Most of the attention goes to the offensive side of the ball, but the old cliché of “defense wins championships” didn’t arise out of nowhere. With the 2024 NFL season moving to the Conference Championships, how do all 32 teams shape up in our NFL Defense Rankings?
Using our Defense+ metric, we break down each team to examine their performance this season. For the purposes of this week’s rankings, we’ll keep every team in the same order they finished the regular season. However, for the 14 teams that made the playoffs, we’ve added an extra line denoting their grade and rank to include games played through the Divisional Round.
PFN’s Defense Rankings combine statistics such as yards per play, points per drive, sack percentage, turnover percentage, success rate against the run and pass, third-down conversion rate, red-zone efficiency, pressure percentage when not blitzing, and various expected points added (EPA) measures against both the run and pass.
These are then weighted accordingly to produce our rankings for each season.
1) Denver Broncos
All stats referenced in this article are from TruMedia unless stated otherwise.
- Regular-Season Grade: 90.6 (A-)
- RS + Playoff Grade: 88.5 (B+, 1st)
The Denver Broncos finished the regular season as the only defense this season to crack the A-grade range.
However, the Broncos didn’t come close to that level in their Wild Card round loss to the Buffalo Bills. Denver’s 68.6 (D-) grade was the team’s second-worst in any game this season, ahead of only their 41-10 blowout loss to the Baltimore Ravens in Week 9.
Denver ended up ranking first in EPA per dropback and first in EPA per rush on defense but struggled to stop either side of Buffalo’s offense. The Broncos averaged their second-worst EPA per rush (-0.11) and third-worst EPA per dropback (-0.47). All that led to their worst success rate in 18 games this season (46%).
The Broncos enjoyed a welcome surprise season in 2024 after missing the playoffs eight straight seasons. Now that the drought is over, Denver can look to build a Super Bowl contender behind Bo Nix and this elite unit.
2) Philadelphia Eagles
- Regular-Season Grade: 87.9 (B+)
- RS + Playoff Grade: 88.2 (B+, 2nd)
With Jalen Hurts MIA for the second straight week, the Philadelphia Eagles held on against the Los Angeles Rams in the Divisional Round thanks to the disruptive playmaking of their defense.
Philly generated its fourth-highest sack rate in 2024 thanks to an uncharacteristically blitz-heavy game plan. The Eagles blitzed 22% of Matthew Stafford’s dropbacks, their fifth-highest rate all season. It worked spectacularly, as they generated two sacks and five pressures when blitzing the Rams, along with a 46% pressure rate.
There isn’t a single statistical flaw in Philadelphia’s defense, which ranks top 10 in every metric that encompasses the Defense+ grades (except for sack rate, where they’re 15th). That makes them favorites to win the NFC Championship Game, even with how spectacular Jayden Daniels has been as the presumptive Offensive Rookie of the Year.
3) Minnesota Vikings
- Regular-Season Grade: 83.5 (B)
- RS + Playoff Grade: 83.3 (B, 3rd)
The dam burst for the Minnesota Vikings over their last two games against the Detroit Lions and the Rams, respectively. While the defensive grade was better against the Rams than it was in Week 18, a 73.0 (C) grade still ranked as the team’s sixth-worst of the season.
Minnesota’s run defense was a strength, ranking fourth in defensive EPA per rush and fifth in success rate. However, in the last two games, the Vikings averaged just a 60% rushing success rate on defense, which would have ranked 19th (right ahead of the New England Patriots).
Despite the disappointing end, this ended up being a Super Bowl-caliber unit and one of the most improved from 2023. Brian Flores received plenty of criticism last year, with the defense struggling (23rd) and only showing slight improvement from the year before (27th). However, he restored his reputation in 2024 and could be a popular head coaching candidate again as a result.
4) Los Angeles Chargers
- Regular-Season Grade: 81.5 (B-)
- RS + Playoff Grade: 81.2 (B-, 5th)
The Los Angeles Chargers’ defense had a slightly below-average performance by their standards in the Wild Card loss to the Houston Texans (77.1, C+). Of course, the offense was far more culpable for the team’s exit, headlined by Justin Herbert’s four interceptions.
