Eleven weeks into the season, the league’s best defenses are separating themselves as legitimate forces capable of dominating in January, while others are just scraping by, trying to survive another week.
All of the midseason acquisitions have been made, and now it’s all about execution.
Let’s rank all 32 teams’ NFL defenses from worst to first after Week 11, breaking down the contenders, the pretenders, and everyone in between.
Which teams had the top defense in the NFL after week 11?
32. Jacksonville Jaguars: (Last Week #24)
Jacksonville’s defense was absolutely overwhelmed. Allowing a franchise-record 645 yards and six touchdowns is an embarrassment, plain and simple.
31. Las Vegas Raiders: (Last Week #31)
Blown coverages, like the one that left Jonnu Smith wide open for a 57-yard touchdown, highlighted fundamental issues that Antonio Pierce hasn’t been able to fix as the defense continues to get gashed on a weekly basis.
Click on ‘Follow Us’ and get notified of the most viral NFL stories via Google! Follow Us
30. Cleveland Browns: (Last Week #26)
The Browns’ defense struggled to contain Taysom Hill and the Saints’ dynamic rushing attack, allowing 214 yards on the ground and ultimately 35 points in the loss.
29. Atlanta Falcons: (Last Week #22)
Yikes, tough showing from the Falcons defense this week. Atlanta was overmatched and undermanned, giving up 38 points to a Broncos offense led by Bo Nix.
28. New York Jets: (Last Week #25)
The Jets’ defense had its moments, with Javon Kinlaw’s strip-sack leading to a touchdown, but the fact of the matter is that they faltered as their NFL contest wore on and allowed 28 points to a mediocre Colts offense.
27. Dallas Cowboys: (Last Week #32)
Aside from Micah Parsons, this has been a really challenging season for the Cowboys’ defense, and with injuries all over the field, there isn’t exactly reason to believe it will get better any time soon.
Also Read: Ranking All 32 NFL Teams’ Defenses From WORST To FIRST After Week 10 Of The 2024 Season
26. Cincinnati Bengals: (Last Week #28)
The Bengals’ defense struggled to contain Los Angeles early, allowing 24 first-half points and big plays to Justin Herbert and his NFL team’s receivers. They did manage to tighten up a little bit, but it’s still not an inspiring showing with the season on the line.
25. Miami Dolphins: (Last Week #29)
Miami’s defense wasn’t dominant, but holding the Raiders to just 19 points was a solid effort. It was also good to see the timely stops and discipline in key moments, which made a difference for the Fins.
24. New Orleans Saints: (Last Week #27)
It wasn’t exactly pretty, but credit to the Saints defense for holding the Browns to just 14 points despite Jameis Winston’s 395-yard day.
23. Seattle Seahawks: (Last Week #30)
This was a statement performance from the Seahawks defense, which showed grit and resilience, particularly on the final drive when they stopped San Francisco from running out the clock, giving Geno Smith a chance to engineer a comeback.
22. Tennessee Titans: (Last Week #18)
The lack of sustained pressure on Sam Darnold and an inability to get off the field on key downs exposed a defense that’s running out of patience with an offense that continues to put all of the burdens on this NFL squad.
21. Washington Commanders: (Last Week #13)
The Commanders’ defense had moments of brilliance but couldn’t hold up late against Barkley and the Eagles surging offense, breaking down to allow 20 points in the 4th quarter of a pivotal matchup.
20. Carolina Panthers (bye): (Last Week #23)
Brian Burns has been the cornerstone of this unit, consistently creating pressure and keeping opposing quarterbacks uncomfortable.
19. Indianapolis Colts: (Last Week #21)
Though they did allow 27 points, the Colts’ defense came through in the clutch, particularly Kwity Paye, who recorded two late sacks to seal the game.
18. New England Patriots: (Last Week #15)
New England did a nice job of controlling the clock on Sunday, but they, frankly, had no answer for the big chunk of plays that Los Angeles continued to rip off.
17. Denver Broncos: (Last Week #20)
Week 11 was a big one for the Broncos’ defense, which displayed discipline and physicality, bottling up Atlanta’s offense and delivering a statement win in the NFL.
16. Tampa Bay Buccaneers (bye): (Last Week #14)
Todd Bowles’ unit has potential, in part thanks to the emergence of Zyon McCollum, but needs more consistency to keep pace with the offense.
15. New York Giants (bye): (Last Week #19)
The Giants’ defense has been the lone bright spot in an otherwise dismal season. Dexter Lawrence continues to dominate the trenches, ranking as one of the league’s top defensive linemen.
14. Baltimore Ravens: (Last Week #17)
Despite strong performances from their front seven, the unit ultimately couldn’t overcome a slow afternoon from the offense.
13. Chicago Bears: (Last Week #16)
While the defensive front would’ve done better to put a little bit more pressure on Jordan Love, Chicago’s D was not the problem on Sunday, as they held the Packers to 20 points.
12. Arizona Cardinals (bye): (Last Week #9)
Although the Cardinals’ defense has been inconsistent, they have been much-improved from years past, largely thanks to the emergence of second-year NFL cornerback Garrett Williams.
11. Green Bay Packers: (Last Week #12)
The Packers’ defense might not be elite, but they know how to step up when it matters most. The defensive front notched a number of key sacks, and Karl Brooks’ game-sealing field goal block was massive.
10. Houston Texans: (Last Week #11)
Granted, they were going up against Cooper Rush and a neutered Cowboys offense, but Houston’s defense did not have a problem on Monday Night Football.
9. San Francisco 49ers: (Last Week #5)
Week 11 was a frustrating finish for a unit that had performed admirably for the majority of the contest, as they succumbed to Geno Smith and lost Nick Bosa to that nagging hip injury.
8. Kansas City Chiefs: (Last Week #1)
Kansas City’s defense finally slipped up this week, allowing 30 points to Buffalo and suffering their first loss of the year.
7. Los Angeles Rams: (Last Week #10)
While they struggled to get off the field—losing the time of possession battle by nearly 15 minutes—the unit delivered in high-leverage moments, keeping the Patriots offense at bay when it mattered most and securing the win.
6. Los Angeles Chargers: (Last Week #3)
The Chargers defense bent but didn’t break. While they allowed Joe Burrow to orchestrate a furious second-half rally and gave up a season-high 27 points, they delivered when it mattered most, securing the win.
5. Buffalo Bills: (Last Week #7)
Buffalo’s defense stepped up in a big way, holding Kansas City to a season-low 259 yards and forcing two key interceptions from Patrick Mahomes as they handed the Chiefs their first loss of the NFL season.
4. Detroit Lions: (Last Week #8)
Dominant doesn’t even begin to describe the Lions’ defensive performance. They allowed just 170 total yards and held Jacksonville to a measly six points, forcing Mac Jones into an admittedly unsurprisingly disastrous outing.
3. Minnesota Vikings: (Last Week #6)
The Vikings defense made life miserable for the Titans in Week 11, racking up five sacks and forcing Will Levis into a critical late-game interception.
2. Philadelphia Eagles: (Last Week #4)
Vic Fangio’s defense is really starting to take form in Philly. With Washington threatening to retake the lead in Week 11, Philadelphia’s front stopped Jayden Daniels on a pivotal fourth-and-short, just one of many big plays they’ve made this year.
1. Pittsburgh Steelers: (Last Week #2)
The Steelers’ defense continues to cement its reputation as Lamar Jackson’s kryptonite and one of the best units in the game today. They held the Ravens high-powered offense to a season-low 16 points and forced three critical turnovers to win 18-16.
Also Read: Grading All 32 NFL Teams’ Defenses After Week 10 Games Of The 2024 Season
