What Pass Int (allowed) is

Interceptions made by this defense. Each one ends an opponent's drive and hands the ball over. Only partly repeatable — some of it is coverage, some of it is tipped balls and luck.

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 Cowboys led at 1.53; the league average was 0.81.

League snapshot — 2021

League leader

DAL · 1.53

League average

0.81

Best to worst

1.18

All 32 teams, higher is better.

Rank	Team	Value	Games
1	DAL	1.53	17
2	NE	1.35	17
3	BUF	1.12	17
4	IND	1.12	17
5	LAR	1.12	17
6	GB	1.06	17
7	NO	1.06	17
8	HOU	1	17
9	TB	1	17
10	MIN	0.94	17
11	TEN	0.94	17
12	KC	0.88	17
13	NYG	0.88	17
14	MIA	0.82	17
15	ARI	0.76	17
16	CIN	0.76	17
17	CLE	0.76	17
18	DEN	0.76	17
19	PIT	0.76	17
20	ATL	0.71	17
21	PHI	0.71	17
22	DET	0.65	17
23	LAC	0.65	17
24	SEA	0.65	17
25	WAS	0.65	17
26	BAL	0.53	17
27	CAR	0.53	17
28	SF	0.53	17
29	CHI	0.47	17
30	JAX	0.41	17
31	NYJ	0.41	17
32	LV	0.35	17

At a glance — 2021

Where the 32 teams sit on this stat this season.

League leader

DAL · 1.53

League laggard

LV · 0.35

League average

0.81

Spread (max − min)

1.18

Rank	Team	Value	Δ vs avg	Percentile
1	DAL	1.53	0.72	100%
2	NE	1.35	0.54	96.8%
3	BUF	1.12	0.31	93.5%
4	IND	1.12	0.31	90.3%
5	LAR	1.12	0.31	87.1%
6	GB	1.06	0.25	83.9%
7	NO	1.06	0.25	80.6%
8	HOU	1	0.19	77.4%
9	TB	1	0.19	74.2%
10	MIN	0.94	0.13	71%
11	TEN	0.94	0.13	67.7%
12	KC	0.88	0.07	64.5%
13	NYG	0.88	0.07	61.3%
14	MIA	0.82	0.01	58.1%
15	ARI	0.76	-0.04	54.8%
16	CIN	0.76	-0.04	51.6%
17	CLE	0.76	-0.04	48.4%
18	DEN	0.76	-0.04	45.2%
19	PIT	0.76	-0.04	41.9%
20	ATL	0.71	-0.10	38.7%
21	PHI	0.71	-0.10	35.5%
22	DET	0.65	-0.16	32.3%
23	LAC	0.65	-0.16	29%
24	SEA	0.65	-0.16	25.8%
25	WAS	0.65	-0.16	22.6%
26	BAL	0.53	-0.28	19.4%
27	CAR	0.53	-0.28	16.1%
28	SF	0.53	-0.28	12.9%
29	CHI	0.47	-0.34	9.7%
30	JAX	0.41	-0.40	6.5%
31	NYJ	0.41	-0.40	3.2%
32	LV	0.35	-0.46	0%

Does Pass Int (allowed) matter against the spread?

Run as a one-stat algorithm against the closing line, this stat went 877–701–37 ATS (55.6%) across 2020–2025, #53 of 296 ranked.

Its best season was 2020 (151–103, 59.4%); its worst 2024 (138–125, 52.5%).

For picks, this is a strong 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	152–118–2	56.3%
2022	271	142–122–7	53.8%
2023	272	142–116–14	55.0%
2024	272	138–125–9	52.5%
2025	272	152–117–3	56.5%

Pass Int (allowed) in 2021 vs 2020

Cowboys lead at 1.53 — they ranked #25 last year. Raiders are last at 0.35 — #27 last year.

The league average is 0.81, up 0.04 from 0.77 last year.

Biggest riser: Cowboys, #25 → #1. Biggest faller: Commanders, #6 → #25.

Spread between first and last: 1.18; 20 teams are within 0.27 of the average.

Year-over-year — 2021 vs 2020

Biggest movers from last season.

