Fantasy Football Midseason Report Cards: Grading All 32 NFL Defenses
NFL midseason defensive report cards are in—and let’s just say that not everyone passed with flying colors.
Though some teams have performed very well through the first half of the season, they may not be the best option going forward.
Fantasy owners struggle with their lineups every week, but the fight doesn’t have to be so hard. If you play the right matchups and get your defense in against bad offenses, you can often see dramatic results.
Eight weeks is enough time for us to have a general grasp of which defenses are good and which ones are going to be exploited going forward.
The old saying that “defense wins championships” may not be true in fantasy football, but certainly finding the right defense and getting those extra few points can be the difference between winning and losing.
32. Buffalo Bills
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First Half Grade: F
As if it wasn’t bad enough to be the only winless team in the NFL, the Buffalo Bills are also the last-place fantasy defense in the NFL. Simply put, these guys are getting absolutely abused on a weekly basis.
The Bills have been so bad, in fact, that they have actually given their owners negative points on three separate occasions.
Through eight weeks, it has been practically the same to elect not to play a defense as it has been to play the Buffalo Bills defense.
Second Half Potential: D
Though they have been awful through the first half of the year, the toughest start of the Bills’ schedule may actually be over.
With upcoming games against the Bears, Browns, Bengals, Vikings and Lions—all teams with the potential to turn the ball over many times—the Bills may still have a few decent fantasy games in front of them.
They did sign pass-rush specialist Shawne Merriman this week, so there’s optimism that the sack numbers may increase.
That said, they’re still the Bills and there’s always the potential for a monumental collapse even against mediocre offenses.
31. Houston Texans
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First Half Grade: F
So far in 2010, the Texans defense has been about as bad as could have possibly been expected.
With the best cornerback in franchise history, Dunta Robinson, now gone from the team, the team has taken a step back from even the mediocre defenses in their past.
In seven games, the Texans defense has only hit positive points three times. They cannot seem to stop opposing offenses, including allowing the Kansas City Chiefs to drop 31 points on them in Houston just two weeks ago.
They have forced just four interceptions and have not scored a defensive or special teams touchdown yet this season.
Second Half Potential: D
Other than the fact that they faced Indianapolis twice in the first half of the year, the second half of the schedule might actually be more difficult than the first half.
Houston’s pass defense is monumentally bad to the point where starting almost any quarterback against them in fantasy football has been a good decision this year.
The Texans still have games against some of the league’s top passing attacks remaining, including San Diego and Denver. T
hey do have four inner-division games remaining—two each against the Titans and Jaguars—but both of those offenses have been on a roll as of late and their passing games seem to possibly be coming around.
If they don’t get some special teams scoring from Jacoby Jones, this defense could be in for more bad luck in the future.
30. Denver Broncos
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First Half Grade: F
No one ever said that head coach Josh McDaniels was a defensive mastermind, but who would have expected the Denver Broncos defense would allow the Oakland Raiders to embarrass them to the tune of 59 points just two weeks ago?
While it wasn’t this way to start the season, the Broncos are now being completely destroyed by opposing running games. They held down Maurice Jones-Drew and even Chris Johnson early in the year and didn’t allow a rushing touchdown through the first four weeks of the season. That all collapsed in Week 5 when they allowed the Baltimore Ravens to rush for over 200 yards and three scores.
It has been all downhill since then.
From Weeks 5 through 8, Denver allowed 716 yards rushing and an absurd 11 rushing touchdowns. They’ve lost back-to-back games to the Raiders and 49ers and it seems like the wheels may be coming off.
Second Half Potential: C
They’ll have a bye in Week 9 to start the second half of the season and that may be their last chance to make things right this season.
Someone needs to light a fire under this defense and get them working as a unit. There should be absolutely no way that a defense with the talent that this one has should be allowing opposing teams to run for five touchdowns in a single game.
The rush defense will certainly be tested when they come back from their bye, though, as they will face off against their division rival and the league’s top rushing attack, the Kansas City Chiefs.
Aside from two games against Kansas City and another against the Raiders, however, the Broncos do have the luxury of facing quite a few opposing running games that have been struggling in San Diego (twice), St. Louis and Arizona.
All may not be lost yet for this once excellent defense.
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29. Jacksonville Jaguars
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First Half Grade: F
If it wasn’t for four, mostly lucky interceptions against the Jon Kitna-led Cowboys in Week 8, the Jacksonville Jaguars may actually be lower on this list than they are.
To say that the pass defense in Jacksonville has been a disaster would be an understatement.
Having allowed 12 or more points to opposing quarterbacks in every game this season, the Jaguars are the league’s 31st-ranked defense against opposing quarterbacks and it doesn’t look to be getting any better.
They have allowed a league worst 17 passing touchdowns, which puts them on pace to allow a ridiculous 34 touchdowns through the air this season.
The run defense hasn’t been much better, either. They have allowed 10 rushing touchdowns—second worst in the league. That includes touchdowns conceded to running backs on the Cowboys, Broncos, Colts and Chargers—none of whom have been productive running the ball this season.
Second Half Potential: C
While they did get the four interceptions against the Cowboys in Week 8, a closer inspection would show that three of them could be blamed purely on the Cowboys receivers, with dropped passes that fell directly into the hands of Jaguars defenders.
The stats are all that matters in the end, but the way that they are acquired can go a long way in showing us what might happen in the future.
The Jaguars still have two games scheduled against the Texans and one against the Colts, but they do have the benefit of playing against some pretty mediocre passing games in the second half of the season.
