Who has the best NFL defense in 2023? Our weekly NFL defense rankings examine every unit across the league on a weekly basis to determine the best defenses in the NFL. You can also check out our NFL offense rankings.
Let’s examine our latest NFL defense rankings, reviewing how teams performed in Week 14 and providing an early preview for Week 15.
Related: Week 15 fantasy rankings
2023 NFL defense rankings: Worst defenses in NFL
32. Washington Commanders
- Previously: 32nd in NFL defense rankings
The Washington Commanders have the worst defense in the NFL. Coming out of the bye, Ron Rivera’s defense has allowed a 116.3 QB rating, 8.5 yards per attempt and an 18-1 TD-INT line in the last seven games. With Matthew Stafford and Co. hosting the Commanders’ defense, expect Los Angeles to put on a show.
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31. Arizona Cardinals
- Previously: 29th in NFL defense rankings
Jonathan Gannon has done an admirable job with the Arizona Cardinals’ defense, but there’s only so much that can be achieved with a bare-bones roster. From Weeks 4-13, opposing quarterbacks completed 71.8 percent of their passes with a 106.5 QB rating against Arizona. Plus teams average 140 rushing yards per game. Brandon Aiyuk, Brock Purdy, Deebo Samuel and Christian McCaffrey will feast in Week 15.
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30. Tennessee Titans
- Previously: 30th in NFL defense rankings
We have to give Tennessee’s defense for stepping up in a huge win over the Miami Dolphins Monday night. Sure, Miami was able to put up nearly 400 total yards of offense. But it wasn’t the dominating performance we’ve seen from this unit. That included Tennessee getting to Tua Tagovailoa for five sacks.
29. Los Angeles Chargers
- Previously: 28th in NFL defense rankings
Days after proclaiming the Los Angeles Chargers no longer had one of the worst NFL defenses, Brandon Staley reminded us why this team was labeled that in the first place. Even against Aidan O’Connell and a Raiders’ offense without Josh Jacobs, Los Angeles surrendered 6 yards per play, 9-of-16 third-down attempts and Las Vegas went 3-for-3 inside the red zone. The bottom line is the Chargers need a new head coach.
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28. Cincinnati Bengals
- Previously: 31st in NFL defense rankings
Not exactly the kind of performance Cincinnati Bengals defensive coordinator Lou Anarumo wanted to see from this unit. Even without Kirk Cousins and Alexander Mattison, the Minnesota Vikings offense racked up 424 total yards on Saturday, averaging 6.3 yards per play. Cincinnati did record some timely stops, holding Minnesota to 5-of-12 on third-down attempts, sacking Nick Mullens three times and recording a pair of takeaways. However, this was a net negative performance by Cincinnati’s defense. Cincinnati matches up very well against the Pittsburgh Steelers in Week 16, but this is not a defense we’d trust in the playoffs.
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27. Detroit Lions
- Previously: 26th in NFL defense rankings
Entering Week 14, the Detroit Lions defense was responsible for opponents averaging a 110.5 QB rating, 247.8 passing yards per game and 125 rushing yards per game with 14 touchdowns allowed in the last four weeks. On Sunday, Justin Fields hung 223 passing yards on Detroit’s secondary, while the Chicago Bears offense ran for 142 yards and a pair of touchdowns. At this point, the inescapable truth right now is that the Lions have one of the worst defenses in the NFL.
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26. Tampa Bay Buccaneers
- Previously: 25th in NFL defense rankings
If you’re allowing Desmond Ridder to eviscerate your defense for 347 passing yards and can’t contain Drake London (10-172), that speaks volumes about your defense. Todd Bowles really hasn’t gotten anything out of this secondary in the second half of the season and it nearly cost them again on Sunday. Buckle up for Week 15, because Jordan Love could have some fun.
25. Seattle Seahawks
- Previously: 21st in NFL defense rankings
The Seattle Seahawks defense has evaporated. Once performing at a top-10 level, Seattle allowed its opponents to average a 99.2 QB rating with 234.6 passing yards per game and 150.6 rushing yards per game since the start of November. Needless to say, Kyle Shanahan and the San Francisco 40ers took full advantage with one explosive play after another. It’ll only get worse with the Eagles’ offense awaiting in Week 15.
