NFL defense rankings: We’ve reached Week 17, the final week of the 2020 NFL regular season. It’s been a remarkable year of football and there is going to be a lot on the line for Sunday’s upcoming action, with defenses playing a key role in deciding the outcomes.
Before we dive into Week 17, it’s important to look back on what got us here. In Week 16, with so much at stake, the Green Bay Packers and Seattle Seahawks both made defensive statements that prove they are Super Bowl contenders.
The NFL MVP will always go to quarterbacks and marquee games are remembered for the scoring, but it’s defenses matter this time of year. With home-field advantage, playoff seedings and so much more on the line in Week 17, our NFL defense rankings showcase who we are counting on to come through.
Let’s dive into our latest NFL defense rankings heading into Week 17.
UPDATE: Dec. 31, 7:20 AM EST
20. Atlanta Falcons (Unranked)
Raheem Morris is showcasing why he should be Atlanta’s head coach in 2021. Since taking over, this defense has enjoyed an impressive turnaround and a level of execution we haven’t seen in a long time. The Falcons held the Kansas City Chiefs to 17 points in Week 16, with Patrick Mahomes completing just 54.5% of his passes and throwing an interception.
Seeing this defense at the No. 20 spot in our NFL defense rankings might seem surprising, given it ranked near the bottom in key stats for most of the season. Things are changing in Atlanta, though. The Falcons are allowing the 11th-fewest points (22.7) per game over the last three contests. Meanwhile, over that same span, their average quarterback rating allowed (92.) ranks 12th in the league. If they compete against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in Week 17, Raheem Morris could easiyl return in 2021.
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19. Carolina Panthers (20)
A matchup against Dwayne Haskins was all this defense needed to start feeling good. The former first-round pick wilted under Carolina’s pressure, throwing two interceptions and losing a fumble. Sunday’s win once again showed why, with Brian Burns and Jeremy Chinn, this unit is just a few pieces away from being much higher in our NFL defense rankings.
18. Arizona Cardinals (15)
Facing the San Francisco 49ers’ backup offense, you’d think Arizona would find a way to get the job done. Instead, the Cardinals were taken to school by Kyle Shanahan. San Francisco racked up 227 rushing yards, with Jeff Wilson Jr. running wild in the desert for 183 yards. Meanwhile, C.J. Beathard connected for three touchdown strikes and could have had more if he was a better quarterback. Quite frankly, in part because of the defense, Arizona looks like it doesn’t want the be in the playoffs.
17. Cleveland Browns (17)
A partial excuse can be made for Cleveland’s offense in Week 16, key starters were out and New York’s defense is actually respectable. On the other side of the ball, it wasn’t pretty. The Browns got fooled by a trick play for a score, were picked apart by an inefficient Sam Darnold and just didn’t play clean football. Not exactly the kind of impression you want to make with the playoffs approaching.
16. New York Giants (12)
In the past, we’ve pointed to New York’s offense being the reason why the defense spent so much time on the field. While there is still plenty of truth in that, this Week 16 performance also falls on the defense. The Giants allowed 249 rushing yards to the Baltimore Ravens, a whopping 6.2 yards per rush. If anything like this happens in Week 17 against the Dallas Cowboys, who are also vying for the NFC West, say farewell to New York’s season.
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15. New England Patriots (11)
Ouch. That’s not the performance Bill Belichick wanted from his defense against an elite Buffalo Bills offense on Monday night. Josh Allen threw for four touchdowns against zero interceptions in a 38-9 Patriots loss. All said, the Bills racked up 31 first downs and 474 total yards of offense. Much like the rest of this Patriots team, it seems like the defense has gone into hibernation for the winter.
14. Seattle Seahawks (19)
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It’s time to take notice of Seattle’s defense and we’ll start with the stats from Week 16. Rushing the passer was once this team’s greatest weakness. On Sunday, per ESPN, it pressured Goff 24 times. The Seahawks recorded as many quarterback hits (nine) as points allowed, which was crucial to securing the NFC West. Now, over the last three weeks, Seattle is allowing the third-fewest total yards (290.7) and fewest points (9.0) per game.
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13. Green Bay Packers (16)
With the playoffs approaching and the No. 1 seed in the NFC on the line, Green Bay needed to make a statement in Week 16 on Sunday Night Football. Expectations for this defense were low, especially against NFL MVP candidates Derrick Henry and Ryan Tannehill. All the Packers did is hold the Titans to 260 total yards, forcing two Tannehill interceptions and bottling up Henry. It’s performances like this that prove this team is ready to be a Super Bowl contender and the class of the NFC.
Now, the Packers have added Damon “Snacks” Harrison. He wanted out of Seattle and now lands in an even better situation. The veteran 6-foot-3, 353-pound defensive tackle is still stellar against the run, grading as one of PFF’s top run defenders on the interior defensive line. Adding him will allow defensive tackle Kenny Clark to make way more plays, putting this defense in even greater position for the NFL Playoffs.
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12. Kansas City Chiefs (13)
A defining trait of Super Bowl contenders is players’ ability to step up when their teammates are struggling. With Kansas City’s offense finding it difficult to score in Week 16, its defense paved the way to victory. Chris Jones dominated the Atlanta Falcons, racking up a sack and four quarterback hits. With both Jones and Frank Clark heating up, much like we saw in 2019, Kansas City’s defense becomes dangerous.
