Week seven was an interesting week for defenses, as some units had incredible games against offenses that tried to put up a strong fight or just completely unraveled in front of them. However, some defenses were picked apart by opposing offenses and have to get back on track if they want their respective team to at least be on the hunt for an NFL playoff spot, let alone compete for a Super Bowl run. Time is ticking away as the 2024 season zips by these defenses faster than we realize.
Here are the grades for all 32 NFL teams’ defenses after week seven.
Which NFL teams have the highest grades on defense after week 7 of games?
Arizona Cardinals: C+
The Cardinals’ defense had a decent night as they narrowly defeated the Los Angeles Chargers in last-second fashion 17-15. Ben Stille and Dante Stills both had a tackle and a sack each, Naquan Jones had two tackles and a sack, Budda Baker had eight tackles, and Jalen Thompson had five tackles and a fumble recovery. A decent night for the Redbirds defensively, as they claimed second place in a very competitive NFC West. The Cardinals have their sights set on week eight with a trip to South Beach as they get set to square off against the Miami Dolphins on the road.
Atlanta Falcons: D
The Falcons’ defense had a quiet afternoon, as they were defeated by the Seattle Seahawks 14-34. Kaden Elliss had nine tackles, James Smith-Williams had a tackle and a sack, and Justin Simmons had five tackles and a pass deflection. The Falcons’ defense couldn’t force any turnovers, and the pass rush wasn’t able to pressure Geno Smith for the majority of their NFL game. The Falcons’ defense will take a trip down south for a divisional rematch against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.
Baltimore Ravens: A-
Click on ‘Follow Us’ and get notified of the most viral NFL stories via Google! Follow Us
The Ravens’ defense had a very great night on the road, as they helped the team defeat the Tampa Bay Buccaneers 41-31. Roquan Smith had 18 tackles, Kyle Hamilton had 11 tackles and a pass deflection, Ar’Darius Washington had six tackles and a sack, Odafe Oweh had four tackles and a sack, Kyle Van Noy had three tackles and a sack, and Marlon Humphrey had two tackles, two pass deflections, and two interceptions, but left the game with a knee injury. A strong performance by the Ravens, as they had a dominating performance on the road. The Ravens will continue their road trip as they travel to Ohio in week eight for a matchup against the Cleveland Browns.
Buffalo Bills: B+
The Bills’ defense had a very nice afternoon, as they made things miserable for the Tennessee Titans in their 34-10 victory at home. Dorian Williams had 10 tackles, Terrel Bernard had eight tackles and a fumble recovery, AJ Epenesa had three tackles, a sack, and a pass deflection, Greg Rousseau had five tackles and 0.5 sacks, Dawuane Smoot had four tackles and 0.5 sacks, and Damar Hamlin had five tackles, a pass deflection, and an interception. A strong afternoon for the Bills’ defense as they took advantage of the Titans’ offensive missteps, especially in the second half of the game.
Carolina Panthers: F
The Panthers’ defense had a brutal afternoon as they were crushed by the Washington Commanders 7-40. Chau Smith-Wade had eight tackles, Jayce Horn had five tackles and a pass deflection, and Charles Harris had a tackle and the team’s only sack of the afternoon. The Panthers’ defense was a mess, and the injuries to key names like Jordan Fuller and Sam Franklin Jr. have hurt this team all game long.
Chicago Bears: Bye Week
The Bears’ defense is one of their main identities so far this NFL season, and they’ll have a strong test in week eight when they square off against the Washington Commanders on the road.
Cincinnati Bengals: B+
The Bengals’ defense had another great afternoon as they defeated the Cleveland Browns 21-14. Germaine Pratt had 13 tackles; Sam Hubbard had three tackles, a sack, a pass deflection, and an interception. Trey Hendrickson had three tackles and two sacks; Sheldon Rankins had three tackles and a sack. And Geno Stone had seven tackles, a pass deflection, and an interception returned for 49 yards but left the game with a left tibia injury. A great afternoon for defensive coordinator Lou Anarumo’s defense as they made things tough for the Browns’ offense for the majority of the game.
Also Read: Ranking All 32 NFL Teams’ Defenses For The 2024 Season From WORST To FIRST
Cleveland Browns: C-
The Browns’ defense continues to be the life force of the team despite losing to the Cincinnati Bengals 14-21. Za’Darius Smith and Shelby Harris both had two tackles and a sack each, Isaiah McGuire had six tackles and 0.5 sacks, and Marice Hurst II had a tackle and 0.5 sacks. Despite the 1-6 record, defensive coordinator Jim Schwartz needs to motivate the unit as the Browns’ schedule gets much tougher as they welcome the Baltimore Ravens to town in week eight.
