--Lindsey Thiry, Defensive efficiency: 53.6 Late Sunday night, filled with joy from another Super Bowl victory, I asked Kansas City Chiefs defensive end Frank Clark if his organization was now considered a dynasty, with two Super Bowl victories in four years and three appearances. The defense showed signs of life in back-to-back wins over the Colts and Ravens and, most recently, in a 31-10 victory over the Jaguars. The Dolphins have gotten a defensive player of the year-caliber season out of cornerback Xavien Howard (league-high nine interceptions) and Pro Bowl-caliber seasons from edge rusher Emmanuel Ogbah, returner Jakeem Grant and kicker Jason Sanders. They were easy throws for Mahomes, made easy by Reid's brilliant offensive mind. This is something that needs to be corrected for Week 5. Tua Tagovailoa (concussion) sat out Sunday's game against the Jets, and backup Teddy Bridgewater lasted one play before he, too, was sidelined after being evaluated for a head injury. At the 2012 combine, 346-pound defensive tackle Dontari Poe was clocked at 4.98 seconds in the 40-yard dash, did 44 repetitions of 225 pounds in the bench press, had a 29.5-inch vertical and . The defense bounced back from Week 4's humbling prime-time loss to the Chiefs, but a fourth-quarter letdown was halted by an absurdly generous roughing-the-passer call that kept Tom Brady on the field and allowed the home team to run out the clock in a 21-15 win over Atlanta. They are Matt Bowen, Mike Clay, Tristan H. Cockcroft, Daniel Dopp, Eric Karabell, Liz Loza, Eric Moody and Field Yates. The results were as one-sided as you might expect: a 38-3 Bills victory that put Buffalo back in sole possession of first place in the AFC East. TEAM SEASON GP W L T TD PTS PPG OPP PTS OPP PPG 1DWN 3DWN% 4DWN% Chicago Bears: 2020: 16: 8: 8: 0: 40: 372: 23.3: 370: . The former Super Bowl champion is an ESPN analyst who is excited about Branch. Its never a comfortable watch with Carson Wentz. -- Rob Demovsky, The Bills' offense is a complete turnaround from last season's anemic unit, as Josh Allen and Stefon Diggs have combined to form one of the most potent QB-WR duos in the NFL. Nor would quarterback Patrick Mahomes, who won his second Super Bowl MVP and second ring in five years. Special teams: 14, There isn't a lot that is stunning here: Detroit's biggest concern was defense before the season (and, really, the past two-plus years). Blow a team off the field? 2021 NFL defense rankings espn. They're actually getting decent pressure on the quarterback, with a 35% pressure rate (19th) on third down. New episodes every Tuesday all season long. Beasley was released, and Clowney is on injured reserve. And even with that subpar stat, he currently has more bets to win NFL MVP . Philadelphia Eagles. Check out the updated NFL pecking order, 1-32. It has probably been even better than FPI ranks it. KEY: Gms = Games Played, Int = Interceptions, Fum = Fumbles, Tot = Total . --Paul Gutierrez, Defensive efficiency: 42.7 Jaguars won't spend big, but here are five players they could target in free agency, 2023 NFL franchise tag tracker: Raiders tag Josh Jacobs, the NFL's rushing leader. Check out the full rundown, 1-32. But they're going to have to rush the passer more effectively if that is going to continue. How many teams are hotter than Dan Campbell's Lions? The biggest issue on defense is points allowed. --Rich Cimini, Defensive efficiency: 59.0 Players and coaches have talked about the need to communicate more from the get-go, and not just as the game progresses. The pass rush is anemic (16 sacks), DE Josh Allen (2.5 sacks) has had a disappointing season and is now on IR, and injuries have decimated the secondary (at one point, the Jaguars were down four of their top five corners). New coordinator Brian Flores will bring a much more aggressive approach. Tampa started No. Conversely, the defense has been relatively sturdy, led by third-year linebacker Roquan Smith, who has performed at an All-Pro level. They've allowed 34 first downs on the ground, the third most in the NFL. -- Courtney Cronin, The passing offense has been a disappointment, which highlights myriad issues: Cam Newton's inaccuracy on short passes, a major void at tight end (the Patriots rank last in the NFL in production from that spot) and a receiving corps that hasn't been respected by opposing defenses and thus allows foes to load up against the run. Check out the full league pecking order, 1-32. Got that, too. 1 in the league in total defense. The end result? League rank: 6th. Defensive coordinator Vance Joseph was given the personnel he needed to be successful, and for the most part, he has been. That showed up Sunday night. Ryan Clark, an LSU alum, played 13 seasons in the National Football League. -- Jeff