| Defense | Total yds/gm 2024 → 2025 | Move | Passing yds/gm | Rushing yds/gm |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| New Orleans Saints | 382 (#30) → 301 (#9) | +21 | 239 (#27) → 179 (#4) | 143 (#31) → 122 (#19) |
| Jacksonville Jaguars | 392 (#31) → 305 (#11) | +20 | 258 (#32) → 218 (#21) | 134 (#25) → 86 (#1) |
| Cleveland Browns | 344 (#21) → 285 (#4) | +17 | 212 (#12) → 167 (#3) | 131 (#22) → 118 (#16) |
| Carolina Panthers | 406 (#32) → 328 (#17) | +15 | 225 (#23) → 204 (#15) | 182 (#32) → 124 (#20) |
| New England Patriots | 344 (#22) → 296 (#8) | +14 | 212 (#10) → 194 (#9) | 132 (#23) → 102 (#6) |
| Minnesota Vikings | 336 (#16) → 283 (#3) | +13 | 242 (#28) → 159 (#2) | 94 (#2) → 125 (#21) |
| Los Angeles Rams | 354 (#26) → 328 (#16) | +10 | 223 (#20) → 217 (#19) | 131 (#21) → 111 (#12) |
| Buffalo Bills | 342 (#17) → 294 (#7) | +10 | 226 (#24) → 157 (#1) | 116 (#12) → 136 (#28) |
| Seattle Seahawks | 334 (#15) → 287 (#6) | +9 | 212 (#11) → 194 (#11) | 122 (#15) → 92 (#3) |
| Atlanta Falcons | 347 (#23) → 328 (#15) | +8 | 225 (#22) → 201 (#13) | 122 (#17) → 127 (#24) |
| Denver Broncos | 319 (#8) → 278 (#2) | +6 | 221 (#19) → 187 (#7) | 98 (#3) → 91 (#2) |
| Indianapolis Colts | 362 (#29) → 351 (#23) | +6 | 230 (#26) → 248 (#31) | 133 (#24) → 102 (#7) |
| Los Angeles Chargers | 325 (#11) → 286 (#5) | +6 | 207 (#7) → 180 (#5) | 118 (#14) → 106 (#8) |
| Houston Texans | 316 (#6) → 278 (#1) | +5 | 201 (#6) → 184 (#6) | 114 (#11) → 94 (#4) |
| Detroit Lions | 343 (#19) → 333 (#18) | +1 | 244 (#30) → 218 (#20) | 99 (#5) → 116 (#14) |
| Las Vegas Raiders | 333 (#14) → 319 (#14) | +0 | 216 (#15) → 201 (#14) | 116 (#13) → 118 (#17) |
| Kansas City Chiefs | 321 (#9) → 302 (#10) | -1 | 219 (#18) → 196 (#12) | 102 (#8) → 107 (#9) |
| Tampa Bay Buccaneers | 342 (#18) → 338 (#19) | -1 | 244 (#29) → 238 (#27) | 98 (#4) → 100 (#5) |
| Dallas Cowboys | 357 (#28) → 378 (#30) | -2 | 218 (#17) → 252 (#32) | 139 (#30) → 127 (#23) |
| Chicago Bears | 355 (#27) → 362 (#29) | -2 | 218 (#16) → 228 (#22) | 137 (#27) → 135 (#27) |
| New York Giants | 348 (#24) → 361 (#28) | -4 | 211 (#8) → 215 (#16) | 137 (#28) → 147 (#31) |
| Cincinnati Bengals | 349 (#25) → 382 (#31) | -6 | 224 (#21) → 234 (#26) | 126 (#18) → 148 (#32) |
| Arizona Cardinals | 343 (#20) → 360 (#27) | -7 | 216 (#14) → 231 (#24) | 127 (#20) → 130 (#25) |
| Green Bay Packers | 315 (#4) → 312 (#12) | -8 | 215 (#13) → 194 (#10) | 100 (#7) → 118 (#18) |
| Philadelphia Eagles | 279 (#1) → 315 (#13) | -12 | 174 (#1) → 190 (#8) | 105 (#10) → 125 (#22) |
| San Francisco 49ers | 318 (#7) → 341 (#20) | -13 | 193 (#4) → 232 (#25) | 126 (#18) → 109 (#11) |
| Pittsburgh Steelers | 327 (#12) → 358 (#26) | -14 | 228 (#25) → 244 (#29) | 99 (#6) → 114 (#13) |
| Baltimore Ravens | 325 (#10) → 356 (#24) | -14 | 244 (#31) → 248 (#30) | 81 (#1) → 108 (#10) |
| Miami Dolphins | 315 (#5) → 349 (#22) | -17 | 211 (#9) → 215 (#17) | 104 (#9) → 134 (#26) |
| Tennessee Titans | 312 (#2) → 346 (#21) | -19 | 177 (#2) → 230 (#23) | 135 (#26) → 116 (#15) |
| Washington Commanders | 328 (#13) → 385 (#32) | -19 | 190 (#3) → 243 (#28) | 138 (#29) → 143 (#30) |
| New York Jets | 315 (#3) → 357 (#25) | -22 | 193 (#5) → 216 (#18) | 122 (#16) → 141 (#29) |
The churn is the finding. A defense's yards-allowed rank repeats year over year at r = 0.06 — essentially zero — so last season's rank is a description, not a forecast. Defenses that made big one-season moves are not "due" to hold them or give them back; coordinator changes, secondary health and turnover luck reshuffle this list every year. Note also how often the pass and rush columns disagree: Minnesota's pass defense climbed 26 spots while its rush defense fell 19. One blended "defense rank" would have been wrong about both.
What does carry a little signal: third-down conversion rate allowed (r ≈ 0.49) and, in-season, current-year per-stat form — which is what our defense vs position pages track.
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