What NFL team has the best defense? We look at the important metrics, including EPA per play and points per drive allowed.
Updated: November 3
NFL Defensive Metrics
| Team | EPA/Play | Yards Per Play Allowed | Y/PL Last 5 | Points Per Drive Allowed | Explosive Play Rate Allowed | Down Conversion Rate Allowed |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Tampa Bay Buccaneers | 0.17 | 4.9 | 4.9 | 1.5 | 4.5 | 64.7 |
| Minnesota Vikings | 0.16 | 4.7 | 4.4 | 1.2 | 3.9 | 61.1 |
| Seattle Seahawks | 0.12 | 4.2 | 4.4 | 1.6 | 3.1 | 64.6 |
| Jacksonville Jaguars | 0.11 | 5.6 | 5.4 | 1.5 | 5.3 | 69.7 |
| Pittsburgh Steelers | 0.11 | 5.0 | 4.7 | 1.6 | 6.7 | 66.2 |
| Los Angeles Rams | 0.10 | 4.9 | 5.2 | 1.9 | 4.5 | 67.5 |
| Los Angeles Chargers | 0.07 | 5.4 | 5.4 | 2.1 | 5.2 | 69.5 |
| Atlanta Falcons | 0.05 | 5.2 | 5.3 | 1.9 | 5.7 | 70.4 |
| Chicago Bears | 0.05 | 6.0 | 6.0 | 1.9 | 6.9 | 66.0 |
| Cleveland Browns | 0.05 | 5.2 | 5.0 | 1.9 | 5.8 | 68.5 |
| San Francisco 49ers | 0.05 | 4.7 | 4.6 | 1.9 | 3.2 | 68.7 |
| Green Bay Packers | 0.04 | 4.7 | 4.5 | 1.8 | 3.4 | 70.9 |
| Kansas City Chiefs | 0.04 | 5.0 | 5.2 | 1.8 | 5.0 | 70.5 |
| Denver Broncos | 0.04 | 5.1 | 4.8 | 1.8 | 5.4 | 69.9 |
| New England Patriots | 0.02 | 5.3 | 5.5 | 1.9 | 5.3 | 68.8 |
| Cincinnati Bengals | 0.02 | 5.7 | 6.0 | 2.0 | 7.5 | 71.7 |
| New York Giants | 0.02 | 5.3 | 4.9 | 2.0 | 5.1 | 70.8 |
| Baltimore Ravens | 0.01 | 5.3 | 5.4 | 2.3 | 5.8 | 71.5 |
| Washington Commanders | 0.00 | 5.3 | 5.1 | 2.3 | 5.6 | 71.3 |
| Carolina Panthers | -0.01 | 5.4 | 5.0 | 2.3 | 4.2 | 72.1 |
| Tennessee Titans | -0.01 | 5.8 | 6.3 | 2.2 | 6.0 | 74.5 |
| Philadelphia Eagles | -0.02 | 5.6 | 5.8 | 2.3 | 6.1 | 73.2 |
| Indianapolis Colts | -0.02 | 5.9 | 5.6 | 2.4 | 6.5 | 70.1 |
| Houston Texans | -0.03 | 5.4 | 5.1 | 2.3 | 7.2 | 72.2 |
| New York Jets | -0.04 | 5.0 | 5.1 | 2.2 | 4.7 | 75.2 |
| New Orleans Saints | -0.05 | 5.8 | 6.0 | 2.5 | 6.7 | 76.2 |
| Las Vegas Raiders | -0.09 | 6.1 | 6.6 | 2.6 | 6.4 | 76.4 |
| Arizona Cardinals | -0.09 | 5.7 | 5.3 | 2.6 | 6.1 | 73.1 |
| Miami Dolphins | -0.09 | 5.7 | 5.6 | 2.7 | 5.8 | 77.0 |
| Buffalo Bills | -0.09 | 5.4 | 5.3 | 2.4 | 6.1 | 76.3 |
| Dallas Cowboys | -0.11 | 5.9 | 5.9 | 2.6 | 7.1 | 77.6 |
| Detroit Lions | -0.13 | 5.5 | 5.3 | 2.4 | 8.0 | 77.5 |
