Who Has The Worst Run Defense in the NFL?

The NFL’s worst run defenses are giving up some astronomical numbers this season. Who’s on the bottom of the list?

The Case for the Bengals

The Cincinnati Bengals have the worst run defense in the NFL. They are giving up an average of 141.6 rushing yards per game. The Bengals have allowed eight rushing touchdowns and have only sacked the quarterback eight times. Let’s take a look at why the Bengals have the worst run defense in the NFL.

They gave up the most yards per carry in 2019

The Case for the Bengals – (Who Has The Worst Run Defense in the NFL?)

They gave up the most yards per carry in 2019, and they allowed opposing teams to convert first downs on runs at the second-highest rate. They also ranked near the bottom of the league in run defense DVOA.

They allowed the second-most rushing touchdowns in 2019

The Cincinnati Bengals have the worst run defense in the NFL, and it’s not even close. They allowed a staggering 2,065 yards on the ground last season, which was over 400 yards more than the second-worst team. To make matters worse, they also allowed a league-high 24 rushing touchdowns.

There are a few factors that contributed to the Bengals’ poor run defense in 2019. First, their front seven simply wasn’t very good. Their defensive line was manhandled by opposing offensive lines, and their linebackers struggled to shed blocks and make tackles in the running game. Second, the Bengals’ secondary was one of the worst in the NFL. They allowed a league-high 72 plays of 20+ yards, which put even more pressure on their front seven.

The Bengals made some changes to their defense in the offseason, but it remains to be seen if they will be enough to fix their run defense. Only time will tell, but one things for sure: The Bengals need to drastically improve their run defense if they want any chance of being competitive in 2020.

The Case for the Dolphins

The Miami Dolphins have given up an average of 140 rushing yards per game, which is the most in the NFL. They have also allowed 19 rushing touchdowns, which is the second most in the NFL. The Dolphins’ run defense is so bad that they are on pace to give up the most rushing yards in a season in NFL history.

They allowed the most rushing yards in 2019

In 2019, the Miami Dolphins allowed the most rushing yards in the NFL. They gave up an average of 145.1 rushing yards per game, and a total of 2,363 rushing yards on the season. opposition teams ran for 100 or more yards against them in 11 of 16 games.

The problem was especially bad in December, when they allowed an average of 185.6 rushing yards per game and 7 touchdowns on the ground over the course of four games. In their final game of the season, a 42-17 loss to the Baltimore Ravens, they allowed a staggering 230 rushing yards and 6 touchdowns.

So why were the Dolphins so bad at stopping the run?

There are a few factors that likely contributed to their struggles. First, they had one of the youngest defenses in the league, with an average age of 25 years old. Second, they were hit hard by injuries, particularly at linebacker where they lost starters Kiko Alonso and Raekwon McMillan to season-ending injuries early in the year.

Third, their defensive line wasn’t particularly effective at stopping opposing runners. In fact, according to Football Outsiders’ metrics, they were one of the worst teams in the league at stopping runs up the middle.

All these factors likely contributed to the Dolphins’ struggles against the run in 2019. If they can improve in any of these areas next season, they should be able to significantly reduce their number of rushing yards allowed.

They allowed the most yards per carry in 2019

In 2019, the Miami Dolphins allowed an average of 5.1 yards per carry, the worst in the NFL. That was despite having one of the best run-stopping defensive linemen in the league in Cameron Wake. So what went wrong?

There are a few theories. One is that Wake was37 years old and eventually slowed down. Another is that tackles Davon Godchaux and Christian Wilkins, both rookies, weren’t ready to handle the load. A third is that the linebackers weren’t good enough at stopping the run.

Whatever the reason, it’s clear that the Dolphins need to improve their run defense if they want to be competitive in 2020. They’ve added a couple of new linebackers in Kyle Van Noy and Elandon Roberts, and they’re hoping that those two can make a difference. We’ll see if they can turn things around this season.

They allowed the most rushing touchdowns in 2019

The 2019 Miami Dolphins allowed169 rushing yards per game which was 27th in the NFL, and they also allowed the most rushing touchdowns with 29. They gave up an average of 5.1 yards per carry which was 30th in the NFL, and their opponents ran for 100 or more yards 11 times, also the most in the NFL.

The Case for the Cardinals

Football Outsiders ranks the Cardinals as the 30th team in terms of run defense. They have given up an average of 5.1 yards per carry, and have allowed 20 rushing touchdowns. Only the Falcons and Bengals have allowed more. The Cardinals’ struggles against the run have been a big reason why they have had a disappointing season.

They allowed the second-most rushing yards in 2019

The Cardinals finished the 2019 season with a 5-10-1 record, which was good for third place in the NFC West. They were one of the worst teams in the league against the run, allowing an average of 4.8 yards per carry ( second-worst in the NFL) and 2, 153 rushing yards ( second-most in the NFL).

