Everyone loves a high-flying offense, but the real ones know that nfl defense points allowed is the only number that actually keeps coaches employed. You can have a quarterback throwing for 5,000 yards, but if your defense is a literal sieve, you're just a glorified fantasy football team.
The 2025-26 season just wrapped up its regular schedule, and the numbers are honestly a bit staggering. For years, we’ve heard that the league is slanted toward the offense. Rules are stricter on hits. Passing windows are wider. Yet, somehow, the elite units are still finding ways to choke the life out of games.
The 2025 Leaderboard: Who Actually Stopped People?
If you were looking for the "Brick Wall" award this year, you had to look at the Pacific Northwest and the Houston area. The Seattle Seahawks ended the regular season as the gold standard, allowing just 292 total points. That’s an average of about 17.2 points per game. Think about that. In a league where the average team is pushing 23 or 24 points, Mike Macdonald’s crew basically started every game with a touchdown advantage.
Then you have the Houston Texans. DeMeco Ryans has that unit playing like they’re angry at the very concept of a forward pass. They finished second, giving up only 295 points.
Here is the thing though: total points can be deceiving.
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The Denver Broncos sat at third with 311 points allowed, but they played a brand of ball that was arguably more impressive because of their efficiency. They allowed a league-best 4.5 yards per play. Basically, even if you moved the ball on them, you were earning every single inch.
Why nfl defense points allowed isn't the whole story
Kinda controversial, but raw points allowed is sometimes a "liar" stat.
You’ve got to look at how much help the defense is getting. If an offense is constantly turning the ball over in their own red zone, the defense is going to give up points through no fault of their own. This is why experts like Aaron Schatz at FTN and the crew at Sumer Sports lean so heavily into DVOA (Defense-adjusted Value Over Average) and EPA (Expected Points Added).
- The Field Position Trap: A defense that starts every drive on their own 20-yard line is going to look way better in the "points allowed" column than a defense forced to defend a short field five times a game.
- Garbage Time Padding: We saw this with some teams this year. A team might be up by 30 in the fourth quarter and play "prevent" defense, giving up two meaningless touchdowns. Suddenly, their "points allowed" looks mediocre, even though they dominated the game when it actually mattered.
Take the Minnesota Vikings this season. They finished 7th in points against (333 points), but they were actually top-three in pressure percentage and sacks. Their offense just couldn't stay on the field, which gassed the defense by the fourth quarter.
The "Historically Bad" Side of the Ball
We can’t talk about the best without acknowledging the absolute disasters. The Dallas Cowboys had a rough go of it, finishing dead last by allowing 30.1 points per game. That’s over 500 points on the season.
It’s hard to win when you're essentially spotting the opponent a field goal every single quarter.
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Historically, the 1981 Baltimore Colts still hold the "crown" for the worst points per game allowed in the post-merger era, but the 2024 Carolina Panthers actually set the record for most total points allowed in a season (544) because of the 17-game schedule. It’s a different game now. Volume matters.
A Quick Look at the 2025 Bottom Feeders:
- Dallas Cowboys: 512 points allowed (30.1 PPG)
- New York Jets: 503 points allowed (29.6 PPG)
- Cincinnati Bengals: 491 points allowed (28.9 PPG)
The Bengals are the weirdest case here. They have a high-octane offense, but their defense was basically a turnstile in the red zone. Honestly, it’s a miracle they stayed in the playoff hunt as long as they did.
What Really Predicts a Super Bowl?
There is an old saying that "Defense wins championships." Is it true?
Statistically, sort of. If you look at Super Bowl winners over the last 15 years, almost all of them ranked in the top 10 for nfl defense points allowed. There are outliers, like the 2011 Giants, but generally, you need to be holding teams under 20 points once the playoffs hit.
The Kansas City Chiefs are the perfect example of the modern blueprint. In 2025, they finished 6th in points allowed (328). They aren't trying to be the 1985 Bears; they just need to be "good enough" to let Patrick Mahomes do his thing. But when the game is on the line in the fourth quarter, Steve Spagnuolo’s unit turns into a nightmare to solve.
Red Zone vs. Between the 20s
Some defenses are "bend but don't break."
The Philadelphia Eagles were fascinating this year. They gave up a fair amount of yardage—ranking middle of the pack—but they were 5th in points allowed (325). Why? Because they were elite in the red zone. They forced field goals instead of touchdowns.
On the flip side, you have teams like the Cleveland Browns. Their "total defense" (yards) was top-five, but they were 14th in points. They’d shut you down for 80 yards, then give up a 20-yard blown coverage touchdown. It’s infuriating for fans, but it shows why yards don't always equal points.
How to use these stats for betting or fantasy
If you're looking at defensive matchups, stop looking at "Total Yards." It’s a trap.
- Check Points Per Drive: This is the truest measure of a defense's efficiency.
- Look at EPA/Play: It tells you how much a defense actually hurts the opponent's chances of scoring on every single snap.
- Factor in the Offense: If a team has a ball-control offense (like the Chargers under Jim Harbaugh), the defense will naturally allow fewer points because the opponent has fewer opportunities.
The New England Patriots are a great example of this. They finished 4th in points allowed (320), but a lot of that was because their games were slow, plodding affairs with very few total possessions. They were a good defense, sure, but maybe not the "elite" unit the raw point total suggests.
The Future of Defensive Strategy
We are seeing a massive shift toward "Simulated Pressures."
Coaches like Jesse Minter (Chargers) and Mike Macdonald (Seahawks) are changing the game. They don't just blitz everyone; they make it look like they’re blitzing, then drop guys into passing lanes. It’s confusing quarterbacks and leading to more turnovers.
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More turnovers = shorter fields for the offense = fewer points allowed.
It’s a simple math problem that’s incredibly hard to execute on the field.
Actionable Next Steps
To get a real handle on which defenses are actually dominant versus which ones are just lucky, you should start tracking Points Per Drive instead of just total points. Sites like Pro Football Reference and Football Insights offer these splits for free. Also, keep an eye on Red Zone TD Percentage; a defense that can't stop a nosebleed in the open field but locks down inside the 20 is often a better "bet" than a team that allows zero yards but collapses at the goal line.
Next time you see a "Top 5 Defense" graphic on TV, ask yourself if they’re actually stopping people, or if they’re just playing against backup quarterbacks in a slow-paced system. The truth is usually hidden in the efficiency metrics.