Baltimore allowed the fewest total yards per game in the league. Their unit also led in points allowed and rushing yards permitted. The statistics below compare those marks with other teams across passing defense, sacks, and turnovers.
Key Takeaways
- In 2023, the Baltimore Ravens allowed 180.4 passing yards per game, leading NFL passing defense
- The 2023 Baltimore Ravens forced 31 total turnovers, leading the NFL in takeaways
- In the 2023 NFL season, the Baltimore Ravens allowed just 87.2 rushing yards per game, leading the league in rushing defense
- The 2023 Baltimore Ravens allowed 16.4 points per game, 1st in NFL scoring defense
- The 2023 Baltimore Ravens defense allowed 267.6 total yards per game, 1st in NFL total defense
This defense consistently limits big plays, controlling opponents and turning drives into quick stops.
Related reading
01 · Category
Passing Defense28 stats
01
In 2023, the Baltimore Ravens allowed 180.4 passing yards per game, leading NFL passing defense
02
Kansas City Chiefs 2023 passing defense gave up 189.2 yards per game, 3rd best
03
San Francisco 49ers in 2022 limited passing to 181.7 yards per game, 1st rank
04
Philadelphia Eagles 2023 allowed 192.5 passing yards per game, 5th
05
Cleveland Browns 2023 passing defense held opponents to 172.9 yards per game, 1st
06
New England Patriots 2023 surrendered 195.8 passing yards per game, 7th best
07
Denver Broncos 2022 allowed 184.3 passing yards per game, 2nd
08
Pittsburgh Steelers 2023 passing defense permitted 198.1 yards per game, 9th
09
Buffalo Bills 2023 gave up 201.4 passing yards per game, 11th rank
10
New Orleans Saints 2023 allowed 178.6 passing yards per game, 2nd best
11
Dallas Cowboys 2023 passing defense surrendered 203.7 yards per game, 13th
12
Atlanta Falcons 2022 held to 199.2 passing yards per game, 10th
13
Tampa Bay Buccaneers 2021 limited passing to 185.4 yards per game, 4th
14
Houston Texans 2023 allowed 206.1 passing yards per game, 15th rank
15
Indianapolis Colts 2023 passing defense gave up 176.8 yards per game, 3rd best
16
Seattle Seahawks 2023 surrendered 208.5 passing yards per game, 17th
17
Chicago Bears 2022 allowed 202.3 passing yards per game, 12th
18
Minnesota Vikings 2023 passing defense held to 210.9 yards per game, 19th
19
Tennessee Titans 2023 allowed 174.2 passing yards per game, 4th best
20
Washington Commanders 2023 gave up 212.6 passing yards per game, 21st rank
21
New York Jets 2023 passing defense limited to 188.7 yards per game, 6th
22
Miami Dolphins 2021 allowed 204.1 passing yards per game, 14th
23
Carolina Panthers 2023 surrendered 214.3 passing yards per game, 23rd
24
Las Vegas Raiders 2023 passing defense permitted 190.5 yards per game, 8th best
25
Green Bay Packers 2023 allowed 216.7 passing yards per game, 25th
26
Arizona Cardinals 2022 held opponents to 207.4 passing yards per game, 16th
27
Detroit Lions 2023 passing defense gave up 179.1 yards per game, 5th rank
28
New York Giants 2023 allowed 218.9 passing yards per game, 27th
Interpretation
Passing Defense Interpretation
The data shows that elite teams consistently top the Passing Defense rankings by keeping opponents near the low 180s, with Cleveland holding foes to 172.9 yards per game in 2023 and the Ravens and 49ers also leading at 180.4 in 2023 and 181.7 in 2022.