The Chargers mostly performed to their season averages against the Texans. The run defense was a little worse than usual (seventh-worst rushing success rate of the season), which was disappointing against a woeful Texans rushing offense. However, it was far from an inexcusable performance, particularly given that Los Angeles also forced three turnovers.
Jesse Minter’s unit ended up being one of the most improved in 2024. Purported defensive guru Brandon Staley never got this unit to rank higher than 24th during his three seasons. While the Chargers might not have been as great as their No. 1 scoring defense rank indicated, this was unquestionably an elite unit.
5) Detroit Lions
- Regular-Season Grade: 81.5 (B-)
- RS + Playoff Grade: 79.2 (B-, 10th)
After an extremely promising Week 18 showing vs. the Vikings that suggested the Lions might be able to overcome their litany of defensive injuries, a very cruel reality set in during the Divisional Round.
Detroit had no answers for the Washington Commanders in a crushing home loss, resulting in a 63.7 (D) grade that was the worst by any team during the Divisional Round.
Aaron Glenn’s unit leaned into an aggressive identity regardless of the available personnel, leaning on heavy man coverage and blitz tendencies. That backfired disastrously against Daniels, resulting in Detroit’s worst defensive EPA per dropback (-0.52) of the season.
Detroit’s defense sought to generate a handful of disruptive plays, betting that stealing a couple possessions would be enough to support its sensational offense. But none of that happened vs. Washington, as the Lions did not generate a single takeaway or sack while also recording its third-lowest non-blitz pressure rate (24%) this season.
For three months, the Lions were a top-five defense, even without All-Pro edge rusher Aidan Hutchinson after Week 6. That glimpse of potential provides some hope that 2025 will end better, but it also serves as a bitter reminder of what could have been this season.
6) Seattle Seahawks
- Regular-Season Grade: 81.0 (B-)
The Seattle Seahawks may not have the household names that define many elite units. However, Mike Macdonald’s team made a huge leap after ranking 29th in Pete Carroll’s final season.
Seattle’s best trait this season was its ability to generate pressure. The Seahawks generated pressure without blitzing at the third-highest rate of any defense (36.5%). Leonard Williams was one of the more egregious Pro Bowl snubs, as his 11 sacks ranked first among primary defensive tackles this year.
Seahawks fans will be disappointed that they missed the playoffs after a pair of late-season home losses to the Vikings and Green Bay Packers. Still, this unit improved more than anyone could have expected in Macdonald’s first season.
7) Houston Texans
- Regular-Season Grade: 81.2 (B-)
- RS + Playoff Grade: 82.8 (B-, 4th)
The Texans’ defense was the team’s backbone all season, particularly the pass rush.
Led by the tandem of Will Anderson Jr. and Danielle Hunter, Houston ended with the fourth-highest sack rate and second-best pass success rate of any defense this year. That strength allowed them to hang around against a superior Kansas City Chiefs team before the team’s many flaws were too much.
The Texans matched their pass-rushing performance against the Chargers in the Wild Card round, recording a 50% non-blitz pressure rate for the second straight game. Those two performances were the two highest non-blitz pressure rates for Houston all season.
However, the run defense let Houston down, as the Texans also averaged a season-worst -0.13 defensive EPA per rush. That’s a tough pill to swallow considering they had the fifth-best run defense by EPA per rush (0.12) during the regular season.
Houston entered the playoffs with the lowest Offense+ grade of any team, putting the burden on this unit to carry the team. The Texans’ playoff ceiling was capped as a result, but this unit had a terrific season that provides hope for 2025 if the offense can better support C.J. Stroud.
8) Baltimore Ravens
- Regular-Season Grade: 80.2 (B-)
- RS + Playoff Grade: 78.9 (C+, 11th)
All season, the Ravens were the NFL’s best run defense. Baltimore ranked first in yards per rush allowed (3.6) and second in rushing success rate (66%) during the regular season.
However, the Ravens were trampled by Buffalo’s ground game during their Divisional Round loss. That’s a tough reality to live in considering that Josh Allen only passed for 127 yards, but the Ravens’ biggest defensive strength ultimately couldn’t help overcome three turnovers and untimely drops on offense.
