Rally from multiple scores down? But injuries to key players have made it difficult for the unit to develop an identity through four games. League rank: 25th. --Brooke Pryor, Defensive efficiency: 36.3 The best kicker in NFL history was at it again on Sunday night, booting a 58-yard field goal in the third quarter, then the game-winner as time expired to lift the Ravens to a critical 19-17win over the rival Bengals. Frank Reich is in as the head coach, but he has to find a quarterback or it won't matter who coaches this team. ThePats are a Week 6 win over the Browns away from getting back to even ground at .500. But they will need to be sharper when the schedule tightens up again. Win a shootout? Make Your Picks, The Falcons have lost six games by a touchdown or less, in large part because their defense has struggled in the red zone (29th of 32 teams) and can't consistently force late-game stops. -- Mike Triplett, Sean McVay took a risk when he hired unknown and unproven defensive coordinator Brandon Staley, who served three previous seasons in the NFL as an outside linebackers coach. 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. Rookie Derek Stingley Jr. had one of those picks,his first career interception. --John Keim, Defensive efficiency: 69.3 A scrambling Kyler Murray went into a protection slide just short of the first-down marker, setting in motion a chain of events that ended with fill-in kicker Matt Ammendola badly pushing a 43-yard field goal attempt wide right. Replied the coach: Were nobodys underdog. Indeed. Instead, hes held them back with inconsistent play and costly mistakes. League rank: 18th, The Chargers' defense appeared dominant -- on paper -- entering the season. But what has also stood out is how many injuries the Bills have accumulated, especially in the secondary. Tip your cap to Joe Douglas. The defending champion Rams were the latest team to go one-and-done ina 22-10 Cowboys win at SoFi Stadium. -- Jake Trotter, The Bucs surrounded quarterback Tom Brady with an offense that rivals a championship fantasy roster from 2017. Kansas City dug itself out of a 17-0 first-half hole thanks to a Mahomes-led offense that, when warmed up, operates like a runaway freight train going downhill. We did it to ourselves.". "Satisfied with the effort? the coach replied to a reporters query. Will Mac Jones (ankle) be back in the lineup? section: | slug: nfl-power-rankings-chiefs-sit-atop-post-super-bowl-list-as-three-afc-teams-land-in-top-four | sport: football | route: article_single_league_latest | The biggest issue on defense is getting off the field on third down. Discover NFL team overall stats and rankings throughout the season. In his Championship Sunday Power Rankings, Dan Hanzus reveals a new pecking order for the four teams still alive in the NFL playoffs, while also slotting the quartet eliminated during the Divisional Round. Special teams: 19, The Giants' worst unit is their offense? New episodes every Tuesday all season long. That's why they rank 31st in the defensive FPI rankings. We've dug ourselves a hole. When Justin Herbert's subsequent pass fell incomplete, the Browns looked like a team given an early Christmas gift by the opposing head coach. League rank: 19th. Geno will be without a key piece going forward: Rashaad Penny is done for the year after fracturing his fibula on Sunday. The unit that gave up 51 points to Patrick Mahomes and the Chiefs in the playoffs in January has not improved this season, and even a healthy J.J. Watt can make only so much of a difference. Cooper Kupp saved the Rams . We got smashed. 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 worst is minus-214, set by the 1976 Jets in a 14-game season. The Seahawks are getting gashed against the run, in part because they're struggling in their transition to a 3-4 but also because they're missing tackles. Assessing Browns' FA needs, The Ravens are the only NFL team to rank in the top 10 on offense, defense and special teams. Find NFL defense rushing stats by team. I am confident in everybody in that locker room. It's the truth -- and it gives the Ravens a huge advantage in every close contest they're a part of. Previous rankings: 14 | 13 | 12 | 11 | 10 | 9 | 8 | 7 | 6 | 5 | 4 | 3 | 2 | Preseason, Jump to: The biggest issue on defense is injuries. For the second straight week, Green Bay failed to make key stops against an offense compromised by injuries. To make College Football Playoff: 0.6%. League rank:9th. 1 in the league in total defense. The browser you are using is no longer supported on this site. --Stephen Holder, Defensive efficiency: 46.0 Printed from TeamRankings.com - 2005-2023 Team Rankings, LLC. CLE | DAL | DEN | DET | GB | HOU | IND Here is a look at how all 32 teams stack up with this EDGE rushing power ranking. 