Defense at the Halfway Point: Part One: Shutdown Defenses

With the explosion of the offense, defenses have had to adjust. We are currently experiencing some of the best defensive players in NFL history. To counter the spread offense, defenses have adopted the nickel formation. Along with the rise of nickel formations, the defense has placed greater emphasis on defensive ends. Elite defensive ends are just as valuable as an elite receiver, if not more so. DEs might just be the most critical position on the defense as a whole. The top three defensive teams all possess elite pass rushes. The current top three defensive teams are the Houston Texans, the  Cleveland Browns, and the Denver Broncos. Like the offense, these defenses each have their differences, but they are all effective in their own way. 

Houston Texans

The Texans' defense has become the best defensive unit in the league. Only allowing 267 offensive yards and 15 points per game, set them up at the top. The Texans rebuilt their defense through the draft, investing two top-three picks on cornerback Derek Stingley in 2022 and Will Anderson in 2023. Together as the franchise cornerstones, they anchor the defense. Stingley has been targeted 36 times, allowing only 18 receptions and two touchdowns, with two interceptions. To complete the secondary is second-round pick Jalen Pitre. Pitre is having a fantastic season, being targeted 31 times, allowing only 23 receptions, three interceptions, and no touchdowns. Calen Bullock is, by all accounts, having his breakout season in year two. Bullock has 20 tackles, has allowed only seven receptions on 19 targets, has given up only 113 receiving yards, one touchdown, and, to top it all off, two interceptions.

Effectively, there is a pass funnel against the Texans, with teams taking their chances against the corner across from Stingley, Kamari Lassiter. Lassiter is the most targeted player in the secondary, with 45 targets. Lassiter is no slouch, though, only allowing 26 receptions, but giving up 331 receiving yards. Despite this, he has only allowed two touchdowns and grabbed two interceptions. The Texans' secondary is a scary sight for quarterback, but that’s not their only problem. Danielle Hunter and Anderson lead the defensive line and are imposing their will on offensive lines. Together, they account for 76% of the Texans' quarterback pressures, 74 out of their team-wide 97 pressures. If you weren’t convinced already, they have 11 out of the team's 16 sacks. To round out the current league's best defense are the linebackers. Azeez Al-Shaair leads the linebackers in tackles with 51. Close behind him is Henry To’oTo’o with 43. The Texans aren’t a big linebacker team, preferring to pad the line and secondary. Primarily, they are playing out of the nickel formation, accounting for 354 of their 453 defensive snaps. They almost exclusively play a zone defense, which might be the best in the league. This Texans defense is nearly an immovable object. If the Texans' defense played a little better, they would be a top-five team in the league. Hopefully, in the back half, if they can pull it together, because this defense is a thing of visceral beauty. 

Cleveland Browns

The Browns' defense has been anchored by one of the best defensive players ever to play the game, period. Myles Garrett has been every bit amazing and deserving of the first overall pick. If the MVP award weren’t skewed towards quarterbacks, Garrett would have absolutely won by now. There isn’t much to say that hasn’t already been said about the 2023 Defensive Player of the Year; he's the only player to have five sacks in a game and lose, the story of his career. The Browns haven’t been an elite defense year in and year out solely because of the four-time Pro Bowler. They’ve built a solid team around him. Maliek Collins is having a great season next to Garrett, currently with 10 tackles, four sacks, and 22 quarterback pressures. Collins is finding his footing and is on track for a phenomenal season. To round out the line is the 2025 fifth overall pick, Mason Graham. Graham is still coming into his own in his rookie season, but the potential is there, another powerful tool for the Browns’ defense.

Starting the secondary, Greg Newsome and Denzel Ward were one of the best corner duos in the league, before Newsome was traded. The Browns traded Newsome for Tyson Campbell from the Jaguars. The move was somewhat shocking. So far, Campbell has played well in his three games. He’s still fresh, so we will have to wait to see how Campbell fits into the Browns' defense. So far, they haven’t missed a step. While the secondary hasn’t been the strong suit of the Browns, they aren’t slouches. To round off a stellar defense is rookie linebacker Carson Schwesinger, who leads the Browns in tackles with 64, a sack, and an interception. A phenomenal rookie season from the second-round pick. Just behind is former tenth overall pick, Devin Bush. After a rough stretch bouncing around the league, Bush is having a career resurgence with the Browns. Bush has 57 tackles and one interception. The Browns, like most of the league, favor the nickel formation. In particular, they like to keep the line loaded, which aligns with their defensive philosophy of constant pressure and stopping the run. We will have to see if the Browns ever manage to pull it together. The team seems to be in perpetual limbo, but one thing is for sure: every team can expect a brick wall when they play the Browns.

Denver Broncos

The Broncos' defense is headlined by reigning Defensive Player of the Year Patrick Surtain II. The 2024 Defensive Player of the Year is on a Hall of Fame trajectory, being only one of seven DPOYs to be a cornerback. Surtain has picked back up right where he left off, locking down one half of a field. Unfortunately, the three-time Pro Bowler is dealing with an injury that might sideline him for some time. Besides PS2, Riley Moss, and Ja’Quan McMillian round out the corners. Both respectable players in their own rights, they get targeted the most. Moss has been targeted 67 times, but has only conceded 33 receptions for 467 yards and two touchdowns. McMillian has fewer targets, being targeted 46 times, giving up 248 yards, and no touchdowns. PS2 changes the way defenses plan their offense.

What sets the Broncos apart from the other teams is their elite linebackers. Leading the team and third in the league for tackles at eight is Alex Singleton. Another standout is Dre Greenlaw, who is making his way back from an Achilles injury. Despite his limited play time, he has been highly impactful so far. I hesitate to call Nik Bonitto a linebacker because he only lines up on the line, but that is what he is classified as. Bonitto is having an excellent ranking, third in sacks. The Broncos have an astonishing 42% quarterback pressure rate, with 167 quarterback pressures. Bonitto has 51 of those pressures. Together with Zach Allen, Justin Strnad, and Jonathon Cooper, the Broncos' line leads the league in pressure percentage. Every member of the line is getting pressure in under three seconds. Quarterbacks have very little time to react or throw. To close out this elite defense is safety Talanoa Hufanga. Hufanga is having himself a season, with 70 tackles and two sacks. Hufanaga is playing amazingly. In coverage, he has allowed only 11 receptions for 73 yards on 23 targets. The Broncos' Defense is single-handedly winning them games. The quality of this unit cannot be overstated. Realistically, they are currently the best defense in the league. 

Conclusion

The top ten defensive teams are all stalwarts. Any one of them could jump into the top three by the end of the season. Particularly the Falcons. They are playing amazingly and slowly creeping up the rankings, currently at four. Despite the league's current explosive offenses, defenses are still standing toe-to-toe with them. Unfortunately for the defense, one bust play is enough to ruin their days, from a fan perspective. While not as interesting to the casual viewer, if you look closely, you'll see a chess match unfold every week.