0 | 44 | 5.0 | 13.5 | 7.8 | 7.7 | 45.2 | 10 | -0.019 |
| 24 |  Philadelphia Eagles | +4.0 | 2-6 | +3.9 | +3.0 | +8.1 | 44.4 | 25.2 | 28 | 3.4 | 9.2 | 9.6 | 10.7 | 40.2 | 4 | +0.022 |
| 25 |  Detroit Lions | +6.0 | 5-2 | +7.5 | -0.1 | +8.4 | 44.6 | 25.7 | 26 | 8.0 | 17.4 | 10.8 | 13.6 | 43.5 | 7 | +0.001 |
| 26 |  New Orleans Saints | +6.1 | 2-5 | +3.3 | +6.3 | +7.5 | 48.6 | 27.7 | 35 | 6.7 | 13.4 | 8.5 | 11.8 | 51.3 | 9 | -0.016 |
| 27 |  Indianapolis Colts | +7.3 | 2-6 | +5.7 | +7.2 | +10.8 | 43.0 | 27.8 | 21 | 5.2 | 11.8 | 9.2 | 11.8 | 35.1 | 4 | +0.005 |
| 28 |  Carolina Panthers | +7.4 | 3-4 | +5.0 | +5.2 | +8.5 | 45.4 | 27.6 | 38 | 4.1 | 11.4 | 5.3 | 11.4 | 45.9 | 12 | -0.026 |
| 29 |  Tennessee Titans | +8.6 | 1-7 | +11.9 | +0.9 | +9.0 | 48.2 | 24.9 | 24 | 6.5 | 14.4 | 10.8 | 10.0 | 46.7 | 11 | -0.018 |
| 30 |  Las Vegas Raiders | +10.0 | 4-4 | +14.7 | +1.4 | +13.2 | 49.6 | 28.8 | 27 | 6.6 | 17.8 | 8.6 | 14.6 | 43.4 | 13 | +0.004 |
| 31 |  Miami Dolphins | +10.8 | 1-6 | +15.5 | +4.0 | +18.9 | 52.9 | 25.9 | 24 | 4.7 | 13.5 | 9.4 | 11.7 | 59.4 | 6 | +0.057 |
| 32 |  Dallas Cowboys | +13.9 | 3-5 | +14.4 | +7.8 | +14.7 | 46.1 | 26.6 | 25 | 5.7 | 13.3 | 10.2 | 12.7 | 53.8 | 6 | -0.032 |
Click a column to sort. Click again to reverse it, and once more to go back to the original order.
WHO EACH DEFENSE FACED
| 1 | Tampa Bay Buccaneers | Cincinnati Bengals (3), Cleveland Browns (25), Minnesota Vikings (28), Green Bay Packers (16), Dallas Cowboys (7), Pittsburgh Steelers (15), Carolina Panthers (11), Atlanta Falcons (29) | -0.002 |
| 2 | Minnesota Vikings | Green Bay Packers (16), Chicago Bears (6), Tampa Bay Buccaneers (26), Miami Dolphins (22), New Orleans Saints (20), Indianapolis Colts (27), Detroit Lions (9) | -0.011 |
| 3 | Seattle Seahawks | New England Patriots (8), Arizona Cardinals (19), Washington Commanders (24), Los Angeles Chargers (32), San Francisco 49ers (1), Denver Broncos (13), Kansas City Chiefs (5), Chicago Bears (6) | +0.017 |
| 4 | Jacksonville Jaguars | Cleveland Browns (25), Denver Broncos (13), New England Patriots (8), Cincinnati Bengals (3), Philadelphia Eagles (31), Houston Texans (17), Indianapolis Colts (27) | -0.008 |
| 5 | Green Bay Packers | Minnesota Vikings (28), New York Jets (18), Atlanta Falcons (29), Tampa Bay Buccaneers (26), Chicago Bears (6), Dallas Cowboys (7), Detroit Lions (9), Carolina Panthers (11) | -0.001 |
| 6 | Los Angeles Rams | San Francisco 49ers (1), New York Giants (21), Denver Broncos (13), Philadelphia Eagles (31), Buffalo Bills (4), Arizona Cardinals (19), Las Vegas Raiders (14), Los Angeles Chargers (32) | -0.011 |
| 7 | Atlanta Falcons | Pittsburgh Steelers (15), Carolina Panthers (11), Green Bay Packers (16), New Orleans Saints (20), Baltimore Ravens (12), Chicago Bears (6), San Francisco 49ers (1), Tampa Bay Buccaneers (26) | +0.030 |
| 8 | Denver Broncos | Kansas City Chiefs (5), Jacksonville Jaguars (2), Los Angeles Rams (10), San Francisco 49ers (1), Los Angeles Chargers (32), Seattle Seahawks (23), Arizona Cardinals (19), Kansas City Chiefs (5) | +0.030 |