24. New York Giants
- Previously: 27th in NFL defense rankings
Don “Wink” Martindale is getting more out of this New York Giants defense lately. In the last three games, opponents have posted a 2-8 TD-INT ratio, averaged just 189.7 passing yards per game and posted a 58.7 QB rating. While teams are still running at will on New York, averaging over 120 rushing yards per game and 4.2 ypc since Week 9, the Giants’ pass defense is improving. Look for it to hold up well against Derek Carr in Week 15, although Chris Olave will cause some problems and Alvin Kamara can be effective on the ground.
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23. Los Angeles Rams
- Previously: 24th in NFL defense rankings
Far too many coverage busts from the Los Angeles Rams secondary on Sunday. Both Odell Beckham Jr. and Isaiah Likely were left wide open for huge touchdowns and the Baltimore Ravens’ passing attack even left a few more deep shots on the field. While Sam Howell will take some deep shots next weekend against Los Angeles, we have a lot more confidence in the Rams’ defensive line creating pressuring and forcing mistakes.
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22. Carolina Panthers
- Previously: 23rd in NFL defense rankings
This felt all too familiar. The Carolina Panthers defense dominated the first three quarters, allowing just one touchdown and holding the New Orleans Saints under 180 total yards. Then, thanks to the Panthers’ offense repeatedly turning it over on downs, the Saints punched in two more late touchdowns. Holding an opponent to a 30 percent third-down conversion rate and 4 yards per play is great, but the effectiveness of your defense really fades when your offense keeps giving the opponent possession in favorable territory.
Related: Carolina Panthers coaching candidates
21. Las Vegas Raiders
- Previously: 22nd in NFL defense rankings
All things considered, this was a somewhat disappointing performance from the Las Vegas Raiders defense. We recognize they delivered a pair of defensive touchdowns, nearly scoring as many touchdowns (two) as the Chargers’ offense (three). However, Las Vegas also surrendered 257 passing yards and 3 touchdowns to Easton Stick, with Joshua Palmer burning the Raiders’ secondary. Still, Las Vegas has played well enough defensively over the past month-plus to avoid sliding down in our NFL defense rankings.
NFL defense rankings: Top 20 NFL defenses
20. Philadelphia Eagles
- Previously: 16th in NFL defense rankings
We already dropped the Philadelphia Eagles before Sunday’s game, so there isn’t another slide coming for now. With that said, Week 14 represented the seventh time this season that Philadelphia allowed 270-plus passing yards and it could’ve been their seventh 300-yard game allowed if Dallas didn’t take its foot off the break. We’re also alarmed by this run defense.
After holding opponents to just 62.9 rushing yards per game with a 3.6 yards per carry average and 3 rushing touchdowns in the first seven weeks, opponents are now averaging over 4.5 yards per carry and 130 rush ypg on the Eagles. Matchups against Dak Prescott, Josh Allen and Brock Purdy demonstrate what’s going to happen to this Eagles’ secondary in the playoffs.
19. Houston Texans
- Previously: 15th in NFL defense rankings
A lack of talent is the biggest problem right now. Will Anderson Jr. still looks like a perennial Pro Bowl edge rusher, but the lack of a pass rush outside of the rookie was glaring on Sunday. Unable to take down Zach Wilson for sacks, it allowed the Jets’ quarterback to find every hole in the Houston Texans’ soft zone coverage.
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18. Atlanta Falcons
- Previously: 19th in NFL defense rankings
We can’t entirely blame the Atlanta Falcons defense for that late-game collapse, considering numerous starters weren’t even on the field in Week 15. Still, Rachaad White and Chase Edmonds combined for 142 yards on Sunday, doing whatever they wanted against the Falcons’ run defense. Fortunately, the Falcons D/ST gets a fantastic bounce-back matchup against the lifeless Panthers’ offense next weekend.
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17. Buffalo Bills
- Previously: 14th in NFL defense rankings
Much like the Eagles game, the Buffalo Bills defense looked sharp for approximately the first 28 minutes of the game. Then, Patrick Mahomes started finding Travis Kelce and Rashee Rice in soft spots to attack downfield. You can’t even claim that holding Kansas City under 24 points is an accomplishment given how poorly this unit has been executing for months now. Expect the Dallas Cowboys to have far more success against the Bills’ defense in Week 15.
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16. Indianapolis Colts
- Previously: 18th in NFL defense rankings
Mitch Trubisky just made it too easy for the Indianapolis Colts defense. A unit that is dependent on takeaways was gifted two by the Steelers’ backup quarterback, which proved critical on Saturday. Indianapolis also really showed up against the run, holding Najee Harris and Jaylen Warren to 60 yards on 20 carries. While this Colts’ defense isn’t great by any means, the system and personnel can hold the Atlanta Falcons under 24 points in Week 16.