Legwold, Offense: 26 Tagovailoa already has been ruled out for Week 5. Shane Steichen will be their new head coach, but if he doesn't find a quarterback, it won't matter how good he is as a coach. Who rounds out the top five? https://raiderswire.usatoday.com/2020/06/18/espn-names-raiders-as-worst-defense-of-decade/, One free agent each NFL team should re-sign in 2023, Ranking the Raiders biggest need positions ahead of free agency, ESPN projects who the Week 1 starter at QB for the Las Vegas Raiders, Aaron Rodgers emerges from 'Darkness retreat' to Raiders reportedly not interested in acquiring him. They are last in the NFL in opponent third-down conversion percentage and touchdown percentage allowed in the red zone. New Orleans Saints (vs. Seahawks) 10. But Garrett is going to have to play through left shoulder and right biceps injuries, at least in the short term. They are searching for a quarterback, but it won't be Derek Carr. Opponent First Downs per Play. And thats not counting a pair of heavy-handed, defensive-minded head coaches in Dennis Allen and Jack Del Rio. After Sunday's 40-3 win over the Jets, that group has allowed only 14.5 points per game the past four contests (fourth fewest in that span), about half as many points as it allowed in the first nine. XFL Week 3 preview: Can AJ McCarron, Battlehawks continue their fourth-quarter heroics? Seven days later, they can't even call the No. Now the challenge will be fixing Russell Wilson. But Sunday? Or will it be Trey Lance? Unfortunately for Cincinnati, past performance was not indicative of future results. From 2010-2019, the team never finished higher than 20th in points per game allowed and often finished in the bottom five in the league in scoring defense. Mix in a special-teams unit that features the league's most efficient returner in Andre Roberts, and you've got a team ready to make a deep playoff run. Rally from multiple scores down? He was passed . Week 14 ranking: 3 Offense: 5 Defense: 8 Special teams: 11 It would have been much easier to identify the Saints' strengths if they hadn't just snapped a nine-game . Carolina fired the head coach on Monday, ending hisrun with the Panthers at 11-27 in two-plus seasons. It won't be Derek Carr, but maybe it's Aaron Rodgers. League rank: 10th. DE Jadeveon Clowney has missed the past two games with an ankle injury. Cincinnati has one of the best defenses in the NFL. "So glad he missed that," tweeted Chargers wide receiver Keenan Allen, inactive with a hamstring injury. League rank: 31st. Deshaun Watson will have a full season with the Browns in 2023, which makes them a better team. Pass-rushing is the key to great defense in the NFL. NFL and the NFL shield design are registered trademarks of the National Football League.The team names, logos and uniform designs are registered trademarks of the teams indicated. After the loss, the team announced the trade of Pro Bowl linebacker Deion Jones and a seventh-round draft pick to the Browns in exchange for a sixth-round pick. 2022 NFL season, Week 5: What We Learned from Sunday's games, Time to panic?! The biggest issue on defense is the pass rush. Previous rank: No. But that could also be a function of how much teams are throwing against Cincinnati. Defense: 14 He remains the Jenga piece of the Saints' attack -- the whole thing topples over without the running back doing his thing. 2004-2023 CBS Interactive. Tackles per Game. The Chicago Bears had the worst defense in the NFL this season. Beyond individual development, there isn't anything to point to. In a recent piece by ESPN, the named the Raiders the worst defense of the decade as they allowed an average of 26.2 points per game during that period. Thestellar Cowboys defense has produced one of my favorite, most straightforward stats of the 2022 NFL season: Dallas has allowed exactly one touchdown in each of its five games this season. That mark should be obliterated on Sunday, when the Jets face the Rams. The offense has been ineffective since Joe Burrow suffered a season-ending knee injury. TheDolphins have cooled off after their hot start, and injuries at the games most important position help to explain why. The biggest issue on defense is defending the run. The Panthers have scored 30 or more points three times, and two of those were with Christian McCaffrey. The Raiders have rebuilt their linebacker corps and secondary to enter the 20s. Until it wasn't. Week 4. Through four games this season, Detroit has allowed 141 points (35.3 points per game), which is the second most in franchise history -- trailing only the 0-16 squad from 2008. The best teams find ways to win. How high do the Vikings fly after a statement win? Across 17 games, Chicago allowed . The Titans have had rotten injury luck