NFL Defense Rankings 2024: The Steel Curtain Stands Strong

You’ve heard it before: offense gets the glory, and defense wins championships. 

The NFL in 2024 might be skewed to favor offenses, but defense still reigns supreme. The top three Super Bowl favorites allowed the fewest points per game a year ago and are expected to be highly competitive on that side of the ball again.

We update our NFL Offense Rankings weekly, but here, it’s all about the backbone of every team: the defense.

Here are our rankings for all 32 NFL defenses.

Ranking All 32 NFL Defenses

32. Carolina Panthers

The Panthers have the worst defense in football, and it's not close. They allow a whopping 34.7 points per game, over six points higher than the next closest team. The 40 points the unit surrendered to Commanders were the fourth consecutive game in which they allowed 34+ points. 

31. New England Patriots

The Pats have an awful defense this season, and they were cooked again on Sunday. A struggling Jags’ offense was able to dominate New England in London, including allowing 22 points in the second quarter alone. It seems if the Pats can be overwhelmed by a team like the Jags, they won’t be able to stop anyone this season. 

30. Los Angeles Rams

The Rams’ defense remains a mess, but rookie linebacker Jared Verse has looked fantastic. While he only has one sack, the 23-year-old is getting a lot of pressure on opposing defense. He finished with five QB hits against the Raiders in Week 7, the second-most by any player this season. Verse can’t save the unit this season, but he does give fans hope for the future. 

29. Las Vegas Raiders

The Raiders’ defense could not take advantage of a banged-up Rams offense on Sunday. While they were strong against the pass, they were unable to generate pressure on Stafford, who was only hit twice. This is a bad defense that will likely get worse as the Raiders season slips away, especially if they start trading pieces away. 

28. Arizona Cardinals

Arizona’s defense won the game against the Chargers in Week 7. They allowed almost 400 yards but managed to allow LA just one trip to the red zone. They sacked Justin Herbert three times and hit him seven while recovering two fumbles. Most impressively, the Cards contained a strong Chargers run game, which averaged just 2.7 YPC. 

27. Jacksonville Jaguars

The Jaguars' defense had its best game of the season against the Patriots on Sunday. While the unit needed a game like this, it came against arguably the worst offense in football. One thing we did not see was Jacksonville getting much pressure on Drake Maye despite an awful New England offensive line. Don’t expect them to repeat this week's performance as they face Jordan Love and the Packers. 

26. Washington Commanders

The Commanders' defense beat up on another bad offense on Sunday. They held the Panthers to 180 yards and seven points. Dante Fowler Jr. set the pace early with a 67-yard interception return for a touchdown. This defense isn’t elite, but it seems they are not nearly as bad as we expected. We’ll see if they can keep the momentum going this week as they welcome Caleb Williams and the Bears to town. 

25. Indianapolis Colts

The Colts' defense has beaten up on bad offenses over the last two weeks, but their injury report remains long, including top pass rusher DeForest Buckner. The good news is that rookie defensive end Laiatu Latu has been fantastic over his first seven games. He is generating a lot of pressure and will give the team some badly needed depth at the position once Buckner returns. 

24. Atlanta Falcons

The Seahawks shredded the Falcons defense on Sunday, allowing 27 points and 339 yards. Those numbers would have been far worse if the game hadn’t gotten out of hand early on and DK Metcalf had not left with an injury. Kirk Cousins turning the ball over three times didn’t help, but Atlanta’s defense was clearly overmatched. There are a lot of issues with this unit, but none are more significant than the pass rush, which has a league-low six sacks on the season.

23. Tampa Bay Buccaneers

The Bucs are starting to fall apart on defense, allowing 27+ points in three consecutive games. The unit allowed Baltimore to work down the field with ease, gaining 508 yards and scoring 41 points. Things won’t be getting easier any time soon, with Mike Evans and Chris Godwin suffering significant injuries, which will significantly affect the offense’s ability to sustain drives.

22. Dallas Cowboys

We continue to be stunned by how poorly this defense is playing. While they seemed to turn things around against the Giants and Steelers, they had no answers for the far superior Lions’ attack. Dallas allowed 492 yards and 47 points in the home loss, 27 of which came in the first half. Dallas will look to bounce back this week against a Niners team that will be without Deebo Samuel and Brandon Aiyuk. 

21. New Orleans Saints

Head coach Dennis Allen has been one of the league’s best defensive minds for years, but it appears that run has come to an end. The defense allowed an awful Denver offense to gain 389 yards and score 26 points (the Broncos’ defense scored the other 7). The second consecutive outing was when the Saints’ defense fell flat, allowing 51 points against the Bucs the week before. Fortunately for New Orleans, their remaining schedule features many broken and beaten offenses.

20. Cincinnati Bengals

The Bengals’ defense has looked like a completely different unit over the last two weeks. After holding the Giants to seven points two weeks ago, they held the Browns to just 14 on Sunday. While those teams have two of the league’s worst quarterbacks, the Bengals defense had failed to stop anyone over the first five weeks. One big reason for the improvement has been Sam Hubbard, who had one sack and three QB hits in Sunday’s game. With the star pass rusher playing better, this is no longer a bottom-five defense. 