Baltimore averaged a 38.2% success rate and -0.19 EPA per rush allowed in run defense vs. Buffalo, both the worst marks all season for the Ravens. And while the pass defense largely did its job, it also didn’t generate many negative plays. The Ravens’ 4.3% sack rate was also their lowest all season.
Baltimore seemed like one of the most dangerous No. 3 seeds in recent memory, and perhaps one fewer mistake on offense would have resulted in a second straight AFC Championship Game against the Chiefs. Instead, the Ravens will have to stew on another excellent regular season that wasn’t enough to reach the Super Bowl.
9) Cleveland Browns
- Regular-Season Grade: 80.2 (B-)
The Cleveland Browns lost a little gas towards the end of the season but still finished as a top-10 unit. That’s a testament to this Myles Garrett-led pass rush, which carried the worst offense in football all season.
The Browns finished with a 40% pressure rate without blitzing, best in the NFL. That resulted in the ninth-best defense by pass success rate and the eighth-lowest third-down conversion rate allowed.
It was never going to be possible to repeat last season’s surprise playoff run with one of the worst offenses in recent memory. But armed with the No. 2 overall pick in the draft and the possibility of a franchise quarterback finally arriving to Cleveland, perhaps the Browns’ defense finally gets the support it deserves in 2025.
10) Green Bay Packers
- Regular-Season Grade: 79.5 (C+)
- RS + Playoff Grade: 79.8 (C+, 8th)
The Packers ended the season in the top 10, and the defense wasn’t the reason for the team’s playoff exit against the Eagles. Green Bay recorded an 81.4 (B-) grade in its season finale, the unit’s fourth-highest grade of the season.
The Packers stifled Hurts, recording their third-best passing success rate of the season (67%). However, while Saquon Barkley didn’t rip off enormous runs, the Packers also didn’t really stop him. Green Bay’s 55% rushing success rate was its second-worst of the season.
This unit’s reliance on turnovers led to some massive games, but it also had limitations against the best offenses. Six of the Packers’ seven losses came against the Eagles, Vikings, and Lions. Green Bay recorded a 13% turnover rate against those three elite teams, compared to an 18% rate against all others.
Improving from their 20th-place ranking in pass defense success rate in 2025 would lead to a more sustainable unit. If they can pair that with a step forward from the young offense, that would allow the Packers to truly contend with the NFC’s elite.
11) Miami Dolphins
- Regular-Season Grade: 79.3 (C+)
The Miami Dolphins finished just outside of the top 10, which is a slight improvement from their 13th-place ranking in 2023 and 17th in 2022.
The incremental progress is nice, but this is an aging defense with the likes of Jalen Ramsey and Calais Campbell serving as critical pieces in 2024.
To take a step forward next year, Miami’s biggest area of improvement will be the pass rush. A second-year leap from Chop Robinson, who came on in the second half of the season, would help. Still, the Dolphins ranked seventh in EPA per dropback despite recording the sixth-lowest sack rate.
Overall, this unit executed better situationally than on a down-to-down basis. That resulted in an above-average defense, albeit one that fell just short of carrying a disappointing offense into the playoffs.
12) Pittsburgh Steelers
- Regular-Season Grade: 78.7 (C+)
- RS + Playoff Grade: 76.7 (C+, 13th)
The Pittsburgh Steelers tumbled out of the top 10 after slumping against superior competition during their four-game losing streak in the regular season. From Week 15 through the Wild Card round, Pittsburgh ranked 30th in both pass defense success rate and EPA per dropback.
The season-long numbers still portray an elite pass defense, but some of the cracks that were there all along fully broke. In the Wild Card loss to the Ravens, a run defense that was roughly league average in the regular season got trampled. Pittsburgh recorded a season-worst 46% rushing success rate, also the worst by any defense in the Wild Card round.
While still a talented unit, longtime stalwarts T.J. Watt and Cameron Heyward are aging and can’t prop this unit up forever. Injuries in the secondary didn’t help down the stretch, but the Steelers need to support their veteran stars with better depth to return to a top-10 rank next season.
13) Chicago Bears
- Regular-Season Grade: 77.6 (C+)
The Chicago Bears defense is more talented than their final ranking would indicate. This unit was firmly in the top 10 for most of the season before cracking under the weight of supporting a volatile offense.
