NFL defenses may not be the headliners of the team.
However, they continue to play a pivotal role as the 2024 season continues. The strength of the defenders may mean the difference between victory and loss. Some defenses led their teams to essential and dominant victories, while other defensive units dealt with struggles and the nagging injury bug affecting their respective units. Either way, NFL defenses’ did not disappoint in week six for the most part.
After week six, here are the grades for all 32 NFL teams’ defenses.
Which NFL teams have the highest grades on defense after week 6 of games?
Arizona Cardinals: D
The Cardinals’ defense had one takeaway against the Green Bay Packers, but they weren’t able to stop Jordan Love and the Packers’ offense from scoring four touchdowns against them in their 13-34 loss. Sean Murphy-Bunting had three tackles, a pass deflection, and an interception, Krys Barnes had nine tackles, and Budda Baker had eight tackles. The Cardinals’ defense also had no sacks, as they couldn’t stop a very competitive offense in the Packers, as they ran 437 yards of offense against them. The Cardinals have to rebound quickly as they get prepared for week seven against the Los Angeles Chargers.
Atlanta Falcons: C
The Falcons’ defense had a decent afternoon in their 38-20 victory over the Carolina Panthers. Nate Landman had eight tackles, A.J. Terrell had three tackles, a pass deflection, and an interception returned for a yard, Clark Phillips III had three tackles, a pass deflection, and an interception returned for 45 yards, and Dee Alford had six tackles and a pass deflection. The Falcons had no sacks at all, while both Phillips III and Terrell allowed touchdowns in the first half before they had their interceptions in the second half of the game. In life, it’s not how you start but rather how you finish. The Falcons’ defense exemplified this, as they finished the game as winners.
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Baltimore Ravens: B-
The Ravens’ defense played well in their 30-23 victory over the Washington Commanders. Marlon Humphrey had nine tackles and a pass deflection, Travis Jones had four tackles and a sack, Michael Pierce had four tackles and 0.5 sacks, Nnamdi Madubuike had two tackles and 0.5 sacks, and Yannick Nqakoue had a tackle and a sack. A good performance by the Ravens’ defense, but they couldn’t get an interception against Jayden Daniels. The Ravens’ defense returns to action on the road in their week seven matchup against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.
Buffalo Bills: B+
The Bills’ defense played a very nice game and won a very close 23-20 battle against their AFC East rivals, the New York Jets, in a thrilling Monday Night showdown. Damar Hamlin had seven tackles and a pass deflection, AJ Epenesa had four tackles and two sacks, DaQuon Jones had two tackles and a sack, and Taron Johnson had eight tackles, a pass deflection, and caught the game-ending interception for the Bills with minutes to go. A great showcasing for the Bills’ defense as they have a great unit coached by Sean McDermott and defensive coordinator Bobby Babich as they get set for a week seven matchup back home against the Tennessee Titans.
Carolina Panthers: D+
The Panthers’ defense had a woeful afternoon in their 20-38 loss at home against the Atlanta Falcons. Troy Hill had nine tackles, Xavier Woods had nine tackles and a pass deflection, and Trevin Wallace had nine tackles and a fumble recovery. The Panthers’ defense is also without half of their starters, who are dealing with injuries, which has made things harder for the unit as they struggle against opposing offenses.
Chicago Bears: A-
The Bears’ defense was relentless against the Jacksonville Jaguars in London, as they won 35-16. Josh Blackwell had a tackle, a pass deflection, and an interception returned for 10 yards. Chris Williams and Amen Ogbongbemiga both had a tackle and a sack; Montez Sweat and Byron Cowart both had two tackles and 0.5 sacks each, and DeMarcus Walker had four tackles and a sack. The Bears’ defense also held the Jaguars’ rushing attack to 68 yards on the ground and made things brutal for Trevor Lawrence and company.
Cincinnati Bengals: C+
The Bengals’ defense had a decent night in their 17-7 road win over the New York Giants on Sunday Night Football. Trey Hendrickson had two tackles and two sacks, Germaine Pratt had seven tackles, a pass deflection, and an interception returned for 24 yards, and Cam Taylor-Britt had seven tackles and two pass deflections. A decent night for the Bengals’ defense, but they still have more fierce competition ahead of them as the season progresses.
Also Read: Ranking All 32 NHL Teams’ Defenses From WORST To FIRST For The 2024 Season
Cleveland Browns: D+
Despite the Browns’ offense struggling all game long, the Browns’ defense carried the team in their 16-20 loss to the Philadelphia Eagles. Myles Garrett had four tackles and blocked a field goal, which was returned by Rodney McLeod Jr. for a 50-yard touchdown; McLeod Jr. had eight tackles and a pass deflection, and Jeremiah Owusu-Koramoah had eight tackles, a sack, and a pass deflection. The Browns’ defense had no defensive turnovers as the Eagles’ offense took advantage of the team’s woes for the majority of the game.