9. The prime-time star was Stephon Gilmore, the veteran cover man who intercepted Russell Wilsonto thwart one red-zone drive and broke up an end-zone pass in the final seconds to ice the game. With Joe Burrow and that passing game, they will be in the Super Bowl mix again next year. The Bears and quarterback Mitchell Trubisky have played much better offensively the past three weeks, but their overall body of work is subpar. Disputed loan at center of Commanders probe, Barnwell: How Jalen Hurts thrived Sunday, plus four trade destinations for Carson Wentz, Jalen Hurts to Philly's rescue? The Vikings lost to the Bucs on Sunday in large part because of Dan Bailey's four missed kicks that left 10 points on the table. But the defense is why Detroit is in a hole at the moment, getting ready for a complete regime switch in the offseason. 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. Before Sunday's collapse, the Saints' defense had been dominant over a five-game stretch, which had allowed them to keep thriving despite Drew Brees' injury absence. They will almost certainly put the franchise tag on Lamar Jackson to keep him around. There is Justin Herbert with the Chargers and Trevor Lawrence on his way in Jacksonville. They have to throw down the field more. The Eagles are 5-0 for just the third time in franchise history. at kicker." This was especially so when Denver was forced into its nickel package on defense and the Raiders then pounded away at it. He had a top-10 defense in points allowed in four . That's not to oversimplify what's gone wrong for Seattle's defense, which has had all sorts of issues during another awful start. 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. "Every win isn't easy," Jalen Hurts said. The Cardinals have been able to get to the quarterback and get their hands on him at times, as was the case against Kansas City's Patrick Mahomes, but getting opposing quarterbacks down has been a struggle. Defense: 31 They look really solid from front to back, even with safety Chauncey Gardner-Johnson, formerly of the New Orleans Saints, acclimating to a new position and team. -- Brady Henderson, Although the Titans are 9-4, their defense has been subpar. That's been costly for a team that continues to lose close games, and fatigue might be a problem. But Sunday? The running back has played only three games, so when you look at what has happened offensively, it begins with being without the best multipurpose player in the NFL. Sometimes inexperience has led to the big plays, but other times it's just corners getting beat, whether outright or because they anticipated help that didn't arrive. Fields hot streak allowed Chicago to erase a 21-3 deficit and put a serious scare into the NFC North leaders. The defense has its own injury problems to contend with, in addition to a roster that still needs upgrades. The Panthers are allowing 10.5 points a game in the final quarter to rank among the worst in the league. Where do the other 31 teams fit into the picture after the conclusion of the 2022 NFL season? The defense has been much improved from a season ago, but this is the next step toward being the type of unit that defensive coordinator Dean Pees wants to have in Atlanta. It won't be Derek Carr, but maybe it's Aaron Rodgers. Could the Raiders turn the backfield over to RB Zamir White? Players the Jaguars could target NFL footage NFL Productions LLC. It's always that way with franchise quarterbacks. One of this year's most intriguing defensive backs prospects is @AlabamaFTBL 's Brian Branch. "Cause man, man, man.". With Jameis Winston and Michael Thomas sidelined, Hill got help from Alvin Kamara, who piled up 194 yards of total offense and looked -- for the first time in quite a while -- like, well, Alvin Kamara. With the Falcons officially eliminated from playoff contention, it's time to turn the focus to 2021 and potentially moving on at quarterback while retooling other areas of the roster. Statistical data provided by Gracenote. Case in point, theLions, who showed up Sunday with the highest-scoring offense in football but headed back to Detroit as 29-0 losers. We try not to look at what happened the last couple of games and what's ahead. Wasn't that supposed to be their best unit? 6-keys: media/spln/nfl/reg/free/powerrankings, at All Rights Reserved. Here's the weird part: It's not because of the pass rush. That kind of production places the fourth-round pick firmly in the Offensive Rookie of the Year discussion. For a variety of reasons (beginning with the Saquon Barkley injury), it's not, and it's at the top of the list of reasons they have a losing record. League rank: 20th, The Texans are allowing 5.1 yards per carry and have allowed 688 total rushing yards, the second most in the NFL. They were easy throws for Mahomes, made easy by Reid's brilliant offensive mind. Lawrence got a pass for a rocky rookie year marred by Urban Meyers malfeasance, but the five-game sample Lawrence has submitted in Year 2 under Doug Pederson hasbeen frustratingly inconsistent. TEAM SEASON GP W L T TD PTS PPG OPP PTS OPP PPG 1DWN 3DWN% 4DWN% Chicago Bears: 2021: 17: 6 A few other popular sleeper defenses that you might have drafted late are definitely off limits in Week 1 . I trust the Eagles, who are consistent, balanced and armed with an ascendant young quarterback. A big reason for this is the absence of linebacker Shaquille Leonard, who made his short-lived season debut on Sunday, only to leave with a concussion in the second half. --Tim