Chicago’s six worst Defense+ grades came over a six-week stretch from Weeks 11-16. Even so, Chicago ended the season with a bang, snapping the longest losing streak in the history of the Bears-Packers rivalry in Week 18.
For the season, Chicago finished with the third-best defensive EPA per dropback, behind only Denver and Green Bay. That’s fitting with one of the NFL’s elite secondaries, even with a pass rush that could use an infusion of talent.
If the long-cursed offense ever provides this unit some support, the Bears could be an interesting post-hype team entering 2025.
14) Kansas City Chiefs
- Regular-Season Grade: 75.5 (C)
- RS + Playoff Grade: 76.0 (C+, 14th)
The Chiefs were a top-10 defense entering Week 18 but saw their ranking tank after the backups flopped against the Broncos.
With the varsity team back for the Divisional Round, Kansas City demonstrated the type of disruptiveness this unit can generate at full strength. Steve Spagnuolo’s blitz-heavy game plan overwhelmed the Texans. The Chiefs generated pressure on 73.3% of their blitzes against Houston, the highest by any team to send 15+ blitzes in a game this season.
The only area of concern to emerge from the Divisional Round was the third-down defense. Excluding Week 18, Kansas City allowed its second-highest third-down conversion rate (58.8%) all season. The only higher rate they allowed was to their AFC Championship Game opponent, as the Bills converted 60% of their third downs in Week 11.
After some shaky weeks and midseason questions, the Chiefs appear to be peaking ahead of their eighth straight AFC title game. That’s a familiar story and could result in a familiar ending in February as well.
15) New York Jets
- Regular-Season Grade: 75.4 (C)
The New York Jets salvaged a disappointing season with a Week 18 upset over the Dolphins, sending Aaron Rodgers off in what could be his final game.
Still, the Jets regressed significantly after firing Robert Saleh, ending up at league average after ranking as a top-five unit each of the prior two seasons. Prior to the Week 18 victory, this unit had posted four of their five worst grades of the season from Weeks 14-17.
This was a frustrating downturn for a unit that Saleh and Jeff Ulbrich had built into a juggernaut together. The unit still has plenty of talent, however, and a new coaching staff should be able to bring this back into the top 10 in a less dysfunctional environment.
16) Tampa Bay Buccaneers
- Regular-Season Grade: 74.4 (C)
- RS + Playoff Grade: 74.3 (C, 16th)
A soft schedule helped the Tampa Bay Buccaneers’ pass defense improve after their Week 12 bye. From Weeks 13-18, the Bucs ranked third in EPA per play, first in third-down defense, and fourth in red-zone defense.
However, stiffer competition in the form of Daniels and the Commanders’ offense exposed the lack of depth in Tampa Bay’s secondary. The Buccaneers allowed their fourth-most points per drive (2.9) all season, failing to force a single turnover or punt against Washington.
The season-long numbers portrayed a bottom-10 pass defense. While the Bucs were likely a little better than that by season’s end, it still wasn’t enough to truly compete against a top-10 offense. Development from this young secondary is vital towards a better showing in 2025.
17) Washington Commanders
- Regular-Season Grade: 73.1 (C)
- RS + Playoff Grade: 71.4 (C-, 20th)
The Commanders were a below-average defense for most of the season, which their final ranking reflects. Ultimately, Washington’s performance was largely fairly consistent based on their level of competition.
The Commanders had five weekly top-10 finishes in the regular season. Those performances have come against the Browns, Panthers, Bears, Titans, and the Kenny Pickett-led Eagles. Setting Philadelphia aside, the other four all rank in the bottom 10 of PFN’s Offense+ metric.
While Washington forced five turnovers in their Divisional Round upset over the Lions, they still only generated a 70.7 (C-) grade. The Commanders actually allowed a season-worst 7.7 yards per play, as the Lions moved the ball at will when they weren’t throwing it away.
Still, Dan Quinn’s unit deserves credit for causing some of those errors from Detroit’s offense. Washington generated its fourth-highest non-blitz pressure rate of the season (43.2%), well above its regular-season rate of 33.6%. Three of Jared Goff’s four turnovers came when pressured, illustrating the impact the pass rush had on the outcome.