Dallas Cowboys: Bye Week
The Cowboys’ defense was a complete mess in week six as they needed to reset in the bye week as the team doesn’t have DaRon Bland, DeMarcus Lawrence, and Micah Parsons, who has been out with a high ankle sprain since week four. With that rest, the Cowboys have a tough test on the road as they get prepared for their week eight matchup against the San Francisco 49ers on Sunday Night Football.
Denver Broncos: B+
The Broncos’ defense had a great night on the road, defeating the New Orleans Saints 33-10. Justin Strnad had nine tackles and a sack, Cody Barton had eight tackles, a sack, a pass deflection, and a fumble recovery returned for a touchdown, and Kwon Alexander had two tackles and a fumble recovery. The Broncos’ defense as a whole had six sacks against Spencer Rattler and made his Thursday night miserable, thanks to Vance Joseph’s coaching as the defensive coordinator.
Detroit Lions: B+
The Lions’ defense put up a strong fight against a strong Minnesota Vikings offense and helped the team earn a very close 31-29 victory over the Vikings. Malcolm Rodriguez and Jack Campbell both had seven tackles and a sack each, Trevor Nowaske had five tackles and a sack, Josh Paschal had four tackles and a sack, and Brian Branch had four tackles, two pass deflections, and an interception. As good as the Vikings’ offense was, the Lions’ defense, coached by defensive coordinator Aaron Glenn, played aggressively and honored their injured teammate Aidan Hutchinson as he recovers from his broken tibia and fibula.
Green Bay Packers: B-
The Packers defense had a good game, as they helped the team narrowly defeat the Houston Texans 24-22. Xavier McKinney had six tackles and a sack, Rashan Grey had five tackles and a sack, and Eric Wilson had six tackles, two sacks, and two pass deflections. The Packers’ defense made things miserable for C.J. Stroud and the Texans’ passing attack as they held them to a combined 86 yards all game. A solid defensive battle for the Packers’ defense as they hit the road for their week eight matchup against the Jacksonville Jaguars.
Houston Texans: B
The Texans’ defense helped keep the team afloat all afternoon, even though they fell short in an intense 22-24 loss to the Green Bay Packers. Tim Settle Jr. had four tackles and a sack. Neville Hewitt had nine tackles, two pass deflections, and an interception returned for 45 yards; Will Anderson Jr. had a tackle and sack; Calen Bullock had a tackle, a pass deflection, and an interception, and M.J. Stewart had a fumble recovery. The Texans’ defense, coached by DeMeco Ryans and defensive coordinator Matt Burke, is fierce and aggressive, as they gave Jordan Love a run for his money at certain points during their NFL clash, and will help the team rebound in their week eight matchup against the Indianapolis Colts coming to town.
Indianapolis Colts: C-
The Colts’ defense had a somewhat decent afternoon as they won an ugly 16-10 matchup against the Miami Dolphins. Taven Bryan had three tackles and a fumble recovery, Jaylon Carlies had five tackles and a sack, Laiatu Latu had three tackles and a sack, and Segun Olubi had a fumble recovery. Even though the Colts didn’t have any interceptions, they had two fumble recoveries, and one of those fumble recoveries resulted in a touchdown for Tyler Goodson in the third quarter.
Jacksonville Jaguars: C+
The Jaguars’ defense had a good afternoon abroad in London as they defeated the New England Patriots 32-16. Devin Lloyd had 11 tackles and a sack, Travon Walker had three tackles and a sack, and Andre Cisco had five tackles and a pass deflection. The Jaguars’ defense also kept the Patriots’ rushing attack to a combined 38 yards on the ground as they made things painful for the Pats despite not having any defensive turnovers.
Kansas City Chiefs: A-
The Chiefs’ defense continues to be the heart and soul of the team as they helped earn the 28-12 win over the San Francisco 49ers. George Kalaftis had three tackles and a sack. Justin Reed had nine tackles, a pass deflection, and an interception returned for eight yards, Christian Roland-Wallace had two tackles, a pass deflection, and an interception, and Jaden Hicks had a tackle, a pass deflection, and an interception. Defensive coordinator Steve Spagnuolo continues to do an incredible job as his defense picks apart opposing NFL offenses.