Cleveland, Tennessee, Oakland and Washington remain on the schedule and all four of them have had major question marks at the quarterback position this season. While the Jaguars have been torched by some mediocre quarterbacks in the first half of the season, there is still potential for a second half resurgence.
Hey, maybe the defense finally gained some confidence after embarrassing the Cowboys.
28. Minnesota Vikings
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First Half Grade: D
Considered by most to be one of the highest fantasy potential defenses going into 2010, the Minnesota Vikings may be the most disappointing defense this season.
Things started off fairly well as the Vikings defense allowed just 34 points through the first three weeks against the Saints, Dolphins and Lions. But it quickly got bad as they have allowed 21 or more points in every game since.
The defense’s problems start up front.
The defensive line including Ray Edwards, Pat and Kevin Williams and Jared Allen simply has not done its job this season. After three straight seasons of 14 or more sacks, Allen has just one sack through the first half of 2010. Edwards, who broke out with 8.5 sacks in 2009, has also struggled to get to the quarterback, compiling just 1.5 sacks so far in 2010.
Second Half Potential: B
One of the league’s best kick returners, Percy Harvin, has to be considered one of the team's biggest assets . In just his second season, Harvin has already returned three kickoffs for touchdowns, including a huge one against the Cowboys to start the second half a few weeks back.
If Harvin can stay healthy, the Vikings have what many teams don’t—a returner who has the potential to take over a game on his own.
Though kick returns cannot be counted on as a source of scoring, the potential is a nice thing to have. After all, there are entire organizations who go decades without kick returns for touchdowns—just look at how long it took the Tampa Bay Buccaneers to get their first kick return touchdown in franchise history.
The defense itself has been bad, but the talent is there. We have to assume that these guys are going to come out of their slumber at some point, but will it be enough to make them a fantasy-relevant defense in 2010? Only time will tell.
With games against the Cardinals, Redskins, Bills, Bears and Lions still remaining, there is definitely the potential for some defensive scoring from this team in the second half.
27. Baltimore Ravens
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First Half Grade: D
It has been a very odd start to the season for the Baltimore Ravens defense.
Scoring wise, they have pretty much been decreasingly successful every week this season. Starting with a nine points allowed gem against the Jets in Week 1, the Ravens have most recently been seen allowing the winless Bills to light them up for 34 in Week 7.
Though they have forced four interceptions and recovered three fumbles over their past two games, that has been the anomaly this season, as they forced just three total turnovers through the first five games of 2010.
The Ravens’ problems may stem primarily from their lack of a pass-rush. With only 12 sacks so far this season, they simply have not been getting to the quarterback as much as they have in years past.
Second Half Potential: C
Though it has been a tough start to the season for this once elite defense, the outlook doesn’t look too bad.
With games against the Panthers, Buccaneers and Browns still on the horizon, there is still a chance for some nice fantasy games against some weak offenses. I
n addition, through the remainder of 2010, the Ravens only play three top 10 quarterbacks in Drew Brees, Matt Schaub,and Ben Roethlisberger—and none of them have put up particularly amazing statistics in 2010.
With Ray Lewis anchoring the defense and Ed Reed returning from injury, there is still time for this defense to make a push back into being fantasy relevant.
26. Cincinnati Bengals
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First Half Grade: D
With all of the turnovers that this defense has forced during the first half of 2010, it’s hard to believe that they’re still ranked in the bottom third of the fantasy world.
Normally a number like 16 turnovers forced in seven games would result in more production, but when it’s coupled with allowing over 23 points per game, it doesn’t exactly work like that.
One of the biggest reasons for this lack of success is the Bengals’ league-worst six sacks forced in seven games. This is a surprisingly low number considering they finished the season with 34 sacks just a year ago.
Second Half Potential: F
In leagues that score for sacks (as many do), the lack of pass-rush has to be turned around—and they need to continue forcing turnovers—if there is any chance that they will turn things around from their under-performing start to 2010.
With games against Cleveland and Carolina already in their past, it’s hard to believe that there will be some sort of resurgence with this defense. They have already forced a high number of turnovers without turning it into much fantasy production and it’s unlikely that they stay on that pace anyway.
The Bengals still have tough matchups against the Steelers (twice), Colts, Jets, Saints, Chargers and Ravens in their future. This just looks like a defense that just isn’t bound for a whole lot of fantasy success in 2010.
25. Dallas Cowboys
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First Half Grade: D
Having allowed an average of 33.5 points over the past four weeks, the Dallas Cowboys defense has absolutely fallen apart.
There were glimpses of hope early in the season when the Cowboys held the Redskins and Texans offenses to 13 points each, but that is pretty much gone after last week’s disaster against the Jacksonville Jaguars.
The Jaguars, coming off a humiliating 42-20 loss to the Chiefs, returned the favor to the Cowboys as quarterback David Garrard contributed to a career-high five touchdowns (four passing, one rushing).
While they’ve actually done a fairly decent job of stopping opposing rushing attacks this season, Dallas’ secondary has allowed quarterbacks to shred them for a combined QB rating of 105.4—second worst in the NFL. This number is significantly worse than the 83.5 QB rating they allowed in 2009.
At this point there is very little discussion that needs to go into the draft—the Cowboys absolutely must target a safety who can make plays and preferably someone who can be lined up against opposing receivers on occasion and not be completely victimized each and every time.
Say what you will about former Cowboys safety Roy Williams’ coverage abilities, but at least he was an asset in run stopping—the current safeties on the roster seem to specialize in watching opposing players run by them for touchdowns.
Second Half Potential: F
There may not be a team in the league that is more defeated than the Dallas Cowboys.
