The 10 Best NFL Defenses Over the Last Decade
1. 2006 Baltimore Ravens
The 2006 Ravens were a nightmare for opposing offenses. In addition to destroying other defenses according to our numberFire metrics, they also ranked at or near the top in most traditional statistics.
| Category | Value | 2006-2015 NFL Rank |
|---|---|---|
| Points Allowed/g | 12.6 | 1st |
| Yards Allowed/g | 264.12 | 4th |
| First Downs Allowed/g | 14.8 | 2nd |
| Takeaways | 40 | T-5th |
| Sacks | 60 | 2nd |
To get to 60 sacks, it takes more than just one dominant player getting after the quarterback. This team had four players -- two defensive ends and two outside linebackers – ranked inside the top 20 in the league in sacks.
| Player | Sacks | 2006 NFL Rank |
|---|---|---|
| Trevor Pryce | 13 | T-5th |
| Adalius Thomas | 11 | T-11th |
| Bart Scott | 9.5 | T-19th |
| Terrell Suggs | 9.5 | T-19th |
They also had three defensive backs ranked inside the top 10 in the league in interceptions.
| Player | Interceptions | 2006 NFL Rank |
|---|---|---|
| Chris McCalister | 6 | T-7th |
| Dawan Landry | 5 | T-10th |
| Ed Reed | 5 | T-10th |
That’s seven players playing among the top level at their respective positions, and we haven’t even mentioned the leader in the middle of the defense yet. In just 14 games, Ray Lewis amassed 103 tackles, 5 sacks, 2 interceptions, and 1 forced fumble.
This star studded lineup allowed opposing offenses to score more than 20 points only three times all season and held every opponent under 26 points, including two shutouts.
Ultimately, their lackluster offense doomed them, and their season ended with a 15-6 loss in the divisional round of the playoffs, marking only their fourth loss of the year.