This offseason, they made a few changes to their personnel, but none of them were significant enough to make a huge impact on their run defense. They did not draft any defensive linemen until the sixth round and they only signed one free agent defensive lineman (tre Boston).

The Cardinals’ run defense will likely be one of the worst in the league again in 2020.

They allowed the second-most yards per carry in 2019

The Cardinals have had a rough go of it defensively in recent years. After ranking in the top 10 in fewest yards per carry allowed in 2013 and 2014, they slipped to 24th in 2015 and 2016. In 2017, they rebounded to 14th, but then fell back to 24th in 2018. And last season, they had the worst run defense in the NFL, allowing 5.1 yards per carry.

They allowed the third-most rushing touchdowns in 2019

The Cardinals had a forgettable 2019 season, but their run defense was a big reason why. They allowed the third-most rushing touchdowns in the NFL (24) and the fourth-most yards per carry (4.9).

What makes those numbers even more alarming is that they allowed those rushing touchdowns and yards per carry despite facing the sixth-fewest rushing attempts in the NFL (354). In other words, when teams did run the ball against the Cardinals, they were very successful.

Part of the problem was that the Cardinals lacked talent at the linebacker position. Their leading tackler, Haason Reddick, is a hybrid player who is better suited for coverage than run defense. Their other starting linebacker, Jordan Hicks, is a good player, but he missed eight games due to injury.

The Cardinals also struggled to generate any kind of pass rush, which put even more pressure on their linebackers in coverage. They finished with just 21 sacks, which was tied for 28th in the NFL.

The Case for the Falcons

The Atlanta Falcons have the worst run defense in the NFL. They are allowing 132.6 rushing yards per game and have given up 12 rushing touchdowns. They have only stopped the run on 30.8% of plays, which is the second worst in the league. The Falcons have some good players on their defense, but they have not been able to put it all together.

They allowed the third-most rushing yards in 2019

The Atlanta Falcons have the dubious distinction of having the worst run defense in the NFL. In 2019, they allowed an average of 133.1 rushing yards per game and 5.1 yards per carry.They gave up a total of 2,541 rushing yards and 24 rushing touchdowns.

To put that in perspective, the league average for rushing yards allowed per game is 108.6. The next worst team, the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, allowed 123.8 rushing yards per game.

So why are the Falcons so bad at stopping the run?

There are a few reasons. First, their defensive line is not very good at stopping opposing runners from getting to the second level of the defense. Second, their linebackers are not very good at filling gaps and making tackles in the running game. Third, their safeties are not very good at providing support in the running game.

If the Falcons want to improve their run defense, they need to make some changes to their personnel on defense. They need to find some players who can better stop the run and make more tackles in the running game.

They allowed the third-most yards per carry in 2019

In 2019, the Falcons gave up an average of 5.1 yards per carry, which was the third-most in the NFL. In 2018, they allowed 4.8 yards per carry, which was the sixth-most. In 2017, they allowed 4.6 yards per carry, which was the ninth-most.

So, it’s fair to say that the Falcons have had one of the worst run defenses in the NFL over the past three years. And that has been a big reason why they have struggled so much on defense overall.

The Falcons have made some changes to their defensive line this offseason, but it remains to be seen if those changes will be enough to improve their run defense in 2020.

They allowed the second-most rushing touchdowns in 2019

The Atlanta Falcons have been a disappointment on many fronts in recent years, but their struggles against the run have been especially glaring. In 2019, they allowed the second-most rushing touchdowns in the NFL (24) and the fourth-most yards per carry (4.8).

Some of this can be attributed to the team’s overall defensive struggles – they finished 28th in points allowed per game (26.4) and 27th in yards allowed per game (356.6) – but there’s no denying that their run defense has been a major weakness.

Part of the problem is that the Falcons have failed to draft or develop any impactful players at the defensive tackle position. Their top three tackles – Grady Jarrett, Tyeler Davison, and Deadrin Senat – are all solid, but unspectacular players. They combined for just 2.5 sacks last season, which is not enough production from a position that is supposed to be disruptive in the middle of the line.

What’s even more concerning is that none of the three players are under 30 years old, so it’s not like they are young and have potential to develop. If anything, it seems like their best days are behind them.

The Falcons’ lack of a true difference-maker at defensive tackle has put a lot of pressure on their edge rushers to generate pressure on opposing quarterbacks. In 2019, Vic Beasley Jr., Takkarist McKinley, and Dante Fowler Jr. combined for 19 sacks, which was a decent total but not enough to make up for the fact that they were getting very little push from the interior of the line.

The good news for Falcons fans is that new head coach Dan Quinn is an excellent defensive coordinator and he should be able to find a way to get more production out of his defensive front. If he can’t, then it’s going to be another long season for Atlanta.