Defense EPA Rankings, 2026
The Minnesota Vikings defense ranks first in the NFL, allowing −0.168 expected points per play.
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| # | Team | EPA / Play Allowed | Plays |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Minnesota Vikings | −0.168 | 501 |
| 2 | Tampa Bay Buccaneers | −0.160 | 539 |
| 3 | Jacksonville Jaguars | −0.109 | 489 |
| 4 | Los Angeles Rams | −0.085 | 575 |
| 5 | Seattle Seahawks | −0.081 | 551 |
| 6 | Pittsburgh Steelers | −0.068 | 503 |
| 7 | San Francisco 49ers | −0.063 | 511 |
| 8 | Kansas City Chiefs | −0.053 | 530 |
| 9 | Green Bay Packers | −0.050 | 615 |
| 10 | Chicago Bears | −0.043 | 500 |
| 11 | Cleveland Browns | −0.019 | 586 |
| 12 | New York Giants | −0.017 | 504 |
| 13 | Denver Broncos | −0.008 | 637 |
| 14 | Atlanta Falcons | 0.000 | 601 |
| 15 | Los Angeles Chargers | +0.006 | 498 |
| 16 | Cincinnati Bengals | +0.009 | 524 |
| 17 | Buffalo Bills | +0.019 | 532 |
| 18 | Houston Texans | +0.020 | 533 |
| 19 | Baltimore Ravens | +0.024 | 573 |
| 20 | Washington Commanders | +0.029 | 532 |
| 21 | New England Patriots | +0.042 | 559 |
| 22 | Carolina Panthers | +0.050 | 551 |
| 22 | Indianapolis Colts | +0.050 | 554 |
| 24 | New Orleans Saints | +0.056 | 529 |
| 25 | New York Jets | +0.058 | 587 |
| 26 | Tennessee Titans | +0.059 | 555 |
| 27 | Philadelphia Eagles | +0.077 | 619 |
| 28 | Las Vegas Raiders | +0.080 | 596 |
| 29 | Arizona Cardinals | +0.084 | 564 |
| 30 | Detroit Lions | +0.086 | 547 |
| 31 | Dallas Cowboys | +0.101 | 605 |
| 32 | Miami Dolphins | +0.110 | 477 |
Put defensive efficiency in context
The Minnesota Vikings defense ranks first in the NFL, allowing −0.168 expected points per play.
A season average combines different opponents and game situations. Compare the next offense and current player availability before drawing a conclusion about scoring.
Explore NFL Matchups →EPA per play allowed is the average expected points opponents add on each pass or run. Lower is better. Teams with the same value share a rank. Regular season. Data: nflverse play-by-play.