Defense wins championships—or so they say. In today’s NFL, though, where offenses are dropping 30 points like it’s a casual Sunday jog, a truly dominant defense feels like a rare breed. Week after week, we’ve seen the good, the bad, and the downright embarrassing from every defensive unit across the league.
How about we take a long, hard look at every team’s defense and stack rank them from worst to first!
Which NFL teams have the highest grades on defense after week 12?
32. Jacksonville Jaguars (bye): (Last Week #32)
The Jaguars’ defense has been one of the league’s worst, routinely getting gashed by both the run and the pass in a major way. Their inability to get off the field on third down has also been a massive issue.
31. Las Vegas Raiders: (Last Week #31)
Things started off alright for the Raiders’ D, but as the game wore on, the unit’s lack of depth and injuries became glaring issues. They couldn’t contain Courtland Sutton and failed to generate consistent pressure on Bo Nix in the second half.
30. New York Jets (bye): (Last Week #28)
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The once-mighty Jets defense has really fallen since Robert Saleh was fired in the NFL mid-season. Just another disappointment in what has been a season chock-filled with them in New York.
29. Atlanta Falcons (bye): (Last Week #29)
While Atlanta’s defense started the year strong, the Falcons have faltered as the year wears on, in part because injuries and depth issues have taken their toll.
27. Cleveland Browns: (Last Week #30)
Grant Delpit was the hero on the game’s final play, swatting down Russell Wilson’s Hail Mary attempt and sealing a win that Cleveland desperately needed. The unit did well to hold the Steelers in check for most of the game, and even when things got dicey in the fourth quarter, they stepped up in the clutch, a welcome change in what has been a challenging season for them.
Also Read: Grading All 32 NFL Teams’ Defenses After Week 11 Games Of The 2024 Season
28. Cincinnati Bengals (bye): (Last Week #26)
The bye week offers a chance to regroup and get healthy for the final stretch, which will ask a heck of a lot more of the Bengals D than they’ve been able to offer thus far this season.
26. New England Patriots: (Last Week #18)
The Patriots’ defense had no answers for Miami’s relentless attack, as the Dolphins continually gashed them all game.
25. San Francisco 49ers: (Last Week #9)
It’s not often you see the 49ers defense get gashed, but this was one for the wrong kind of NFL history books. They gave up 106 rushing yards to Josh Jacobs—the first time in 55 games they’ve allowed a 100-yard rusher—and struggled to get off the field, with Green Bay scoring on its first three possessions en route to a 38-10 thumping.
24. Washington Commanders: (Last Week #21)
For a unit that has shown flashes of brilliance this season, Sunday was a stark reminder of their inexperience and shortcomings as they got gashed by a Cooper Rush-led Cowboys team.
23. Dallas Cowboys: (Last Week #27)
While the Cowboys’ defense desperately tried to give the game away in the final minutes, they actually had a solid showing, all things considered.
22. New Orleans Saints (bye): (Last Week #24)
New Orleans’ defense has been up and down this year. Their ability to generate pressure and force turnovers has been impressive, but consistency remains an issue. The bye gives them a chance to regroup and iron out those lapses as they gear up to try and make a desperate run at the NFC South crown.
21. Carolina Panthers: (Last Week #20)
All things considered, the Panthers’ defense played sound football this year, but they couldn’t quite go blow for blow with Mahomes and the Chiefs offense.
20. New York Giants: (Last Week #15)
The Giants’ defense got bullied by the Tampa Bay ground game, which poured on 156 yards and four touchdowns in the emphatic win.
19. Indianapolis Colts: (Last Week #19)
Credit to Indy for not getting gashed like so many other teams have been by the Lions’ potent offense, but they couldn’t contain Detroit’s ground game, which punched in three touchdowns.
18. Miami Dolphins: (Last Week #25)
After a rough start to the season, the Dolphins’ defense was rock-solid for three quarters in Week 12, keeping the Patriots off the scoreboard and delivering the kind of performance that allows an NFL offense to operate with freedom.