Once touted as a Super Bowl contender, the Cowboys are now not much more than an easy win on the schedule for most of their remaining opponents.
The loss of Tony Romo not only affects the offense, but it affects the entire team morale and chemistry. They are missing a leader who can help bring them up when they are down and make up for the potential mistakes that the defense might make.
The Cowboys’ remaining schedule looks daunting to say the least. Really only a matchup with the Cardinals in Week 16 looks like it has the potential for anything other than embarrassment.
The Week 8 shellacking that they took from the Jaguars could just be the start of this defense’s woes.
24. Carolina Panthers
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First Half Grade: C
All things considered with how horrible Carolina’s offense has been, the defense really hasn’t fared so bad.
Having allowed only one game of 24 or more points this season, the Panthers have actually been fairly consistent. In fact, if it wasn’t for their offense being so incredibly terrible, there might actually be a chance that this team would win more than one game by this point in the season.
While they have struggled at times to stop opposing rushing offenses, the Panthers have actually been surprisingly good at stopping the pass. They rank sixth in the league in fantasy points allowed to opposing quarterbacks and have actually allowed the exact same number of touchdowns as they have forced interceptions, with 10 of each this season—a very high number for a team that many consider to be perhaps the worst in the league.
Second Half Potential: C
The majority of their remaining schedule is against fairly average teams.
They do face the New Orleans Saints in Week 9, but that was actually one of their better fantasy games of the year when the two teams played earlier this year. Drew Brees has struggled with accuracy and consistency this season and actually leads the league in interceptions, so the Panthers might actually make for a sneaky play this week.
Going forward from there, the best offense that the Panthers play may be the Atlanta Falcons, who rank sixth in the league in yards per game, but have struggled at times to turn that into points. The Panthers face them twice in the final four weeks of the season, though, so that’s not something we need to worry too much about yet.
Even if the Panthers do struggle against the Falcons in the first meeting, there will be plenty of time to spot-start them against weaker opponents like the Cardinals and Browns before dumping them if your league plays in Week 17, when the Panthers head to Atlanta to face the Falcons in the rematch.
23. Miami Dolphins
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First Half Grade: C
So inner-division matchups with the Jets and Patriots may not be the best thing for the Dolphins fantasy defenses—but other than those two games, Miami has actually been a pretty solid fantasy defense.
They may not have forced the number of turnovers that some other teams have with only five interceptions and three fumble recoveries so far, but the Dolphins have actually done a fairly good job of slowing down some of the league’s most potent offenses. They held the Packers to just 20, Bengals to 14 and Vikings to 10 offensive points.
Miami’s run-first offense allows them to control the clock, which when successful has done a great job of keeping their defense fresh and giving them some pretty good field position to work with.
The addition of Karlos Dansby has been a pleasant burst of leadership and calm under pressure as proven last week when cornerback Sean Smith made a huge fourth quarter interception that essentially locked up a big victory for the team.
The Dolphins are still underdogs to win the AFC East over the Jets and Patriots, but there is little doubt that this team is moving in the right direction with their defense.
Second Half Potential: B
With games against the Packers, Vikings, Steelers and Patriots in their past, Miami should have an easier second half of the season than they did in the first half.
Potential turnover-prone teams like the Bears, Titans, Raiders, Browns, Bills and Lions still remain on the schedule and most of those offenses can also be pushed around and held to low-point totals.
While there are still tough road division games left on the schedule against both the Patriots and Jets, the Dolphins schedule is still pretty positive. The Jets have been inconsistent on offense and just came off being shut out against the Packers, while the Patriots haven’t looked like quite the same offense since Randy Moss left.
Don’t expect anything amazing from this defense down the road, but a few 15-20 point games are certainly not out of the question.
22. New Orleans Saints
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First Half Grade: C
Thought to be one of the league’s best turnover-forcing teams going into 2010, the Saints have actually only forced more than one turnover in two games this season.
They can certainly hang their hats on the fact that they have forced at least one turnover in every game, but with the weak schedule the Saints faced in the first half of the season, that should almost be expected.
Nice games against the Steelers and Buccaneers recently have been a treat for fantasy owners, but it has been the disappointing performances against three of the league’s worst offenses that have been the big issue.
After scoring just six fantasy points against the Panthers in Week 4, the Saints proceeded to allow the inept Arizona and Cleveland offenses to score 30 points each on them in two of the following three games.
Second Half Potential: B
It has just been the glaring lack of consistency that has made the Saints defense a mediocre fantasy option this season.
The return of Darren Sharper should help that some and could turn into a few additional turnovers, but someone needs to remind this team that they are the defending Super Bowl Champions—it’s time to play like it.
They still have time to redeem themselves against turnover-prone offenses like Carolina, Dallas and Cincinnati.
The biggest source of fantasy value, however, may come in the return of punt returner Reggie Bush. While many consider him a “bust,” his punt returning ability is absolutely among the elite in the league and he has made opposing special teams units look absolutely ridiculous in the past.
If Bush can get back to health and still have the explosiveness he has shown in the past and the Saints defense can find a bit more consistency, they may be able to start playing like the defense we all hoped they would be when we drafted them.
21. Tampa Bay Buccaneers
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First Half Grade: C
Turnovers, turnovers, and more turnovers—wow! Through their first seven games, the Tampa Bay Buccaneers have forced an unbelievable 18 turnovers, three of which have gone for touchdowns.
This is the kind of production that made the New Orleans Saints defense a surprisingly solid fantasy play in 2009 and it’s working so far for the Buccaneers in 2010.