Dallas Cowboys: D-
The Cowboys’ defense had no answers on how to stop the Detroit Lions in their humiliating 9-47 loss at home on Jerry Jones’ birthday. KJ Henry had three tackles and a sack, Damone Clark had nine tackles and 0.5 sacks, Donovan Wilson had seven tackles and a sack, and Chauncy Golston had five tackles and 0.5 sacks. The Cowboys also had no turnovers in the loss, as they couldn’t stop the Lions from running and passing the ball all game long. Luckily, the Cowboys’ defense enters a bye week for week seven, so they can regroup for week eight.
Denver Broncos: C-
The Broncos’ defense lost their confidence, as they were defeated by the Los Angeles Chargers 23-16 at home. Patrick Surtain II started well but left the game with a concussion. Brandon Jones had 12 tackles and a pass deflection, Zach Allen had eight tackles and 0.5 sacks, Justin Strnad had seven tackles and a sack, Jonathan Cooper had six tackles and 0.5 sacks, and Nik Bonitto had a tackle and a sack. Once Surtain II left the game with a concussion, it was downhill for the Broncos, as Justin Herbert and company took advantage of his absence, which led to three-quarters of points being dropped on the board. Hopefully, the Broncos’ defense turns things around in their week seven road matchup against the New Orleans Saints.
Detroit Lions: A-
The Lions’ defense was ferocious against the Dallas Cowboys in their dominating 47-9 victory in Jerry’s World. Alim McNeill had four tackles and two sacks. Brian Branch had six tackles, two pass deflections, and two interceptions returned for a total of 47 yards. Kerby Joseph had four tackles, a pass deflection, and an interception. Malcolm Rodriguez had three tackles and a fumble recovery, Terion Arnold had two tackles, a pass deflection, and a fumble recovery, and Aiden Hutchinson had three tackles and a sack.
However, Hutchinson suffered a very gruesome leg injury, which required immediate surgery to repair a broken tibia and fibula, ending his season. We wish Hutchinson a speedy recovery, as his presence on defense is going to be missed. The rest of the Lions’ defense played aggressively and needs to continue their aggressive style of play for Hutchinson moving forward.
Green Bay Packers: B
The Packers’ defense had a good afternoon, as they defeated the Arizona Cardinals 34-13. Quay Walker had 11 tackles, Jaire Alexander had a tackle, pass deflection, and a fumble recovery, Karl Brooks and Kenny Clark each had a tackle and a fumble recovery, and Javon Bullard had eight tackles. The Packers’ defense also held the Cardinals’ rushing attack to a combined 89 yards on the ground despite not getting a sack against Kyler Murray. Defensive coordinator Jeff Hafley coached a great game, as his unit looked sharp against the Cardinals’ offense.
Houston Texans: A-
The Texans’ defense played a very nice game on the road in their 41-21 win over the New England Patriots. Will Anderson Jr. had eight tackles, three sacks, a pass deflection, and a fumble recovery; Eric Murray had seven tackles, a pass deflection, and an interception; Callen Bullock had two tackles, a pass deflection, and an interception returned for 30 yards, Danielle Hunter had two tackles and a sack, and Mario Edwards Jr. had eight tackles, a pass deflection, and a fumble recovery. A great afternoon for the Texans’ defense, as head coach DeMeco Ryans and defensive coordinator Matt Burke have this unit moving in a very strong and aggressive direction against opposing defenses.
Indianapolis Colts: C+
The Colts’ defense played well, as they helped the team defeat the Tennessee Titans 20-17. Justin Blackmon had three tackles, a pass deflection, and an interception; Zaire Franklin had nine tackles, and Jaylon Jones had seven tackles and a pass deflection. The Colts’ defense wasn’t able to get a sack, nor were they able to slow down Tony Pollard. The rest of the Titans’ offense struggled, and the Colts were able to keep them out of the end zone throughout the fourth quarter.
Jacksonville Jaguars: D+
The Jaguars’ defense had a rough afternoon abroad, as they had almost no answers against the Chicago Bears in their 16-35 loss. Andre Cisco had seven tackles, a pass deflection, and an interception returned for 22 yards; Esezi Otomewo had two tackles, 0.5 sacks, and a fumble recovery, and both Roy Robertson-Harris and Maason Smith had a tackle and a sack each, while Smith had himself a pass deflection. Despite the Jaguars’ efforts on defense, Caleb Williams went off with four touchdown passes, and D’Andre Swift had 91 rushing yards and a rushing touchdown against them. The Jaguars need to rebound and get prepared for their week seven matchup in London against the New England Patriots flying abroad.