Las Vegas Raiders: C-
The Raiders’ defense played a decent battle against the Los Angeles Rams but couldn’t get the win as they lost 15-20. Nate Hobbs had six tackles, a pass deflection, and an interception returned for 35 yards, Robert Spillane had five tackles and a pass deflection, and Maxx Crosby had three tackles, a sack, and a pass deflection. Hobbs had an impressive game, and Crosby is one of the fiercest defensive linemen in the league, even though the Raiders have been a mess for the majority of the 2024 season so far.
Los Angeles Chargers: D
The Chargers’ defense under defensive coordinator Jesse Minter has been a good tackling team, but struggles and injuries have affected the unit as they fell to the Arizona Cardinals 15-17 in last-second fashion. Khalil Mack had three tackles and two pass deflections, Derwin James Jr. had eight tackles, and Teair Tart had a tackle, a pass deflection, and an interception returned for four yards. The Chargers defense had a hard time trying to tackle Kyler Murray as they failed to sack him, and they couldn’t stop James Conner from running all over them for 101 yards on the night. The Chargers have to regroup and get ready for their week eight matchup when the New Orleans Saints come to town.
Los Angeles Rams: C+
Even though the Rams’ defense, coached by defensive coordinator Chris Shula, still has work to improve on, as well as injuries on the defensive side of the ball, they did take advantage of the Las Vegas Raiders’ mistakes and earn the 20-15 win at the end of the day. Kamren Curl had seven tackles, two pass deflections, and a fumble recovery returned for a touchdown. Michael Hoechit had six tackles, a sack, and a pass deflection. Jaylen McCollough had a tackle, two pass deflections, and two interceptions returned for two yards, and Cobie Durant had two tackles, a sack, two pass deflections, and an interception. A good afternoon for the Rams’ defense showed the NFL they still have some fight in them as they get prepared for their week eight showdown against the Minnesota Vikings at home.
Miami Dolphins: C-
The Dolphins’ defense played decently at times but failed to help the team secure the win as they lost 10-16 against the Indianapolis Colts. Jordan Poyer had eight tackles, Kendall Fuller and Jordyn Brooks both had seven tackles and a pass deflection, and Calais Campbell had five tackles. The Dolphins’ defense made Anthony Richardson move the ball around in the passing attack, which was almost a Herculean task, but they couldn’t land a single sack against him all afternoon long.
Minnesota Vikings: B-
The Vikings’ defense put up a good fight against a very talented Detroit Lions team but lost in a very close and competitive 29-31 battle. Ivan Pace Jr. had 10 tackles, a sack, and a fumble recovery. Andrew Van Ginkel had seven tackles and two sacks; Jonathan Gennard had four tackles and a sack, and Jonathan Bullard had four tackles and two pass deflections. The Vikings’ defense had no interceptions on the night, even though they played a hard-fought game until the very end.
New England Patriots: D
The Patriots’ defense had a rough Sunday abroad in London as they lost 16-32 against the Jacksonville Jaguars. Kyle Duggar had 11 tackles and a pass deflection, Christian Gonzales had five tackles, and Christian Elliss had nine tackles. The Patriots’ defense couldn’t land a sack or interception against Trevor Lawrence nor could they stop Tank Bigsby from rushing for 118 yards on the ground and scoring two touchdowns.
New Orleans Saints: F
The Saints’ defense had an abysmal night as they were flattened by the Denver Broncos 10-33. Jordan Howden had eight tackles, Demario Davis had seven tackles, and Willie Gay had two tackles, which was the team’s only fumble recovery. The Saints’ defense had no interceptions or sacks on the night, as they couldn’t stop the Broncos’ rushing attack from running 225 rushing yards against them all throughout their NFL clash.
New York Giants: D+
The Giants’ defense had a rough afternoon as the Philadelphia Eagles ran all over them in their 3-28 loss at home. Dexter Lawrence II had five tackles and two sacks. Brian Burns had four tackles, a sack, and a pass deflection; Tomon Fox had three tackles and a sack; and Azeez Ojulari had three tackles and a sack. The Giants managed to sack Jalen Hurts four times and Kenny Pickett once but weren’t able to secure any defensive turnovers as the Eagles’ rushing attack was led by Saquon Barkley, who ran all over them with 176 rushing yards.
New York Jets: D+
The Jets’ defense started the first half okay but unraveled as they lost 15-37 against the Pittsburgh Steelers on Sunday Night Football. Jamien Sherwood had nine tackles, Will McDonald IV had three tackles, a sack, and a pass deflection, and Jalen Mills had eight tackles and a pass deflection. Once the second half began, Russell Wilson and the Steelers left the Jets’ defense in the dust as the Jets’ offense fell apart and couldn’t bail the defense out.
