Tag: nfl defense rankings

Where does the Seahawks defense rank going into 2023?

However, the season will hinge on how much this team’s new-look defensive front-seven performs compared to last year.

The Seattle Seahawks should be pretty tough in coverage on the back end of their defense this season. No NFL team is deeper at the safety position and they’ve added another potential superstar at corneback with top-five overall pick Devon Witherspoon. However, the season will hinge on how much this team’s new-look defensive front-seven performs compared to last year.

While it’s way too early to make any kind of definitive judgement, things don’t look good, at least on paper. Arif Hasan at Pro Football Network ranked all 32 defensive units around the NFL and the Seahawks came in at No. 23 on the list. Here’s what he said about this unit.

“The Seahawks ranked 26th in the NFL defensively last year and don’t project to change all that much despite a fifth-overall investment at cornerback. While that should improve the quality of play there, it’s not as if cornerback was the issue for Seattle last year. The model might undercount Jamal Adams’ return to play, but it knows that there isn’t much in the way of pass rush or interior talent.”

The Seahawks have to hope he’s wrong. On paper Uchenna Nwosu is the only sure thing for the edge rush rotation, but if two or three other outside linebackers can contribute meaningfully this defense will likely outrank this projection.

The real key here is how well they defend the run. While Al Woods, Shelby Harris and Poona Ford got a lot of the blame for 2022’s disaster, the real issues were arguably coaching-related. If they clean that part of the equation up this could even be a top-10 defense. If.

7 storylines to follow for Seahawks 2023 OTAs

Panthers defense ranked last in the NFL going into 2020 by the Athletic

Panthers defensive coordinator Phil Snow has his work cut out for him.

Panthers defensive coordinator Phil Snow has his work cut out for him. It’s difficult to think of a coordinator coming into a more difficult set of circumstances for the 2020 season.

Not only has Snow’s defense lost six starters from last season plus a few key role players, the replacements he’s gotten amount to the youngest NFL defense in a decade. Throw in no traditional offseason program and no preseason games and you’ve got a mountain of a challenge for any coach. As is probably appropriate, this Carolina defense is ranked No. 32 in the league by Sheil Kapadia at the Athletic.

“Matt Rhule’s squad spent all seven draft selections on the defensive side of the ball. That included using the seventh overall pick on defensive tackle Derrick Brown. The Panthers have some nice young pieces, and edge rusher Brian Burns could end up being a star. But they’re young and looking at six new starters with a new scheme and a new coordinator. That’s tough, given the nature of this offseason.”

Tough is the understatement of the year.

If Carolina is able to field anything better than a bottom-five defense it will prove that Snow is very capable at his job.

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How to Watch Cowboys vs. Bears, NFL Week 14 Live Stream, Schedule, TV Channel, Start Time

Watch Cowboys vs. Bears Live Online.

The Cowboys (6-6) and Bears (6-6) continue their seasons with a Thursday night showdown at Soldier Field. Dallas leads the all-time series 15-11 and has won the last two games, including a 31-17 victory at AT&T Stadium. Can the Bears continue their two-game win streak with a victory at home or will the Cowboys return to their winning ways in a matchup that dates back nearly fifty years to their first contest in 1960?

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Cowboys vs. Bears

  • When: Thursday, December 5
  • Time: 8:20 p.m. ET
  • TV: FOX
  • Live Stream: fuboTV (watch for free)

Jerry Jones’ head is spinning in Dallas. What is going on with the Cowboys? America’s team has lost two straight games, including a 26-15 defeat at the hands of the Buffalo Bills, and three of its last four. The good news is that the Cowboys still possess one of the best offenses in the NFL and are in first place in a weak NFC East division. Dak Prescott threw for 355 yards, two touchdowns, and one interception. He leads the league with 3,788 yards passing. Ezekiel Elliott had 12 carries for 71 yards in addition to seven catches for 66 yards. Amari Cooper led the team with eight catches for 85 yards. Both Elliott and Cooper are just shy of 1,000 yards rushing and receiving, respectively. A productive game from Elliott is key to winning the time of possession battle and setting up the play-action passing game. 

Defensively, the Cowboys gave up nearly 275 all-purpose yards to quarterback Josh Allen, 110 of those from former Dallas wideout Cole Beasley. Jaylon Smith is one of the best linebackers in the NFL and ranks third with 112 tackles on the season. He racked up 14 against the Bills, while teammate Sean Lee added 12 more and Jourdan Lewis picked up six tackles and two sacks. 

Da Bears. Da Bears have won back-to-back games and are 6-6 on the season. Their success rides on the arm of quarterback Mitch Trubisky. If he can avoid turning the ball over, then Chicago can stay in the game. Last weekend in Detroit, Trubisky completed 29 of 38 passes for 338 yards, three touchdowns, and one interception. David Montgomery rushed for 75 yards and added a receiving score late in the fourth quarter to put the Bears on top and give them the 24-20 win. Wide receiver Anthony Miller had a career game with nine catches for 140 yards. The offense is averaging a mere 17.7 points per game, 27th best in the NFL, and will have to put points on the board if it wants to compete with a high-powered Cowboys offense.

While the offense has struggled for most of the season, the defense is fourth in the NFL in points allowed (17.3) and in the Top 10 in total yards, passing yards and rushing yards allowed. Roquan Smith racked up 15 tackles and two sacks against the Lions and gives the Bears a formidable 1-2 punch at linebacker with Khalil Mack.

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