McManus, Defensive efficiency:57.9 ET. The victory came at a cost, however: Emmanuel Moseley, a rising star at cornerback who registered a pick-six on Sunday, tore the ACL in his left knee and is out for the season. Conversely, the defense has been relatively sturdy, led by third-year linebacker Roquan Smith, who has performed at an All-Pro level. Those are largely the product of the many injuries, which have made it hard for San Francisco to string together victories and stay in the NFC playoff picture. Mike Tomlin didnt mince words after the game. The browser you are using is no longer supported on this site. It has probably been even better than FPI ranks it. Injuries have impacted the defense at times, but it has kept the Cardinals in games as the offense continues to figure itself out. League rank: 30. McVay's bet paid off, as Staley took over a good defense that included Aaron Donald and Jalen Ramsey, maintained a base 3-4 scheme and added several wrinkles to make it great. Week 4. From injuries to defending the run, every team has something it can improve on. ThePanthers were non-competitive yet again on Sunday against the 49ers. The problem is the AFC is loaded with those guys. League rank: 8th. San Francisco also finished the game without star pass rusher Nick Bosa (groin) and kicker Robbie Gould (knee). The Rams do have four interceptions this season. League rank: 4th. Will the Dolphins get a veteran QB? He also secured five of six targets . The lone bright spot on offense is running back James Robinson, who became the fourth undrafted rookie in NFL history to rush for more than 1,000 yards. View 2020 NFL Team Defense stats, Team Defense leaders & player - Points Allowed Team Defense statistics. That showed up Sunday night. The offense needs work and remains inconsistent; that, too, hasn't been a surprise. The Saints need Marcus Davenport and Cam Jordan to consistently step up, while getting production out of 2021 first-round pick Payton Turner, to have success moving forward. 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. Beyond individual development, there isn't anything to point to. With five first-round picks along the defensive line and the No. Check out the updated NFL pecking order, 1-32. Seattle's special teams have been strong the whole time, led by Jason Myers going 18-for-18 on field goal tries. If the 49ers' defense can stay reasonably healthy, they don't need an offensive juggernaut to be a contender. The Steelers showed up to Western New York with a rookie quarterback making his first start and a defense playing without T.J. Watt. Special teams: 24, Carson Wentz declined dramatically in 2020, plummeting toward the bottom in most statistical categories for QBs before being replaced in the lineup by rookie Jalen Hurts. --Jeff Legwold, Defensive efficiency: 39.5 Dallas' struggling offense managed three pass plays of at least that length. Who plays quarterback for the Raiders? 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. He wouldn't say it. The Jaguars had allowed just 55 yards per game on the ground through the first three games, but gave up 210 yards and four touchdowns rushing to the Eagles on Sunday. Without either, the Browns couldn't get pressure, while the Falcons ran the ball at will. -- Jeff Legwold, Offense: 26 He said Branch's versatility makes him a 'day one starter' in the NFL. No waxing on or waxing off about that logic. Its fair to wonder if Pittsburgh ends this rebuilding campaign with one of the worst records in football. The biggest issue on defense is the 49ers' offense. What is the NFL pecking order heading into the final week of the regular season? Carl Lawson sealed the win with a strip sack of Dolphins third-string QB Skylar Thompson (a play that allowed Quinnen Williams to stiff-arm "disrespectful" Tyreek Hill into another time zone), while Breece Hall announced his arrival as an Offensive Rookie of the Year candidate with 197 total yards and a score. Seattle's defense has turned things around, albeit against some dreadful offenses. The browser you are using is no longer supported on this site. Find the best projected stats of the 2022 NFL season and build the best Fantasy Football team. With Darnold still shelved by his own high ankle sprain (this team, man), P.J. Per Next Gen Stats, Tucker's 43-yard clincher quite literally split the uprights. He completed 13 of his 14 passes in the second half with two touchdowns. --Jenna Laine, Defensive efficiency: 52.3 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. One of the hottest teams in football continues to ascend Dan Hanzus' NFL Power Rankings. Mampt. Well, not at the top. It's a break the Bucs won't apologize for and they shouldn't. Check out the full league pecking order, 1-32. Brooks was asked if he thought he and Green played a similar game and Brooks . The Tom Brady era, however short, is over. They will sign one -- likely Jones -- and tag the other. Josh Jacobs, who led the NFL with 1,653 rushing yards last season, is expected to be given the franchise tag by the Raiders, sources told ESPN. Oh, sure, they're ranked highly in special teams, but that rings hollow after a game in which Sergio Castillo missed three field goals in one quarter. 