Biggest riser

DAL · +0.90

Biggest faller

PIT · −0.36

Most consistent

MIN · +0.00

League trend 2021 vs 2020

▲ 0.04

Rank	Team	2021	2020	Δ
1	DAL	1.53	0.63	+0.90
2	HOU	1	0.19	+0.81
3	GB	1.06	0.69	+0.37
4	LAR	1.12	0.88	+0.24
5	NE	1.35	1.13	+0.23
6	DET	0.65	0.44	+0.21
7	PHI	0.71	0.50	+0.21
8	NYG	0.88	0.69	+0.19
9	BUF	1.12	0.94	+0.18
10	IND	1.12	0.94	+0.18
11	DEN	0.76	0.63	+0.14
12	CAR	0.53	0.44	+0.09
13	ARI	0.76	0.69	+0.08
14	CIN	0.76	0.69	+0.08
15	CLE	0.76	0.69	+0.08
16	TB	1	0.94	+0.06
17	MIN	0.94	0.94	+0.00
18	TEN	0.94	0.94	+0.00
19	ATL	0.71	0.75	−0.04
20	NO	1.06	1.13	−0.07
21	BAL	0.53	0.63	−0.10
22	LAC	0.65	0.75	−0.10
23	KC	0.88	1	−0.12
24	CHI	0.47	0.63	−0.15
25	NYJ	0.41	0.63	−0.21
26	SF	0.53	0.75	−0.22
27	SEA	0.65	0.88	−0.23
28	LV	0.35	0.63	−0.27
29	MIA	0.82	1.13	−0.30
30	JAX	0.41	0.75	−0.34
31	WAS	0.65	1	−0.35
32	PIT	0.76	1.13	−0.36

Multi-year context

7-year window (2020–2026)

Multi-year leader

PIT · 0.96

Multi-year laggard

NYJ · 0.48

Biggest improver

JAX · +0.09/yr

Biggest decliner

DAL · −0.16/yr

Rank	Team	Avg	Slope/yr	2020	2021	2022	2023	2024	2025	2026
1	PIT	0.96	−0.03	1.13	0.76	1.18	0.94	1	0.88	0.80
2	MIN	0.93	+0.01	0.94	0.94	0.88	0.65	1.41	0.47	1.20
3	BUF	0.90	−0.09	0.94	1.12	1.06	1.06	0.94	0.76	0.40
4	SEA	0.89	+0.08	0.88	0.65	0.82	0.65	0.76	1.06	1.40
5	LAR	0.86	−0.03	0.88	1.12	0.94	0.59	0.76	0.94	0.80
6	GB	0.85	+0.03	0.69	1.06	1	0.41	1	0.41	1.40
7	CHI	0.83	+0.05	0.63	0.47	0.82	1.29	0.65	1.35	0.60
8	NE	0.83	−0.14	1.13	1.35	1.12	0.59	0.41	0.59	0.60
9	JAX	0.82	+0.09	0.75	0.41	0.82	0.94	0.35	1.29	1.20
10	HOU	0.80	+0.04	0.19	1	0.94	0.82	1.12	1.12	0.40
11	LAC	0.79	+0.04	0.75	0.65	0.82	0.53	0.88	1.12	0.80
12	CIN	0.79	−0.01	0.69	0.76	0.81	1	0.88	0.76	0.60
13	IND	0.78	−0.09	0.94	1.12	0.59	0.88	0.94	0.82	0.20
14	TB	0.78	−0.02	0.94	1	0.59	0.76	0.41	0.76	1
15	DEN	0.77	+0.03	0.63	0.76	0.88	0.65	0.88	0.59	1
16	KC	0.76	−0.02	1	0.88	0.65	0.47	0.76	0.59	1
17	SF	0.76	−0.05	0.75	0.53	1.18	1.29	0.65	0.35	0.60
18	NO	0.75	−0.12	1.13	1.06	0.41	1.06	0.82	0.59	0.20
19	DAL	0.74	−0.16	0.63	1.53	0.94	1	0.76	0.35	0
20	DET	0.72	+0.03	0.44	0.65	0.71	0.94	0.94	0.76	0.60
21	MIA	0.72	−0.07	1.13	0.82	0.47	0.88	0.59	0.53	0.60
22	NYG	0.72	+0.03	0.69	0.88	0.35	1.06	0.29	0.53	1.20
23	BAL	0.71	+0.00	0.63	0.53	0.82	1.06	0.71	0.65	0.60
24	CLE	0.69	−0.01	0.69	0.76	0.65	1.06	0.24	0.65	0.80
25	PHI	0.69	+0.00	0.50	0.71	1	0.53	0.76	0.71	0.60
26	ARI	0.64	−0.03	0.69	0.76	0.65	0.65	0.53	0.59	0.60
27	TEN	0.64	−0.11	0.94	0.94	0.82	0.35	0.65	0.35	0.40
28	ATL	0.62	−0.04	0.75	0.71	0.59	0.47	0.71	0.94	0.20
29	CAR	0.60	+0.06	0.44	0.53	0.59	0.47	0.53	0.88	0.75
30	WAS	0.59	−0.06	1	0.65	0.53	0.47	0.41	0.47	0.60
31	LV	0.56	+0.04	0.63	0.35	0.35	0.76	0.59	0.47	0.80
32	NYJ	0.48	−0.09	0.63	0.41	0.71	1	0.41	0	0.20

