What Pass Defended (allowed) is

Passes defended: throws this defense broke up without intercepting them. Coverage that arrived at the ball.

Higher is better. It is shown per game, so a team's number does not depend on games played. Source: P + N.

In 2023 the Saints led at 5.82; the league average was 4.42.

League snapshot — 2023

League leader

NO · 5.82

League average

4.42

Best to worst

2.59

All 32 teams, higher is better.

Rank	Team	Value	Games
1	NO	5.82	17
2	BAL	5.41	17
3	CLE	5.41	17
4	NYJ	5.35	17
5	JAX	4.94	17
6	SF	4.94	17
7	CHI	4.88	17
8	LAC	4.88	17
9	MIA	4.76	17
10	NYG	4.76	17
11	PIT	4.71	17
12	BUF	4.65	17
13	DET	4.65	17
14	WAS	4.59	17
15	SEA	4.53	17
16	LAR	4.47	17
17	CIN	4.35	17
18	DAL	4.35	17
19	PHI	4.35	17
20	KC	4.24	17
21	HOU	4.12	17
22	IND	4.06	17
23	GB	4	17
24	MIN	3.94	17
25	ARI	3.88	17
26	ATL	3.88	17
27	NE	3.88	17
28	CAR	3.76	17
29	TB	3.76	17
30	DEN	3.65	17
31	LV	3.29	17
32	TEN	3.24	17

At a glance — 2023

Where the 32 teams sit on this stat this season.

League leader

NO · 5.82

League laggard

TEN · 3.24

League average

4.42

Spread (max − min)

2.59

Rank	Team	Value	Δ vs avg	Percentile
1	NO	5.82	1.40	100%
2	BAL	5.41	0.99	96.8%
3	CLE	5.41	0.99	93.5%
4	NYJ	5.35	0.93	90.3%
5	JAX	4.94	0.52	87.1%
6	SF	4.94	0.52	83.9%
7	CHI	4.88	0.46	80.6%
8	LAC	4.88	0.46	77.4%
9	MIA	4.76	0.34	74.2%
10	NYG	4.76	0.34	71%
11	PIT	4.71	0.28	67.7%
12	BUF	4.65	0.22	64.5%
13	DET	4.65	0.22	61.3%
14	WAS	4.59	0.17	58.1%
15	SEA	4.53	0.11	54.8%
16	LAR	4.47	0.05	51.6%
17	CIN	4.35	-0.07	48.4%
18	DAL	4.35	-0.07	45.2%
19	PHI	4.35	-0.07	41.9%
20	KC	4.24	-0.19	38.7%
21	HOU	4.12	-0.31	35.5%
22	IND	4.06	-0.36	32.3%
23	GB	4	-0.42	29%
24	MIN	3.94	-0.48	25.8%
25	ARI	3.88	-0.54	22.6%
26	ATL	3.88	-0.54	19.4%
27	NE	3.88	-0.54	16.1%
28	CAR	3.76	-0.66	12.9%
29	TB	3.76	-0.66	9.7%
30	DEN	3.65	-0.78	6.5%
31	LV	3.29	-1.13	3.2%
32	TEN	3.24	-1.19	0%

Does Pass Defended (allowed) matter against the spread?

Run as a one-stat algorithm against the closing line, this stat went 843–735–37 ATS (53.4%) across 2020–2025, #120 of 296 ranked.

Its best season was 2020 (151–103, 59.4%); its worst 2023 (128–130, 49.6%).

For picks, this is a modest signal. One stat is not a recipe — the algorithms combine many.

Season	Games	ATS record	ATS %
2020	256	151–103–2	59.4%
2021	272	141–129–2	52.2%
2022	271	144–120–7	54.5%
2023	272	128–130–14	49.6%
2024	272	134–129–9	51.0%
2025	272	145–124–3	53.9%

Pass Defended (allowed) in 2023 vs 2022

Saints lead at 5.82 — they ranked #21 last year. Titans are last at 3.24 — #11 last year.

The league average is 4.42, up 0.19 from 4.23 last year.

Biggest riser: Bears, #32 → #7. Biggest faller: Vikings, #3 → #24.

Spread between first and last: 2.59; 23 teams are within 0.61 of the average.

Year-over-year — 2023 vs 2022

Biggest movers from last season.