all season, and you could see the cracks along the offensive line in a 21-17 win over the Commanders. The worst is minus-214, set by the 1976 Jets in a 14-game season. With Mahomes reinjuring his right ankle Sunday night, it looked like the Chiefs were in trouble. Lamar Jackson and the Ravens have regressed from an unstoppable force to an inconsistent attack. Defense: 13 -- Tim McManus, Offense: 18 Opponent Third Down Conversion Percentage. SEA | TB | TEN | WSH, Defensive efficiency:62.7 The defense struggles in yards per rush, red zone efficiency and third-down conversions -- ranking last in all categories. A few other popular sleeper defenses that you might have drafted late are definitely off limits in Week 1 . Buffalo coasted from there, but Allen still managed to set a franchise record for passing yardage in a game that ended in regulation (424). Take a look at ESPN's thoughts on . There are also 15 teams this week that have a 2-2 record. Brissett threw 34 passes in the loss, or double the amount of carries Nick Chubb had in the game. See trending; Company. They improved in a big way this past season. ESPN: ESPN scoring combines PPR with unique kicker and defense scoring. Bills, Titans, Bengals, and Ravens this week all have a claim for the best team in the AFC. Plus, the Jaguars hit the top 10 for the first time this season. Are they sold on Desmond Ridder as their quarterback? Injuries, a lack of playmaking talent and poor coaching have all been part of the issue. It ranks first in touchdowns allowed per drive and second in points allowed per drive. With his mobility limited some, it was the great scheming by Reid that produced the two second-half touchdowns. The Seahawks are an entertaining team, but a consistently overmatched defense might stop them from being anything more than that. There is Josh Allen in Buffalo and Joe Burrow in Cincinnati. Raiders to franchise tag RB Josh Jacobs barring long term deal before deadline, Your California Privacy Rights/Privacy Policy. Hey, six different defensive coordinators in the decade does not exactly signify stability, from John Marshall to Chuck Bresnahan to Jason Tarver to Ken Norton Jr. to John Pagano to Paul Guenther. "I think he's doing everything he can. Its been a mess, and now it becomes the responsibility of defensive passing game coordinator/secondary coach Steve Wilks, who was elevated to interim head coach. Dennis Daley (starting at left tackle after Taylor Lewan's season-ending knee injury) was bullied by Montez Sweat, while the interior line struggled on a day Ryan Tannehill absorbed five sacks. -- Jeff Dickerson, The special-teams units -- Diontae Spencer's punt return TD in Sunday's win not withstanding -- have had plenty of migraine moments this season, likely more than that rating indicates. Exclusive Premium Content For Subscribers Did the Raiders make one of the best offseason moves in 2022? Dan Hanzus updates his NFL Power Rankings with some major movement. The biggest issue on defense is the run defense. Check out the full league pecking order, 1-32. This team is better with quarterback Alex Smith but still inconsistent. The following are the 2022 NFL team overall defense statistics, including team rushing yardage, team passing yardage and total team yardage. Check. This team, because of Ryans and draft assets, is trending in the right direction. As if getting gashed by Aaron Jones and AJ Dillon wasn't enough to have the Bears licking their wounds after a Week 2 loss at Green Bay, Giants running back Saquon Barkley totaled 145 yards on 31 carries and earned 94 of his rushing yards after first contact in Week 4. --Brady Henderson, Defensive efficiency: 37.6 5. But he didn't look great when he played last season. Frazier interviewed for head-coaching opportunities in 2020 and 2021 after being interim head coach and then head coach of the Minnesota Vikings from 2010 to 2013 (21-32-1 record). -- Marcel Louis-Jacques, It's no surprise that the Steelers have another highly ranked defense, with the core from last season returning. -- Sarah Barshop, Nothing is going extremely well for the Bengals. League rank: 30. Jacoby Brissett is at the center of all the madness. "We're not nearly at the point of where we're capable of being. The Aaron Rodgers saga hangs over this team's offseason. The biggest issue on defense is getting pass rush from someone other than Maxx Crosby. NFL footage NFL Productions LLC. Mahomes became more patient, became a better passer. 