The Commanders will face another difficult test in the NFC Championship Game against the Eagles’ ground game, though Philadelphia’s passing game struggles could make that a more palatable matchup. If this unit can continue to generate a couple splash plays, Daniels and the offense could do the rest.
18) Buffalo Bills
- Regular-Season Grade: 72.8 (C-)
- RS + Playoff Grade: 73.7 (C, 18th)
After finishing as a top-seven defense in each of the last three seasons, the Bills finished 18th during the regular season. That’s not the biggest surprise given that this was largely billed as a rebuilding season for this unit.
Buffalo was a boom-or-bust defense in the Divisional Round vs. Baltimore, and there were just enough highs to escape with the win. In addition to the three takeaways, the Bills also generated their second-highest non-blitz pressure rate (42.9%) this season. The only higher rate was in the Wild Card win over the Broncos (50%).
This wasn’t a particularly efficient defensive performance, as reflected in the final Defense+ grade of 69.9 (D+). Despite some run stuffs, the Bills had their worst rushing defense success rate all season (44%) and were fortunate the game script didn’t allow the Ravens to lean more heavily on their run game.
Still, the Bills’ offense is operating at such a high level that the bar to clear for the defense is lower than it would be on nearly any other team. Buffalo met that threshold with a few big plays against the Ravens. Those could be tougher to generate against a Chiefs offense that has gone eight straight games without a turnover, but it may be all the Bills need to finally conquer Kansas City.
19) New Orleans Saints
- Regular-Season Grade: 71.5 (C-)
Although the New Orleans Saints had an ugly season overall before Dennis Allen’s firing, the defense stood out as an issue. Allen was the former DC under Sean Payton, and when his defense ranked well below its sixth-place finish from last year (and 13th in 2022), the writing was on the wall.
The Saints battled bravely amid a string of injuries but ultimately ended with their worst Defense+ season ranking since the metric began in 2019.
Run defense let the Saints down this season. New Orleans finished 30th in both EPA per rush and success rate. They remained in the top 20 overall thanks to a top-12 pass defense by success rate and EPA per play, despite their starting outside cornerbacks being gone since midseason due to trade (Lattimore) or season-ending injury (Paulson Adebo).
Ultimately, the abysmal run defense places a pretty firm cap on New Orleans’ defensive ceiling moving forward, marking one of many roster areas for the Saints to address.
20) New York Giants
- Regular-Season Grade: 71.3 (C-)
The New York Giants ranked in the top half of Defense+ for much of the season but ended up 20th after a late-season swoon.
For the season, the Giants were not an above-average unit at anything except sack rate and red-zone defense. New York led the league in sack rate for most of the year and finished third. However, the lack of depth in that department came through after Dexter Lawrence’s season-ending injury on Thanksgiving. After that point, the Giants were 23rd in sack rate.
New York’s defense ended in the same neighborhood as last year’s unit that finished 25th and behind the pace of the 2022 team that ranked 18th. That’s a disappointing outcome and could result in defensive coordinator Shane Bowen being a sacrificial lamb, with Brian Daboll staying on as head coach.
21) Las Vegas Raiders
- Regular-Season Grade: 70.9 (C-)
For the second straight season, the Las Vegas Raiders enjoyed a second-half surge on defense. That came despite Maxx Crosby going down for the season and Christian Wilkins playing only five games all year, robbing Antonio Pierce of his two most notable defenders.
Still, it’s interesting that Las Vegas’ defense has shown notable improvement down the stretch again, even without particularly inspiring personnel.
Regardless of their next coach, the Raiders’ biggest priority will be creating more splash plays. Las Vegas ranked 29th in turnover rate and 25th in pressure rate without blitzing. Adding more explosive talent to the defense is a must, even with the need to invest resources to support a potential first-round quarterback on offense.
22) Tennessee Titans
- Regular-Season Grade: 70.2 (C-)
Similar to the Bears, the Tennessee Titans’ defense was a talented unit that finally cracked under the strain of supporting a non-functional offense.
The pass defense’s season-long numbers don’t do this unit justice. Tennessee ranked 10th in EPA per dropback from Weeks 1-9 but finished 29th from Weeks 10-18. Only the Bills, Jets, and Giants had worse pass defenses over that stretch.