| 9 | Chicago Bears | Carolina Panthers (11), Minnesota Vikings (28), Philadelphia Eagles (31), New York Jets (18), Green Bay Packers (16), Atlanta Falcons (29), New England Patriots (8), Seattle Seahawks (23) | -0.028 |
| 10 | New England Patriots | Seattle Seahawks (23), Pittsburgh Steelers (15), Jacksonville Jaguars (2), Buffalo Bills (4), Las Vegas Raiders (14), New York Jets (18), Chicago Bears (6), Miami Dolphins (22) | +0.036 |
| 11 | Los Angeles Chargers | Arizona Cardinals (19), Las Vegas Raiders (14), Buffalo Bills (4), Seattle Seahawks (23), Denver Broncos (13), Kansas City Chiefs (5), Los Angeles Rams (10) | +0.033 |
| 12 | Cleveland Browns | Jacksonville Jaguars (2), Tampa Bay Buccaneers (26), Carolina Panthers (11), Pittsburgh Steelers (15), New York Jets (18), Baltimore Ravens (12), Tennessee Titans (30), Pittsburgh Steelers (15) | +0.004 |
| 13 | Pittsburgh Steelers | Atlanta Falcons (29), New England Patriots (8), Cincinnati Bengals (3), Cleveland Browns (25), Indianapolis Colts (27), Tampa Bay Buccaneers (26), New Orleans Saints (20), Cleveland Browns (25) | -0.032 |
| 14 | San Francisco 49ers | Los Angeles Rams (10), Miami Dolphins (22), Arizona Cardinals (19), Denver Broncos (13), Seattle Seahawks (23), Washington Commanders (24), Atlanta Falcons (29) | -0.029 |
| 15 | Baltimore Ravens | Indianapolis Colts (27), New Orleans Saints (20), Dallas Cowboys (7), Tennessee Titans (30), Atlanta Falcons (29), Cleveland Browns (25), Cincinnati Bengals (3), Buffalo Bills (4) | -0.009 |
| 16 | New York Jets | Tennessee Titans (30), Green Bay Packers (16), Detroit Lions (9), Chicago Bears (6), Cleveland Browns (25), New England Patriots (8), Miami Dolphins (22), Las Vegas Raiders (14) | +0.005 |
| 17 | Cincinnati Bengals | Tampa Bay Buccaneers (26), Houston Texans (17), Pittsburgh Steelers (15), Jacksonville Jaguars (2), Miami Dolphins (22), Baltimore Ravens (12), Tennessee Titans (30) | -0.007 |
| 18 | Houston Texans | Buffalo Bills (4), Cincinnati Bengals (3), Indianapolis Colts (27), Dallas Cowboys (7), Tennessee Titans (30), Jacksonville Jaguars (2), New York Giants (21) | +0.032 |
| 19 | New York Giants | Dallas Cowboys (7), Los Angeles Rams (10), Tennessee Titans (30), Arizona Cardinals (19), Washington Commanders (24), New Orleans Saints (20), Houston Texans (17) | -0.012 |
| 20 | Kansas City Chiefs | Denver Broncos (13), Indianapolis Colts (27), Miami Dolphins (22), Las Vegas Raiders (14), Los Angeles Chargers (32), Seattle Seahawks (23), Denver Broncos (13) | -0.055 |
| 21 | Arizona Cardinals | Los Angeles Chargers (32), Seattle Seahawks (23), San Francisco 49ers (1), New York Giants (21), Detroit Lions (9), Los Angeles Rams (10), Denver Broncos (13), Dallas Cowboys (7) | +0.004 |
| 22 | Buffalo Bills | Houston Texans (17), Detroit Lions (9), Los Angeles Chargers (32), New England Patriots (8), Los Angeles Rams (10), Las Vegas Raiders (14), Baltimore Ravens (12) | -0.004 |
| 23 | Washington Commanders | Philadelphia Eagles (31), Dallas Cowboys (7), Seattle Seahawks (23), Indianapolis Colts (27), New York Giants (21), San Francisco 49ers (1), Philadelphia Eagles (31) | -0.019 |
