Philadelphia Eagles

NFL defense rankings 2024: Best and worst NFL defenses, Eagles at No. 1

Posted on by Tony

Who has the best NFL defense in 2024? Our weekly NFL defense rankings examine every unit across the league every week to determine the best defenses in the NFL.

Let’s dive into our NFL defense rankings following Week 14. Note: Our NFL defense rankings are season-long, but you can find our Week 15 fantasy defense rankings below followed by our analysis of all 32 defenses.

Week 15 fantasy defense rankings

  1. Arizona Cardinals D/ST vs New England Patriots
  2. Denver Broncos D/ST vs Indianapolis Colts
  3. Minnesota Vikings D/ST vs Chicago Bears
  4. Baltimore Ravens D/ST vs New York Giants
  5. Dallas Cowboys D/ST vs Carolina Panthers
  6. Miami Dolphins D/ST vs Houston Texans
  7. Philadelphia Eagles D/ST vs Pittsburgh Steelers
  8. Green Bay Packers D/ST vs Seattle Seahawks
  9. Houston Texans D/ST vs Miami Dolphins
  10. Los Angeles Rams D/ST vs San Francisco 49ers
  11. Washington Commanders D/ST vs New Orleans Saints
  12. Los Angeles Chargers D/ST vs Tampa Bay Buccaneers
  13. Indianapolis Colts D/ST vs Denver Broncos
  14. Pittsburgh Steelers D/ST vs Philadelphia Eagles
  15. Atlanta Falcons D/ST vs Las Vegas Raiders
  16. Seattle Seahawks D/ST vs Green Bay Packers
  17. Buffalo Bills D/ST vs Detroit Lions
  18. New York Jets D/ST vs Jacksonville Jaguars

NFL defensive statistics are from ESPN, RBSDM.com and Pro Football Reference. Feedback on our NFL defense rankings can be sent on Bluesky to Matt Johnson.

Worst NFL defenses 2024

32. Cincinnati Bengals (32)

Rico Dowdle had no trouble running on the Cincinnati Bengals erupting for a career-high 131 rushing yards and averaging 7.3 yards per carry. CeeDee Lamb (6-93-1) also had his best game in weeks before an injury essentially made him a decoy. While Cincinnati only allowed 20 points, it came with a 5.5 yards-per-play average and 4 red-zone trips allowed on 10 drives against a Dallas Cowboys offense missing multiple starters on the offensive line and starting a backup quarterback. This remains the worst defense in the NFL.

Related: Cincinnati Bengals coaching candidates

31. Atlanta Falcons (27)

It certainly doesn’t help to have one of the worst NFL defenses and a starting quarterback who gives the opponent short fields and extra possessions. That’s what happened to the Atlanta Falcons on Sunday. Kirk Cousins threw 2 interceptions, playing a co-starring role in the 42 points and 433 total yards put up by the Minnesota Vikings in Week 14. Atlanta’s defense is also just as responsible for the rough performance, as it allowed a 66.7% third-down conversion rate, 100 percent red-zone touchdown rate and 7.7 yards per play.

30. Jacksonville Jaguars (31)

We just can’t put much stock in how the Jacksonville Jaguars defense performed on Sunday. Facing a bottom-three offense, Jacksonville allowed over 100 yards to Tony Pollard and it only sacked Will Levis twice. We say just twice because he took 34 dropbacks on Sunday and entered with a league-high 13.36 percent sack rate. That’s why just two sacks is an indictment on the Jaguars’ defense.

29. New York Jets (28)

The Miami Dolphins haven’t been able to run the football effectively this season, so the New York Jets holding them to 44 yards and 2.3 yards per carry isn’t noteworthy. What was apparent on Sunday, especially with Sauce Gardner inactive, is that New York’s pass defense has taken alarming steps backward since Robert Saleh was fired. Unfortunately, it could get even worse in 2025 because No. 2 cornerback DJ Reed Jr is probably bolting in free agency.