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15. Chicago Bears
- Previously: 20th in NFL defense rankings
Don’t look now but the Chicago Bears defense is becoming good. Even before taking the field on Sunday, Chicago held its opponents to 206.3 pass ypg with an 11-10 TD-INT line and an 80.3 QB rating. On top of that, the opposition averaged just 3.2 yards per carry. While Detroit had unexpected success on the ground (24-140-1), Jared Goff finished with just 127 net passing yards, two picks and four sacks. The Bears D/ST is a sneaky top-14 option in Week 15 against the Cleveland Browns.
14. Green Bay Packers
- Previously: 12th in NFL defense rankings
Even without Jaire Alexander, most figured Monday Night Football would provide the Green Bay Packers with a wonderful shot to continue their defensive excellence. That was not the case. Instead, this unit allowed Tommy DeVito to complete 17-of-21 passes. New York also put up 209 rushing yards in the stunning late-game win.
13. Denver Broncos
- Previously: 13th in NFL defense rankings
Even before Justin Herbert left the game with an injury, the Denver Broncos defense sacked the Pro Bowl quarterback four times with an interception and just 5.6 yards per attempt allowed. It perfectly aligns with a unit that held teams to a 76.0 QB rating with a 6-8 TD-INT line and 203 pass ypg from Weeks 5-12. Don’t be surprised if the Broncos give the Lions some fits in Week 15.
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12. Jacksonville Jaguars
- Previously: 10th in NFL defense rankings
A top-10 defense for a majority of the season, the Jacksonville Jaguars defense has now pulled a disappearing act. A week after surrendering 335 passing yards and an 84.6 percent completion rate to Jake Browning, Jacksonville let Joe Flacco come in off the street and throw three touchdowns. Lamar Jackson, Zay Flowers and Odell Beckham Jr. can do work against this defense.
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11. Pittsburgh Steelers
- Previously: 10th in NFL defense rankings
Entering Saturday night, the Pittsburgh Steelers defense held its last four opponents to 88 rushing yards per game and 3.4 yards per carry, while surrendering just 178.5 passing yards per game. Even without multiple starters, Shane Steichen decided to take it right to the Steelers’ defense. Third-string Colts’ running back Trey Sermon and fourth-string back Tyler Goodson combined for over 140 rushing yards, which set up Gardner Minshew for 3 passing touchdowns. If the Steelers can’t field a top-10 defense, they won’t make the playoffs. Unfortunately for Pittsburgh, it should be underdogs in its final three games (Bengals, Seahawks, Ravens).
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NFL defense rankings: Best NFL defenses in 2023
10. New England Patriots
- Previously: 17th in NFL defense rankings
Say what you want about the New England Patriots as a whole, but Bill Belichick is doing miracle work with this defense. New England hasn’t had some of its best defensive weapons, including Matthew Judon, for the majority of the season and it hasn’t mattered. Even with a rotation of players in the secondary and a Patriots’ offense that can’t sustain drives or protect the football, New England is thriving defensively.
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From Weeks 10-14, the Patriots’ defense held opponents to a 79.0 QB rating and 187.5 pass ypg. Not only that, But New England is also shutting things down on the ground with just 59.8 rush ypg and 2.5 yards per carry allowed since Week 10. At the very least, this season proved Belichick’s defensive mind is as sharp as ever.
9. New Orleans Saints
- Previously: 9th in NFL defense rankings
We’re focusing on the negative with the New Orleans Saints defense. After allowing the Carolina Panthers running backs to rush for 161 yards, the Saints have now allod 110-plus rushing yards in eight consecutive games, with four of those opponents eclipsing 150 rushing yards. In Week 15, this matchup is a recipe for a fantasy explosion from Saquon Barkley.
8. Minnesota Vikings
- Previously: 8th in NFL defense rankings
Not the kind of performance we were hoping to see from the Minnesota Vikings defense in Week 15. Cincinnati averaged 5.5 yards per play and converted on 46.2 percent of its third-down attempts, which played a huge part in that 21-point fourth quarter. Considering Brian Flores’ defense had held its last eight opponents to a 76.9 QB rating, 204.8 pass ypg and 87 rush ypg, we’re willing to give this unit some leeway after this letdown performance. Up next, a Week 16 matchup against a Lions’ offense that can really struggle when Jared Goff gets pressured. As they say, styles make fights and we’re excited to see Flores’ blitz-heavy scheme take on Goff.
