2022 NFL Team Defense Rankings: Ranking the Top Defenses in the NFL Heading Into Week 16

2022 NFL Team Defense Rankings: Ranking the Top Defenses in the NFL Heading Into Week 16

There were some absurd games in Week 15. Whether it was Indianapolis blowing a 33-0 lead to Minnesota in a historic comeback, the New England Patriots lateralling away their season, or Cleveland shutting down Baltimore's hopes to clinch the divisional title, plenty of defenses either collapsed or showed up in huge moments.

We saw how talented San Francisco's defense remains, traveling into hostile territory to win a key divisional game with its third-string quarterback. Momentum flips are quite often the difference-maker in games, which typically result from a big defensive play that forces a turnover. We saw this play out in Seattle, as the 49ers' defense forced a fumble and converted it into a quick six points to flip the momentum and gain a significant lead heading into halftime. Cincinnati's defense took advantage of miscues from Tampa Bay but also forced Tom Brady and the offense into bad situations. This proved to be the difference-maker in the outcome of the game. Even Detroit, who is still vulnerable against the pass, now has developed a prolific run defense, forcing opponents to play one-dimensional football.

Which teams possess the top defensive units in the league after Week 15? Matt MacKay is here with his latest top 10 NFL defensive power rankings heading into Week 16 of the 2022 NFL season.

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Best NFL Defense Rankings After Week 15

1. San Francisco 49ers

There's no change at the top for San Francisco's swarming defense. Whether it's Nick Bosa, Talanoa Hufanga, Deommodore Lenoir, or Fred Warner, the 49ers' defense has shown the entire league that it's a buzz saw. San Francisco has allowed the fewest rushing yards (1,046), and the fewest points (210). The 49ers are also tied second with the Eagles for quarterback hits at 98. It's a defense that any offense will lose sleep over.

2. Philadelphia Eagles

The Eagles have been playing fantastic defense lately, surrendering fewer than 200 passing yards in three consecutive games. Darius Slay and James Bradberry lead one of the best secondaries in the league, but Haason Reddick, Kyzir White, and Javon Hargrave are a force to be reckoned with upfront on the defensive line. Philadelphia leads the league in sacks with 55, while tied second in quarterback hits (98) and TFLs (78) while allowing the fewest receiving yards at 2,414.

3. Cincinnati Bengals

Led by DC Lou Anarumo, Cincinnati's defense has become its strength. Yes, Joe Burrow and Ja'Marr Chase are electric, but the defense is forcing turnovers and putting opponents in bad situations. Tom Brady looked good early but the Bengals' defense wound up forcing four turnovers, which ultimately lead to a decisive comeback win on the road. Cincinnati's secondary has studs and they've allowed just 15 receiving touchdowns, which is tied for the third-fewest in the league. The run defense is just as sound, holding three of its past four opponents under 95 rushing yards.

4. Buffalo Bills

Week 15 saw snow in Buffalo and while the game wasn't moved, the Bills' defense did enough to squeak out a comeback win in the fourth quarter against Miami. While the run defense faltered a bit against Raheem Mostert and failed to force a single turnover, Buffalo's defense still brought enough pressure to give Tua Tagovailoa a tough night in the pocket. The absence of Von Miller could become more noticeable in the playoffs, but the Bills remain a fixture in the league's top five defensive units.

5. New York Jets

Sauce Gardner and D.J. Reed proved to be quite capable of containing Jared Goff in Week 15, but the Jets' defense allowed the biggest play of the game to happen in the final two minutes, ultimately spelling doom for New York's chances of securing a win and ending the Lions' winning streak. They didn't force a turnover, allowed over 100 rushing yards, and gave up a massive touchdown in the closing minutes to lose, but the Jets still have a top-five secondary and a few nice pieces along the interior to continue being viewed as a top-10 defensive roster.

6. New England Patriots

Let's not focus on the ridiculous ending to New England's loss that came via self-inflicted laterals. New England's defense has studs and veterans all over the place, starting with Matt Judon and Josh Uche, and ending with Kyle Dugger and Ja'Whaun Bentley. The Patriots have allowed a league-best six rushing touchdowns this season while ranking eighth in total points allowed with 269. The offense needs to piece it together for the playoffs to happen, but New England's defense is the strength of the team in 2022.

7. Cleveland Browns

Yes, Cleveland's defense faced the Ravens' QB2 in Tyler Huntley, but they didn't surrender a touchdown and forced two turnovers to keep its slim playoff hopes alive. J.K. Dobbins had a great game but Huntley finished with under 140 passing yards and an interception while getting sacked three times. The Ravens fumbled four times and only lost one, showcasing just how dominant Myles Garrett and the rest of the Browns' defense played in Week 15.

8. Denver Broncos

Denver finally saw its defense bring home a win, as the offense did just enough against Arizona. The Broncos forced three turnovers, all interceptions while limiting the Cardinals to 240 total yards. Arizona also played with a backup quarterback but the Broncos only allowed them to convert two of 12 third-down opportunities while holding James Conner and the run game to 73 total rushing yards on 20 carries. The Broncos are still the third-ranked scoring defense, averaging 18.1 points per game, so they are more than worthy of remaining inside of the top 10 defenses.

9. Detroit Lions

Hold up! We're talking about Detroit's defense now? Yes, especially after holding Minnesota and New York to a combined 72 rushing yards across the last two weeks. The Lions are also leading the league in consecutive games with a turnover, forcing at least one turnover in 13 straight games after failing to do so in Week 1 against Philadelphia. Aidan Hutchinson, Malcolm Rodriguez, Jeff Okudah, and Jerry Jacobs are some of the talented names on this unheralded Lions defense, which has flipped the switch and found a way to make opponents one-dimensional.

10. Washington Commanders

Despite playing the entire season without former second-overall pick Chase Young off the edge, Washington's defense has been stout in 2022. It wasn't their best performance against the New York Giants in Week 15, but they have held five consecutive opponents under 200 passing yards. This is shocking, considering how badly the secondary played in the first month of the season. No opponent has scored more than 20 points in Washington's last four games, which has provided a good opportunity for the Commanders to clinch a playoff berth in the final three games of the regular season.