| 24 | Philadelphia Eagles | Washington Commanders (24), Tennessee Titans (30), Chicago Bears (6), Los Angeles Rams (10), Jacksonville Jaguars (2), Carolina Panthers (11), Dallas Cowboys (7), Washington Commanders (24) | +0.022 |
| 25 | Detroit Lions | New Orleans Saints (20), Buffalo Bills (4), New York Jets (18), Carolina Panthers (11), Arizona Cardinals (19), Green Bay Packers (16), Minnesota Vikings (28) | +0.001 |
| 26 | New Orleans Saints | Detroit Lions (9), Baltimore Ravens (12), Las Vegas Raiders (14), Atlanta Falcons (29), Minnesota Vikings (28), New York Giants (21), Pittsburgh Steelers (15) | -0.016 |
| 27 | Indianapolis Colts | Baltimore Ravens (12), Kansas City Chiefs (5), Houston Texans (17), Washington Commanders (24), Pittsburgh Steelers (15), Tennessee Titans (30), Minnesota Vikings (28), Jacksonville Jaguars (2) | +0.005 |
| 28 | Carolina Panthers | Chicago Bears (6), Atlanta Falcons (29), Cleveland Browns (25), Detroit Lions (9), Philadelphia Eagles (31), Tampa Bay Buccaneers (26), Green Bay Packers (16) | -0.026 |
| 29 | Tennessee Titans | New York Jets (18), Philadelphia Eagles (31), New York Giants (21), Baltimore Ravens (12), Houston Texans (17), Indianapolis Colts (27), Cleveland Browns (25), Cincinnati Bengals (3) | -0.018 |
| 30 | Las Vegas Raiders | Miami Dolphins (22), Los Angeles Chargers (32), New Orleans Saints (20), Kansas City Chiefs (5), New England Patriots (8), Buffalo Bills (4), Los Angeles Rams (10), New York Jets (18) | +0.004 |
| 31 | Miami Dolphins | Las Vegas Raiders (14), San Francisco 49ers (1), Kansas City Chiefs (5), Minnesota Vikings (28), Cincinnati Bengals (3), New York Jets (18), New England Patriots (8) | +0.057 |
| 32 | Dallas Cowboys | New York Giants (21), Washington Commanders (24), Baltimore Ravens (12), Houston Texans (17), Tampa Bay Buccaneers (26), Green Bay Packers (16), Philadelphia Eagles (31), Arizona Cardinals (19) | -0.032 |
Click a column to sort. Click again to reverse it, and once more to go back to the original order.
NEXT WEEK
The first-ranked Tampa Bay Buccaneers visit the Chicago Bears on Sunday, and the second-ranked Minnesota Vikings host the Buffalo Bills on Monday night.
HOW THE RANKINGS WORK
The main number is expected points added (EPA) per play allowed. EPA scores every play by how much it helped the offense score compared with an average play. We multiply by 100 so it reads as "per 100 plays," and negative is better for a defense.
We remove garbage time, when a game is already decided, and we adjust for how good each offense was, so a defense that played the league's best offenses gets credit and a defense that played the worst gets less. Pass and run ratings are separate versions of the same number.
Sack rate is sacks per dropback. Takeaways are interceptions plus fumbles recovered. A blitz is any dropback where the defense sends more than the usual rushers. Blitz rates come from charted dropbacks, and the Seattle Seahawks and Chicago Bears are charted on about 85 to 87 percent of theirs.