17. Tennessee Titans: (Last Week #22)
Tennessee put its best foot forward defensively this week despite injuries to L’Jarius Sneed and Amani Hooker. Though far from dominant, the unit capitalized on key opportunities, ala Jarvis Brownlee Jr.’s clutch interception.
16. Chicago Bears: (Last Week #13)
Chicago’s defense got gouged by Sam Darnold and the Vikings this week to the tune of 30 points and 452 yards of total offense.
15. Seattle Seahawks: (Last Week #23)
Seattle’s defense looked the best it has in weeks, maybe all season, against a strong Cardinals offense. Leonard Williams led the charge with 2.5 sacks, and Coby Bryant’s electrifying 69-yard pick-six really set the tone.
14. Los Angeles Rams: (Last Week #7)
This was one to forget for the Rams defense, which got gashed by Saquon Barkley for over 250 yards, allowing Philly 480 total in the humiliating loss for this NFL squad.
13. Baltimore Ravens: (Last Week #14)
The Ravens defense stood strong on Monday Night Football in a challenging matchup against a young and promising Chargers offense.
12. Houston Texans: (Last Week #10)
Their eight sacks, led by Danielle Hunter’s three and Will Anderson Jr.’s strong return, were impressive, but they were plagued by the big play in the loss.
11. Denver Broncos: (Last Week #17)
Denver’s defense continues to prove why it’s one of the league’s most underrated units. Despite giving up some big plays early, they locked things down in the second half, holding Las Vegas to just six points after halftime.
10. Kansas City Chiefs: (Last Week #8)
Nine penalties for 90 yards reflect a lack of discipline that Andy Reid surely isn’t happy about. The unit did just enough to keep Bryce Young and the Panthers from pulling off the upset.
9. Tampa Bay Buccaneers: (Last Week #16)
The Buccaneers defense smothered the Giants from the opening whistle, holding New York to just 45 yards and three first downs in the first half. The Bucs were bullies on Sunday, ultimately holding New York to seven points.
8. Arizona Cardinals: (Last Week #12)
The Cardinals’ defense saw their three-week touchdown-free streak snapped by Jaxon Smith-Njigba in the second quarter, but you can’t put the loss on this NFL squad, as they held the Seahawks to just 16 points.
7. Minnesota Vikings: (Last Week #3)
Giving up 11 points in the last 22 seconds highlighted some troubling gaps in late-game execution. Still, when it mattered most in overtime, they delivered, sacking Caleb Williams to force a Bears punt and giving their offense a chance to seal the deal. It wasn’t pretty, but it was enough to maintain their hold on second place in the NFC North.
6. Los Angeles Chargers: (Last Week #6)
The Chargers’ defense has been a force to be reckoned with this year, though they did have their hands full with a dynamic Ravens offense coming to town this week.
5. Green Bay Packers: (Last Week #11)
Green Bay’s defense came into play, forcing three turnovers and making critical stops, keeping a Brandon Allen-led Niners offense out of sorts all game.
4. Buffalo Bills (bye): (Last Week #5)
Credit to Buffalo for revamping their defense, which has been the backbone of their success this NFL season, ranking among the best in the league in yards allowed. The bye week comes at a good time for a unit that’s logged a heavy workload and could use the rest heading into December, coming off that emotional win over Kansas City.
3. Pittsburgh Steelers: (Last Week #1)
Whelp, Pittsburgh is going to look back at this one with frustration at the end of the year. For a unit that’s carried the Steelers all year, this was a tough outing. They kept Cleveland’s offense in check for most of the game but faltered when it mattered most.
2. Philadelphia Eagles: (Last Week #2)
The Eagles defense flexed its muscle, holding Matthew Stafford and the Rams’ offense to just 243 passing yards while racking up five sacks.
1. Detroit Lions: (Last Week #4)
Great showing from the Lions’ defense in Week 12. For the third straight game, Detroit pitched a second-half shutout, completely smothering Indianapolis and forcing them to settle for field goals all afternoon.
Also Read: Ranking All 32 NFL Teams’ Defenses From WORST To FIRST After Week 11 Of The 2024 Season