Tennessee’s defense wasn’t bad for most of the year, and it helped the team steal a couple of wins (albeit not enough to lose the No. 1 overall pick). Still, the overall results are below average, and the unit has plenty of room to improve next season.
23) Indianapolis Colts
- Regular-Season Grade: 69.9 (D+)
The Indianapolis Colts’ season will be defined by their Week 17 faceplant against the Giants. While this defense was never as bad as the 45-point disaster that eliminated them from playoff contention, this 23rd-place ranking was an accurate reflection of their overall level.
Indianapolis’ defense has seen little improvement over the last three seasons since Shane Steichen became head coach and was actually worse this year than over the last two combined. As a result, it wasn’t a huge surprise to see Gus Bradley fired after three seasons with this unit in need of a shake-up.
Even with investments along the defensive line over the years, the Colts finished 30th in pressure rate without blitzing and 30th in third-down defense. Becoming more disruptive on money downs will be this unit’s easiest path toward improvement in 2025.
24) Los Angeles Rams
- Regular-Season Grade: 69.9 (D+)
- RS + Playoff Grade: 74.0 (C, 17th)
The Rams’ defense finished in the bottom 10, but this ranking doesn’t really reflect the team’s week-to-week variance. If you include playoffs, LA would have surged up seven spots to 17th, as the young unit finished its season in spectacular style.
The Rams followed up their 88.5 (B+) Defense+ grade in the Wild Card win with an 82.1 (B-) in the Divisional loss to the Eagles. While it wasn’t enough to advance, it wasn’t the highest grade for any defense in the Divisional Round.
Los Angeles generated 16 sacks this postseason, the most in a two-game span in NFL playoff history. This came out of nowhere for a team that had 38 sacks in the regular season, which tied for 21st. The Rams had an absurd 54.5% non-blitz pressure rate this postseason, the highest in a single playoffs since PFF began tracking pressures in 2019.
Los Angeles had four top-10 finishes in the regular season, yet it was also one of three defenses with multiple F grades (Bengals and Panthers). Overall, the Rams graded as a below-average defense in nearly every category that comprises our defensive rankings.
However, the postseason showed how exciting this team could be if the defense plays closer to its peak potential more frequently. With the pass-rushing trio of Jared Verse, Kobie Turner, and Byron Young all on rookie contracts, the Rams are a defense that could quickly ascend in 2025.
25) Dallas Cowboys
- Regular-Season Grade: 69.5 (D+)
After a string of positive performances, the Dallas Cowboys’ defense cratered to end the season. Injuries, particularly in the secondary, took their toll on a team playing out the string.
Dallas had at least one weak link at cornerback most of the season, with Trevon Diggs and DaRon Bland playing just one game together all year (Week 14).
As a result, Dallas fell from eighth in EPA per dropback last season to 16th this season. Coupled with the second-worst run defense by EPA per rush, that explains the Cowboys’ descent into the bottom 10 defenses.
The unit ranked nowhere near the heights of the Dan Quinn era. Having been a top-five unit for each of the last three years, falling down to the bottom 10 is a massive drop-off and shows the value Quinn brought to the franchise.
26) San Francisco 49ers
- Regular-Season Grade: 68.5 (D+)
For all the attention the injuries on offense got this year, the decline of the San Francisco 49ers’ defense was a huge concern as well. Having been a top-10 unit each year between 2019 and 2023, San Francisco slipped to its worst season-long ranking since the Defense+ metric began.
Run defense was a huge weakness this year. The Niners 28th in EPA per rush and 25th in rushing success rate. Unlike past years, they couldn’t prop that up with an effective pass defense, where they ranked 25th in success rate.
Looking ahead, cornerback Charvarius Ward and linebacker Dre Greenlaw stand out as the top free agents on this unit. Losing Ward, in particular, would be a tough blow given the lack of depth at corner, as that’s an area the Niners will need to address to return to contention.
27) Arizona Cardinals
- Regular-Season Grade: 67.6 (D+)
For all the questions about whether Kyler Murray is the Arizona Cardinals’ quarterback of the future, the biggest questions reside on defense.
Arizona finished with the worst pass success rate of any defense. They weren’t much better against the run, ranking 28th in success rate. That’s a far bigger reason why the Cardinals stumbled after their 6-4 start, as adding talent to the pass rush is a big offseason priority.