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. The concerning part for Washington is that it lacks corner depth and its starters are both established vets -- Kendall Fuller and William Jackson III. Every NFL season is a mystery that slowly reveals itself. A week after getting pushed around by the Jared Goff-led Lions, it was the Saints turn -- Taysom Hill (accounted for four touchdowns) and Alvin Kamara (194 total yards) did pretty much whatever they wanted in a 39-32 Seattle loss. Its never a comfortable watch with Carson Wentz. 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. Sunday's 20-17 triumph at Arizona came with a dollop of good fortune: Kyler Murray's premature slide short of the first-down marker set up an ugly miss by a temporary kicker to close the game. Judging Week 14 overreactions, NFL Week 14 takeaways: Eagles find winning formula; Lamar keeps Ravens in mix. The biggest issue on defense is getting pass rush from someone other than Maxx Crosby. Chicago's special teams are better than the rankings indicate. It's one of the many reasons they're winless, and it has made them vulnerable in the play-action game, too. The offense has been so bad with three-and-outs and turnovers that the defense continues to be forced back on the field. Ugly wins count just as much as pretty ones, but Matt Ryan and Co. will need to be far better to move Indy out of the pretender category. Washington's defense ranks in the top 10 in both yards and points allowed; it hasn't finished a season that way since 2008. Kupp's score represents the team's only touchdown in the past nine quarters. 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. It's costing them games and playoff seeding. 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. Buffalo Bills (3-1) Week 4 ranking: 2. Less than 24 hours later, the ax came down on Matt Rhule. Miami currently has the second-worst pass defense in the NFL through its first four games, although that hasn't translated to the scoreboard. 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). 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 turnovers are the red-alert number. Our power panel -- a group of more than 80 writers, editors and TV personalities -- evaluated how teams are stacking up through four weeks and named a new No. It also reflects the Miami Dolphins' loss on Thursday night to the Cincinnati Bengals after quarterback Tua Tagovailoa (concussion) left the game on a stretcher. The special teams have benefited from some big returns lately, but questionable decision-making in key spots has hurt. They won't say it, so I will: The Chiefs are a dynasty. In another dimension, the referee keeps the penalty flag in his pocket, Marcus Mariota takes the field after a Bucs punt, and the Falcons score a touchdown in the final seconds to shock Tom Brady back into retirement. "A lot of teams in this league would have just laid down and stopped playing." In general, their strength lies in their depth and diversity. SEA | TB | TEN | WSH, It's no surprise that the Chiefs have the top-ranked offense -- by a wide margin -- given the seasons that Patrick Mahomes, Travis Kelce and Tyreek Hill are having. Cleveland was missing three of its four starters along the defensive line in Sunday's loss to the Falcons, including star pass-rusher Myles Garrett. The Bills' defense is ranked in the top five of almost every major category -- with third-down defense (41.3%, 19th) being one of a few concerns. This calls for an updated set of rankings. -- Mike DiRocco, Nothing has gone right. Opponent Punts per Offensive Score. However, in the Week 4 loss to the Raiders, the Broncos were pushed off the ball far too often in run defense. The offense has been efficient despite injuries, and the special teams, under Brayden Coombs, have been a bright spot. League rank: 7th. "I think he's doing everything he can. Will Brock Purdy come back from his elbow surgery next season? The updated rankings reflect that the Dallas Cowboys are surviving without Dak Prescott, who could return in Week 5, as they climb back up the list. Reed and rookie Sauce Gardner are holding up nicely on the outside, but they're giving up too many chunk plays in the middle of the field. The offense has been nearly unstoppable, the defense has had its moments (giving up massive yardage but sometimes coming up with a timely sack or takeaway), and the special teams have been mostly a disaster, other than near-perfect kicker Mason Crosby. --Josh Weinfuss, Defensive efficiency: 29.6 2004-2023 CBS Interactive. The biggest issue on defense is points allowed. Third-string QB Skylar Thompson performed admirably on short notice,but struggled to take advantage of Miami's explosive playmakers. That might not make him a happy player, but it's a must. In the meantime, the Chiefs have made the most of their four turnovers. Week 1. League rank: 32nd. The Titans are a team that's still trying to figure things out; luckily, they play in an AFC South that appears more adrift than ever at the moment. League rank: 2nd. Veteran kicker Cairo Santos has converted 