Ranking the NFL playoff defenses 1-12
Defense wins championships, according to that adage.
The upcoming NFL playoffs will feature several good ones. In case you've been trapped in a fantasy football bubble for the past four months, we thought we'd rank them for you.
1. New York Giants: A year after finishing dead last in total defense, they allowed the second-fewest points in the league — New York permitted 10 or fewer in three of its final four games — after GM Jerry Reese's $200 million free agent spending spree. S Landon Collins is a defensive player of the year candidate, though his job has become easier playing in front of arguably this year's top corner tandem in Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie and Janoris Jenkins. NT Damon Harrison may be the league's premier run stuffer, and Olivier Vernon is a high-effort, high-impact type off the edge. And look out if the Giants can hang on long enough to get DE Jason Pierre-Paul back from injury. A steady diet of intermediate passes to backs and tight ends might be the best way to attack them.
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2. Seattle Seahawks: They didn't meet their own lofty standards, but this is still a formidable bunch. Seattle failed to allow the fewest points in the league for the first time since 2011 but still ranked as third stingiest. CB Richard Sherman and DE Michael Bennett, who seems recovered from midseason knee surgery, are among the best playmakers at their respective positions, while versatile LBs Bobby Wagner and K.J. Wright remain inexplicably underrated. However there is now a weakness, exploited by the Arizona Cardinals two weeks ago, given the absence of injured FS Earl Thomas in center field.
3. Houston Texans: They haven't received enough credit for what they accomplished in 2016. Houston ranked first in total defense despite missing its best player, DE J.J. Watt, for all but three games while getting scant support from one of the worst offenses in the league. Jadeveon Clowney finally had a breakout campaign after moving to defensive end. CB A.J. Bouye and OLB Whitney Mercilus are two of the best players you've probably never heard of. And LB Brian Cushing and NT Vince Wilfork provide veteran leadership. There's enough talent here to carry the Texans to at least one playoff win.
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4. New England Patriots: They allowed the fewest points in the league for the first time since 2003 — when, incidentally, they won the Super Bowl. CB Malcolm Butler and S Devin McCourty shouldn't be toyed with. But the Pats could be vulnerable up front. New England's 34 sacks tied for 16th. And though only two teams allowed fewer rushing yards, opponents often finding themselves in an early hole were rarely able to establish the run. A player like Le'Veon Bell could certainly provide a challenge to a lineup that no longer has dynamic defender Jamie Collins.
5. Kansas City Chiefs: They appear like the classic bend-but-don't-break group, ranking 24th overall yet allowing the seventh-fewest points. But the Chiefs are loaded with playmakers like S Eric Berry and CB Marcus Peters and have arguably the best pass rush trio in the postseason — Tamba Hali, Justin Houston and Dee Ford — provided Houston's surgically repaired knee can get right during the bye. That core of talent helped K.C. lead the NFL with 33 takeaways and post four pick-six TDs. But running right at the Chiefs can bear fruit. They held only four teams to fewer than 100 rushing yards.
6. Pittsburgh Steelers: They won't remind anyone of the Steel Curtain or even the Troy Polamalu-led units that reached three Super Bowls from 2005 to 2010. But despite losing its best player (DE Cam Heyward) to injury, this Steelers defense is the best since 2012, with DL Stephon Tuitt and LB Ryan Shazier emerging as reliable performers. And OLB James Harrison, one of the few links back to the recent Super Bowl squads, has had a renaissance season and brings the intensity and leadership that can help this team to compete for another Lombardi Trophy.
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7. Dallas Cowboys: The numbers (fifth-fewest points allowed, No. 1-ranked run defense, 14th overall) look better than the film. Dallas' ball-control offense means the D was only on the field for about 28 minutes per week, second fewest in the league. The Cowboys are average in terms of yards allowed per play (5.5) and allowed a third-down conversion rate of nearly 40%. A 26th-ranked pass defense had just nine interceptions, fewer than all but four teams. But they could get a boost with CB Morris Claiborne expected to return from a groin injury.
8. Atlanta Falcons: Like the Cowboys, they're accustomed to protecting leads — though that can get a bit hairy for a team that allowed 25.4 points per game, sixth-most in the NFL. But supporting an offense that averages nearly 34 points gives Atlanta cushion. And with NFL sack leader Vic Beasley and impact rookies like S Keanu Neal and LB Deion Jones, the Falcons feature enough athleticism for opponents to fret over.
9. Oakland Raiders: DE Khalil Mack may be the league's defensive MVP, even despite a cold stretch to end the season (his last sack came Dec. 8). He's the kind of one-man wrecking ball who can turn a game — just ask Cam Newton and the Carolina Panthers or the Buffalo Bills. Oakland also makes plenty of splash plays, its 30 takeaways ranking second to the Chiefs. But the Raiders are vulnerable, especially if Mack can be contained. They've surrendered 400-plus yards five times this season and allowed at least 24 points on 10 occasions.
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10. Detroit Lions: Coordinator Teryl Austin has done a nice job overall, but he may have run out of smoke and mirrors. The Lions have been burned for 73 points and more than 800 yards the past two weeks. CB Darius Slay is fighting a hamstring injury, and DE Ziggy Ansah had just two sacks this season. Opposing quarterbacks had a staggering 106.5 passer rating against Detroit, perhaps the most ominous trend facing a team with little margin for error.
11. Green Bay Packers: They're not trending in the right direction. Over the last three weeks, they've been tagged for 76 points and more than 1,300 yards — and that's against their fellow NFC North teams, not exactly a trio of high-powered attacks. The Pack are especially vulnerable through the air — opposing QBs have a 95.9 rating against them — and it's a good bet their banged-up corners (Damarious Randall and Quinten Rollins) will be in Eli Manning's crosshairs. However with 40 sacks and 17 interceptions, the Packers are capable of splash plays.
12. Miami Dolphins: They're the antithesis of the Patriots, boasting plenty of big names but leaving much to be desired between the lines. Up front, Ndamukong Suh and Cameron Wake lived up to their reputations, but Mario Williams has been a major bust and might not even be active this weekend. Miami gives up more than 140 yards per week on the ground, ranking 30th, and was scorched for 589 total yards just two weeks ago. The Dolphins have also allowed 27.3 points per game over the last six weeks, and that likely won't get it done against the Steelers' explosive offense.
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