Power Ranking the NFL Playoff Field's Top Defensive Units

The common adage has always been that defense wins championships. And that's not incorrect.

We are here to prove that and in the process rank the 12 teams in the 2015 NFL postseason when it comes to that side of the football.

Eight of the top 11 teams when it comes to allowing the fewest yards in the league are in contention to play for a Lombardi Trophy in February. The top eight clubs in terms of fewest points allowed are still playing football this season. Nine of the top 10 teams in terms of sacks are in the playoffs.

Need we say more? So here are our feelings when it comes to the 12 remaining defensive units and how they stack up right now. While it may be a quarterback-driven league, it doesn’t hurt when you have a unit that can drive the quarterback into the ground.

12. Washington Redskins

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When it comes to total yards allowed this season, only four teams in the NFL gave up more real estate than the Washington Redskins.

However, Joe Barry’s unit was able to overcome that shortcoming at times thanks to a pass rush that got hot when it counted most. Led by outside linebacker Ryan Kerrigan (9.5), the ‘Skins amassed 17 of their 38 sacks during their season-ending four-game winning streak. And nearly half (13) of the team’s 27 takeaways came in the club’s final seven games.

Still, this is a club that allowed 40 offensive touchdowns—including 30 through the air. Jay Gruden’s club had better be opportunistic if it plans to make a long playoff run.

11. Green Bay Packers

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It’s hard to put a finger on the reason, and perhaps it’s as simple as the design of Dom Capers’ defense.

The Green Bay Packers just never seem to get that much better against the run. A year after finishing 23rd in the NFL in this vital category, they ranked 21st in the league in rushing defense this season.

You can usually count on the Pack to get to opposing quarterbacks, as Julius Peppers, Clay Matthews and Co. totaled 43 sacks this season. But the team saw a decrease in takeaways from a season ago as Green Bay forced only 22 turnovers in 2015 (compared to 27 in 2014).

Keep in mind that the last time Green Bay failed to win the NFC North, it was too busy capturing the Super Bowl as a wild card. Although quarterback Aaron Rodgers enjoyed a stellar postseason in 2010, the Pack gave up nine offensive touchdowns and forced 11 turnovers in four postseason victories.

“The good teams, their defense carries them because everybody gets stingy in the playoffs,” said Packers cornerback Casey Hayward, according to Rob Demovsky of ESPN.com this week. “Absolutely, we have to carry us. No matter if the offense is putting up 50 points or not, just go back to last year and watch all the playoff games, the good defensive teams made it farther.”

While Rodgers and the Packers offense are having their own issues these days, things become even more complicated when you can’t count on your defensive unit. Perhaps that’s getting ready to change, but we are willing to wait and see.

10. Pittsburgh Steelers

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So which version of the Pittsburgh Steelers defense will we see at Cincinnati Saturday night?

The team’s last two games in which it faced backup quarterbacks somewhat epitomize the inconsistency of Keith Butler’s young unit.

A week after sacking Baltimore Ravens signal-caller Ryan Mallett just once and failing to force a turnover in a 20-17 loss, Mike Tomlin’s club totaled four takeaways and sacked Austin Davis seven times in a 28-12 victory over the Cleveland Browns.

While only four teams in the league gave up fewer rushing yards per game, the Steelers were ranked 30th in the league against the pass and allowed 29 touchdown tosses.

This unit is still a work in progress. But now it’s time to go to work.

9. Minnesota Vikings

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Mike Zimmer knows the game of football and is one of the best defensive minds in the NFL.

The Minnesota Vikings unseated the Green Bay Packers as NFC North champions this season, and thanks to the unit that he specializes in, the Purple Gang is in the playoffs for the first time since 2012.

Faced with injuries that limited the play of standouts such as defensive tackle Linval Joseph, linebacker Anthony Barr and safety Harrison Smith this season, Minnesota still allowed only 31 offensive touchdowns in 16 games.

