What NFL team has the best defense? We look at the important metrics, including EPA per play and points per drive allowed.
Updated: November 10
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 | 0.18 | 5.0 | 5.1 | 1.5 | 4.8 | 64.2 |
| Minnesota Vikings | 0.15 | 4.6 | 4.5 | 1.3 | 3.9 | 62.6 |
| Jacksonville Jaguars | 0.14 | 5.4 | 5.2 | 1.5 | 4.9 | 67.8 |
| Seattle Seahawks | 0.13 | 4.1 | 4.3 | 1.5 | 3.2 | 64.1 |
| Pittsburgh Steelers | 0.11 | 5.0 | 4.7 | 1.6 | 6.7 | 66.2 |
| Los Angeles Rams | 0.11 | 5.0 | 5.6 | 1.8 | 4.6 | 66.8 |
| Chicago Bears | 0.08 | 5.9 | 6.0 | 1.9 | 6.8 | 65.4 |
| Kansas City Chiefs | 0.08 | 4.9 | 5.0 | 1.7 | 4.4 | 68.9 |
| San Francisco 49ers | 0.07 | 4.8 | 4.7 | 1.9 | 3.7 | 68.5 |
| New York Giants | 0.05 | 5.0 | 4.6 | 1.9 | 4.8 | 68.6 |
| Green Bay Packers | 0.04 | 4.9 | 4.8 | 1.8 | 4.5 | 70.6 |
| Cleveland Browns | 0.03 | 5.2 | 5.0 | 1.9 | 5.6 | 68.7 |
| Los Angeles Chargers | 0.03 | 5.7 | 5.8 | 2.2 | 5.6 | 70.3 |
| Atlanta Falcons | 0.02 | 5.4 | 5.8 | 2.1 | 5.7 | 72.1 |
| Denver Broncos | 0.02 | 5.2 | 4.9 | 1.9 | 5.7 | 71.3 |
| Baltimore Ravens | 0.01 | 5.4 | 5.6 | 2.3 | 5.6 | 71.0 |
| Washington Commanders | 0.01 | 5.2 | 4.7 | 2.2 | 5.0 | 71.2 |
| Cincinnati Bengals | 0.01 | 5.7 | 5.8 | 2.0 | 7.4 | 71.9 |
| Philadelphia Eagles | 0.00 | 5.4 | 5.5 | 2.2 | 5.9 | 71.9 |
| New England Patriots | 0.00 | 5.5 | 5.8 | 2.1 | 6.2 | 69.1 |
| Tennessee Titans | -0.01 | 5.8 | 6.3 | 2.2 | 6.0 | 74.5 |
| Houston Texans | -0.02 | 5.3 | 5.2 | 2.2 | 6.8 | 70.3 |
| Indianapolis Colts | -0.03 | 6.1 | 6.0 | 2.3 | 6.9 | 70.0 |
| Buffalo Bills | -0.03 | 5.2 | 5.1 | 2.2 | 5.7 | 73.3 |
| Carolina Panthers | -0.03 | 5.3 | 5.2 | 2.3 | 4.0 | 73.5 |
| New Orleans Saints | -0.04 | 5.7 | 5.9 | 2.4 | 6.5 | 74.4 |
| New York Jets | -0.05 | 5.1 | 5.2 | 2.3 | 4.7 | 76.4 |
| Miami Dolphins | -0.06 | 5.6 | 5.3 | 2.6 | 5.3 | 76.5 |
| Detroit Lions | -0.08 | 5.4 | 5.2 | 2.3 | 7.6 | 76.0 |
| Arizona Cardinals | -0.08 | 5.6 | 5.3 | 2.6 | 5.4 | 73.6 |
| Dallas Cowboys | -0.09 | 5.8 | 5.4 | 2.5 | 6.7 | 75.3 |
| Las Vegas Raiders | -0.10 | 6.1 | 6.5 | 2.7 | 6.1 | 77.7 |