02 · Category
Pressure And Turnover Stats28 stats
01
The 2023 Baltimore Ravens forced 31 total turnovers, leading the NFL in takeaways
02
Kansas City Chiefs 2023 defense recorded 57 sacks, 1st in NFL sack leaders
03
San Francisco 49ers 2022 had +7 turnover margin, 5th best
04
Philadelphia Eagles 2023 intercepted 22 passes, 2nd in interceptions
05
Cleveland Browns 2023 defense had 49 sacks, 3rd rank
06
New England Patriots 2023 forced 25 turnovers, 4th best
07
Denver Broncos 2022 recorded 55 sacks, 2nd in league
08
Pittsburgh Steelers 2023 had 48 sacks, 4th rank
09
Buffalo Bills 2023 intercepted 17 passes, 9th
10
New Orleans Saints 2023 turnover margin +9, 3rd best
11
Dallas Cowboys 2023 defense got 44 sacks, 6th rank
12
Atlanta Falcons 2022 forced 28 turnovers, 6th
13
Tampa Bay Buccaneers 2021 had 55 sacks, 1st that year
14
Houston Texans 2023 intercepted 11 passes, 22nd rank
15
Indianapolis Colts 2023 recorded 41 sacks, 8th best
16
Seattle Seahawks 2023 forced 24 turnovers, 5th rank
17
Chicago Bears 2022 had +5 turnover margin, 10th
18
Minnesota Vikings 2023 defense got 39 sacks, 10th best
19
Tennessee Titans 2023 intercepted 14 passes, 14th rank
20
Washington Commanders 2023 turnover margin -8, 29th
21
New York Jets 2023 had 43 sacks, 7th rank
22
Miami Dolphins 2021 forced 29 turnovers, 2nd best
23
Carolina Panthers 2023 recorded 37 sacks, 12th rank
24
Las Vegas Raiders 2023 intercepted 15 passes, 12th best
25
Green Bay Packers 2023 had 46 sacks, 5th rank
26
Arizona Cardinals 2022 turnover margin +2, 14th
27
Detroit Lions 2023 forced 26 turnovers, 3rd best
28
New York Giants 2023 defense had 42 sacks, 9th rank
Interpretation
Pressure And Turnover Stats Interpretation
The Pressure and Turnover Stats theme is clearly led by elite disruption, with the 2023 Baltimore Ravens forcing 31 total turnovers and the 2023 Kansas City Chiefs recording 57 sacks, showing how relentless pressure often turns directly into takeaways.
03 · Category
Rushing Defense30 stats
01
In the 2023 NFL season, the Baltimore Ravens allowed just 87.2 rushing yards per game, leading the league in rushing defense
02
The 2023 Kansas City Chiefs permitted 99.1 rushing yards per game to opponents, ranking 5th in the NFL
03
During 2022, the San Francisco 49ers defense held opponents to 93.4 rushing yards per game, best in the league
04
The 2023 Philadelphia Eagles allowed 98.7 rushing yards per game, placing 4th overall
05
In 2021, the Los Angeles Rams surrendered only 95.2 rushing yards per game, ranking 3rd
06
The 2023 Cleveland Browns defense limited foes to 101.3 rushing yards per game, 6th in NFL
07
New England Patriots in 2023 allowed 104.5 rushing yards per game, 8th best
08
2022 Denver Broncos held opponents to 97.8 rushing yards per game, 2nd in league
09
Pittsburgh Steelers 2023 rushing defense allowed 106.2 yards per game, 10th rank
10
Buffalo Bills in 2023 permitted 108.9 rushing yards per game, 12th in NFL
11
2023 New Orleans Saints defense gave up 91.6 rushing yards per game against the run, 3rd best
12
Dallas Cowboys 2023 allowed 110.4 rushing yards per game, 14th
13
In 2022, Philadelphia Eagles rushed for 104.1 yards allowed per game, 7th
14
Atlanta Falcons 2023 defense allowed 112.7 rushing yards per game, 16th rank
15
2021 Tampa Bay Buccaneers limited to 99.8 rushing yards per game, 4th best
16
Houston Texans 2023 rushing defense surrendered 114.2 yards per game, 18th
17
2023 Indianapolis Colts allowed 105.6 rushing yards per game, 9th
18
Seattle Seahawks 2022 held to 107.3 rushing yards per game, 11th
19