7. Kansas City Chiefs
- Previously: 6th in NFL defense rankings
Regression is hitting the Kansas City Chiefs’ defense hard. Buffalo became the seventh opponent to average over 4.5 yards per carry with 100-plus rushing yards against Kansas City. While the Chiefs did an excellent job putting the clamps on Stefon Diggs and limiting Josh Allen, we’ve seen more than enough from this unit to now believe Kansas City’s defense can’t carry this offense to playoff wins. On the bright side, the Chiefs D/ST should look great against Bailey Zappe.
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6. Miami Dolphins
- Previously: 8th in NFL defense rankings 23-of-38 passes for 327 yards with a touchdown in Miami’s shocking home loss to the Tennessee Titans on Monday night. This is not what we had envisioned for Vic Fangio’s squad heading in. That’s for sure.
Ouch. Miami’s defense allowed Will Levis to complete
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5. New York Jets
- Previously: 5th in NFL defense rankings
Robert Saleh’s defense delivered. While it’s worth recognizing that Houston essentially played this one without its top three offensive weapons, New York dominated at the line of scrimmage. The best thing about this performance is that a win and the spark from Zach Wilson inject more life into this Jets’ defense. All of that means a matchup against the best offense in the NFL (Miami) becomes a more entertaining matchup.
4. San Francisco 49ers
- Previously: 3rd in NFL defense rankings
After allowing a 75-yard touchdown drive to the Seahawks’ offense to open the game, the San Francisco 49ers defense locked things down. Yes, Steve Wilks’ group benefitted from playing against Drew Lock. With that said, holding an offense with DK Metcalf, Tyler Lockett, Kenneth Walker III and Jaxson Smith-Njigba to 259 total yards on its 11 final drives is impressive work by San Francisco’s defense.
3. Baltimore Ravens
- Previously: 2nd in NFL defense rankings
Definitely not the prettiest performance from the Baltimore Ravens defensively. Although, it might be time to recognize that the Rams’ offense is top-10 in the NFL. Only sacking Matt Stafford twice on 40-plus dropbacks is concerning and Kyren Williams had all kinds of room to run with Los Angeles winning the battle at the line of scrimmage. It’s evident this isn’t a historically-dominant defense, but it remains an elite unit.
2. Dallas Cowboys
- Previously: 5th in NFL defense rankings
That’s what we’ve been waiting to see from this Dallas Cowboys defense. Under the bright lights on Sunday Night Football, Micah Parsons bullied Lane Johnson into a sack and that was just one of the many highlights from this unit in Week 14. Dallas held Jalen Hurts under 190 net passing yards and this entire defense stood out with its nose for the football, wiping out potential third-down attempts.
If Stephon Gilmore can maintain this level of play come January, Dallas has more than enough firepower to win the Super Bowl. We expect Josh Allen to give Dallas a little trouble in Week 15, but Gilmore can shadow Diggs and that’ll make containing this offense much easier.
1. Cleveland Browns
- Previously: 1st in NFL defense rankings
Evan Engram (11-95-2) was the only player the Cleveland Browns defense didn’t have an answer for. While Trevor Lawrence threw three touchdowns, it came on 50 attempts with four sacks and three picks. Meanwhile, Travis Etienne. averaged just 2.5 yards per carry. Performances like this just solidify the Browns’ title as the best defense in the NFL.
Week 15 fantasy defense rankings
Here’s our Week 15 fantasy D/ST rankings.
- San Francisco 49ers D/ST vs Arizona Cardinals
- Minnesota Vikings D/ST vs Cincinnati Bengals
- Cleveland Browns D/ST vs Chicago Bears
- Miami Dolphins D/ST vs New York Jets
- New Orleans Saints D/ST vs New York Giants
- Kansas City Chiefs D/ST vs New England Patriots
- Baltimore Ravens D/ST vs Jacksonville Jaguars
- Green Bay Packers D/ST vs Tampa Bay Buccaneers
- Atlanta Falcons D/ST vs Carolina Panthers
- Houston Texans D/ST vs Tennessee Titans
- New England Patriots D/ST vs Kansas City Chiefs
- Los Angeles Rams D/ST vs Washington Commanders
- Pittsburgh Steelers D/ST vs Indianapolis Colts
- Dallas Cowboys D/ST vs Buffalo Bills
- Chicago Bears D/ST vs Cleveland Browns
NFL defense stats 2023
NFL defense rankings FAQ
What is the best defense in the NFL?
The Cleveland Browns have the best defense in the NFL right now.
What are the top 10 defenses in the NFL?