11. Tampa Bay Buccaneers (14)
Life was made easy for Tampa Bay’s defense in Week 16. Matthew Stafford went down with an ankle injury on the first driver, never returning to the game. Unsurprisingly the Buccaneers took advantage. They stuffed Detroit’s running game, holding them to 73 rushing yards on 15 carries and dominated against the pass. It’s impressive to rack up 11 quarterback hits, five pass deflections and four sacks. Before we start sending this team soaring back up the NFL defense rankings, though, let’s see how they fare against the Atlanta Falcons in Week 17.
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10. San Francisco 49ers (10)
San Francisco played without multiple defensive starters in Week 16, but that’s par for the course with this defense. Once again, defensive coordinator Robert Saleh showcased why he will be a head coach in 2021. The 49ers held Arizona to 12 points, racking up nine tackles for loss, six pass deflections and three sacks. It’s not easy to completely neutralize Kyler Murray and DeAndre Hopkins, but San Francisco’s defense did just that on Saturday.
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9. Indianapolis Colts (7)
Everything looked great at halftime for Indianapolis. The defense helped make Ben Roethlisberger look like a shell of his former self and the Colts held a 24-7 lead against an offense that hasn’t moved the ball in weeks. It all unraveled in a matter of minutes. It’s also worth a reminder, Indianapolis nearly blew the games against the Houston Texans twice. If the Colts make the playoffs, we’re not trusting this defense to get it done when the game is on the line.
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8. Pittsburgh Steelers (4)
We’re past the point of concern with this unit. Pittsburgh once held the No. 1 spot in our NFL defense rankings for nearly 1/3 of the season, now it’s rapidly slipping. Injuries to Bud Dupree and Devin Bush have exposed the holes that were always evident in this secondary. More problematic, a run defense that was once a strength is now an Achilles’ heel. While the win in Week 16 was impressive, it’s easy to imagine the Cleveland Browns running all over this defense in Week 17.
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7. Buffalo Bills (9)
Don’t look now, but Buffalo’s defense is starting to put it together. Just ask Patriots quarterback Cam Newton. The dude threw for 15 net passing yards on 10 attempts Monday night before being benched with Buffalo up 31-9 early in the third quarter. Much like their offense, the Bills’ defense has picked it up big time as of late. They have given up 43 combined points over the past three games for the 12-3 Bills. Talk about stepping up at the right time.
As we enter Week 17, consider how well this defense is playing lately. Buffalo is allowing the fewest total yards (226.7), yards per pass attempt (3.9) and the fifth-lowest conversion rate on third down (30.56%) over the last three games. We’re talking about an elite offense now being paired with a top defense and that should concern the Kansas City Chiefs.
6. Chicago Bears (8)
Chicago’s defense didn’t exactly have its best day on Sunday. Jacksonville’s offense is bad to begin with, but it started Mike Glennon and Dare Ogunbowale in Week 16. This is the kind of game where great defenses should dominate, utterly neutralizing the offense. We saw a few holes in this defense on Sunday, weaknesses that playoff teams can exploit. With that said, there’s still more than enough talent to justify this being one of the NFL’s top defenses,
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5. Baltimore Ravens (6)
Baltimore can thank the league offices for the friendly schedule to end the season. Following the dismantling of the Jacksonville Jaguars, this defense did the same thing to the New York Giants. The wins are important, as is this team’s ability to perform when guys like Jimmy Smith and Marcus Peters are out. We expect a similar effort in Week 17 against the Cincinnati Bengals, with multiple sacks and a turnover a safe bet.
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4. Washington Football Team (5)
Washington’s defense earned the NFC East crown in Week 16. Unfortunately, Dwayne Haskins decided to give it away
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3. Miami Dolphins (3)
Derek Carr made a surprising return to start in Week 16, causing more problems for Miami’s secondary than expected. The Dolphins had no answer for Nelson Agholor (155 yards, one touchdown) and lacked the defensive weapon to cover tight end Darren Waller (112 receiving yards). It wasn’t a terrible performance by the Dolphins defensively, but an effort that is a bit concerning.
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One thing is for certain, the Week 17 clash against Buffalo will be a good one. Miami can put Xavien Howard or Byron Jones on Stefon Diggs and could match up against Cole Beasley. The key for this game and the Dolphins’ playoff hopes, can they pressure Josh Allen. We can’t wait to find out.
2. Los Angeles Rams (2)
At this point, there’s not much else Los Angeles can do. Its defense continues to do an excellent job containing opposing offenses, holding the Seahawks to 16 points and 292 total yards in Week 16. When your starting quarterback actively hurts your chances of winning, though, it doesn’t matter much. If the Rams miss the playoffs, NFC teams should count their blessings that they won’t have to face Aaron Donald and Jalen Ramsey.
1. New Orleans Saints (1)
Coming off an impressive performance against the Kansas City Chiefs, New Orleans ran into some trouble defensively on Christmas Day. While one of the NFL’s best run defenses (95.2 rushing yards per game) did a nice job bottling up Dalvin Cook (73 rushing yards)< Kirk Cousins and this passing attack caused problems for the Saints.
It’s a troubling sign for this secondary with the NFL Playoffs approaching. Equally concerning, linebacker Kwon Alexander suffered a torn Achilles and could miss the next year. It creates a bigger hole in the middle of this defense, weakening the Saints against the run. It won’t impact them much in Week 17 against the Carolina Panthers, but it’s an issue against great offenses.