The problem with this defense, though, is that they are allowing opposing offenses to absolutely pummel them with points.
Since holding the Panthers and Browns offenses to a combined 21 points in Weeks 1 and 2, the Buccaneers have since allowed an average of 28.4 points. This has been particularly tough in games against the Saints and Steelers when they actually produced negative fantasy scores.
Second Half Potential: C
While they have still won some of the games where they have allowed a high number of points, there has to be some concern that this defense isn’t going to continue their incredible turnover production.
At some point, the reality that this defense just isn’t very good has to shine through, doesn’t it?
They still have tough matchups against the Falcons (twice), Ravens, Saints and surprisingly the Lions on their schedule, so consider that only half of their remaining games look like quality fantasy matchups.
Thankfully, the Buccaneers defense seems to be somewhat predictable. They have struggled against good to great offenses, while mostly doing a pretty good job stopping and scoring themselves against turnover-prone offenses. This makes it a lot easier to spot-start them and make use of their fantasy value.
20. New York Giants
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First Half Grade: C
Perhaps the Giants’ biggest fantasy impact this season has been their ability to knock opposing quarterbacks out of the game.
Despite sending what seems to be countless quarterbacks to the sidelines with injuries now, the Giants simply have not been a consistent fantasy defense at all this season. Sandwiched between two nice 14- and 23-point fantasy days against the Panthers and Bears were negative-point performances against the Colts and Titans earlier this season.
They have allowed three games of 29 or more points to opposing offenses already this season and seem to be struggling against good quarterbacks while completely abusing the bad ones.
If they continue to knock out the opposing team’s top quarterback, though, they might just be able to continue to add to their number of big fantasy days in 2010.
Second Half Potential: C
While the big games against the Panthers, Texans and Bears have been nice; it’s hard to get any consistency out of this defense. They were assaulted equally as badly by the Cowboys, Titans and Colts, so it’s hard to imagine that this inconsistent defense will suddenly start to come together.
The Giants do have quite a few nice matchups remaining on their schedule against weaker offenses like the Redskins (twice), Tony Romo-less Cowboys and Seahawks.
Their success against the lower-quality offenses earlier in the season could be seen as a sign that they are a traditional boom-or-bust defense, which makes them a risky but sometimes very beneficial fantasy contributor.
19. Indianapolis Colts
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First Half Grade: C
The 2009 AFC Champions have been exposed as one of the league’s worst run defenses in 2010.
After being embarrassed by the Texans for 260 yards on the ground in Week 1, they have turned things around a bit since, but have still allowed over 100 yards rushing in every game but one this season.
The passing defense remains solid, having allowed only the Denver Broncos to do much damage against them this season in that area, but the lack of balance has truly made for a tough start to 2010.
The one constant in this fantasy defense has always been their ability to attack the quarterback—and this season is no exception. Though they only have 14 sacks on the season, their ferocious pass rush has contributed to their successful pass defense which has allowed only two multiple-touchdown passing days to opposing quarterbacks this season.
Say what you will about their abilities in run defense, but Dwight Freeney and Robert Mathis are absolute machines at getting to the quarterback, particularly in games when the Colts are ahead at the end of the game and they can focus solely on pass-rush.
Indianapolis is fully expected to make another playoff run this year, but they do need to improve on their run defense if their fantasy defense is going to be anything special.
Second Half Potential: B
Perhaps the most glaring positive concerning the Colts’ remaining schedule is that they have quite a few games against teams that have struggled to run the ball this season.
Assuming that there isn’t going to be some monumental change in the way the Colts defensive scheme works, their best chance may be to hope for the ineptitude of their opposition’s rushing attack.
In the second half of the season, the Colts face only one team that currently ranks in the top five in 2010: The Oakland Raiders. The positive to this particular game is that it’s hard to believe that the Raiders will remain competitive with the Colts for too long so they could turn to the passing game much earlier than expected.
If the Titans can get their running game with Chris Johnson back on track, that game could also turn into a difficult matchup for the Colts, but Johnson hasn’t been quite as explosive in 2010 as he was in 2009.
18. San Francisco
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First Half Grade: C
After leading the NFL in fantasy scoring in 2009, the San Francisco 49ers defense has definitely taken a step back in 2010.
Then again, so has the rest of the team.
Considered by most to be one of the best up-and-coming teams in the NFL, the 49ers have fallen back into mediocrity, having won just two games through the first eight weeks of the season. Surprisingly, though, those two wins have actually come in back-to-back games against the Panthers and Broncos.
They started off extremely slowly, scoring a total of -2 fantasy points through the first three weeks of the season, but the 49ers have actually turned things up as of late, averaging 10.4 fantasy points per game over their last five.
Second Half Potential: C
The 49ers will head into their bye week in Week 9 with the intention of continuing their winning streak against the Rams in Week 10.
If they hope to keep winning, they will need their defense to perform like it has in the past three weeks and not like it did in the first three weeks when they allowed a combined 87 points to the Seahawks, Saints and Chiefs.
They have been a very good fantasy defense in the past and even as of late, but the 49ers could very easily slip back into the terrible start they had.
Fortunately, they still have five inner-division games on their schedule, three of which will be played at home, so opposing offenses shouldn’t have too much that the 49ers haven’t seen before.
If Mike Singletary hopes to keep his job, he’ll need the defense to keep doing what they’ve been doing the past few games.
17. San Diego Chargers
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First Half Grade: C
Even with the surprising No. 2 fantasy pass defense in the NFL, the San Diego Chargers defense has been a mixed bag so far this year.