Kansas City Chiefs: Bye Week
The Chiefs’ defense continues to be the face of the team as they’ve been a juggernaut of a unit, thanks to defensive coordinator Steve Spagnuolo coaching the unit to victory. The Chiefs’ defense will be tested on the road in their week seven showdown against the San Francisco 49ers in a Super Bowl 58 rematch.
Las Vegas Raiders: C
Even though the Raiders’ offense didn’t play their best game, the Raiders’ defense did what they could in their 13-32 loss to the Pittsburgh Steelers. Divine Deablo had six tackles and a sack, Maxx Crosby had three tackles and 0.5 sacks, John Jenkins had five tackles and 0.5 sacks, and K’Lavon Chaisson had a tackle and a sack. It would’ve been very nice to see the Raiders’ defense pick off Justin Fields, but that didn’t happen, as Fields ran through the Silver and Black and scored two rushing touchdowns on the day. Hopefully, the Raiders’ defense can turn things around in week seven.
Los Angeles Chargers: B-
The Chargers’ defense had a nice afternoon, as they helped the team defeat the Denver Broncos 23-16. Alohi Gilman had 10 tackles, a sack, and a pass deflection. Morgan Fox had a tackle and a sack; Elijah Molden had four tackles, a pass deflection, and an interception returned for 25 yards, and Teair Tart had two tackles and a fumble recovery. A good afternoon for the Bolts’ defense, as they nearly dismantled the Broncos’ offense throughout the first three quarters and held the Broncos’ rushing attack to a combined 110 rushing yards on the ground.
Los Angeles Rams: Bye Week
The Rams’ defense is a good unit but cannot do all the work while key guys on the Rams’ offense recover from injuries.
Miami Dolphins: Bye Week
The Dolphins’ defense has been a bit of a bright spot for the team, even though the offense has struggled so far this NFL season.
Minnesota Vikings: Bye Week
The Vikings’ defense has been very good so far this season as they continued to stun many NFL fans. The Vikings’ defense will be tested when they get prepared to host the Detroit Lions in a week seven divisional showdown.
New England Patriots: D+
Despite losing a tough 21-41 battle against the Houston Texans, the Patriots defense showed some signs of life. Jaquelin Roy had three tackles and a sack; Marte Mapu had five tackles, 0.5 sacks, and a pass deflection; Christian Elliss had four tackles and 0.5 sacks. Marcus Jones had three tackles, a pass deflection, and an interception returned for 35 yards. The Patriots’ defense had no answers against the Texans’ rushing attack, as Joe Mixon and Dameon Pierce both scored rushing touchdowns, and Christian Gonzalez was burned by Stefon Diggs for the majority of their NFL match. We’ll see what happens as the Patriots travel to London and square off against the Jacksonville Jaguars in week seven.
New Orleans Saints: C-
The Saints’ defense played all right despite losing a very tough 27-51 divisional showdown against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. Jordan Howden had 11 tackles. Johnathan Abram had seven tackles, a pass deflection, and an interception returned for 30 yards; Cameron Jordan had a tackle, a pass deflection, and an interception; Paulson Adebo had 10 tackles, two pass deflections, and an interception returned for 20 yards, and Willie Gay had four tackles, a sack, and two pass deflections. Despite the Saints’ best efforts, it wasn’t enough to slow down the Buccaneers’ offense, as the team’s tackling couldn’t stop ball carriers throughout the game, and injury woes continued to be felt throughout the team.
New York Giants: C
The Giants’ defense had a bit of a rough night under the lights as they lost a painful 7-17 battle against the visiting Cincinnati Bengals. Brian Burns had eight tackles and a sack, Micah McFadden had five tackles and a fumble recovery, Azeez Ojulari had four tackles and two sacks, and Dexter Lawrence had three tackles and a sack. It was not the most thrilling night for the Giants’ defense, but they were able to put some pressure on Joe Burrow and keep both Ja’Marr Chase and Tee Higgins out of the end zone.
New York Jets: B-
The Jets’ defense fought a good battle even though they fell to the Buffalo Bills in a very intense 20-23 Monday night NFL thriller. Jamien Sherwood had 13 tackles, Quennen Williams had three tackles and a sack, Will McDonald IV had two tackles and a sack, and Isaiah Oliver had two tackles and a pass deflection. Despite everything the Jets’ defense endured, with Robert Saleh being shown the exit and defensive coordinator Jeff Ulbrich being named interim head coach, they continued to fight hard despite a very close loss at home.
