What TFL (allowed) is

Tackles for loss: plays this defense stopped behind the line of scrimmage. Each one kills a play before it starts and puts the offense off schedule.

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

In 2021 the Steelers led at 5; the league average was 3.58.

League snapshot — 2021

League leader

PIT · 5

League average

3.58

Best to worst

2.53

All 32 teams, higher is better.

Rank	Team	Value	Games
1	PIT	5	17
2	SF	4.88	17
3	NO	4.47	17
4	LAR	4.41	17
5	CIN	4.29	17
6	TB	4.29	17
7	BUF	4.18	17
8	CHI	4.18	17
9	CAR	4.06	17
10	HOU	3.94	17
11	CLE	3.82	17
12	ARI	3.76	17
13	PHI	3.65	17
14	TEN	3.65	17
15	DAL	3.59	17
16	BAL	3.53	17
17	MIA	3.53	17
18	DEN	3.41	17
19	IND	3.24	17
20	JAX	3.24	17
21	LAC	3.24	17
22	MIN	3.24	17
23	NYJ	3.24	17
24	WAS	3.18	17
25	LV	3.12	17
26	SEA	3.06	17
27	DET	3	17
28	NE	2.94	17
29	NYG	2.76	17
30	GB	2.71	17
31	ATL	2.59	17
32	KC	2.47	17

At a glance — 2021

Where the 32 teams sit on this stat this season.

League leader

PIT · 5

League laggard

KC · 2.47

League average

3.58

Spread (max − min)

2.53

Rank	Team	Value	Δ vs avg	Percentile
1	PIT	5	1.42	100%
2	SF	4.88	1.30	96.8%
3	NO	4.47	0.89	93.5%
4	LAR	4.41	0.83	90.3%
5	CIN	4.29	0.71	87.1%
6	TB	4.29	0.71	83.9%
7	BUF	4.18	0.59	80.6%
8	CHI	4.18	0.59	77.4%
9	CAR	4.06	0.48	74.2%
10	HOU	3.94	0.36	71%
11	CLE	3.82	0.24	67.7%
12	ARI	3.76	0.18	64.5%
13	PHI	3.65	0.06	61.3%
14	TEN	3.65	0.06	58.1%
15	DAL	3.59	0.01	54.8%
16	BAL	3.53	-0.05	51.6%
17	MIA	3.53	-0.05	48.4%
18	DEN	3.41	-0.17	45.2%
19	IND	3.24	-0.35	41.9%
20	JAX	3.24	-0.35	38.7%
21	LAC	3.24	-0.35	35.5%
22	MIN	3.24	-0.35	32.3%
23	NYJ	3.24	-0.35	29%
24	WAS	3.18	-0.41	25.8%
25	LV	3.12	-0.47	22.6%
26	SEA	3.06	-0.52	19.4%
27	DET	3	-0.58	16.1%
28	NE	2.94	-0.64	12.9%
29	NYG	2.76	-0.82	9.7%
30	GB	2.71	-0.88	6.5%
31	ATL	2.59	-0.99	3.2%
32	KC	2.47	-1.11	0%

Does TFL (allowed) matter against the spread?

Run as a one-stat algorithm against the closing line, this stat went 808–770–37 ATS (51.2%) across 2020–2025, #215 of 296 ranked.

Its best season was 2023 (140–118, 54.3%); its worst 2021 (134–136, 49.6%).

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

Season	Games	ATS record	ATS %
2020	256	129–125–2	50.8%
2021	272	134–136–2	49.6%
2022	271	137–127–7	51.9%
2023	272	140–118–14	54.3%
2024	272	132–131–9	50.2%
2025	272	136–133–3	50.6%

TFL (allowed) in 2021 vs 2020

Steelers lead at 5 — they ranked #1 last year. Chiefs are last at 2.47 — #31 last year.

The league average is 3.58, down 0.16 from 3.74 last year.

Biggest riser: Bengals, #30 → #5. Biggest faller: Seahawks, #2 → #26.

Spread between first and last: 2.53; 21 teams are within 0.64 of the average.

Year-over-year — 2021 vs 2020

Biggest movers from last season.