While they completely abused the Jaguars with 18 fantasy points in Week 2 and humiliated the Cardinals with 25 fantasy points in Week 4, the Chargers have also had five games of three or less fantasy points.
They started off fairly strong, forcing 10 turnovers in their first four games, but something seems to have switched from Week 5 on. Since that point, the Chargers have not forced a single turnover while allowing 103 points to opposing offenses in four games.
Second Half Potential: D
It’s hard to have confidence in a defense that hasn’t forced a turnover in four straight weeks, especially when they’ve faced the likes of Kerry Collins, Vince Young, Jason Campbell and Sam Bradford during that timeframe.
While San Diego has done a fairly good job keeping opposing quarterbacks from doing much so far, the concern is obviously that this team seems to be unraveling at the seams, particularly in the secondary.
After being beaten up by the Titans' quarterbacks, it’s hard to imagine that the Chargers will have much of an answer for the Texans, Colts or even the Broncos’ (whom they still face twice) passing games.
Unless someone inspires this defense to start forcing turnovers, this could drought get uglier by the week.
16. Cleveland Browns
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First Half Grade: C
They’ve really only had two above-average fantasy days, but the Cleveland Browns fantasy defense has actually been surprisingly good so far this year.
They have allowed 16 or more points every week this season and it hasn’t translated into many wins, but what they did against Drew Brees going into their bye week has been a cause for attention.
In their shocking road win in New Orleans, the Browns intercepted Brees an unbelievable four times, returning two of them for scores and putting up one of the biggest fantasy days of the season by any defense so far this season.
Second Half Potential: D
Even with their surprisingly great performance against the Saints, the Browns have to be considered one of the league’s most mediocre defenses going forward.
They don’t particularly excel in any one area on defense and no one should believe that they have suddenly become some sort of turnover-forcing machine.
Even All-Pro return man Josh Cribbs has been held out of the end zone this season. If he doesn’t get things going, this defense has practically no value going forward, even with some easy matchups still on their schedule.
15. Atlanta Falcons Defense
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First Half Grade: C
After holding opponents to 15 or less points in four of their first five games, the Falcons defense has since allowed back-to-back 30-point performances to the Eagles and Bengals.
Of course, the collapse had to be somewhat expected considering how bad Atlanta’s secondary was in 2009. They did bring in Dunta Robinson at cornerback, but still—the lack of depth remains.
The Falcons have already played the easiest part of their schedule against the Ben Roethlisberger-less Steelers, Cardinals, 49ers and Browns, so their output has to be considered somewhat disappointing.
Second Half Potential: B
The bye week in Week 8 should have helped rest the team and help them regain their focus for the second half of the season. They were lit up by some of the deeper offenses in the league in Cincinnati and Philadelphia, but those are actually among the best offenses that Atlanta will play all season.
Though the Falcons defense has only really had one big fantasy game this season, their consistent production against bad offenses has shown that they are at least worth the consideration as spot-starts against other bad offenses.
With games against thin offenses like the Buccaneers (twice), Panthers (twice) and Seahawks still on their schedule, there may actually be quite a few of those bad offenses on the horizon.
14. Kansas City Chiefs
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First Half Grade: C
Who would have expected that the Kansas City Chiefs defense would be one of the strong points of their team in 2010?
Just a year ago, the Chiefs ranked 30th in the league, allowing 388.2 yards per game.
Only one time in 2010 has the Chiefs defense allowed more than 20 points. They have done an excellent job of stopping even some of the league’s best offenses, holding San Diego to just 14 points and Indianapolis to 19.
You can make all the claims in the world about this unit overachieving, but the simple fact is that they are a much improved unit from the one we saw a season ago. There’s no reason to believe that the young talent won’t continue to improve.
Second Half Potential: B
What’s surprising is that the Oakland Raiders—yes, those Oakland Raiders—might actually be the biggest test left for the Chiefs defense in 2010.
The Raiders are coming off back-to-back 30-plus point outings and they do play the Chiefs twice in the final nine weeks of the season. While we have come to know this offense as being sometimes hilariously inept, the emergence of running back Darren McFadden seems to be lifting everyone around him.
If the Chiefs can get past the Raiders next week, though, their remaining schedule is very susceptible to turnovers and most of the teams are not very good offenses to begin with.
The only downfall right now is the health of returner Dexter McCluster, who was injured in the Chiefs’ Week 7 game against the Jaguars. While other players on the team have proven that they can be successful, none of them have the explosive ability of McCluster, so the special teams unit may not be quite what it was until he is back to full health.
13. Philadelphia Eagles
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First Half Grade: B
The Philadelphia Eagles defense has been a difficult one to understand this season. While they held the Falcons to just 17 points, the Eagles defense has also allowed 30-plus point games to the Titans and Lions.
The bright side has been that the Eagles’ pass-rush has done an excellent job of getting to the opposing quarterbacks and forcing them to make mistakes. Philadelphia’s defense is currently averaging three sacks per game and they have forced at least one interception in every game so far this year.
These numbers haven’t always translated to great fantasy success as they have been held under 10 points in five of their first seven games, but the fact that they’re getting to the opposing quarterback is usually a recipe for big plays in the future.
Second Half Potential: B
While the Eagles do face Peyton Manning and the Colts in Week 9, the schedule after that is one that has “interceptions” written all over it.
With games left against the Tony Romo-less Dallas Cowboys, Chicago Bears, New York Giants and Minnesota Vikings, the Eagles have a very good chance of maintaining or even possibly improving on their first-half fantasy numbers.