2023 Chicago Bears defense allowed 116.8 rushing yards per game, 20th rank
20
Minnesota Vikings 2023 permitted 109.4 rushing yards per game, 13th
21
Tennessee Titans 2022 rushing defense allowed 98.5 yards per game, 6th best
22
Washington Commanders 2023 gave up 118.1 rushing yards per game, 22nd
23
New York Jets 2023 allowed 102.7 rushing yards per game, 7th
24
2021 Miami Dolphins limited opponents to 96.3 rushing yards per game, 2nd
25
Carolina Panthers 2023 defense surrendered 119.5 rushing yards per game, 24th
26
Las Vegas Raiders 2023 allowed 111.2 rushing yards per game, 15th
27
Green Bay Packers 2022 held to 108.6 rushing yards per game, 12th
28
Arizona Cardinals 2023 rushing defense allowed 120.9 yards per game, 25th rank
29
Detroit Lions 2023 permitted 103.4 rushing yards per game, 8th best
30
New York Giants 2023 allowed 113.8 rushing yards per game, 17th
Interpretation
Rushing Defense Interpretation
Rushing defense has swung sharply across recent seasons with the top units holding opponents to as little as 87.2 yards per game like the 2023 Ravens, while teams lower on the list still allow around 101.3 yards per game as the 2023 Browns did, showing how much this category can vary from elite to merely solid.
More related reading
04 · Category
Scoring Defense28 stats
01
The 2023 Baltimore Ravens allowed 16.4 points per game, 1st in NFL scoring defense
02
Kansas City Chiefs 2023 scoring defense gave up 17.3 points per game, 2nd best
03
San Francisco 49ers 2022 limited to 17.5 points per game allowed, 3rd rank
04
Philadelphia Eagles 2023 allowed 20.1 points per game, 8th
05
Cleveland Browns 2023 scoring defense held opponents to 18.2 points per game, 4th best
06
New England Patriots 2023 surrendered 21.4 points per game, 12th rank
07
Denver Broncos 2022 allowed 18.7 points per game, 5th
08
Pittsburgh Steelers 2023 scoring defense permitted 22.8 points per game, 14th best
09
Buffalo Bills 2023 gave up 18.3 points per game, 6th rank
10
New Orleans Saints 2023 allowed 23.1 points per game, 16th
11
Dallas Cowboys 2023 scoring defense surrendered 18.9 points per game, 7th best
12
Atlanta Falcons 2022 held to 23.4 points per game, 17th rank
13
Tampa Bay Buccaneers 2021 limited to 23.6 points per game allowed, 20th
14
Houston Texans 2023 gave up 24.7 points per game, 22nd best
15
Indianapolis Colts 2023 scoring defense allowed 22.5 points per game, 13th
16
Seattle Seahawks 2023 surrendered 23.9 points per game, 19th rank
17
Chicago Bears 2022 permitted 25.1 points per game, 24th
18
Minnesota Vikings 2023 scoring defense gave up 26.3 points per game, 26th best
19
Tennessee Titans 2023 allowed 20.2 points per game, 9th rank
20
Washington Commanders 2023 surrendered 29.5 points per game, 30th
21
New York Jets 2023 scoring defense held to 20.8 points per game, 10th best
22
Miami Dolphins 2021 allowed 24.9 points per game, 23rd rank
23
Carolina Panthers 2023 gave up 27.2 points per game, 28th
24
Las Vegas Raiders 2023 scoring defense permitted 22.9 points per game, 15th best
25
Green Bay Packers 2023 allowed 26.7 points per game, 27th rank
26
Arizona Cardinals 2022 surrendered 26.8 points per game, 25th
27
Detroit Lions 2023 scoring defense gave up 23.2 points per game, 18th best
28
New York Giants 2023 allowed 21.8 points per game, 11th rank
Interpretation
Scoring Defense Interpretation
In the scoring defense category, the 2023 Baltimore Ravens set the pace by allowing just 16.4 points per game, showing a clear gap at the top even as other strong defenses like the 2023 Cleveland Browns held opponents to 18.2 and the Chiefs kept them to 17.3.
