Howard Smith-US PRESSWIRE - Presswire
Which defenses should you start in Week 4? Check out our rankings.
The Arizona Cardinals defense makes the biggest jump in the upper half of the Defense/Special Teams Rankings in Week 4, as they have dominated two pretty good offenses in the last two weeks-the New England Patriots and the Philadelphia Eagles. They currently rank 10th in the NFL in overall defense based on yards allowed per game, and this week they are at home to face the Dolphins and rookie quarterback Ryan Tannehill. I see Tannehill struggling in the fourth start of his NFL career.
Let's take a look at the rest of the Week 4 Defense/Special Teams Rankings:
|
Rank |
Team Name |
Opponent |
|
1 |
San Francisco |
New York Jets |
|
2 |
Arizona |
Miami |
|
3 |
Seattle |
St. Louis |
|
4 |
Baltimore |
Cleveland |
|
5 |
Houston |
Tennessee |
|
6 |
Miami |
Arizona |
|
7 |
Atlanta |
Carolina |
|
8 |
Dallas |
Chicago |
|
9 |
Green Bay |
New Orleans |
|
10 |
New York Jets |
San Francisco |
|
11 |
Chicago |
Dallas |
|
12 |
New England |
Buffalo |
|
13 |
Denver |
Oakland |
|
14 |
New York Giants |
Philadelphia |
|
15 |
Detroit |
Minnesota |
|
16 |
Cincinnati |
Jacksonville |
|
17 |
Philadelphia |
New York Giants |
|
18 |
Buffalo |
New England |
|
19 |
San Diego |
Kansas City |
|
20 |
Washington |
Tampa Bay |
|
21 |
Oakland |
Denver |
|
22 |
Cleveland |
Baltimore |
|
23 |
St. Louis |
Seattle |
|
24 |
Kansas City |
San Diego |
|
25 |
Jacksonville |
Cincinnati |
|
26 |
Tampa Bay |
Washington |
|
27 |
Tennessee |
Houston |
|
28 |
Minnesota |
Detroit |
|
29 |
Carolina |
Atlanta |
|
30 |
New Orleans |
Green Bay |
Bye: Pittsburgh, Indianapolis
The Seahawks defense come off a Monday Night game where they dominated Aaron Rodgers and the Green Bay offense. I think they will have their way with the St. Lois Rams this weekend.
The Miami Dolphins defense has been a surprise this season mainly due to their ability to stop the run. The Dolphins are currently ranked third against the run so far in 2012, and have stopped better running backs than Ryan Williams, so that should continue.
Speaking of surprise defenses this season, look no further than the Atlanta Falcons and Dallas Cowboys. Dallas leads the NFL in total defense, and it appears signing former Kansas City Chief Brandon Carr has helped them improve against the pass. I wonder if they are now thinking they should have invested that money in an offensive line.
For a change of pace, here are the Top 5 Defenses against the pass, run and total defense through the first three weeks of the season:
Pass Defense
1. Dallas: 376 yards allowed
2. Green Bay: 411 yards allowed
3. Philadelphia: 518 yards allowed
4. Houston: 564 yards allowed
5. Pittsburgh: 571 yards allowed
Run Defense
1. Tampa Bay: 142 yards allowed
2. Seattle: 176 yards allowed
3. Miami: 199 yards allowed
4. San Diego: 202 yards allowed
5. Houston: 203 yards allowed
Total Defense
1. Dallas: 250 yards/game
2. Houston: 256 yards/game
3. Green Bay: 261 yards/game
4. Seattle: 272 yards/game
5. Philadelphia: 276 yards/game
Sack Leaders
1. Chicago: 14
2. Green Bay: 12
3. Arizona: 12
4. Cincinnati: 11
5. Seattle: 10
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