What Team Has the Worst Defense in the NFL?

The answer may surprise you. The team with the worst defense in the NFL is actually the New England Patriots.

The Worst Defenses of the 2019 Season

The 2019 NFL season is only a few weeks old, but we already have a good idea of which teams have the worst defenses. The Miami Dolphins, Cincinnati Bengals, and Washington Redskins have all given up a lot of points and yards so far this season. Let’s take a closer look at these three teams and see why their defenses are struggling.

The Cincinnati Bengals

The Cincinnati Bengals are currently the worst team in the NFL when it comes to defense. They are giving up an average of 31 points per game, and they have only managed to sack the quarterback 12 times all season. In addition, they have given up 14 touchdown passes and have only intercepted one pass.

The Miami Dolphins

In 2019, the Miami Dolphins had the worst defense in the NFL. They gave up an average of 30 points per game, and their opponents scored a touchdown on 58.8% of their trips to the red zone (the second-worst rate in the league). The Dolphins also ranked last in the NFL in sacks (23) and forced turnovers (14).

The Washington Redskins

In 2019, the Redskins allowed the second most yards per game, the second most passing yards per game, and the fourth most rushing yards per game.

The Redskins also allowed the second most points per game, with only the Miami Dolphins allowing more. In fact, only four teams allowed more points per drive than the Redskins this past season.

What was even more impressive (or alarming) was that the Redskins managed to be so bad on defense despite having a top 10 pick in the NFL draft (Montez Sweat) and signing Landon Collins to a big free agent contract.

The biggest problem for the Redskins defense was their inability to stop the run. They allowed opposing teams to run for 5.1 yards per carry, which was by far the worst in the NFL.

They also struggled to pressure the quarterback, as they only recorded 28 sacks on the season (tied for 27th in the NFL).

All in all, it was a disappointing season for a Redskins defense that was expected to be much improved from 2018.

The Worst Defenses of the 2020 Season

Out of all the teams in the NFL, who has the worst defense? This can be a difficult question to answer because there are a lot of different ways to measure a team’s defensive performance. However, there are a few teams that stand out as having particularly bad defenses. In this article, we’ll take a look at the three worst defenses in the NFL based on various statistics.

The Jacksonville Jaguars

The 2020 Jaguars have allowed the most yards per play of any team in the NFL. They’re also surrendering the second-most points per game, and their run defense has been especially porous, giving up an NFL-worst 167.4 yards per game on the ground. While the Jaguars do have some young talent on defense, including 2020 first-round pick C.J. Henderson and 2019 first-rounder Josh Allen, they simply don’t have enough high-end talent to compete with the best teams in the league right now.

The New York Giants

In 2020, the New York Giants had the worst defense in the NFL. They gave up an average of 28.2 points per game, which was more than any other team in the league. They also allowed 6.4 yards per play, which was the second-highest average in the NFL.

The Giants’ struggles on defense were especially evident in their final nine games of the season, when they allowed an average of 32.6 points per game. That includes a un impressive performance against the eventual NFC champion Tampa Bay Buccaneers, who scored 40 points against them in Week 16.

So why were the Giants so bad on defense in 2020? Many starters from their 2019 unit, including linebacker Alec Ogletree and safety Jabrill Peppers, missed significant time due to injuries. The team also struggled to stop the run, as they allowed opponents to rush for an average of 4.5 yards per carry, which was the fourth-highest mark in the NFL.

If the Giants want to improve their defense in 2021, they will need to stay healthy and find a way to stop the run better than they did last season.

The Detroit Lions

The Detroit Lions have the worst defense in the NFL. They are surrendering an average of 30.4 points and 420.1 yards per game. The Lions have given up the most points in the league, and their opponents have scored 100 points more than any other team in the NFL.

The Lions have been especially bad against the pass, surrendering an NFL-worst 317.6 passing yards per game. They have also given up the most touchdown passes in the league (36). Detroit’s secondary has been burned for a league-high 24 touchdown passes of 20 yards or more.

Not surprisingly, the Lions are also near the bottom of the league in sacks, with just 23 on the season. Their lack of a pass rush has put even more pressure on their shaky secondary.