Biggest riser

CIN · +1.61

Biggest faller

SEA · −2.19

Most consistent

LV · −0.01

League trend 2021 vs 2020

▼ -0.16

Rank	Team	2021	2020	Δ
1	CIN	4.29	2.69	+1.61
2	SF	4.88	3.63	+1.26
3	CAR	4.06	3.19	+0.87
4	CLE	3.82	3	+0.82
5	NE	2.94	2.38	+0.57
6	BUF	4.18	3.63	+0.55
7	CHI	4.18	3.63	+0.55
8	DAL	3.59	3.06	+0.53
9	TEN	3.65	3.13	+0.52
10	MIN	3.24	2.81	+0.42
11	LAR	4.41	4.06	+0.35
12	HOU	3.94	3.69	+0.25
13	JAX	3.24	3.19	+0.05
14	LAC	3.24	3.19	+0.05
15	LV	3.12	3.13	−0.01
16	KC	2.47	2.56	−0.09
17	NO	4.47	4.63	−0.15
18	DET	3	3.31	−0.31
19	BAL	3.53	3.88	−0.35
20	MIA	3.53	3.88	−0.35
21	DEN	3.41	3.81	−0.40
22	NYJ	3.24	3.69	−0.45
23	GB	2.71	3.31	−0.61
24	ATL	2.59	3.31	−0.72
25	IND	3.24	4	−0.76
26	PIT	5	5.81	−0.81
27	TB	4.29	5.25	−0.96
28	NYG	2.76	3.94	−1.17
29	ARI	3.76	5	−1.24
30	WAS	3.18	4.56	−1.39
31	PHI	3.65	5.13	−1.48
32	SEA	3.06	5.25	−2.19

Multi-year context

7-year window (2020–2026)

Multi-year leader

CLE · 5.05

Multi-year laggard

NE · 3.65

Biggest improver

CLE · +0.69/yr

Biggest decliner

LAR · −0.12/yr

Rank	Team	Avg	Slope/yr	2020	2021	2022	2023	2024	2025	2026
1	CLE	5.05	+0.69	3	3.82	3.47	5.18	6.59	6.88	6.40
2	HOU	4.87	+0.43	3.69	3.94	4.06	4.82	6.24	5.35	6
3	PIT	4.82	+0.01	5.81	5	3.29	4.24	4.94	5.24	5.20
4	SEA	4.75	+0.34	5.25	3.06	3.76	4.82	4.35	5.18	6.80
5	TB	4.64	−0.02	5.25	4.29	4.47	4.24	4.76	4.88	4.60
6	BUF	4.62	+0.15	3.63	4.18	5	4.71	5.47	4.94	4.40
7	PHI	4.43	−0.08	5.13	3.65	5.18	3.94	4.76	4.18	4.20
8	ARI	4.42	+0.06	5	3.76	4.18	3.76	5.12	4.12	5
9	NYJ	4.41	+0.34	3.69	3.24	4	4.59	5.24	4.53	5.60
10	BAL	4.38	+0.28	3.88	3.53	4	4.53	4.82	3.88	6
11	MIN	4.37	+0.56	2.81	3.24	3.88	3.35	5.65	6.29	5.40
12	WAS	4.36	+0.08	4.56	3.18	4.65	4.41	5.06	4.06	4.60
13	DEN	4.30	+0.39	3.81	3.41	3.29	3.41	5.53	4.82	5.80
14	NO	4.30	−0.00	4.63	4.47	3.71	3.65	4.53	5.29	3.80
15	TEN	4.26	+0.36	3.13	3.65	3.53	4.24	5.41	4.88	5
16	IND	4.17	−0.01	4	3.24	4.71	4.47	5.18	5	2.60
17	GB	4.12	+0.48	3.31	2.71	3.24	3.76	5.59	4.24	6
18	MIA	4.10	+0.13	3.88	3.53	3.76	4.12	4.88	4.35	4.20
19	KC	4.06	+0.42	2.56	2.47	4.47	4.41	5.12	4.35	5
20	NYG	4.01	+0.15	3.94	2.76	3.65	3.76	5.65	5.29	3
21	DAL	4.00	+0.12	3.06	3.59	4.53	4.29	4.12	5	3.40
22	CHI	3.99	+0.21	3.63	4.18	2.94	3.35	4.76	3.88	5.20
23	LV	3.97	+0.27	3.13	3.12	3.35	4.06	4.88	6.06	3.20
24	LAC	3.97	+0.22	3.19	3.24	3.82	4.12	4.53	5.29	3.60
25	DET	3.95	+0.36	3.31	3	3.47	4	4.12	3.94	5.80
26	SF	3.94	−0.10	3.63	4.88	3.88	4.06	3.94	3.82	3.40
27	LAR	3.84	−0.12	4.06	4.41	3.47	3.82	4.24	3.88	3
28	JAX	3.83	+0.17	3.19	3.24	3.82	3.59	4.82	4.53	3.60
29	CIN	3.80	+0.29	2.69	4.29	2.94	3.53	4.24	3.29	5.60
30	ATL	3.72	+0.33	3.31	2.59	2.82	3.29	4.65	5.59	3.80
31	CAR	3.71	−0.00	3.19	4.06	4.35	3.24	3.82	3.82	3.50
32	NE	3.65	+0.33	2.38	2.94	3.65	3.76	3.71	5.12	4

