Defensive: Drive Averages · Points avg (allowed)

DEF · Drive AveragesP + N
About this stat ↓

What Points avg (allowed) is

Points allowed per opponent drive: points allowed divided by the number of drives opponents had against this defense. The cleanest single measure of a defense, because it ignores how often the opponent had the ball.

Lower is better. It is a rate, so a team's number does not grow with games played. Source: P + N.

In 2025 the Seahawks led at 1.50; the league average was 2.15.

League snapshot — 2025

League leader
SEA · 1.50
League average
2.15
Best to worst
1.37

All 32 teams, lower is better.

At a glance — 2025

Where the 32 teams sit on this stat this season.

League leader
SEA · 1.50
League laggard
DAL · 2.87
League average
2.15
Spread (max − min)
1.37

Does Points avg (allowed) matter against the spread?

Run as a one-stat algorithm against the closing line, this stat went 874–704–37 ATS (55.4%) across 2020–2025, #61 of 296 ranked.

Its best season was 2020 (158–96, 62.2%); its worst 2023 (134–124, 51.9%).

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

SeasonGamesATS recordATS %
2020256158–96–262.2%
2021272146–124–254.1%
2022271145–119–754.9%
2023272134–124–1451.9%
2024272145–118–955.1%
2025272146–123–354.3%

Points avg (allowed) in 2025 vs 2024

Seahawks lead at 1.50 — they ranked #6 last year. Cowboys are last at 2.87 — #27 last year.

The league average is 2.15, up 0.05 from 2.10 last year.

Biggest riser: Jaguars, #30 → #4. Biggest faller: Packers, #5 → #19.

Spread between first and last: 1.37; 20 teams are within 0.34 of the average.

Year-over-year — 2025 vs 2024

Biggest movers from last season.

Biggest riser
DAL · +0.52
Biggest faller
JAX · −0.63
Most consistent
KC · +0.00
League trend 2025 vs 2024
▲ 0.05

Multi-year context

7-year window (2020–2026)

Multi-year leader
BAL · 1.89
Multi-year laggard
ARI · 2.40
Biggest improver
MIN · −0.21/yr
Biggest decliner
ARI · +0.14/yr

Multi-year heatmap

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

Team2020202120222023202420252026
SEA2.081.902.112.171.851.501.75
HOU2.732.382.071.791.921.562.07
DEN2.351.851.772.191.571.611.95
JAX2.672.571.911.882.401.771.46
PHI2.122.101.882.421.681.782.00
MIN2.712.152.171.911.751.781.14
NE2.211.641.761.752.341.831.74
CLE2.512.032.021.572.031.871.96
LAC2.392.492.012.071.651.882.08
LAR1.571.992.171.972.231.902.18
KC2.102.101.981.611.931.931.79
BUF2.211.531.651.692.112.062.61
NO1.861.681.821.652.132.082.65
PIT1.652.011.931.711.892.151.95
SF2.041.961.481.702.412.181.79
DET2.982.522.372.091.872.192.74
BAL1.761.981.781.411.922.192.16
ATL2.342.542.261.892.382.202.14
GB2.262.102.082.001.852.211.93
CHI2.022.222.541.981.982.231.85
TB1.961.821.811.762.082.232.00
CAR2.452.021.902.212.832.242.18
IND2.081.972.112.012.122.312.46
MIA1.831.922.122.031.982.382.75
NYG2.152.202.021.992.212.391.96
LV2.812.352.271.772.282.392.22
TEN2.571.861.872.042.402.532.10
WAS1.722.371.722.662.212.642.53
CIN2.331.941.792.032.322.662.10
ARI2.062.012.312.532.222.673.00
NYJ2.542.641.611.642.272.691.81
DAL2.541.731.701.752.352.872.72

Points avg (allowed) since 2018

Leaders since 2018: 2018 Bears (1.50), 2019 Patriots (1.14), 2020 Rams (1.57), 2021 Bills (1.53), 2022 49ers (1.48), 2023 Ravens (1.41), 2024 Broncos (1.57), 2025 Seahawks (1.50).

The best season on record is Patriots 2019 at 1.14; the worst Lions 2020 at 2.98.

The league average has risen from 2.04 in 2018 to 2.15 in 2025.

Distribution

How the 32 teams cluster for 2025.

About this stat
Stat ID
def_drives_points_avg
Side
defensive
Family
Drive Averages
Data source
P + N
Polarity
lower is better
Display grain
rate
Algorithm eligibility
Algorithm-eligible: this stat can be picked in the Algorithm Builder.