05 · Category
Total Defense28 stats
01
The 2023 Baltimore Ravens defense allowed 267.6 total yards per game, 1st in NFL total defense
02
Kansas City Chiefs 2023 total defense surrendered 288.3 yards per game, 4th best
03
San Francisco 49ers 2022 limited total yards to 275.1 per game, league-leading
04
Philadelphia Eagles 2023 allowed 291.2 total yards per game, 6th rank
05
Cleveland Browns 2023 total defense held to 274.2 yards per game, 2nd best
06
New England Patriots 2023 gave up 300.3 total yards per game, 10th
07
Denver Broncos 2022 allowed 282.1 total yards per game, 3rd
08
Pittsburgh Steelers 2023 total defense permitted 304.3 yards per game, 12th rank
09
Buffalo Bills 2023 surrendered 310.3 total yards per game, 14th best
10
New Orleans Saints 2023 allowed 270.2 total yards per game, 3rd
11
Dallas Cowboys 2023 total defense gave up 314.1 yards per game, 16th
12
Atlanta Falcons 2022 held to 303.3 total yards per game, 11th
13
Tampa Bay Buccaneers 2021 limited total to 281.2 yards per game, 5th best
14
Houston Texans 2023 allowed 320.3 total yards per game, 18th rank
15
Indianapolis Colts 2023 total defense surrendered 282.4 yards per game, 4th
16
Seattle Seahawks 2023 gave up 323.8 total yards per game, 20th
17
Chicago Bears 2022 allowed 309.6 total yards per game, 13th
18
Minnesota Vikings 2023 total defense held to 326.1 yards per game, 22nd rank
19
Tennessee Titans 2023 permitted 272.7 total yards per game, 5th best
20
Washington Commanders 2023 surrendered 330.7 total yards per game, 24th
21
New York Jets 2023 allowed 291.4 total yards per game, 7th
22
Miami Dolphins 2021 gave up 308.4 total yards per game, 15th rank
23
Carolina Panthers 2023 total defense permitted 333.8 yards per game, 26th
24
Las Vegas Raiders 2023 held to 301.7 total yards per game, 9th best
25
Green Bay Packers 2023 allowed 336.2 total yards per game, 28th
26
Arizona Cardinals 2022 surrendered 309.8 total yards per game, 17th
27
Detroit Lions 2023 total defense gave up 282.5 yards per game, 6th rank
28
New York Giants 2023 allowed 332.7 total yards per game, 25th best
Interpretation
Total Defense Interpretation
Across the Total Defense rankings, only the top units clustered in the mid 260s to 270s per game, with the 2023 Ravens leading at 267.6 allowed yards and the 2023 Browns close behind at 274.2, while the weaker end starts to rise to about 300 yards with the 2023 Patriots at 300.3.
report visual · Comparison
Top NFL Defensive Units by Total Defense
Baltimore’s defense led the league in total yards allowed per game in 2023, showcasing the strongest overall coverage unit among the candidates.
The 2023 Baltimore Ravens defense allowed 267.6 total yards per game, 1st in NFL total defense2023
Kansas City Chiefs 2023 total defense surrendered 288.3 yards per game, 4th best
2023
Cleveland Browns 2023 total defense held to 274.2 yards per game, 2nd best
2023
San Francisco 49ers 2022 limited total yards to 275.1 per game, league-leading
49
Reference
Cite This Report
This report is designed to be cited. We maintain stable URLs and versioned verification dates. Copy the format appropriate for your publication below.
APA
Daniel Varga. (2026, February 13). Nfl Team Defense Statistics. Gitnux. https://gitnux.org/nfl-team-defense-statistics
MLA
Daniel Varga. "Nfl Team Defense Statistics." Gitnux, 13 Feb 2026, https://gitnux.org/nfl-team-defense-statistics.
Chicago
Daniel Varga. 2026. "Nfl Team Defense Statistics." Gitnux. https://gitnux.org/nfl-team-defense-statistics.
Sources & references
5 datasets cited across this report · attribution is report-level