19. Seattle Seahawks

The Seahawks' defense had a badly needed bounce-back game on Sunday, dominating against the pass. They held Kirk Cousins to 232 passing yards and a touchdown, intercepting him twice. The veteran faced a lot of pressure, being sacked three times and hit nine. However, there are still significant issues with the Seattle run defense, which allowed the Falcons to average 4.8 YPC for 155 yards on the ground. Those numbers would have been far worse had Atlanta not been forced to abandon the pass. 

18. Philadelphia Eagles

The Eagles played their best defensive game since losing in the Super Bowl two seasons ago. They went to the Big Apple and held the Giants to just three points and 119 yards. New York’s offense is far from great, but those stats are stunning against any NFL team.  The defense was strong in many aspects, but the most impressive was their pass rush, which posted eight sacks. This was the second-straight strong defensive showing for the Eagles, though both came against bad quarterbacks.

17. New York Giants 

The Giants' defense has been one of the best stories in the league this season, but they were a mess against the Eagles on Sunday. The unit was gashed for 269 rushing yards, led by Saquon Barkley, who averaged 10.4 YPC for 176. As ugly as the showing was, the team did see Dexter Lawrence II become the league leader in sacks after registering two on Sunday. The unit was also was unstoppable on third down, allowing Philly to convert just one of their 13 attempts. 

16. Miami Dolphins

Miami’s defense was fantastic against the Colts in Sunday’s loss. They held Indy to 284 yards and 16 points despite failing to generate pressure on Anthony Richardson. Given the state of the Dolphins’ offense, it is hard to assess this defense, but that will change when Tua comes back. If he can revive the offense, expect the defense to climb up our rankings quickly. 

15. Tennessee Titans

The Titan’s defense has been fantastic this season, but they had no answer for the Bills on Sunday. They only allowed Buffalo to score seven points in the first half but fell apart to allow 27 in the second. If there is a silver lining for Tennessee, it's their play against James Cook, who only managed 2.7 YPC. This is a good defense, but things won’t get any easier as they face Jared Goff and the Lions on Sunday. 

14. San Francisco 49ers

The Niner’s defense felt like it was playing on its heels for most of Sunday’s loss to the Chiefs. Two touchdowns came after Brock Purdy's interceptions, of which he threw three. It's hard to get into a groove when the Niners’ offense was only on the field for 25 minutes and turning the ball over. We still like this defense, but it hasn’t been good enough to compensate for the team’s recent offensive struggles. 

13. New York Jets

The Jets defense was embarrassed by the Steelers on Sunday Night Football. They allowed Pittsburgh’s underwhelming offense to go for over 400 yards and score 37 points, 24 of which came in the second half. Those are ugly numbers, even when considering the Jets’ banged-up secondary. The good news is elite pass rusher Hasson Reddick has finally signed a new deal with the team, ending his holdout and putting him on the field as soon as this weekend.

12. Cleveland Browns

The Browns season officially ended on Sunday, but the defense had one of its most impressive games of the season. They limited Joe Burrow and the Bengals to 21 points on 223 yards, limiting them to just 25 minutes of possession. While that was one of the most impressive defensive games of the weekend, this unit is going to collapse. The Browns’ offense is broken, the players and fans are turning on each other, and Cleveland can’t afford to fix anything. That will put too much pressure on Myles Garrett and the defense, leading to some ugly results. 

11. Green Bay Packers

It is time to start talking about the Packers’ defense after Sunday’s win against the Texans. The unit has found its groove under new defensive coordinator Jeff Hafley, as shown by their play against the incredible Houston offense. The defense allowed just 197 points and had two critical red zone stands that helped them get the win, overcoming three turnovers from the Green Bay offense. On top of that, pass rusher Rashan Gary is finally getting going, making this defense even better. 

10. Detroit Lions

The Lions' defense had one of its best performances of the season against the Vikings on Sunday. They didn’t allow Minnesota into the red zone, and their two touchdowns came on big plays outside of the 20. The only other Vikings touchdown came on a fumble return. The performance carries even more weight, given it was the team’s first game without Aidan Hutchinson. They still managed four sacks, a good sign for the unit’s future without their star.

9. Buffalo Bills

The Bills defense was lights out against the Titans in Week 7. Even when Will Levis is on the field, Tennessee has been awful, but the Bills’ defense still impressed. Greg Rousseau led the effort with six QB hits, the highest total in the league this season. The team finished with three sacks, six TFLs, 11 QB hits, and two turnovers. The unit isn’t as dominant as in years past, but remains a top-ten defense. 

8. Chicago Bears

The Bears were on a bye in Week 7 but remain in our top ten. Chicago’s defense lacks star power but ranks fifth in yards and fourth in points allowed per game this season. However, aside from the Texans, their success has come against some bad offenses. That will change with a game against Washington this week, followed by six games against their rivals in the offensively elite NFC North. 

