Fantasy Index

Factoid

Elite defenses

Tough for the best defenses to stay on top

Two years in a row, Seattle has allowed the fewest points in the league. That’s a good defense.

But as with offenses, it’s not easy staying on top. The really bad teams tend to get better, and the really good teams tend to get worse. That’s true for offenses and defenses.

In the last 20 years, only one other defense has ranked 1st in scoring defense, then came back and ranked 1st again (the Steelers in 2010-2011).

The more usual model is for that seemingly great defense to become merely good. Of the last 20 No. 1 defense, 60 percent (12) dropped out of the top 5. And 40 percent (8 of 20) didn’t even finish in the top 10.

No. 1 DEFENSES; THE NEXT YEAR (last 20 years)
YearTeamPointsRank
1994N.Y. Giants3088
1995Cleveland35619
1996Kansas City30011
1997Green Bay2825
1998Kansas City36322
1999Miami33619
2000Jacksonville32716
2001Baltimore2654
2002Chicago37924
2003Tampa Bay2644
2004New England2603
2005Pittsburgh2584
2006Chicago2553
2007Baltimore38423
2008Indianapolis2987
2009Pittsburgh32414
2010N.Y. Jets3046
2011Pittsburgh2271
2012Pittsburgh3146
2013Seattle2311
2014Seattle????

—Ian Allan

Fantasy Index