Biggest riser

CHI · +1.94

Biggest faller

TEN · −1.35

Most consistent

LV · +0.06

League trend 2023 vs 2022

▲ 0.19

Rank	Team	2023	2022	Δ
1	CHI	4.88	2.94	+1.94
2	NO	5.82	3.94	+1.88
3	LAC	4.88	3.76	+1.12
4	LAR	4.47	3.41	+1.06
5	NYJ	5.35	4.29	+1.06
6	DET	4.65	3.65	+1.00
7	BAL	5.41	4.53	+0.88
8	DAL	4.35	3.47	+0.88
9	MIA	4.76	4.18	+0.59
10	WAS	4.59	4	+0.59
11	CLE	5.41	5	+0.41
12	IND	4.06	3.65	+0.41
13	SF	4.94	4.59	+0.35
14	NYG	4.76	4.41	+0.35
15	GB	4	3.71	+0.29
16	TB	3.76	3.47	+0.29
17	HOU	4.12	3.82	+0.29
18	CAR	3.76	3.65	+0.12
19	LV	3.29	3.24	+0.06
20	PIT	4.71	4.82	−0.12
21	ATL	3.88	4.06	−0.18
22	NE	3.88	4.06	−0.18
23	SEA	4.53	4.76	−0.24
24	DEN	3.65	3.94	−0.29
25	CIN	4.35	4.69	−0.33
26	JAX	4.94	5.59	−0.65
27	ARI	3.88	4.53	−0.65
28	PHI	4.35	5	−0.65
29	KC	4.24	5	−0.76
30	BUF	4.65	5.63	−0.98
31	MIN	3.94	5.12	−1.18
32	TEN	3.24	4.59	−1.35

Multi-year context

7-year window (2020–2026)

Multi-year leader

PIT · 5.14

Multi-year laggard

DAL · 3.51

Biggest improver

PHI · +0.40/yr

Biggest decliner

TEN · −0.44/yr

Rank	Team	Avg	Slope/yr	2020	2021	2022	2023	2024	2025	2026
1	PIT	5.14	+0.18	5.25	4.71	4.82	4.71	4.59	5.29	6.60
2	SEA	4.80	+0.01	5	4.71	4.76	4.53	4.35	5.65	4.60
3	NYG	4.66	+0.06	4.69	4.88	4.41	4.76	3.53	4.53	5.80
4	NO	4.64	−0.24	5.25	4.76	3.94	5.82	5.47	4.65	2.60
5	JAX	4.60	+0.26	3.75	2.94	5.59	4.94	4.35	6.24	4.40
6	BUF	4.56	−0.12	4.75	4.71	5.63	4.65	3.53	3.65	5
7	CIN	4.55	+0.05	5	3.71	4.69	4.35	4.65	4.47	5
8	LAR	4.50	+0.26	4.25	4.24	3.41	4.47	4.29	4.82	6
9	CLE	4.43	−0.18	4.63	4.65	5	5.41	3.53	3.82	4
10	PHI	4.42	+0.40	2.69	3.29	5	4.35	5.29	5.29	5
11	KC	4.39	+0.12	4	4.06	5	4.24	4.18	3.53	5.75
12	BAL	4.38	−0.09	4.19	4.24	4.53	5.41	4.82	4.29	3.20
13	MIN	4.37	+0.14	3.50	4	5.12	3.94	5.59	3.24	5.20
14	HOU	4.37	+0.38	3.13	3.76	3.82	4.12	5.24	5.29	5.20
15	DEN	4.34	+0.20	4	4.29	3.94	3.65	4	5.53	5
16	DET	4.33	+0.30	3.19	4	3.65	4.65	4.76	5.47	4.60
17	ATL	4.32	+0.29	3.19	4.53	4.06	3.88	3.88	5.12	5.60
18	LAC	4.25	+0.28	3.38	3.29	3.76	4.88	5.12	4.94	4.40
19	TB	4.21	+0.03	4.38	5	3.47	3.76	3.59	4.06	5.20
20	IND	4.21	+0.02	4.88	4.06	3.65	4.06	3.35	4.65	4.80
21	ARI	4.13	+0.07	3.56	4.29	4.53	3.88	3.71	4.76	4.20
22	NE	4.09	−0.00	3.25	5.24	4.06	3.88	4.29	3.94	4
23	WAS	4.07	+0.07	4.13	3.59	4	4.59	3.47	4.12	4.60
24	MIA	4.06	−0.44	4.75	5.35	4.18	4.76	4.06	3.12	2.20
25	NYJ	4.03	−0.08	4.19	3.59	4.29	5.35	3.29	3.88	3.60
26	SF	4.00	−0.02	3.88	3.24	4.59	4.94	4.24	3.29	3.80
27	GB	3.95	−0.12	4.63	4.35	3.71	4	3.29	3.47	4.20
28	LV	3.92	−0.09	4.63	4.35	3.24	3.29	4.71	3.06	4.20
29	CHI	3.86	−0.02	4.44	3.29	2.94	4.88	3.88	4.41	3.20
30	CAR	3.83	+0.21	3.63	3.06	3.65	3.76	3.94	3.76	5
31	TEN	3.83	−0.44	5.06	4.88	4.59	3.24	3.12	3.71	2.20
32	DAL	3.51	−0.20	2.88	4.88	3.47	4.35	4.12	2.47	2.40