28. New England Patriots (25)

The New England Patriots have had one of the worst NFL defenses in 2024, in part due to injuries. Linebacker Ja’Whaun Bentley hasn’t played since Week 2 and standout defensive tackle Christian Barmore (blood clots) just returned to the field after missing a majority of the season. However, it hasn’t made much of a difference. While opponents averaged just 176.9 pass ypg against New England from Weeks 8-13, those numbers are skewed by a 69-yard performance with 9 sacks against the Chicago Bears on Nov. 10. In the three weeks since that game, opponents posted a 10-2 TD-INT line with a 116.6 QB rating. Kyler Murray will have plenty of big-play opportunities against the Patriots in Week 15.

27. Carolina Panthers (30)

The worst run defense in the NFL did exactly what you’d expect against the Philadelphia Eagles, allowing 209 rushing yards and 6.7 yards per carry. With that said, there are some positives emerging from this Carolina Panthers defense. Carolina sacked Jalen Hurts four times on Sunday, tacking on 5 quarterback hits and 3 tackles for loss. That’s an improvement for a unit that spent the majority of the season at the bottom of our NFL defense rankings. Expect Rico Dowdle to get plenty of chances to run on Carolina in Week 15.

26. New York Giants (29)

The NFL stats certainly looked good for this New York Giants defense in Week 14. On Sunday, the New Orleans Saints finished with just 200 net passing yards on 31 attempts and turned just 33 carries into 93 rushing yards (2.8 (ypc) while going 5-for-15 on third downs. Still, without Dexter Lawrence, Week 15 is probably going to get very ugly for the Giants defense against Lamar Jackson and the Baltimore Ravens.

25. Cleveland Browns (22)

Jameis Winston’s penchant for interceptions requires an elite defense that can get stops after the veteran quarterback’s mistakes. That’s not what the Cleveland Browns have. Even without George Pickens, the centerpiece of their passing game, the Pittsburgh Steelers still put up 27 points with a 43 percent third-down conversion rate on Sunday. Cleveland needs Myles Garrett to be healthy for this defense to even be league-average and he’s playing hurt right now.

24. Tampa Bay Buccaneers (26)

Facing Aidan O’Connell and Desmond Ridder in Week 14, there’s just not a ton of stock that can be put into this performance from the Tampa Bay Buccaneers defense. Besides, while the Las Vegas Raiders only put up 13 points, Sincere McCormick averaged 5.2 yards per carry (78 rushing yards), with Tampa Bay’s issues against the run continuing. We expect plenty of defensive regression against Justin Herbert and Ladd McConkey next week in a cross-country trip to Los Angeles.

23. Las Vegas Raiders (23)

Baker Mayfield gifted the Las Vegas Raiders a pair of interceptions on Sunday and even with those giveaways, Tampa Bay still put up 420 total yards while averaging 7.1 yards per play. The Raiders defense is really just a one-man show right now and with teams scheming up ways to slow down Maxx Crosby, quarterbacks and running backs are doing whatever they want to the Raiders defense.

22. New Orleans Saints (24)

The New Orleans Saints defense did exactly what you’d expect against a team led by Drew Lock. Lock recorded just 213 net passing yards on a whopping 49 attempts, taking 2 sacks with 1 interception and a 48.6 QB rating. New Orleans also held the Giants’ offense to a 26.3 percent third-down conversion rate. Now, let’s all remember how bad the Giants’ offense has been this season and keep in mind that the Saints have had one of the league’s worst run defenses since Week 3.

21. Kansas City Chiefs (19)

Two months ago, the Kansas City Chiefs sat toward the top of our NFL defense rankings. There were issues with the pass rush, but a great scheme and strong play at cornerback made this one of the league’s top defenses. Then, No. 2 cornerback Jaylen Watson went down with a season-ending injury.