The problem this weekend is that five of those aforementioned scores came courtesy of the Seattle Seahawks, who blasted the Vikings 38-7 earlier this season and come to town Sunday for a playoff encounter.

Still, don’t count out a Minnesota pass rush that amassed 43 sacks this season giving Russell Wilson something to think about all afternoon.

8. New England Patriots

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The New England Patriots have dropped four of their last six games following a 10-0 start. But don’t be too hard on the team’s defensive unit, which finished with eerily similar numbers to the team that won Super Bowl XLIX a year ago.

This season, Bill Belichick’s club gave up 315 points just one year after giving up 313. A unit that was ranked 13th overall, ninth against the run and 17th in the league against the pass in 2014 finished ninth in total yards allowed, ninth against the run and 17th in the league against the pass in 2015.

Wow. That’s amazing but not when you consider this team is led by one of the great coaches of this or any era. The offseason decisions to part ways with cornerbacks Darrelle Revis and Brandon Browner don’t look so bad after all.

“Those are two players that both had good years and we have a lot of confidence in them,” said head coach Bill Belichick to Mike Reiss of ESPN.com in regard to Malcolm Butler and Logan Ryan. “There were good opportunities for both players based on the transition that we made at that position from the offseason, with (Alfonzo) Dennard, (Kyle) Arrington, Browner, Revis, that whole group."

But do these Patriots indeed have enough playmakers on defense to offset the club’s injury woes on the offensive side of the ball? Be careful before you say no. This team did total 49 sacks, second in the league behind the Denver Broncos. If that kind of pressure can translate into a few more takeaways this postseason, well…you know the rest.

7. Houston Texans

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It may surprise some people to know that only the Denver Broncos and Seattle Seahawks gave up more total yards than the Houston Texans this season.

The problem is this unit didn’t always play that way this season, although it did get its act together following a miserable start. And it took being embarrassed in a 44-26 loss to the Miami Dolphins in October to wake up this defense. After giving up 23 offensive touchdowns during the team’s 2-5 start, Romeo Crennel’s defenders allowed only 11 offensive touchdowns during the club’s 7-2 finish.

One year after leading the NFL with 34 takeaways, the Texans forced 25 turnovers. But 10 of them came in the final three games, all wins. Defensive end J.J. Watt led the league with 17.5 sacks, and outside linebacker Whitney Mercilus chipped in with 12 quarterback traps as well.

This is a sneaky good unit that could make some waves in the playoffs, especially if the Texans can cool off the red-hot Chiefs this Saturday afternoon.

6. Cincinnati Bengals

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The well-balanced Cincinnati Bengals are just as loaded on the defensive side of the football as they are on offense. And thanks to a return to Pro Bowl form by defensive tackle Geno Atkins, the team finished seventh in the league in rushing defense (up from 20th in 2014) and more than doubled its sack total (42) from last season, when the Bengals totaled a league-low 20 sacks.

One year after ranking 22nd in the NFL in total yards allowed, Cincinnati finished 11th in total defense this season. And it is one big reason the team has held its helmets above water without starting quarterback Andy Dalton.

Safety Reggie Nelson tied for the NFL lead with eight interceptions and accounted for 10 of Cincinnati’s 28 takeaways.  The Bengals allowed only 26 offensive touchdowns in 16 contests and limited 10 of their opponents to 20 points or less. And only the Seattle Seahawks surrendered fewer points (277) than Marvin Lewis’ squad (279).

There’s a lot to be said about balance and depth. And regardless of what this club does on offense, this defense is capable of carrying the load.

5. Arizona Cardinals

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While quarterback Carson Palmer and the Arizona Cardinals boast the NFL’s top-ranked offense and finished second in the league in scoring, don’t sit on a big-play defensive unit that allowed the fifth-fewest yards in the NFL in 2015.

