2012 NFL Stat Predictions: 7 Defenses That Will Improve This Year

For our entire lives as football fans, it's been drilled into our heads that defense is what wins in football.  Some of the great cliches in the sport revolve around having a stout defense.

However, when you take a look at the bottom of the team defensive rankings for 2011, you will find arguably the three best teams in football.

Last season, the Giants, Patriots and Packers ranked 27th, 31st and 32nd respectively in team defense.  The Saints, who were the darlings of the NFL playoffs before being bounced by the 49ers, were ranked 24th. 

The NFL may be a copycat league, but don't expect teams to copy the blueprint of having absolutely no defense.

Despite the success of teams with less-than-stellar defenses in 2011, more teams tend to build from the defense up.  

A number of teams have made changes through free agency, the draft or by changing coordinators.  This slideshow examines the teams whose defenses will take the biggest leaps forward in 2012.

Buffalo Bills

The Buffalo Bills' run as one of the worst defenses in the NFL might come to an abrupt end in 2012.  That's what happens when you sign two of the top defensive free agents on the market as part of a major defensive reshaping.

The Bills were the winners in the Mario Williams sweepstakes and also landed former Patriots pass-rusher Mark Anderson.  Only the Titans and Buccaneers had fewer sacks than the Bills last year, but if Williams and Anderson stay healthy, that standing is a lock to improve.

The Bills also spent their first-round pick on the defensive side of the ball when they drafted cornerback Stephon Gilmore out of South Carolina with the No. 10 pick overall.

In addition to upgrading the personnel, the Bills made a change at defensive coordinator by letting George Edwards go and promoting Dave Wannstedt.  

The Bills showed great progress when they started the 2011 season 5-2, but a seven-game losing streak spelled doom for any hopes of fighting for a playoff spot late.  

It will be tough to make headway in the AFC East, but at the very least, expect the Bills to improve in many facets defensively; they will no longer be considered a defensive doormat of the league.

St. Louis Rams

In 2011, offenses lined up against the St. Louis Rams and just ran the ball down their throats. 

The Rams gave up an average of 152 yards per game and a total of 2,433 yards on the ground in 2011. Both totals were ranked ahead of only the putrid Buccaneers.  

While the Rams have not made major roster-wide changes on defense, they did bring in four key people who will help this unit improve.  

In what was perhaps one of the no-brainer moves of the draft, they used their first-round pick on Michael Brockers, who could turn out to be the best run-stopper in his class.

The Rams have also strengthened their secondary by signing Cortland Finnegan and taking a chance on Janoris Jenkins in the draft.  

Neither Finnegan nor Jenkins has the best reputation, but if there is one person who can keep them in line it's new head coach Jeff Fisher.

Fisher is the fourth new Ram who will see to it that their defense becomes more respectable.

There are a lot of question marks around the Rams, and there is a chance they remain one of the bottom-feeders in the league.  But expect an improvement on the defensive side of the ball in 2012, especially with their run defense.

New England Patriots

During the 2011 season, the Patriots were saddled with the stigma of having a porous defense.

The truth of the matter is they were an underrated, opportunistic unit.  

The Patriots were ranked 31st in total defense, but when it came to points allowed, they ranked 15th overall.  In fact, if they would have given up two less touchdowns in 2011, they would have been a top-10 scoring defense.

Besides the fact that they weren't that bad to begin with, expect the Patriots overall defense to rate much higher in 2012.

Bill Belichick spent the first six of his seven draft picks on the defensive side of the ball and came away with generally good grades after drafting Chandler Jones and Dont'a Hightower with his first two picks.

The Patriots haven't drafted particularly well in recent years, but at the very least the depth added here should keep Julian Edelman out of the Patriots' secondary rotation.

The Pats have some young defenders who are continuing to develop and a mastermind leading them.  

Denver Broncos

The Denver Broncos' defense was maddeningly inconsistent in 2011.  They had seven games where they held their opponents under 21 points yet had six games where they allowed 29 points or more, including four in which they allowed over 40.

It's inconceivable that the team could be that inconsistent again in 2012.

The real question here is which way will the Broncos go?

The Broncos didn't make any major additions to the defensive side of the ball, but with young superstars Von Miller and Elvis Dumervil terrorizing opponents, they didn't have far to go.

The Broncos added Mike Adams through free agency and Derek Wolfe via the draft, and while neither figures to be a Pro Bowler, they will help solidify the unit.

The defense could go either way in 2012, but if everyone stays healthy, they should make an improvement on their 2011 rank in total defense, which was 20th overall.

Philadelphia Eagles

The Philadelphia Eagles may have ranked eighth overall in team defense in 2011, but statistics have been known to lie.

The Eagles were likely done in before the season even started when Andy Reid named offensive line coach Juan Castillo the team's defensive coordinator. 

The move was questioned from the start by fans, who were proven right when the team started 1-4.  During a four-game losing streak, the Eagles allowed a total of 119 points.

The Eagles allowed 29 points or more in six games, but did have their moments in 2011.  They allowed just 14 points combined in two games against the Cowboys and held the Giants, Dolphins and Redskins to 10 points each during the second half of the season.

The Eagles used their top three draft picks on defense players, and that alone should help the unit to gain more consistency.  

Their main issue in 2011 was their run defense, specifically their poor tackling in the run game.

Defensive tackle Fletcher Cox and linebacker Mychal Kendricks, the team's top two draft picks, are aces in the running game, while third-round selection Vinny Curry made a living at Marshall creating turnovers from his defensive end spot.

The Eagles began to show improvement on the defensive side of the ball towards the end of their season, and with an infusion of young talent, the unit will shine in 2012.

Green Bay Packers

Just how putrid was the Green Bay Packers' defense in 2011?  They gave up 1,100 more yards on the season than the Indianapolis Colts.  

The Packers ranked dead last in total defense last season. To put things in perspective, they had worse defensive statistics than the 2008 winless Detroit Lions.

They aren't expected to take any kind of major leap forward but they will be improved.

Even if there isn't any concrete reason for a Packers improvement, they simply just can't get any worse.

Draft picks Jerel Worthy and Nick Perry should have an impact on the unit, and if B.J. Raji can have a bounce-back year, the Packers will be much improved.

In 2010, Green Bay was ranked fifth in the NFL in total defense. In 2011, they were dead last.  Expect them to be somewhere in between at the end of 2012. 

Dallas Cowboys

The Dallas Cowboys could have the most-improved defense in the NFL, and that is not an overstatement by any stretch of the imagination.

They have certainly done as much as any team to address their shortcomings.

The Cowboys didn't have a terrible defense last season as they ranked 14th in the NFL in overall team defense, but their pass defense had its moments of weakness.

Dallas addressed the personnel in the secondary in a bold way by adding Morris Claiborne and Brandon Carr and losing Terence Newman, Alan Ball and Frank Walker.

The trade up to nab Claiborne surprised everybody on draft day, and when they spent their next two picks on defense as well, the Cowboys' plan was clear.

They also added free agents Brodney Pool and Dan Connor to a unit that will have a decidedly different look in 2012.

One big factor that isn't talked about often is that with last season's lockout, first-year defensive coordinator Rob Ryan didn't have a full opportunity to install his complex defensive schemes.

With one year under his belt and a full offseason to work with, Ryan will do wonders with his new personnel and have the Cowboys as one of the 10 best defenses in the NFL.