With the conclusion of the Titans and Dolphins on Monday Night Football, Week 15 of the NFL season is in the books. Before we jump to Week 15, let’s rank every NFL team’s defense.
32. Detroit Lions (Last Week #31)
Once again, Detroit’s defense had a poor showing against a mediocre opponent. Chicago was able to run up 28 points and 336 yards in a relatively low-stress win.
31. Washington Commanders (Last Week #32)
Washington’s defense has really fallen apart since shipping away its top talent at the trade deadline. Things could go from bad to worse for this bunch next week when they travel to L.A. to face a red-hot Matthew Stafford and the Rams.
30. Carolina Panthers (Last Week #29)
This Panthers team has absolutely no fight left in it. In Week 14, they allowed 28 points to a banged-up Saints team that had little issue all afternoon.
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29. New Orleans Saints (Last Week #28)
Credit to the Saints for allowing just six points and for playing stingy on 3rd down, where they held Carolina to just eight conversions in 20 attempts.
But then again, it was the Carolina Panthers they were playing against.
28. Seattle Seahawks (Last Week #27)
This was a brutal stretch for the Seahawks, who had to play the 49ers twice in three weeks, with Dallas sandwiched in the middle—not to mention an Eagles team that is going to be hungry for a win next week!
All things considered, Seattle has played okay defensively, but they lack the pass rush to have a truly elite defense.
27. Tampa Bay Buccaneers (Last Week #30)
Tampa Bay’s defense has not good looked of late. If the last couple of games weren’t bad enough, how about getting carved up by Desmond Ridder for nearly 350 yards? Yikes.
26. Houston Texans (Last Week #13)
Houston’s defense started off hot on Sunday but got shredded in the second half of in a stunning upset at the hands of Zach Wilson and the Jets, allowing 30 points after the intermission.
25. Atlanta Falcons (Last Week #25)
Atlanta’s defense had a terrible afternoon at Mercedes-Benz Stadium, particularly against the run. The Buccaneers ran the ball right down their throat all afternoon to tune of 148 yards in route to a 29-point total.
24. BYE Arizona Cardinals (Last Week #26)
Arizona’s defense got off to a good start to the 2023 season, but has tailed off as of late. The Cards fortunately had a much-needed breather this week before hosting the juggernaut 49ers next week.
23. Jacksonville Jaguars (Last Week #22)
Jacksonville’s defense got carved up this week by a 38-year-old Joe Flacco, which is not what you want to see out of a unit that is supposed to be getting ready for a deep playoff run. The Browns have injuries all over the field and still managed to pour 31 points on the Jags
22. Los Angeles Chargers (Last Week #21)
The Chargers defense simply couldn’t get off the field against the balanced attack of the Russell Wilson-led Denver Broncos. Denver held a significant edge in time of possession and converted eight of 17 3rd down conversions.
21. New York Giants (Last Week #24)
The Giants defense stunned everyone this week, holding Jordan Love and the Packers to 326 yards of total offense and 22 points in the upset win on Monday Night Football.
20. Las Vegas Raiders (Last Week #17)
The Raiders defense has looked good since Antonio Pierce took over and this week was no exception. Las Vegas held Minnesota to just 230 total yards of offense and three points in the dome in Sin City.
19. Tennessee Titans (Last Week #20)
It wasn’t perfect by any stretch, but credit to the Titans defense for holding it down when it mattered most and helping Will Levis pull off the upset against Miami.
18. Pittsburgh Steelers (Last Week #14)
Another weak showing from the Steelers defense this week, as they let Bailey Zappe carve them up on the national stage.
17. Green Bay Packers (Last Week #9)
The Packers defense absolutely fell apart this week against the Giants. New York gashed them over and over again to the tune of 209 rushing yards in route to a 24 to 22 win.
16. Indianapolis Colts (Last Week #12)
Indy’s defense fell apart this week, as Jake Browning was able to have his way with them for the better part of the afternoon. Cincinnati ran up just under 400 yards of total offense and 34 points in this whomping of the Colts.
15. Philadelphia Eagles (Last Week #8)
This is now the third consecutive week that the Eagles have surrendered over 30 points and it came at a terrible time—against a Dallas team that is looking to steal the NFC East out from under the Birds.
Philly is going to need to tighten things up defensively down the stretch run if they want to be a legit Super Bowl contender again.
14. Cincinnati Bengals (Last Week #23)
For the second week in a row, the Bengals defense showed up in a big way. They were able to force Gardner Minshew into some bad throws, held the Colts to just 46 rushing yards, and limited them to 14 points.
13. Buffalo Bills (Last Week #16)
The Bills defense held together well this week against Patrick Mahomes and the Chiefs offense. They forced Mahomes into a couple of critical mistakes and held Kansas City to 17 points in what was a season-saving win.
12. Los Angeles Rams (Last Week #7)
After a couple of hot performances in a row, the Rams defense took a step back this week, allowing 37 points to a Baltimore Ravens team that could barely be stopped all game.
11. Miami Dolphins (Last Week #5)
The Dolphins defense took a major step back this week, allowing what has been a relatively anemic Titans offense to rack up 28 points and over 400 yards of total offense on Monday Night.
10. Chicago Bears (Last Week #18)
Chicago’s defense looked surprisingly good against a strong Lions offense this week. The Bears held them to just 13 points and 267 yards of total offense in the upset.
9. Cleveland Browns (Last Week #11)
The Cleveland defense had an up-and-down performance Sunday against Trevor Lawrence and the Jaguars. The Browns managed to hold them under 300 yards of total offense and forced three interceptions, but also surrendered 27 points.
8. New England Patriots (Last Week #15)
New England’s defense is really starting to come together in a lost season. Granted, it was against Mitch Trubisky and a terrible Steelers offense, but the exotic packages that Belichick is deploying are really firing on all cylinders.
7. Minnesota Vikings (Last Week #10)
The Vikings defense is quietly becoming one of the best units in the league with how they’ve rebounded from a slow start to the season. The Raiders may not be offensive juggernauts, but anytime you shut another professional football team out, you deserve credit.
6. Kansas City Chiefs (Last Week #4)
The Chiefs defense continues to play exceptional football this season. They made things challenging for Josh Allen all afternoon, sacking him three times and forcing him into a number of rushed throws. Considering how desperate Buffalo was, holding them to 20 points was an impressive display of defense.
5. Denver Broncos (Last Week #6)
The Broncos bounced back well this week and got back in the win column against a Chargers side that is falling apart at the seams. Denver got after the quarterback all game, notching six sacks for 68 yards, eventually knocking Herbert out of the content.
When all was said and done, Denver held them to under 300 yards and just seven points.
4. New York Jets (Last Week #19)
The Jets defense was back in full force this week. New York was swarming all over the Texans, holding them to just 135 yards of total offense.
3. Baltimore Ravens (Last Week #2)
Baltimore’s defense has been amongst the best in the league this year, but they left much to be desired in Week 14 against the Rams. Stafford carved them up for nearly 300 yards and they allowed Kyren Williams to eclipse the 100-yard mark on the ground.
2. Dallas Cowboys (Last Week #3)
The Dallas defense has gotten a lot of flack this year for underperforming against better competition, but they were nasty this week against the Eagles with a lot on the line.
The Cowboys were able to hold Jalen Hurts to under 200 yards passing and keep him out of the endzone entirely, which hasn’t happened yet this season.
1. San Francisco 49ers (Last Week #1)
San Francisco’s defense is looking Super Bowl ready. They are fast, they hit hard, and they take away the football. That is a good combination if you want to win football games.