  • Kansas City Chiefs defense (Weeks 1-7): 215.7 pass ypg, 7-5 TD-INT, 6.7 ypa, 61.3% completion rate, 82.4 QB rating, 32.86% third-down conversion rate
  • Kansas City Chiefs defense (Weeks 8-13): 232.5 pass ypg, 10-1 TD-INT, 7.4 ypa, 69.7% completion rate, 105.5 QB rating, 45.45% third-down conversion rate

On Sunday Night Football, the Chiefs caught a break. The wide receiver they spent all week game-planning for (Ladd McConkey) couldn’t play due to injury. Life got even easier for Kansas City’s pass defense when Chargers tight end Will Dissly left in the first half with an injury. The Chiefs still gave up over 200 passing yards with a 101.1 QB rating to Justin Herbert, even against the worst receiving corps in the NFL. So, we’ll hold off on saying Kansas City’s pass defense is fixed, but at least the pass rush (7 QB hits and 3 sacks) showed some life.

NFL defense rankings: 49ers rise, Bears keep falling

20. Indianapolis Colts (21)

We’ve just never been particularly sold that the Indianapolis Colts have a good defense, though, DOVA and EPA per Play are higher on this unit. In 13 games this season, the Colts rank 23rd in ESPN pass-rush win rate (38 percent) and they lead the NFL in missed tackles (115). It’s also worth highlighting that 77 percent of Colts’ opponents (11 of 13) have rushed for 120-plus yards and averaged over 4 yards per carry. Indianapolis also surrendered 250-plus passing yards to seven opponents, with four of those coming since Week 9. On top of all that, the Colts have the third-worst defense on third downs (45.3 percent conversion rate) this season.

19. Chicago Bears (17)

Don’t put this defensive performance on the firing of Matt Eberflus, the Chicago Bears defense was taking significant steps back long before Chicago finally fired Eberflus. On Sunday, Brock Pury picked Chicago’s secondary apart with a season-high 145.5 QB rating and San Francisco tacked on over 1230 yards on the ground. Maybe it wouldn’t be the worst idea for Chicago to hire a defensive-minded head coach who can bring a new culture to this franchise.

18. Tennessee Titans (18)

Facing Mac Jones will certainly make your defense look a lot better. Tennessee Titans defensive coordinator Dennard Wilson had an easy assignment in Week 14 and his game plan worked to perfection. Tennessee generated 2 takeaways, held Jackson to a 50 percent red-zone touchdown rate and pitched a shutout into the fourth quarter. Unfortunately, the Titans’ offense never got anything going and that resulted in the 10-6 loss.

15. Dallas Cowboys (16)

Trevon Diggs returned to the field in Week 14, but this Dallas Cowboys defense suffered another devastating loss. DeMarvion Overshown, who quickly emerged as a breakout player and a great complement to Micah Parsons, suffered a torn ACL and additional ligament damage in his knee. Losing him obviously hurts this Cowboys pass rush and as a result its effectiveness at stopping the pass for the rest of the season, but the even bigger blow could be Overshown’s extended absence in 2025 after suffering another ACL tear.

16. San Francisco 49ers (20)

Still dealing with so many injuries at every level of their defense, the San Francisco 49ers still played well against Caleb Williams. For the first time in a while, San Francisco neutralized the run game with Chicago finishing under 90 yards and averaging less than 4 yards per carry. On top of that, the 49ers’ pass rush came alive for a season-high in sacks, even without Nick Bosa out there. We’re still not convinced the 49ers will make the playoffs, but getting Talanoa Hufanga and Charvarius Ward could make this defense very good once again.

15. Miami Dolphins (14)

Becoming the first NFL team since 2021 to allow 300 yards to Aaron Rodgers isn’t a great sign for the Miami Dolphins’ defense. Garrett Wilson (7-114-0) and Davante Adams (9-109-1) both torched Miami’s secondary on Sunday and Rodgers rightfully targeted them on 21 of his 39 pass attempts. In the last two games now, the Dolphins have allowed 56 points.