Better yet, DeSean Jackson has officially passed the concussion test and began practicing again with the team on Wednesday. Jackson is among the very best returners in the league and has already returned three punts for touchdowns in his two previous seasons coming into 2010. His healthy return makes the Eagles defense and special teams unit an even more valuable commodity.
12. Arizona Cardinals
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First Half Grade: B
With an unbelievable six total defense and special teams touchdowns through their first seven games, the Arizona Cardinals defense has been a surprisingly productive fantasy unit. This comes in spite of the fact that they have been already been torched for three 35-plus point performances by opposing offenses this year.
To call what they have done fantasy-wise, “lucky” might be an understatement. The Cardinals have held only one offense to under 20 points and that happened all the way back in Week 1 against the Rams, in Sam Bradford’s first professional game.
It seems like this offense just wasn’t up to the task against the better offenses they faced, though, as they were assaulted for 41 points by both the Falcons and Chargers, leading to disastrous days for fantasy owners.
They did, however, force four turnovers against the New Orleans Saints, including returning two of them for touchdowns—so again, the luck factor does seem to pop up every once in awhile.
Second Half Potential: D
The Cardinals allowed the Tampa Bay offense to score 38 on them in Week 8, so there is definitely a concern that this first-half production has been the highest peak for this otherwise mediocre defense.
Arizona has allowed an outrageous average of 28.3 points per game to opposing offenses and that number could get worse if they keep allowing teams like the Buccaneers and Seahawks to make them look silly.
A big test will be this Sunday when the Cardinals head to Minnesota to face the Vikings in what has to be considered a must-win game for Brad Childress’ squad. If the Cardinals are able to contain that offense, there is still a chance for them in the second half.
Sure, there is always the chance that they will continue this absurd defensive touchdown streak. There’s also a chance that pigs will fly onto the field this Sunday and help the Cardinals tackle Adrian Peterson.
11. New York Jets
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First Half Grade: B
The first defense selected in most fantasy drafts this season was one of the top-scoring fantasy defenses in 2009, Rex Ryan’s New York Jets defense.
Though they have panned out as a solid weekly starter, a 12th place ranking through the first half of the season has to be considered a bit of a disappointment for fantasy owners who often jumped up quite a few rounds to select this highly touted defense.
It’s hard to point out any specific game as being a dissatisfying from a fantasy perspective, but the big games just haven’t been there for the Jets in the same way they were in 2009.
After averaging 10 points per week in 2009, the Jets have fallen to about an 8.5 point average.
Second Half Potential: A
Thankfully, things seem to be getting better as the Jets held the highly productive Green Bay Packers offense to just nine points. The offense failed to score a single point and it was only a six-point fantasy day, but the defense played perhaps their best game of the season.
There is still a chance for the Jets to become the elite fantasy defense that many expected that they would be this season, but they’re going to need to start turning some more of these turnovers that they have been forcing into touchdowns.
It’s somewhat of a matter of bad luck that the Jets have only scored one defensive touchdown this season. If they continue to get to the quarterback, force turnovers and stop opposing offenses, the Jets will be just fine.
The nice thing for fantasy owners is that they might be one of the safest every-week starters as a defense this season.
10. New England Patriots
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First Half Grade: B
If it wasn’t for two big games against the Dolphins and Bengals, this defense would be embarrassingly terrible.
While the Patriots defense combined for 49 fantasy points in those two games, they have added just 16 in the five other games combined. This includes a one-point performance against the Bills in Week 3 when they allowed a horrible Buffalo offense to shred them for 30 points.
Take away the six defensive and special teams touchdowns and five interceptions they forced against the Bengals and Dolphins, and the Patriots defense has had zero touchdowns and only three interceptions in the other five games combined.
Plainly stated, if you had the Patriots defense in their two big games, you’re probably okay with the production they’ve gotten you—but if you didn’t, you’re probably sick and tired of seeing low, single digits in your fantasy score sheet.
Second Half Potential: D
While Brandon Tate has been a spark in the kick return game, that’s not really something we can rely on as fantasy owners. We have to understand that kick returns are not something that can be easily predicted and it’s better to just assume that they aren’t going to happen—especially since Tate is reportedly going to get a bigger role in the offense in the upcoming weeks, which could mean less touches as a returner.
If the Patriots aren’t scoring touchdowns on lucky turnovers and returning kicks, they have been pretty much embarrassing as a fantasy unit, and there’s very little reason to believe that will turn around any time soon.
While they do face the Browns in Week 9, the remaining schedule after that is very unfavorable for this mediocre defense—specifically the secondary which has been among the very worst in the league in 2010.
9. St. Louis Rams
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First Half Grade: B
A favorable schedule has the St. Louis Rams—surprisingly—in the top 10 fantasy defenses.
The Rams were a league-worst in fantasy defensive scoring in 2009, and it really wasn’t close. Averaging just 23 points per game, they would have needed to more than triple their final output to move up just four spots to 28th.
But 2010 has been a completely different story for this team, both offensively and defensively.
Aside from their disgustingly terrible performance against the Lions where they allowed a shocking 44 points, the Rams have held every other opposing offense to 18 or less points this season.
In addition, St. Louis’ 15 turnovers have been a welcome increase from the 19 total turnovers the team forces in 2009.
Second Half Potential: A
While the Rams do have some tougher games on their schedule in the second half of the season than they did in the first half, the only one that looks particularly daunting is the Week 14 matchup against the Saints.
It’s surprising, but this fantasy defense may actually have a chance to stay this good all year. They haven’t gotten lucky with turnovers that have turned into freebie touchdowns—they’ve gotten this far with good, solid defense.
