This page lists DVOA (Defense-adjusted Value Over Average) for total defense as well as rushing and passing defense separated. The DVOA system is explained here [1]. All numbers below are adjusted based on strength of schedule. They are also adjusted to an average percentage of fumbles recovered by the defense. The exceptions are the final three columns, which are unadjusted total, passing, and rushing defense. Rushing data includes all rushing, not just running backs.
LAST YEAR represents 1997 rank. WEIGHTED DEFENSE is adjusted so that earlier games in the season become gradually less important. It better reflects how the team was playing at the end of the season.
VARIANCE [2] (VAR.) measures the statistical variance of the team's weekly DVOA performance on defense. Teams are ranked from most consistent (#1, Buffalo) to least consistent (#30, Tampa Bay).
Remember, since positive numbers represent more scoring, defense is better when it is NEGATIVE.
| TEAM | DEF.DVOA | LASTYEAR | WEIGHTEDDEFENSE | RANK | PASSDEF. | PASSRANK | RUSHDEF. | RUSHRANK | NON-ADJUSTED | VAR. | RANK | |||
| TOTAL | PASS | RUSH | ||||||||||||
| 1 | MIA | -25.7% | 27 | -23.3% | 1 | -33.5% | 1 | -16.2% | 6 | -19.7% | -23.2% | -15.4% | 12.4% | 29 |
| 2 | OAK | -18.1% | 29 | -12.4% | 5 | -15.5% | 5 | -20.8% | 3 | -15.0% | -14.6% | -15.4% | 5.1% | 8 |
| 3 | SD | -17.4% | 19 | -17.4% | 3 | -2.1% | 13 | -35.3% | 1 | -15.3% | -1.9% | -31.0% | 5.2% | 11 |
| 4 | NYJ | -14.3% | 20 | -16.8% | 4 | -18.0% | 2 | -9.7% | 11 | -8.7% | -8.9% | -8.4% | 7.9% | 20 |
| 5 | ATL | -13.4% | 21 | -20.5% | 2 | -7.9% | 9 | -21.5% | 2 | -19.9% | -13.3% | -29.5% | 4.6% | 6 |
| 6 | SEA | -10.0% | 18 | -7.8% | 9 | -15.7% | 4 | -3.5% | 19 | -8.7% | -15.4% | -1.1% | 6.9% | 15 |
| 7 | TB | -9.9% | 9 | -9.3% | 8 | -12.1% | 6 | -7.4% | 13 | -9.8% | -11.3% | -8.2% | 12.7% | 30 |
| 8 | GB | -9.9% | 5 | -7.2% | 10 | -5.7% | 10 | -15.5% | 7 | -11.5% | -9.1% | -14.7% | 8.8% | 23 |
| 9 | NYG | -9.2% | 3 | -9.9% | 6 | -16.3% | 3 | -1.6% | 23 | -8.0% | -17.6% | 2.2% | 7.0% | 16 |
| 10 | NE | -8.0% | 12 | -3.6% | 15 | -4.3% | 11 | -12.4% | 10 | -3.4% | 2.7% | -11.0% | 5.2% | 10 |
| 11 | STL | -6.2% | 11 | -6.2% | 11 | -10.1% | 8 | -2.2% | 22 | -1.0% | -2.4% | 0.3% | 5.7% | 12 |
| 12 | PIT | -6.1% | 2 | -9.3% | 7 | 6.3% | 20 | -18.2% | 5 | -6.6% | 7.8% | -20.7% | 5.1% | 9 |
| 13 | NO | -5.6% | 8 | -3.9% | 14 | 2.1% | 16 | -14.4% | 9 | -0.9% | 7.5% | -10.3% | 8.9% | 24 |
| 14 | BAL | -5.3% | 13 | -4.8% | 13 | 8.6% | 22 | -20.1% | 4 | -3.1% | 12.3% | -19.6% | 8.4% | 21 |
| 15 | SF | -3.8% | 1 | -0.3% | 17 | -10.6% | 7 | 5.7% | 26 | -4.9% | -8.7% | 0.3% | 4.6% | 7 |
| TEAM | DEF.DVOA | LASTYEAR | WEIGHTEDDEFENSE | RANK | PASSDEF. | PASSRANK | RUSHDEF. | RUSHRANK | NON-ADJUSTED | VAR. | RANK | |||
| TOTAL | PASS | RUSH | ||||||||||||
| 16 | BUF | -3.1% | 6 | -5.4% | 12 | -3.2% | 12 | -2.9% | 20 | -5.7% | -4.0% | -7.8% | 2.4% | 1 |
| 17 | KC | -2.2% | 4 | 4.2% | 23 | 2.8% | 17 | -6.7% | 15 | -4.8% | -6.9% | -2.9% | 12.3% | 28 |
| 18 | MIN | -0.6% | 26 | -0.7% | 16 | 1.0% | 15 | -2.6% | 21 | -5.6% | -5.9% | -5.3% | 9.2% | 26 |
| 19 | DEN | 0.4% | 7 | 2.7% | 20 | 10.3% | 24 | -14.4% | 8 | -6.9% | -0.9% | -16.0% | 2.8% | 2 |
| 20 | JAC | 0.6% | 22 | 1.4% | 18 | 4.2% | 18 | -3.6% | 18 | -0.9% | 2.5% | -4.8% | 3.2% | 3 |
| 21 | CAR | 2.8% | 23 | 2.8% | 21 | 11.2% | 25 | -5.6% | 16 | 4.6% | 13.5% | -4.1% | 7.8% | 18 |
| 22 | CHI | 3.4% | 24 | 2.9% | 22 | 12.3% | 26 | -4.6% | 17 | 7.1% | 17.4% | -2.1% | 8.9% | 25 |
| 23 | DAL | 4.5% | 17 | 8.2% | 24 | 15.0% | 27 | -9.3% | 12 | -0.7% | 4.7% | -7.7% | 6.5% | 14 |
| 24 | DET | 5.2% | 10 | 9.9% | 26 | 4.7% | 19 | 5.7% | 25 | 8.4% | 8.1% | 8.8% | 7.8% | 19 |
| 25 | ARI | 6.7% | 25 | 13.7% | 28 | 10.0% | 23 | 3.5% | 24 | -0.5% | -4.0% | 3.0% | 10.5% | 27 |
| 26 | PHI | 6.7% | 15 | 1.9% | 19 | 0.8% | 14 | 11.5% | 27 | 8.7% | 3.9% | 12.5% | 8.6% | 22 |
| 27 | WAS | 12.4% | 14 | 8.2% | 25 | 8.3% | 21 | 16.0% | 29 | 10.8% | 1.4% | 19.3% | 6.4% | 13 |
| 28 | TEN | 12.8% | 16 | 11.7% | 27 | 29.4% | 30 | -6.7% | 14 | 10.1% | 24.7% | -7.1% | 3.7% | 4 |
| 29 | IND | 16.8% | 28 | 16.1% | 29 | 18.1% | 28 | 15.8% | 28 | 19.8% | 29.7% | 11.6% | 4.2% | 5 |
| 30 | CIN | 21.3% | 30 | 19.0% | 30 | 27.5% | 29 | 17.2% | 30 | 23.6% | 33.1% | 17.1% | 7.3% | 17 |
DVOA version: 5.0
Links:
[1] http://www.footballoutsiders.com/info/methods
[2] http://www.footballoutsiders.com//info/glossary#variance