Fantasy Index

Factoid

Defenses behaving badly

Giving up yards like never before

Guys like Peyton Manning and Drew Brees have taken advantage of rules changes to put up numbers never seen before. On the other side of the coin, that also means defenses are getting pushed around unlike anything we've ever seen. Ian Allan explains.

This year, four different teams gave up over 400 yards per game. That's rushing and passing production, but not including yards lost on sacks. It's a lot of yards.

Seeing a defense give up 400 yards used to be rare. It happened only once during all of the '90s. Now it's happened to four teams for the second time in three years.

In a 16-game season, it's happened only 26 times. Half of those 26, however, have come in the last five years. It's just the direction the game is headed.

Teams Allowing 400 Yards Per Game
YearTeamRunPassTotal
2012New Orleans147.5625304.6875452.25
1981Balt. Colts166.5625264.25430.8125
2013Dallas128.5302.1875430.6875
2011New England117.125311.0625428.1875
2011Green Bay111.8125311.75423.5625
1983Green Bay165.0625252.0625417.125
2008Detroit172.125244.1875416.3125
2013Minnesota110.4375304.5414.9375
1995Cincinnati131.5282413.5
2013Philadelphia104.4375306.6875411.125
1985San Diego123.25287.3125410.5625
2000Seattle153.375255.5625408.9375
1984Minnesota160.8125247.125407.9375
1981San Diego114.0625293.4375407.5
2013Chicago161.4375244.9375406.375
1986Tampa Bay165.5239.875405.375
1985Hou. Oilers175.875228.375404.25
2009Cleveland144.625259.3125403.9375
2002Kansas City129.1875274.75403.9375
2011Tampa Bay156.0625247.625403.6875
2005San Francisco114.5288.75403.25
1980New Orleans194.125208.8125402.9375
2011Oakland136.125266.375402.5
2009Detroit126.5625274.9375401.5
2010Denver154.5625246400.5625
2010Washington127.5625272.6875400.25

--Ian Allan

Fantasy Index