The Bears not actually being terrible has been one of the nicer stories of the season. Their offense has still struggled mightily and Mitchell Trubisky (-14.2 Passing NEP) has not helped, but their defense has been superb.
| Rank | Team | nERD | Rec | Playoffs | Off. NEP Rank | Def. NEP Rank | Change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 22 | Chicago Bears | -1.81 | 3-4 | 8.10% | 25 | 5 | +3 |
| 21 | Tampa Bay Buccaneers | -1.57 | 2-4 | 9.20% | 9 | 27 | +1 |
| 20 | New York Giants | -1.23 | 1-6 | 0.50% | 21 | 16 | +1 |
| 19 | Detroit Lions | -1.02 | 3-3 | 19.50% | 27 | 3 | -1 |
| 18 | Carolina Panthers | 0.23 | 4-3 | 34.90% | 22 | 7 | -7 |
| 17 | Atlanta Falcons | 0.33 | 3-3 | 29.50% | 11 | 24 | -2 |
| 16 | Dallas Cowboys | 1.48 | 3-3 | 23.50% | 3 | 28 | +1 |
| 15 | Buffalo Bills | 1.49 | 4-2 | 61.30% | 19 | 9 | -2 |
| 14 | Los Angeles Chargers | 1.77 | 3-4 | 17.20% | 13 | 18 | +5 |
| 13 | Washington Redskins | 2.00 | 3-3 | 25.80% | 16 | 10 | -1 |
Chicago is tied for fifth in Adjusted Defensive NEP per play, allowing just 4.8 yards per play. The combination of a good pass rush and solid secondary has held opponents to just 5.4 yards per drop back.
Buffalo has been another surprising team, and as is the case the Bears, the Bills’ defense has been the catalyst. The unit is 9th in NEP per play and 11th in NEP per drop back.
Their performance may not be that sustainable, though, as they have thrived in the turnover department. The Bills lead the league in terms of turnovers per drive and are fifth with a 3.9% interception rate.
In terms of stopping opponents from gaining yardage, Buffalo’s performance has been more modest, as the Bills are 16th in yards allowed per play and 18th in yards allowed per drop back.