7. Los Angeles Chargers

The Chargers' defense was fantastic for 99% of Monday night’s loss to the Cardinals, but two significant second-half miscues undid the effort. The first involved allowing a 44-yard rushing touchdown for Kyler Murray at the end of the third quarter to go up 14-9. The second came in the final two minutes when LA picked up an unnecessary roughness penalty, immediately followed by a 33-yard completion to set Arizona up for the game-winning field goal. 

6. Baltimore Ravens

The Ravens' defense had another strong showing on Monday. After allowing a quick 10 points, the unit held the Bucs scoreless until the fourth quarter, when the game was already well out of hand. The Baltimore run defense remains the best in the league, but we still have some questions about the secondary. Those were not alleviated when they let the Bucs score three touchdowns in the final 13 minutes without Mike Evans. 

5. Minnesota Vikings

While the Vikings' defense remains in our top five, we don’t expect them to stay there for long. The Lions decimated the unit over the weekend, allowing 31 points on 391 yards. That was despite the Brian Flores-led defense pressuring on a ridiculous 52% of plays. There are a lot of ugly numbers from the game, but that is by far the most concerning. The blitz has been Minnesota’s bread and butter this season, but there are signs teams are starting to adjust, which could lead to a massive collapse for Minnesota this season.

4. Denver Broncos

The Broncos defense bounced back from a rough Week 6 game to dominated the Saints. They held New Orleans to 10 points on 271 yards, posting six sacks and 11 QB hits in the blowout road win. The unit benefited from Derek Carr being out, taking advantage of rookie Spencer Rattler, but still limited Alven Kamare to just 10 yards on seven rushes. The Denver offense remains a question mark, but their defense is now third in points and yards allowed per game.

3. Kansas City Chiefs

The Chiefs’ defense was responsible for Sunday's win against the Niners. They intercepted Brock Purdy three times while allowing 18 points on 310 years. Those impressive stats came in a game where Kansas City only sacked Purdy once, though they hit him six times. George Karlaftis led the defense with his best game of the season, finishing with one sack, one TFL, and two QB hits. While the Chiefs’ offense is no longer elite, their defense has more than made up for it. 

2. Houston Texans

The Texans lost to the Packers in Week 7, but it wasn’t due to the defense. They finished the game with eight TFLs, three sacks, three turnovers, and 277 yards allowed against a great Green Bay offense. Those stats are normally good enough to get a win against any team, but the Houston offense was horrendous, gaining just 197 yards. As long as they stay healthy, they will remain among the league’s top defenses. 

1. Pittsburgh Steelers

The Steelers faced an improved Jets offense on Sunday Night Football, and they completely shut them down. After a solid first half, the unit didn’t allow New York to score any points in the second half, forcing a punt, interception, missed field goal, and turnover on downs. There is no question that Pittsburgh has the most talent on defense in the NFL, making them an easy choice to stay atop our rankings.

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Top Five NFL Passing Defenses

5. Denver Broncos

The Broncos' pass defense continues to thrive, allowing just 174 yards through the air to the Saints. The pass rush led the way, finishing with six sacks and 11 QB hits. 

4. Chicago Bears

The Bears were on a bye in Week 7 but remain a top-five pass defense. That is largely due to an opposing passer rating of 72.8, the lowest in the league.  

3. Miami Dolphins

As bad as the Dolphins have been, their pass defense has been incredible. Despite a terrible pass rush, they are allowing a league-low 154.5 yards per game and three touchdowns. 

2. New York Jets

The Jets drop a spot down our rankings after struggling against Russell Wilson and an underwhelming Pittsburgh pass game. The team still ranks second in passing yards per game and will get a boost, with Haason Reddick set to debut in Week 8.

1. Houston Texans

The Texans' pass defense was strong against the Packers on Sunday. They picked off Jordan Love twice and almost did so a third time to win the game.

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Top Five NFL Rushing Defenses

5. Kansas City Chiefs

The Chiefs' run defense struggled against the Niners, allowing 4.2 YPC for 101 yards and two touchdowns. The only reason those numbers aren’t worse is the Niners’ early deficit, forcing them to work through the air.

4. Detroit Lions

The Lions' run defense wasn’t at its best against the Vikings on Sunday, allowing 139 yards and a 6.6 YPC average. Those numbers are slightly inflated by an Aaron Jones 34-yard touchdown on Minnesota’s opening drive, but it was still a rough showing. 

3. Pittsburgh Steelers

The Steelers shut Breece Hall down on Sunday night, holding him to 38 yards on 12 carries. The Steelers seem to do everything well on defense, but their ability to stop the run is the most impressive. 

2. Minnesota Vikings

Minnesota’s run defense had its worst performance against the Lions, allowing 5.3 YPC and 144 yards. The Lions have been incredible on the ground this season, so we still have the Vikings ranked second. 

1. Baltimore Ravens

The Ravens' run defense remains head-and-shoulders above the rest of the league. They allow just 68.4 rushing yards per game, 12 fewer than the second-ranked Vikings.

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2024 NFL Defense Rankings