Granted, this unit didn’t look like much in Sunday’s 36-6 home loss to the Seattle Seahawks. But we are willing to give this team the benefit of the doubt; Arizona still allowed just 19.6 points per game this season. Only the Carolina Panthers (39) came up with more takeaways this season than the Cardinals (33).

Still, the Arizona defense enters the postseason knowing it won’t have the talents of safety Tyrann Mathieu. But look for Bruce Arians and his staff to make the necessary adjustments—as usual.

4. Seattle Seahawks

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For the fourth straight season, the Seattle Seahawks allowed the fewest points in the league. That hadn’t been done in the NFL since the Cleveland Browns managed that feat five straight years from 1953 to 1957.

It hasn’t always been pretty for the defending NFC champions this season, especially early in the year when strong safety Kam Chancellor’s two-game holdout hurt this unit.

When the Seattle defense has been on this season, it has looked like its old recent self. In the team’s 10 wins this season, the Seahawks have allowed a combined 100 points (13 points or less in nine of those 10 wins). In their six losses, they allowed 29.5 points per contest.

Let’s see if Michael Bennett, Cliff Avril, Richard Sherman and the rest of this group play four solid games away from home this postseason. They have to if they intend on winning Super Bowl 50.

3. Kansas City Chiefs

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The Kansas City Chiefs enter the playoffs with a 10-game winning streak, which is not bad considering the team had dropped its previous five games and opened the year at 1-5.

While quarterback Alex Smith and the offense deserves their share of the credit, it’s the league’s seventh-ranked defense that has been the main catalyst.

This team dramatically improved two areas from a year ago. In 2014, only four teams in the league gave up more rushing yards per game than Kansas City, while only the New York Jets (13) totaled fewer takeaways (14).

This season, the Chiefs finished eighth in the NFL against the run while forcing an impressive 29 turnovers—more than doubling their production from a season ago. After picking off only six passes in 16 games a year ago, the Chiefs totaled 22 interceptions this season, led by rookie cornerback Marcus Peters' eight.

After giving up 125 points in their first four games this season, the Chiefs gave up a mere 13.5 points per contest in their final dozen outings.

And this is a group that was without linebacker Justin Houston down the stretch.

2. Carolina Panthers

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When you can limit teams from gaining a lot of yards and have a penchant for taking away the football, you have the makings of a great defense.

Only five teams in the NFL this season gave up fewer total yards than the Carolina Panthers, who also led the NFL with an impressive 39 takeaways. Led by safety Kurt Coleman and cornerback Josh Norman, the Panthers totaled a league-high 24 interceptions.

With Pro Bowl defensive tackle Kawann Short enjoying a big year, the Panthers finished with 44 sacks—one-fourth of those courtesy of the emerging defender. And you could make NFL Defensive Player of the Year arguments for Norman and linebackers Thomas Davis and Luke Kuechly.

Still, there was that late-season slump where the Saints and Giants exploited the defense; however, Cam Newton managed to rescue his club in both instances. But it was also enough to cause a bit of hesitation when it came to putting this group in the top spot.

1. Denver Broncos

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You could make a case that Wade Phillips’ defensive unit played one bad half of football all season. That came in the final 30 minutes of the Denver Broncos’ 34-27 loss at Pittsburgh in which the club squandered what proved to be a 17-point lead.

But for the most part, this has been the league’s best defense this season, and while the Broncos don’t have the same gaudy takeaways numbers as the Carolina Panthers (39), they did force a respectable 27 turnovers.

What Von Miller, Aqib Talib and friends did do is give up the fewest total yards and fewest passing yards in the league. And only the Seattle Seahawks and New York Jets allowed fewer yards on the ground this season.

Combine this kind of defense with a balanced attack and the Broncos have an excellent shot at winning their first Super Bowl since 1998.

All free-agent information courtesy of Spotrac. Unless otherwise noted, all player and team statistics come from Pro Football Reference and ESPN.com. All player ratings courtesy of Pro Football Focus.