Defensive: Drive Averages · Points/drive (allowed)

DEF · Drive AveragesP + N
About this stat ↓

What Points/drive (allowed) is

Points allowed per own drive: points allowed divided by the number of drives this team's offense had. It is the defense's cost spread over the team's own possessions — a pace-adjusted points-allowed number — not the same as points per opponent drive.

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

In 2024 the Broncos led at 0.10; the league average was 0.13.

League snapshot — 2024

League leader
DEN · 0.10
League average
0.13
Best to worst
0.07

All 32 teams, lower is better.

At a glance — 2024

Where the 32 teams sit on this stat this season.

League leader
DEN · 0.10
League laggard
CAR · 0.17
League average
0.13
Spread (max − min)
0.07

Does Points/drive (allowed) matter against the spread?

Run as a one-stat algorithm against the closing line, this stat went 878–700–37 ATS (55.6%) across 2020–2025, #49 of 296 ranked.

Its best season was 2020 (161–93, 63.4%); its worst 2025 (143–126, 53.2%).

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

SeasonGamesATS recordATS %
2020256161–93–263.4%
2021272147–123–254.4%
2022271143–121–754.2%
2023272139–119–1453.9%
2024272145–118–955.1%
2025272143–126–353.2%

Points/drive (allowed) in 2024 vs 2023

Broncos lead at 0.10 — they ranked #27 last year. Panthers are last at 0.17 — #29 last year.

The league average is 0.13, up 0.01 from 0.12 last year.

Biggest riser: Eagles, #30 → #3. Biggest faller: 49ers, #4 → #31.

Spread between first and last: 0.07; 22 teams are within 0.02 of the average.

Year-over-year — 2024 vs 2023

Biggest movers from last season.

Biggest riser
SF · +0.05
Biggest faller
PHI · −0.04
Most consistent
CHI · −0.00
League trend 2024 vs 2023
▲ 0.01

Multi-year context

7-year window (2020–2026)

Multi-year leader
MIN · 0.14
Multi-year laggard
CAR · 0.20
Biggest improver
MIN · +0.00/yr
Biggest decliner
DAL · +0.05/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
DEN0.150.110.110.130.100.100.42
LAC0.150.150.120.120.100.110.43
PHI0.140.130.110.140.100.110.42
MIN0.170.130.120.120.100.110.23
PIT0.100.120.110.100.110.130.38
GB0.140.120.120.120.110.130.39
DET0.190.150.140.120.110.130.56
KC0.140.130.120.100.110.110.44
HOU0.180.140.120.110.110.090.41
SEA0.130.110.130.130.110.090.34
BAL0.110.120.100.080.120.130.43
MIA0.120.120.130.120.120.140.56
CHI0.130.130.150.120.120.130.36
TB0.120.110.110.100.120.130.41
BUF0.130.090.100.100.130.120.52
CLE0.160.120.120.100.130.110.37
NO0.120.100.110.100.130.130.57
IND0.130.120.130.120.130.140.50
WAS0.110.140.100.150.130.160.51
NYG0.130.130.120.120.130.150.40
ARI0.130.120.140.150.130.170.58
LAR0.100.120.130.120.130.110.42
LV0.170.140.140.110.130.140.44
NYJ0.160.160.100.100.140.160.36
NE0.140.100.110.110.140.110.35
TEN0.160.110.110.120.140.150.44
CIN0.150.120.110.120.140.160.44
DAL0.160.110.100.110.140.170.59
JAX0.180.150.110.110.140.100.29
ATL0.150.150.130.110.140.130.43
SF0.130.110.090.100.140.130.36
CAR0.150.120.110.140.170.130.59

Points/drive (allowed) since 2018

Leaders since 2018: 2018 Bears (0.10), 2019 Patriots (0.07), 2020 Rams (0.10), 2021 Bills (0.09), 2022 49ers (0.09), 2023 Ravens (0.08), 2024 Broncos (0.10).

The best season on record is Patriots 2019 at 0.07; the worst Lions 2020 at 0.19.

Distribution

How the 32 teams cluster for 2024.

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