Philadelphia Eagles: B+
The Eagles’ defense went to work and demolished the New York Giants 28-3 at MetLife Stadium. Nakobe Dean had 11 tackles and two sacks, Jalen Carter had four tackles and two sacks, Nolan Smith and Bryce Huff both had two tackles and a sack each, and Josh Sweat and Jalyx Hunt both had a tackle and a sack each. The Eagles ultimately had seven sacks against Daniel Jones and a sack against Drew Lock, but they couldn’t secure any defensive turnovers throughout the game. Despite that, the Eagles’ defense looked electric as they prepared for their week eight road trip against the Cincinnati Bengals.
Pittsburgh Steelers: B+
The Steelers’ offense looked incredible as they helped the team defeat the New York Jets 37-15 on Sunday Night Football. Payton Willis had 10 tackles, Beanie Bishop Jr. had six tackles, two pass deflections, and two interceptions returned for 41 yards, and Larry Ogunjobi had two tackles and a sack. Once the Jets’ offense began to fall apart in the second half, the Steelers’ defense pounced on it and didn’t look back. Head coach Mike Tomlin and defensive coordinator Teryl Austin deserve a lot of credit for coaching one of the most talented defenses in the league.
San Francisco 49ers: B-
The 49ers’ defense played gallantly against the Kansas City Chiefs but lost 12-28 in the end. Leonard Floyd had five tackles and a sack, Maliek Collins had four tackles and 0.5 sacks, Nick Bosa had three tackles and 0.5 sacks, Deommodore Lenoir had eight tackles, a pass deflection, and an interception returned for 33 yards, and Kalia Davis had a tackle, a pass deflection, and an interception returned for two yards. The 49ers still have a great defense, but the unit cannot carry this NFL team if the offense continues to struggle.
Seattle Seahawks: B+
The Seahawks’ defense came back to life as they had a great afternoon on the road in their 34-14 victory over the Atlanta Falcons. Leonard Williams had three tackles and a sack, and Boye Mafe had three tackles and a sack. Dre’Mont Jones had two tackles, a sack, and a pass deflection. Julian Love had nine tackles, a pass deflection, and an interception returned for 26 yards; Coby Bryant had 11 tackles, a pass deflection, and an interception returned for nine yards; and Derrick Hall had a tackle and a fumble recovery returned for a touchdown. A strong afternoon as the Seahawks’ defense forced turnovers and had a strong pass rush against Kirk Cousins.
Tampa Bay Buccaneers: C
The Bucs’ defense tried to put up a fight against the Baltimore Ravens but ultimately couldn’t get the job done in the team’s 31-41 loss on Monday Night Football. Antonie Winfield Jr. had 10 tackles and a sack, Yaya Diaby had five tackles and a sack, Lavonte David had two tackles and a pass deflection, and Zyon McCollum had five tackles and a fumble recovery. A decent night for the Bucs as they found their spark in the fourth quarter, thanks to McCollum’s fumble recovery, giving the offense a fighting chance despite losing by 10 points.
Tennessee Titans: D+
Despite the Titans getting dropped 10-34 against the Buffalo Bills, the Titans’ defense put up somewhat of a fight. Arden Key had two tackles and a sack, Jarvis Brownlee Jr. had six tackles and two pass deflections, and Kenneth Murray Jr. had seven tackles. The Titans’ defense continues to show promise, as Brownlee Jr. prevented two touchdowns from being scored, but the defense cannot carry this NFL team alone, as the Titans’ offense continues to struggle week in and week out.
Washington Commanders: A-
The Commanders’ defense played a strong battle as they overwhelmed the Carolina Panthers 40-7. Dante Fowler Jr. had two tackles, a sack, a pass deflection, and an interception returned for a 67-yard pick-six, Frankie Luvu had four tackles and a sack against his former team, and Mike Sainristil had seven tackles and a pass deflection. The MVP of the Commanders’ defense goes to Fowler Jr., who started bringing the noise with his pick-six with 11 minutes to go in the first quarter. Head coach Dan Campbell and defensive coordinator Joe Whitt Jr. both deserve a lot of credit for building this powerhouse NFL defense.
Also Read: Ranking All 32 NFL Teams’ Defenses From WORST To FIRST After Week 6 Of The 2024 Season