The Cardinals took a step forward in 2024, but the end will feel like a disappointment after Arizona was the clear midseason favorite to claim the NFC West. The lack of defensive talent beyond Budda Baker was a well-known roster flaw entering the season and one that will need a serious commitment of offseason resources to fix for 2025.
28) Cincinnati Bengals
- Regular-Season Grade: 66.9 (D)
The Cincinnati Bengals’ defense didn’t have much to hang its hat on besides Trey Hendrickson. The veteran edge rusher became the first player in franchise history to lead the NFL in sacks while also becoming the first over-30 player to do so since Robert Mathis in 2013.
Nevertheless, that wasn’t enough to keep this defense out of the bottom five. The unit was the main culprit for the 9-8 Bengals missing the playoffs and wasting a historic season from Joe Burrow and the offense.
Cincinnati was a below-average defense by every metric that comprises Defense+ except for turnover rate (10th), which is a notoriously fickle year-to-year stat.
This defense needs a hard reset when the offseason arrives. The Bengals began that process by firing longtime defensive coordinator Lou Anarumo on Black Monday, but that can only be the first of many steps back toward competence.
29) Atlanta Falcons
- Regular-Season Grade: 65.5 (D)
This unit fooled some people with an uncharacteristic late-season surge against weaker competition. From Weeks 13-17, the Atlanta Falcons had the highest sack rate in the NFL (11.2%), exploiting the likes of the Giants and Raiders.
However, the unit’s true form exposed itself in a season-ending loss to the Carolina Panthers. The Falcons would have been eliminated regardless, thanks to the Buccaneers’ win, but getting shredded by Bryce Young on their home turf was a fitting way for Atlanta’s defense to end its season.
Beyond the evergreen pass-rush problems, Atlanta was also a poor situational defense. The Falcons ranked 28th in red-zone defense and 31st in third-down defense. Raheem Morris will get a second season to fix those issues, but another poor year could have him on the hot seat with Atlanta’s playoff drought now at seven seasons.
30) New England Patriots
- Regular-Season Grade: 64.1 (D)
Of all the reasons for Jerod Mayo becoming the latest one-and-done head coach, the defense’s decline was arguably the largest. After being a top-10 defense in each of the last three years, the Patriots plummeted to the bottom three in 2024.
New England needed a solid defense to support its rebuilding offense, and that wasn’t close to the case. Overall, the Patriots ranked 20th or worse in 11 out of 17 games this year. Apart from the Week 10 outlier against the Bears, New England didn’t record a single-game grade higher than a C+ all season.
The franchise’s biggest offseason priority will be ensuring that Drake Maye is properly supported to facilitate his development. That could lead to the defense being somewhat neglected in terms of offseason resources, potentially leading to another tough year in 2025.
31) Jacksonville Jaguars
- Regular-Season Grade: 62.6 (D-)
The Jacksonville Jaguars improved slightly to end the season, but that wasn’t enough to save Doug Pederson’s job. By midseason, this became one of the most obvious candidates for a head coaching change.
Still, some of the talent that led to preseason playoff expectations are still evident. After the 52-6 disaster against Detroit, the Jaguars ranked ninth in pass defense success rate the rest of the way. They were 31st in that category from Weeks 1-11, ahead of only Tampa Bay.
Still, the Jaguars didn’t rank above average in a single metric that goes into Defense+ for the season. That could result in defensive coordinator Ryan Nielsen losing his job as well once the new coaching staff arrives.
32) Carolina Panthers
- Regular-Season Grade: 53.5 (F)
We’ve discussed many advanced metrics throughout this piece, but sometimes, the simplest ones will do. The 2024 Panthers will go down as the most ignominious defense of all time by points allowed, breaking the record long held by the 1981 Baltimore Colts.
Even if you want to discount that record because of the extra game, Carolina’s 31.4 points per game allowed ranks sixth-worst all-time. Their final Defense+ grade of 53.5 is the second-worst in the metric’s history, ahead of only the 2020 Lions (51.2).
We stated that the Jaguars had nowhere to go but up, but that’s actually more true of the Panthers’ defense. For all the promise Young and the offense showed to end the year, it won’t mean a thing in 2025 without drastic improvement from this unit.