While touchdowns are always nice, they’re practically impossible to predict, so having a defense that has proven it can stop opposing offenses is a very valuable asset.
8. Detroit Lions
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First Half Grade: B
Wow, first St. Louis and now Detroit? What happened?!
While St. Louis’ defense has made its fantasy owners happy by producing consistent, solid defense, the Detroit Lions have seemed to swing intensely from game to game.
After a great game against the Rams in Week 5 where they held Sam Bradford and the offense to just six points and scored 26 fantasy points of their own, the Lions proceeded to get stomped by the Giants in Week 6, allowing 28 points and scoring zero fantasy points of their own. Immediately afterwards, it was another nice fantasy game where they scored 16 points.
The addition of Ndamukong Suh has been an unbelievable, immediate impact to this defense, but the rest of the team needs to keep up with his consistently excellent play.
Second Half Potential: D
The swings are nice if you were lucky enough to have the Detroit Lions defense in your lineup for the good times, but it’s hard to believe that this defense is going to have many more huge games like that.
Suh is great and all, but he can’t do it on his own, and this secondary is still among the very worst in the entire league.
The Lions still have dates with Tom Brady, Aaron Rodgers and the surprisingly productive Ryan Fitzpatrick in upcoming weeks, so the there is a good chance that we see the Lions defense tumble back down the fantasy rankings into reality.
This week’s game against the New York Jets could go a long way in showing us whether the Lions defense is going to keep on pace with the crazy first half they had.
7. Oakland Raiders
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First Half Grade: B
Okay, really? First St. Louis, then Detroit, and now Oakland? Who flipped the scoring chart upside down?
It’s crazy to think that a defense that has forced just four interceptions in eight games this season is ranked this high in fantasy scoring, but that’s the truth.
The Raiders have used the four defense and special teams touchdowns they have to boost up their defensive production over the past four weeks. In fact, after scoring just six total fantasy points in the first four weeks combined, the Raiders proceeded to score an unbelievable 63 fantasy points over the following four weeks.
While they have been terrible against the run and haven’t forced the number of turnovers that one would have hoped, the Raiders defense just seems to be on a roll right now.
Second Half Potential: D
This can’t really continue, can it?
The Raiders’ 26th-ranked run defense faces a huge challenge this week as they host the league’s top rushing attack, the Kansas City Chiefs. This game will likely be the Raiders’ snap back to reality as the combination of Jamaal Charles and Thomas Jones could easily top the 200-yard mark this week if Oakland isn’t careful.
Not only that, but with another game in Kansas City and games in Pittsburgh and Jacksonville still on the schedule, the Raiders may be in for some serious trouble against opposing running backs.
Don’t trust this unit unless they somehow shut down Kansas City this week. Things might look good now, but the wheels will eventually come off.
6. Seattle Seahawks
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First Half Grade: A
The Seattle Seahawks have to be considered another surprise entry in the top 10 fantasy defenses through the first half of this season.
In three home games this season, the Seattle Seahawks have scored 19, 26 and 16 points. While they haven’t fared quite as well on the road, it’s certainly worth noting that the “12th Man” crowd noise in Seattle is a big part of causing confusion.
Confused offenses make mistakes which give us the fantasy stats we all love to see, like the five turnovers the Seahawks forced against the Chargers in Week 3.
It’s also worth noting, however, that the Seahawks are coming off a humiliating loss to the Raiders in which they allowed 33 points to an offense that many would have called among the worst in the league just a few weeks ago.
Second Half Potential: B
Favorable matchups against the Cardinals, Panthers, 49ers and Rams still remain for this defense and there is certainly reason to believe that those games could turn into more 15-plus point games for this fantasy defense.
They do also have some tough matchups against the Giants, Saints and Falcons, but don’t let those offenses concern you too much. The Seahawks have done a very good job stopping opposing passing games, so even quarterbacks like Drew Brees could be in for a tough day.
The Seahawks will be pushing for the NFC West division title this season, so expect them to focus heavily on turnover-forcing defense and controlling the clock on offense in the second half of the season. This could lead to some nice fantasy days, but the risk for some bad games is certainly there as well.
5. Washington Redskins
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First Half Grade: A
What a start to the 2010 season it has been for the Redskins fantasy defense.
After a humiliating training camp where it seemed that Albert Haynesworth and head coach Mike Shanahan could not co-exist, the team is beginning to come together.
Having forced 19 turnovers through their first eight games this season, the Redskins are really starting to turn up the pace over the past three weeks. In Weeks 6, 7 and 8, the Redskins forced 11 turnovers and returned two of them for touchdowns.
Even in a disappointing loss to the Lions in which they allowed 37 points to the offense, the Redskins defense and special teams unit was still able to put together a positive fantasy day due to the two touchdowns they scored themselves.
The Redskins will have Week 9 off as they prepare for the second half of the season, but the first half was certainly a big success fantasy-wise.
Second Half Potential: B
While the Redskins defensive style is conducive to forcing turnovers, it’s hard to believe that they’re going to stay on the pace they’ve been at over the past few weeks.
DeAngelo Hall seems to be in some sort of trance that puts him in the right position to intercept passes, but the veteran, in his eighth professional season, has already matched his career-best with six interceptions this season.
If Brian Orakpo and the pass-rush can continue to attack the quarterback, Hall will get his chances—but to expect double-digit interceptions this season out of him might be asking a bit too much.
4. Chicago Bears
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First Half Grade: A
Sporting the league’s best pass defense, the Chicago Bears have done an unbelievable job of making opposing quarterbacks look foolish, even when their own quarterbacks have done the same thing on the other side of the ball.