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
DAL	0.63	1.53	0.94	1	0.76	0.35	0
NE	1.13	1.35	1.12	0.59	0.41	0.59	0.60
BUF	0.94	1.12	1.06	1.06	0.94	0.76	0.40
IND	0.94	1.12	0.59	0.88	0.94	0.82	0.20
LAR	0.88	1.12	0.94	0.59	0.76	0.94	0.80
GB	0.69	1.06	1	0.41	1	0.41	1.40
NO	1.13	1.06	0.41	1.06	0.82	0.59	0.20
HOU	0.19	1	0.94	0.82	1.12	1.12	0.40
TB	0.94	1	0.59	0.76	0.41	0.76	1
MIN	0.94	0.94	0.88	0.65	1.41	0.47	1.20
TEN	0.94	0.94	0.82	0.35	0.65	0.35	0.40
KC	1	0.88	0.65	0.47	0.76	0.59	1
NYG	0.69	0.88	0.35	1.06	0.29	0.53	1.20
MIA	1.13	0.82	0.47	0.88	0.59	0.53	0.60
ARI	0.69	0.76	0.65	0.65	0.53	0.59	0.60
CIN	0.69	0.76	0.81	1	0.88	0.76	0.60
CLE	0.69	0.76	0.65	1.06	0.24	0.65	0.80
DEN	0.63	0.76	0.88	0.65	0.88	0.59	1
PIT	1.13	0.76	1.18	0.94	1	0.88	0.80
ATL	0.75	0.71	0.59	0.47	0.71	0.94	0.20
PHI	0.50	0.71	1	0.53	0.76	0.71	0.60
DET	0.44	0.65	0.71	0.94	0.94	0.76	0.60
LAC	0.75	0.65	0.82	0.53	0.88	1.12	0.80
SEA	0.88	0.65	0.82	0.65	0.76	1.06	1.40
WAS	1	0.65	0.53	0.47	0.41	0.47	0.60
BAL	0.63	0.53	0.82	1.06	0.71	0.65	0.60
CAR	0.44	0.53	0.59	0.47	0.53	0.88	0.75
SF	0.75	0.53	1.18	1.29	0.65	0.35	0.60
CHI	0.63	0.47	0.82	1.29	0.65	1.35	0.60
JAX	0.75	0.41	0.82	0.94	0.35	1.29	1.20
NYJ	0.63	0.41	0.71	1	0.41	0	0.20
LV	0.63	0.35	0.35	0.76	0.59	0.47	0.80

Pass Int (allowed) since 2018

Leaders since 2018: 2018 Bears (1.69), 2019 Patriots (1.56), 2020 Dolphins (1.13), 2021 Cowboys (1.53).

The best season on record is Bears 2018 at 1.69; the worst 49ers 2018 at 0.13.

Distribution

How the 32 teams cluster for 2021.

About this stat

Stat ID: def_passing_pass_int
Side: defensive
Family: Passing
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.