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. All numbers below are adjusted to an average schedule of opponents and 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 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 measures the statistical variance of the team's weekly DVOA performance. Teams are ranked from most consistent (#1, lowest variance) to least consistent (#30, highest variance).
Remember, since positive numbers represent more scoring, defense is better when it is NEGATIVE.
| TEAM |
DEF. DVOA |
LAST YEAR |
WEIGHTED DEFENSE |
RANK |
PASS DEF. |
PASS RANK |
RUSH DEF. |
RUSH RANK |
NON-ADJUSTED | VAR. | RANK | |||
| TOTAL | PASS | RUSH | ||||||||||||
| 1 | MIA | -26.0% | 28 | -23.5% | 1 | -30.1% | 1 | -21.1% | 5 | -21.0% | -22.2% | -19.7% | 10.4% | 27 |
| 2 | SD | -19.5% | 20 | -18.5% | 4 | -4.2% | 12 | -37.3% | 1 | -17.5% | -3.9% | -33.4% | 5.4% | 11 |
| 3 | OAK | -19.4% | 29 | -14.2% | 5 | -13.7% | 5 | -25.0% | 2 | -16.0% | -11.8% | -19.9% | 4.5% | 6 |
| 4 | NYJ | -15.8% | 19 | -19.3% | 3 | -18.5% | 2 | -12.6% | 11 | -9.7% | -9.0% | -10.6% | 7.7% | 20 |
| 5 | ATL | -13.3% | 22 | -20.2% | 2 | -5.5% | 9 | -24.4% | 3 | -20.2% | -11.8% | -32.2% | 3.7% | 5 |
| 6 | TB | -11.4% | 9 | -10.0% | 8 | -12.1% | 6 | -10.6% | 12 | -10.0% | -9.2% | -10.9% | 11.7% | 30 |
| 7 | GB | -10.7% | 3 | -8.0% | 11 | -4.5% | 11 | -19.0% | 7 | -12.5% | -8.3% | -18.2% | 8.3% | 23 |
| 8 | SEA | -10.5% | 18 | -8.9% | 9 | -14.6% | 4 | -5.8% | 20 | -10.5% | -16.5% | -3.7% | 5.8% | 13 |
| 9 | NE | -10.1% | 13 | -5.7% | 15 | -4.6% | 10 | -16.9% | 9 | -5.2% | 2.5% | -14.8% | 5.0% | 9 |
| 10 | NYG | -9.6% | 4 | -10.8% | 7 | -14.8% | 3 | -4.1% | 23 | -10.0% | -18.4% | -1.2% | 6.5% | 14 |
| 11 | NO | -8.9% | 7 | -5.7% | 14 | -0.8% | 14 | -17.9% | 8 | -4.8% | 3.0% | -13.5% | 8.3% | 22 |
| 12 | PIT | -8.0% | 2 | -11.1% | 6 | 5.2% | 17 | -21.0% | 6 | -8.4% | 6.5% | -22.9% | 6.9% | 17 |
| 13 | BAL | -7.8% | 12 | -7.2% | 12 | 6.7% | 20 | -23.2% | 4 | -5.7% | 9.7% | -22.1% | 8.6% | 24 |
| 14 | STL | -7.7% | 11 | -8.6% | 10 | -9.6% | 7 | -5.8% | 21 | -2.6% | -1.9% | -3.3% | 5.7% | 12 |
| 15 | BUF | -4.8% | 6 | -6.6% | 13 | -2.3% | 13 | -7.8% | 18 | -7.7% | -3.9% | -12.4% | 1.8% | 1 |
| TEAM |
DEF. DVOA |
LAST YEAR |
WEIGHTED DEFENSE |
RANK |
PASS DEF. |
PASS RANK |
RUSH DEF. |
RUSH RANK |
NON-ADJUSTED | VAR. | RANK | |||
| TOTAL | PASS | RUSH | ||||||||||||
| 16 | SF | -3.4% | 1 | 0.5% | 17 | -7.7% | 8 | 2.5% | 26 | -2.8% | -3.4% | -2.0% | 4.5% | 7 |
| 17 | KC | -2.7% | 5 | 1.9% | 20 | 5.4% | 18 | -9.9% | 13 | -3.8% | -0.5% | -6.8% | 11.0% | 29 |
| 18 | MIN | -2.0% | 27 | -2.1% | 16 | 0.7% | 15 | -5.4% | 22 | -5.9% | -4.4% | -7.7% | 8.8% | 26 |
| 19 | JAC | -0.8% | 23 | 1.0% | 19 | 6.2% | 19 | -8.8% | 14 | -1.3% | 5.8% | -9.3% | 2.9% | 3 |
| 20 | DEN | 1.8% | 8 | 4.2% | 23 | 14.4% | 25 | -16.8% | 10 | -4.9% | 4.5% | -18.7% | 2.8% | 2 |
| 21 | CAR | 2.7% | 21 | 2.7% | 21 | 14.3% | 24 | -8.8% | 15 | 6.6% | 20.4% | -7.0% | 8.7% | 25 |
| 22 | CHI | 4.7% | 24 | 4.0% | 22 | 17.2% | 28 | -6.5% | 19 | 7.0% | 20.7% | -5.2% | 7.2% | 18 |
| 23 | DAL | 4.7% | 17 | 6.5% | 24 | 14.9% | 26 | -8.7% | 16 | -1.5% | 4.9% | -9.9% | 5.3% | 10 |
| 24 | DET | 4.7% | 10 | 9.2% | 26 | 7.4% | 21 | 2.0% | 25 | 7.5% | 10.2% | 4.9% | 7.4% | 19 |
| 25 | PHI | 5.7% | 15 | 0.9% | 18 | 2.3% | 16 | 8.3% | 27 | 6.3% | 3.4% | 8.5% | 7.8% | 21 |
| 26 | ARI | 6.2% | 26 | 13.2% | 29 | 11.3% | 23 | 1.4% | 24 | -1.3% | -2.0% | -0.6% | 10.4% | 28 |
| 27 | TEN | 11.0% | 16 | 10.1% | 27 | 27.7% | 30 | -8.5% | 17 | 8.2% | 23.4% | -9.6% | 3.4% | 4 |
| 28 | IND | 12.2% | 25 | 10.8% | 28 | 15.5% | 27 | 9.3% | 28 | 14.9% | 25.5% | 6.0% | 4.9% | 8 |
| 29 | WAS | 12.7% | 14 | 7.8% | 25 | 9.7% | 22 | 15.4% | 30 | 10.3% | 2.8% | 16.9% | 6.7% | 15 |
| 30 | CIN | 16.9% | 30 | 14.9% | 30 | 24.3% | 29 | 12.0% | 29 | 19.5% | 30.2% | 12.3% | 6.8% | 16 |