- New Orleans Saints
- Pittsburgh Steelers
- Minnesota Vikings
- Kansas City Chiefs
- Miami Dolphins
- Dallas Cowboys
- New York Jets
- San Francisco 49ers
- Baltimore Ravens
- Cleveland Browns
What NFL defense is best for fantasy?
NFL defenses that generate a lot of takeaways and sacks, including the New York Jets, San Francisco 49ers, Dallas Cowboys, Baltimore Ravens and Cleveland Browns are great defenses for fantasy.
What is the NFL defense rankings?
Sportsnaut’s NFL defense rankings evaluate and rank all 32 NFL defenses each week, reviewing their performances and projecting how they’ll perform in their upcoming game based on matchups and NFL defense stats.
What NFL defense is best for fantasy?
NFL defenses that generate a lot of takeaways and sacks, including the New York Jets, San Francisco 49ers, Dallas Cowboys and Cleveland Browns are great defenses for fantasy.
What team has the most sacks 2023?
The Baltimore Ravens lead the NFL in sacks with 47 through 12 games. The Ravens and Buffalo Bills are the only two NFL teams with 40-plus sacks this season entering December.
Who is the number 1 defense in NFL?
The Cleveland Browns have the No. 1 defense in the NFL through the first 12 weeks of the 2023 season.
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Who has the best defense in NFL history?
The 1985 Chicago Bears had the best NFL defense ever. Led by three Hall of Famers – Mike Singletary, Richard Dent and Dan Hampton – Chicago allowed just 101 total points on its way to winning Super Bowl XX, including an NFL record two shutouts in the playoffs. In addition, the 1985 Bears’ defense held opponents to a 50.2 passer rating with a 46.5 percent completion rate and 17-37 TD-INT ratio in 19 total games and opponents averaged just 76 rushing yards per game and 3.4 yards per carry across 19 contests in the regular season and playoffs.
Who has the weakest pass defense in the NFL?
The Washington Commanders have the worst pass defense in the NFL, allowing a league-high 104.0 QB rating, 28 passing touchdowns and 7.9 yards per attempt.
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What is the best NFL pass defense?
The Cleveland Browns have the best pass defense in the NFL, holding opponents to a 73.2 QB rating with just 142 passing yards per game allowed through 11 games.
What’s the top 5 defenses in the NFL?
The top 5 NFL defenses are the Cleveland Browns, Baltimore Ravens, Dallas Cowboys, San Francisco 49ers and Kansas City Chiefs.
Who gives up the most passing yards in the NFL?
The Los Angeles Chargers give up the most passing yards in the NFL, allowing 280 passing yards per game. Entering Week 13, the Chargers are the only NFL team to allow 3,000 passing yards in 11 games.
What teams have the best defense in the NFL?
The Cleveland Browns, Baltimore Ravens, Kansas City Chiefs, San Francisco 49ers, Pittsburgh Steelers and Dallas Cowboys have the best defenses in the NFL based on our 2023 NFL defense rankings.
Who has the best run defense in the NFL?
The Chicago Bears have the best run defense in the NFL, allowing a league-low 79.5 rushing yards per game and the second-lowest yards per carry (3.4) in the NFL.
Who has the worst defense in the NFL 2023?
The Washington Commanders have the worst NFL defense right now.
What defense allows most rushing yards?
Entering Week 13, the Denver Broncos have the worst run defense in the NFL allowing 155..2 rushing yards per game and a league-high 5.4 yards per carry.
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What team has the most sacks in a season?
The Chicago Bears set the NFL record for most sacks in a season with 72 sacks in 16 games in 1984. Most recently, the 2022 Philadelphia Eagles became just the fourth team in NFL history to record 70 sacks in a single season.
NFL sack leaders 2022
- Joey Bosa, San Francisco 49ers – 18.5 sacks
- Haason Reddick, Philadelphia Eagles – 16 sacks
- Myles Garrett, Cleveland Browns – 16 sacks
- Chris Jones, Kansas City Chiefs – 15.5 sacks
- Matthew Judon, New England Patriots – 15.5 sacks
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NFL sack leaders by year
- 2022: Joey Bosa, San Francisco 49ers – 18.5 sacks
- 2021: T.J. Watt, Pittsburgh Steelers – 22.5 sacks
- 2020: T.J. Watt, Pittsburgh Steelers – 15 sacks
- 2019: Shaquil Barrett, Tampa Bay Buccaneers – 19.5 sacks
- 2018: Aaron Donald, Los Angeles Rams – 20.5 sacks