Multi-year heatmap

32 teams across 7 seasons. Cells colored by quintile within each season; click a column header to jump to that year.

Team	2020	2021	2022	2023	2024	2025	2026
NO	5.25	4.76	3.94	5.82	5.47	4.65	2.60
BAL	4.19	4.24	4.53	5.41	4.82	4.29	3.20
CLE	4.63	4.65	5	5.41	3.53	3.82	4
NYJ	4.19	3.59	4.29	5.35	3.29	3.88	3.60
JAX	3.75	2.94	5.59	4.94	4.35	6.24	4.40
SF	3.88	3.24	4.59	4.94	4.24	3.29	3.80
CHI	4.44	3.29	2.94	4.88	3.88	4.41	3.20
LAC	3.38	3.29	3.76	4.88	5.12	4.94	4.40
MIA	4.75	5.35	4.18	4.76	4.06	3.12	2.20
NYG	4.69	4.88	4.41	4.76	3.53	4.53	5.80
PIT	5.25	4.71	4.82	4.71	4.59	5.29	6.60
BUF	4.75	4.71	5.63	4.65	3.53	3.65	5
DET	3.19	4	3.65	4.65	4.76	5.47	4.60
WAS	4.13	3.59	4	4.59	3.47	4.12	4.60
SEA	5	4.71	4.76	4.53	4.35	5.65	4.60
LAR	4.25	4.24	3.41	4.47	4.29	4.82	6
CIN	5	3.71	4.69	4.35	4.65	4.47	5
DAL	2.88	4.88	3.47	4.35	4.12	2.47	2.40
PHI	2.69	3.29	5	4.35	5.29	5.29	5
KC	4	4.06	5	4.24	4.18	3.53	5.75
HOU	3.13	3.76	3.82	4.12	5.24	5.29	5.20
IND	4.88	4.06	3.65	4.06	3.35	4.65	4.80
GB	4.63	4.35	3.71	4	3.29	3.47	4.20
MIN	3.50	4	5.12	3.94	5.59	3.24	5.20
ARI	3.56	4.29	4.53	3.88	3.71	4.76	4.20
ATL	3.19	4.53	4.06	3.88	3.88	5.12	5.60
NE	3.25	5.24	4.06	3.88	4.29	3.94	4
CAR	3.63	3.06	3.65	3.76	3.94	3.76	5
TB	4.38	5	3.47	3.76	3.59	4.06	5.20
DEN	4	4.29	3.94	3.65	4	5.53	5
LV	4.63	4.35	3.24	3.29	4.71	3.06	4.20
TEN	5.06	4.88	4.59	3.24	3.12	3.71	2.20

Pass Defended (allowed) since 2018

Leaders since 2018: 2018 Bears (6.13), 2019 Buccaneers (6), 2020 Saints (5.25), 2021 Dolphins (5.35), 2022 Bills (5.63), 2023 Saints (5.82).

Saints have led this stat 2 of 6 seasons.

The best season on record is Bears 2018 at 6.13; the worst 49ers 2018 at 2.44.

Distribution

How the 32 teams cluster for 2023.

About this stat

Stat ID: def_advanced_defense_def_pass_def
Side: defensive
Family: Advanced defense
Data source: P + N
Polarity: higher is better (or neutral)
Display grain: count
Algorithm eligibility: Algorithm-eligible: this stat can be picked in the Algorithm Builder.