The Bears have held opposing quarterbacks to just a 69.2 QB rating while allowing just four touchdowns and forcing nine interceptions.
Better yet, these numbers have come while facing quarterbacks like Matt Stafford and Tony Romo prior to their injuries, as well as Aaron Rodgers, Eli Manning and Donovan McNabb.
With Devin Hester now back in the team’s primary return spot, he has already returned two punts for touchdowns and may be the only player in the league who can actually be counted on to add on to that number in 2010.
Second Half Potential: A
What’s not to love?
The Bears defense has been absolutely excellent and there’s really no reason to think that it won’t continue.
A healthy Brian Urlacher has brought an emotional uplifting—oh, and his on-field play has been pretty good, too. Add to that the fact that Devin Hester is finally getting back into his groove as a punt returner and this could end up being a very, very high scoring fantasy defense once again.
The pieces are in place, the schedule isn’t too difficult, and the Bears are playing at an elite level right now. If they’re somehow still available in your league, they should be at the top of your waiver claims list.
3. Green Bay Packers
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First Half Grade: A
Having already forced an impressive 12 interceptions through the first eight weeks of the NFL season, the Green Bay Packers have been a very productive fantasy defense so far in 2010.
The Packers defense has scored 12-plus points in half of their games this season and has only finished with below eight points twice so far.
The biggest performance of the season came last week when the Packers completely manhandled the Jets offense, completing their first shutout of the 2010 season and making up for the offense’s lack of success.
To be fair, the Packers have allowed 20-plus points in five of their first eight games, but still turned out quality fantasy performances in most of those games due to the turnovers they created.
Second Half Potential: B
With games left against interception-prone quarterbacks like Jon Kitna, Brett Favre, Eli Manning and Jay Cutler, it’s easy to say that the Packers will continue their impressive turnover streak.
But injuries are starting to mount up everywhere across the defense and at some point, the team’s lack of healthy depth is probably going to come back to haunt them.
That said, this team still has some of the league’s best defenders, including 2009 rookie stud Clay Matthews and 2009 Defensive Player of the Year Charles Woodson. If these players can continue to play at their high level, they will lead the other players around them to success as well. Both of these guys are leaders and great playmakers so as long as they stay healthy, the Packers are in good hands.
Some special teams success would be nice, but hey, as long as they’re scoring points somehow, we don’t really care where it comes from.
2. Pittsburgh Steelers
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First Half Grade: A
Ah yes, this is more like it.
With 19 turnovers forced in just seven games, the Steelers are getting back to their days as an elite defense.
It’s funny to think about but the Steelers forced just 22 total turnovers in 2009, so they could very well double that number in 2010.
Highlighted by a game where they forced an unbelievable seven turnovers against the Titans in Week 2, Pittsburgh finally has the swagger they had a few years ago when their defense led them to a Super Bowl Championship.
Pittsburgh has allowed more than 17 points to opposing offenses just twice this season and held them under 14 points an extraordinary four times already.
Their worst game, if you can call it that, came against the Dolphins two weeks ago when they allowed 22 points. Even still, they forced two turnovers and kept the offense in the game all day.
Second Half Potential: A
Just like the Bears a few spots back, the Steelers defense just seems to be on a roll.
With a healthy Troy Polamalu back in the lineup, there doesn’t seem to be any weak spots for offenses to exploit. Every single team has struggled to do much offensively against them and there’s no reason to believe that the success won’t continue.
While they do face the Patriots in a couple weeks, the Steelers’ remaining schedule is excellent. With games against the Raiders, Bills, Browns, Panthers and Jets left on the schedule, the Steelers may even do more than double their 2009 turnover total.
Expect quite a few big defensive performances from this team down the stretch. This is my top defense from now through the end of the year.
1. Tennessee Titans
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First Half Grade: A
Much like the Steelers a spot before them, the Tennessee Titans seem to be back to their 2008 form when they were a turnover machine that humiliated opposing offenses.
Last year was disappointing for the Titans as a whole, but especially defensively. After holding opposing passers to just 12 touchdowns on the year in 2008, that number skyrocketed to 31 touchdowns just a year later. That number has stabilized to a tidy nine touchdowns allowed in eight games in 2010, while forcing 13 interceptions in the process.
Everyone thought this team would miss Pro Bowl defensive tackle Albert Haynesworth again this season, but the impressive coming out party of Jason Jones has made up for what was an emptiness on the defensive line in 2009. Jones’ play has been excellent through the first half of the season and the young player, now in his third NFL season, could be on his way to his first Pro Bowl appearance if he continues playing like this.
Another player who seems to be getting back into the groove is safety Michael Griffin. Griffin had a tremendous 2008 season when he intercepted seven passes, but that number fell down to just one interception in 2009. Certainly interceptions can be a matter of circumstance, but Griffin’s improved play in 2010 have helped him get back into the interception column as he has totaled four of them already this year.
Second Half Potential: B
While the Titans have had double-digit fantasy points in six of their first eight games, that production could drop off a bit in the second half of the season.
This team’s high number of turnovers combined with their four defense and special teams touchdowns are a bit misleading to how they have played as a unit. They have actually allowed 25-plus points against them in three of their past five games.
Their remaining schedule includes two games against both the Texans and Colts’ high-powered offenses, as well as a potentially tough game against the Chiefs, who currently lead the NFL in rushing.
This high-risk, high-reward defense currently leads the NFL in fantasy points and they could certainly continue to do it in the second half, but fantasy owners should be careful before they give up too much to acquire this defense via trade.
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