Philadelphia Eagles: A-
The Eagles’ defense had a nice afternoon as they defeated the Cleveland Browns 20-16 victory. Josh Sweat had five tackles and a sack, Nolan Smith Jr. had three tackles and a sack, Jalen Carter had a tackle and a sack, Bryce Huff had two tackles and 0.5 sacks, Cooper DeJean had six tackles and 0.5 sacks, and Milton Williams and Thomas Brooks IV both had a tackle and 0.5 sacks. The Eagles’ defense also shut down the Browns’ rushing attack to a combined 100 yards on the ground despite not having a single interception all game. The Eagles’ defense has to get prepared for their week seven road trip to the Meadowlands as they square off against the New York Giants.
Pittsburgh Steelers: B
The Steelers’ defense played a great game, as they defeated the Las Vegas Raiders 32-13. Patrick Queen had 13 tackles, Cameron Heyward had four tackles and a sack, Donte Jackson had a tackle, two pass deflections, and an interception returned for 24 yards, and DeShon Elliot had six tackles and a fumble recovery. T.J. Watt had five tackles and forced two fumbles, which were recovered by his teammates, and Keeanu Benton had two tackles, a pass deflection, and a fumble recovery. A good afternoon for the Steelers’ defense, as they struck gold against the Raiders as they returned home for a prime-time matchup against the New York Jets on Sunday Night Football in week seven.
San Francisco 49ers: A-
The 49ers’ defense had a great night on the road, as they defeated the Seattle Seahawks 36-24. Fred Warner had 11 tackles and a pass deflection. Sam Okuayinono had two tackles and a sack. Renado Green had six tackles, two pass deflections, and an interception returned for 20 yards; Malik Mustapha had two tackles, a pass deflection, and an interception, and Tatum Bethune had a tackle and a fumble recovery. The 49ers’ defense continues to have a very productive season, as Warner is looking like he can be a potential NFL Defensive Player of the Year candidate. The 49ers’ defense also held the Seahawks’ rushing attack to a combined 52 yards all game.
Seattle Seahawks: D-
The Seahawks’ defense had a very slow and tough Thursday night, as they were defeated by the San Francisco 49ers 24-36. Julian Love had 10 tackles and a pass deflection, Tyrel Dodson had seven tackles, and Jerome Witherspoon had seven tackles and a pass deflection. The Seahawks’ defense had no answers on how to stop star NFL QB Brock Purdy, as they failed to sack him and get a turnover against him all game. It’s back to the drawing board for head coach Mike MacDonald and company as the team looks to get back on track.
Tampa Bay Buccaneers: A-
The Buccaneers’ defense played a great game in their dominant 51-27 victory over the New Orleans Saints. Lavonte David had nine tackles and a sack; Vita Vea had four tackles and a sack. William Gholston had three tackles and a sack. Calijah Kancey had two tackles and a sack; K.J. Britt and Chris Basswell both had three tackles and 0.5 sacks each; Tykee Smith had five tackles, two pass deflections, and an interception; Zyon McCollum had a tackle, two pass deflections, and an interception, and Antonie Winfield Jr. had four tackles, a pass deflection, and scored a touchdown via a fumble recovery. A dominant performance by the Bucs’ as they kept the Saints out of the end zone for the second half of the game as they continued to strike fear against opposing offenses moving forward.
Tennessee Titans: C-
The Titans’ defense played a fair game despite their 17-20 loss to the Indianapolis Colts. Ernest Jones IV had 10 tackles, Amani Hooker had six tackles, a pass deflection, and an interception returned for 30 yards, and Jarvis Brownlee Jr. had two tackles and two pass deflections. The Titans have had some woes on defense, as L’Jarius Sneed grabbed Alec Pierce’s arm, which resulted in a 33-yard pass interference call against him, and was burned by Michael Pittman Jr., who scored the game-winning touchdown with seven minutes left in the fourth quarter, but the unit continued to fight despite not being able to sack Joe Flacco.
Washington Commanders: B
The Commanders’ defense played well despite losing a tough 23-30 battle against the Baltimore Ravens on the road. Bobby Wagner had 12 tackles, Dante Fowler Jr. had four tackles and two sacks, and Mike Sainristil had six tackles, a pass deflection, and an interception returned for 38 yards in the first quarter. The Commanders’ defense will bounce back as this NFL team returns home for a showdown against the Carolina Panthers in week seven.
Also Read: Ranking All 32 NFL Teams’ Defenses From WORST To FIRST After Week 5 Of The 2024 Season