14. Baltimore Ravens (15)

From Weeks 1-8, the Baltimore Ravens had one of the worst NFL pass defenses. Opponents averaged 291.4 passing yards per game ()most) with a 103.4 QB rating, 8.1 ypa and threw 17 touchdown passes (2.1 per game). Baltimore then made a big change in November, moving Kyle Hamilton deep and benching Marcus Williams. In the last three games before the bye, this same Ravens defense held opponents to 165 pass ypg with a 1-1 TD-INT line and a 76.3 QB rating. If this pass defense can be even league-average with Michael Pierce about to return and strengthen this run defense, Baltimore will be just fine defensively.

13. Los Angeles Rams (10)

Josh Allen is unstoppable. The Buffalo Bills quarterback became the first player in NFL history with 3 passing touchdowns and 3 rushing touchdowns. If you’re looking for a bright side, Los Angeles limited James Cook to 20 rushing yards on 6 carries. Of course, Buffalo stopped running it with Cook because Khalil Shakir (5-106-1) and Amari Cooper (6-95) torched the Los Angeles Rams secondary. The larger body of work over six-plus weeks suggests this is still a solid defense, but only if the Rams’ pass rush gets home and that didn’t happen (0 sacks and 3 QB hits) on Sunday for Los Angeles.

12. Washington Commanders (13)

Before highlighting the significance of cornerback Marshon Lattimore taking the field in Week 15, it’s worth giving head coach Dan Quinn some credit. Expectations for this Washington Commanders defense were on the floor entering the 2024 season, they sat near the bottom of our NFL defense rankings. The NFL stats backed it up early, with opponents averaging a 114.7 QB rating, 69.9 percent completion rate and posting a 12-1 TD-INT line in the first six games. From Weeks 7-13, though, Washington surrendered just an 88.6 QB rating, 60.3 percent completion rate and 168.7 passing yards per game allowed.

Now, a No. 1 cornerback takes the field to provide Quinn with a reliable defensive back to put in man coverage against top wideouts. However, that doesn’t do anything to erase concerns with a Commadners run defense that allows the sixth-most rush ypg (137) and the sixth-highest yards per carry (4.8). Keep that in mind for the playoffs, because the Lions, Eagles, Packers and Buccaneers love running the football and they do it very well.

11. Arizona Cardinals (8)

The Arizona Cardinals defense has played extremely well over the last month-plus, especially considering the lack of blue-chip talent on this side of the ball. Unfortunately, great coaching and game plans only work for so long if opponents can just start exploiting matchups. With Arizona’s pass rush unable to get to Geno Smith on Sunday (0 sacks and 2 QB hits) and Seattle dominating the trenches to open up the ground game (176 yards, 5.6 ypc), the Cardinals’ defense stood no chance in Week 14.

10. Green Bay Packers (10)

Already without No. 1 cornerback Jaire Alexander and standout rookie linebacker Edgerrin Cooper, things got even worse for this Green Bay Packers defense on Thursday Night Football. Star safety Evan Williams (concussion), fellow rookie safety Javon Bullard (ankle) and edge rusher Lukas Van Ness (thumb) all left the game with injuries. What has to be of far greater concern regarding this Packers’ defense, its pass rush continues to disappear for long stretches of games. That might not be a problem in Week 15 against the Seattle Seahawks offensive line, but it can be this unit’s fatal flaw in playoff matchups against the Lions or Eagles.

9. Houston Texans (12)

The Houston Texans defense isn’t remotely close to being this team’s biggest problem. However, there are now some reasons to be concerned about this side of the ball as well. In the final two games before the bye, Texans’ opponents averaged a 96.2 QB rating with 256.5 passing yards and 114.5 rushing yards per game. It’s a stark contrast from the first nine games when Houston allowed just 167.4 pass ypg with an 84.5 QB rating and 54.9 percent completion rate. Set to face the Miami Dolphins in Week 15, Houston’s aggressive pass rush will be tested by Tua Tagovailoa’s quick passing game.

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