18 consecutive field goal attempts, making him the first Bears kicker to do so since Robbie Gould in 2006, and kickoff returner Cordarrelle Patterson is a threat to score every time he touches the ball. All-in approach pays off for Rams "We're not nearly at the point of where we're capable of being. The defense has allowed 34 or more points seven times. League rank: 5th. Football Power Index rankings Maybe Browns too. Kelce remains at the center of everything, a prodigious producer who always seems to deliver his best moments when the lights are brightest. Through four games, Tennessee has given up five plays of 40 yards or more. Across 17 games, Chicago allowed . The following browsers are supported: Chrome, Edge (v80 and later), Firefox and Safari. Got that, too. There are twists, there are turns, theres joy, theres terror. The Jets closed out Sundays 40-17 win over the Dolphins like a young team thats starting to believe in itself. League rank:15th. 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). NFL footage NFL Productions LLC. The focus is solely on Guenther, whose defenses are responsible for two of the eight worst single-season defensive efficiency seasons of the past decade. And even with that subpar stat, he currently has more bets to win NFL MVP . They can't ask Josh Allen to do it all. Now the challenge will be fixing Russell Wilson. But Garrett is going to have to play through left shoulder and right biceps injuries, at least in the short term. The Titans' secondary hasn't helped either, especially when it plays off the ball, even in third-and-short situations. --Ben Baby, Defensive efficiency: 60.8 The following browsers are supported: Chrome, Edge (v80 and later), Firefox and Safari. The former Super Bowl champion is an ESPN analyst who is excited about Branch. The biggest issue on defense is run defense. The blowout was on! League rank: 13th. Below, we checked in with NFL Nation reporters across the league and asked what the biggest issue faced by each team's defense is. 1 spot. -- Jenna Laine, Everything you need this week: Depth charts for every team The 49ers took care of business against a Panthers team set adrift, coasting to a 37-15 road win that put San Francisco in sole possession of first place in the muddled NFC West. Those four teams will all be relevant in 2023 because of their quarterback. The biggest issue on defense is defending the pass. There are also 15 teams this week that have a 2-2 record. It is highly recommended that you use the latest versions of a supported browser in order to receive an optimal viewing experience. Whenit was over, the Colts were celebrating in Denver on Thursday night -- even if the result didnt quite make sense. Travis Kelce for OPOY? Buffalo Bills. Check. Connelly's numbers indicate that while bringing a high number of transfers on offense wasn't exactly a winning proposition in 2022 (programs that brought in nine or more newcomers finished 3.2 . Bridgewater passed the tests administered by doctors on Sunday, but was ruled out due to the new "ataxia" addendum to the league's concussion protocols. League rank: 29th. Coach Kevin Stefanski said Garrett could return next Sunday following last week's single-car crash. His final touchdown, a breakaway 60-yard jaunt with less than six minutes to play, was the difference-maker, as New Orleans snapped its three-game losing streak. Sunday's 26-16 loss to Arizona was a prime example as the Cardinals had the ball for just over 38 minutes to 21:25 for Carolina. The unit has spent time this season ranked No. The following browsers are supported: Chrome, Edge (v80 and later), Firefox and Safari. So why is Baltimore battling for its playoff life? DE Jadeveon Clowney has missed the past two games with an ankle injury. Two titles in four years and three Super Bowl appearances in that same time makes them a dynasty. WEEK 1 STANDARD RANKINGS: Quarterback | Running back | Wide receiver | Tight end | Kicker. -- Sarah Barshop, Nothing is going extremely well for the Bengals. -- 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. The Bengals are 26th in sacks per dropback, according to ESPN Stats & Information research, and are tied for 22nd in total sacks. All other NFL-related trademarks are trademarks of the National Football League. Atlanta's running game has been stale, averaging 98.3 yards per game while not receiving the spark it expected from Todd Gurley II, but an offense that also has Matt Ryan, Julio Jones, Calvin Ridley and Hayden Hurst performing at a middling level certainly points to playcalling. The biggest issue on defense is . Per The Athletic, Quenton Nelson had this to say after the 12-9 overtime conquest: Awins a win, but Im kinda also like how?The Colts can thank their defense for keeping the team above water during a brutal opening stretch for an offense that has averaged a league-worst 13.8 points per game. The problem is the coverage, specifically the safeties and linebackers. With five weeks remaining in the regular season, one division owns the top two spots in Dan Hanzus' NFL Power Rankings. Its defense has faced the third-most pass attempts in the NFL this season.