01 Tampa Bay Buccaneers (LW: 2) 32 / 32. -- Jake Trotter, The Bucs surrounded quarterback Tom Brady with an offense that rivals a championship fantasy roster from 2017. Tom Brady, he's coming for you in a lot of ways -- including possibly taking over as the best to ever do it. NFL and the NFL shield design are registered trademarks of the National Football League.The team names, logos and uniform designs are registered trademarks of the teams indicated. The Niners' defense has been mostly dominant for the season's first month, but the win column doesn't reflect just how good it has been. 1 pick, Ex-Patriots star McGinest facing eight years in prison, Commanders rip 'blatantly false' team sale report. The biggest issue on defense is the 49ers' offense. Opponent Punts per Play. Through five weeks, Pierce is fifth in the league in rushing, averaging aplump 4.8 yards per attempt. On the Cowboys' opening drive, one pass went for 31 yards while the other five plays managed a combined 9 yards. The question is the same one as in most years: Will the defense and/or special teams cost the Packers when it matters most? It sounds like Sam Howell will be their quarterback in 2023, although a veteran will be also in the mix. --Courtney Cronin, Defensive efficiency: 54.3 His Week 1 rankings and tiers for all of the NFL defenses. The biggest issue on defense is stopping the run. Since losing Dak Prescott, they have averaged 16.9 points per game. Its a start. They still have a lot of top-level talent. More McCaffrey likely equals more points, more wins and less stress on an undermanned defense. Our NFL Nation reporters answered big draft questions for each team with a top-10 pick in April's draft. Losing sturdy DT Lawrence Guy to a shoulder injury is a contributing factor, but that alone doesn't fully explain the alarming past six quarters the defense has played against the run. But they will need to be sharper when the schedule tightens up again. Special teams: 26, Let's simplify this. Returns have been exceedingly positive on a 2022 draft class that includes instant-impact starters in Hall, cornerback Sauce Gardner and wide receiver Garrett Wilson. The Eagles were overdue for a bad game, which is a fair classification of Monday night's 32-21 stumble to the Commanders at the Linc. -- Josh Weinfuss, Las Vegas, to paraphrase Mr. Miyagi, needs balance, Raider Nation-san. Defensive efficiency, powered by ESPN's Football Power Index, is rated on a 0-100 scale, based on the defense's contribution to scoring margin on per-play basis and adjusted for strength of opposing offenses faced. While it is currently ranked one of the best in the NFL, the Bengals are trying to figure out what to do at kicker. The Vikings are, well, the Vikings. It's time for Lawrence, touted as a generational talent entering the league, to step up. The Bears are the NFL's worst team against the run, having allowed 733 rushing yards through four games (183.3 yards per game), and are on pace to reach historically low marks. How we rank in our Power Rankings: Our power panel -- a group of more than 80 writers, editors and TV personalities -- evaluates how teams stack up throughout the season. Baltimore went from being the only offense averaging more than 30 points per game last season to being in the middle of the league in scoring. Its fair to wonder if Pittsburgh ends this rebuilding campaign with one of the worst records in football. -- Turron Davenport, Offense: 19 With an Eagles team that runs the ball effectively in their division, the Cowboys have to get better. Here's everything we know, Richardson sets QB mark for vertical, broad jump, QB Young 5-10 1/8, 204 pounds at NFL combine, Sources: Patriots tell QB Hoyer he's being cut, Horns' Robinson: Versatility worthy of early pick, Jones: Not fixated on Cowboys' drought, just '23, Sources: Raiders plan franchise tag for Jacobs, WR Addison to Steelers' Pickett: 'Come get me', Wolverines' Turner wows with 4.26 40 at combine, Everything you need to know about Geno Smith's contract negotiations. Only four teams have forced fewer turnovers, and all of them have losing records. Then Cousins and Co. regrouped to score the go-ahead touchdown in an eventual 29-22 win, but the hot-and-cold nature of the Vikings' attack remains mystifying. Free agency looms Scott logged 54 carries for 217 yards and three touchdowns across 15 regular-season games with the Eagles in 2022. Josh McDaniels' team was once again on the wrong side of a coin-flip game, this time an excruciating 30-29 defeat to the Chiefs at Arrowhead that dropped Vegas into the AFC West cellar. -- Paul Gutierrez, Offense: 13 The Rams managed just one long Cooper Kupp touchdown and 323 yards of total offense in a 22-10 loss to the Cowboys at SoFi. League rank: 27th. The offense has been so bad with three-and-outs and turnovers that the defense continues to be forced back on the field. Selecting between healthy Dak Prescott, Cooper Rush an easy choice, Mike Tomlin open to all remedies after Steelers 'smashed' by Bills in Kenny Pickett's first start.