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
PIT	5.81	5	3.29	4.24	4.94	5.24	5.20
SF	3.63	4.88	3.88	4.06	3.94	3.82	3.40
NO	4.63	4.47	3.71	3.65	4.53	5.29	3.80
LAR	4.06	4.41	3.47	3.82	4.24	3.88	3
CIN	2.69	4.29	2.94	3.53	4.24	3.29	5.60
TB	5.25	4.29	4.47	4.24	4.76	4.88	4.60
BUF	3.63	4.18	5	4.71	5.47	4.94	4.40
CHI	3.63	4.18	2.94	3.35	4.76	3.88	5.20
CAR	3.19	4.06	4.35	3.24	3.82	3.82	3.50
HOU	3.69	3.94	4.06	4.82	6.24	5.35	6
CLE	3	3.82	3.47	5.18	6.59	6.88	6.40
ARI	5	3.76	4.18	3.76	5.12	4.12	5
PHI	5.13	3.65	5.18	3.94	4.76	4.18	4.20
TEN	3.13	3.65	3.53	4.24	5.41	4.88	5
DAL	3.06	3.59	4.53	4.29	4.12	5	3.40
BAL	3.88	3.53	4	4.53	4.82	3.88	6
MIA	3.88	3.53	3.76	4.12	4.88	4.35	4.20
DEN	3.81	3.41	3.29	3.41	5.53	4.82	5.80
IND	4	3.24	4.71	4.47	5.18	5	2.60
JAX	3.19	3.24	3.82	3.59	4.82	4.53	3.60
LAC	3.19	3.24	3.82	4.12	4.53	5.29	3.60
MIN	2.81	3.24	3.88	3.35	5.65	6.29	5.40
NYJ	3.69	3.24	4	4.59	5.24	4.53	5.60
WAS	4.56	3.18	4.65	4.41	5.06	4.06	4.60
LV	3.13	3.12	3.35	4.06	4.88	6.06	3.20
SEA	5.25	3.06	3.76	4.82	4.35	5.18	6.80
DET	3.31	3	3.47	4	4.12	3.94	5.80
NE	2.38	2.94	3.65	3.76	3.71	5.12	4
NYG	3.94	2.76	3.65	3.76	5.65	5.29	3
GB	3.31	2.71	3.24	3.76	5.59	4.24	6
ATL	3.31	2.59	2.82	3.29	4.65	5.59	3.80
KC	2.56	2.47	4.47	4.41	5.12	4.35	5

TFL (allowed) since 2018

Leaders since 2018: 2018 Cardinals (5.31), 2019 Jets (5.69), 2020 Steelers (5.81), 2021 Steelers (5).

Steelers have led this stat 2 of 4 seasons.

The best season on record is Steelers 2020 at 5.81; the worst Patriots 2020 at 2.38.

The league average has fallen from 4.35 in 2018 to 3.58 in 2021.

Distribution

How the 32 teams cluster for 2021.

About this stat

Stat ID: def_advanced_defense_tackles_for_loss
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.