What Pass rating (allowed) is

Passer rating allowed: the NFL's traditional quarterback formula, computed on what opposing quarterbacks did against this defense. Completion-weighted, like the offensive version.

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

In 2021 the Bills led at 65.30; the league average was 90.88.

League snapshot — 2021

League leader

BUF · 65.30

League average

90.88

Best to worst

38.00

All 32 teams, lower is better.

Rank	Team	Value	Games
1	BUF	65.30	17
2	NE	73.30	17
3	DAL	76.60	17
4	NO	81.70	17
5	LAR	83.80	17
6	DEN	85.00	17
7	MIA	85.40	17
8	TB	85.60	17
9	TEN	86.40	17
10	GB	86.90	17
11	PIT	88.70	17
12	NYG	89.00	17
13	CLE	89.40	17
14	IND	90.50	17
15	MIN	91.40	17
16	KC	92.00	17
17	LAC	93.00	17
18	CIN	93.10	17
19	ARI	93.50	17
20	SEA	93.60	17
21	HOU	94.10	17
22	CAR	95.00	17
23	PHI	95.40	17
24	LV	96.40	17
25	SF	97.00	17
26	ATL	97.40	17
27	BAL	99.40	17
28	JAX	100.80	17
29	WAS	100.80	17
30	DET	101.00	17
31	NYJ	103.20	17
32	CHI	103.30	17

At a glance — 2021

Where the 32 teams sit on this stat this season.

League leader

BUF · 65.30

League laggard

CHI · 103.30

League average

90.88

Spread (max − min)

38.00

Rank	Team	Value	Δ vs avg	Percentile
1	BUF	65.30	-25.58	100%
2	NE	73.30	-17.58	96.8%
3	DAL	76.60	-14.28	93.5%
4	NO	81.70	-9.18	90.3%
5	LAR	83.80	-7.08	87.1%
6	DEN	85.00	-5.88	83.9%
7	MIA	85.40	-5.47	80.6%
8	TB	85.60	-5.28	77.4%
9	TEN	86.40	-4.47	74.2%
10	GB	86.90	-3.97	71%
11	PIT	88.70	-2.18	67.7%
12	NYG	89.00	-1.88	64.5%
13	CLE	89.40	-1.47	61.3%
14	IND	90.50	-0.38	58.1%
15	MIN	91.40	0.53	54.8%
16	KC	92.00	1.13	51.6%
17	LAC	93.00	2.13	48.4%
18	CIN	93.10	2.22	45.2%
19	ARI	93.50	2.63	41.9%
20	SEA	93.60	2.72	38.7%
21	HOU	94.10	3.22	35.5%
22	CAR	95.00	4.13	32.3%
23	PHI	95.40	4.53	29%
24	LV	96.40	5.53	25.8%
25	SF	97.00	6.13	22.6%
26	ATL	97.40	6.53	19.4%
27	BAL	99.40	8.53	16.1%
28	JAX	100.80	9.93	12.9%
29	WAS	100.80	9.93	9.7%
30	DET	101.00	10.13	6.5%
31	NYJ	103.20	12.33	3.2%
32	CHI	103.30	12.43	0%

Does Pass rating (allowed) matter against the spread?

Run as a one-stat algorithm against the closing line, this stat went 867–711–37 ATS (54.9%) across 2020–2025, #74 of 296 ranked.

Its best season was 2020 (163–91, 64.2%); its worst 2023 (125–133, 48.4%).

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

Season	Games	ATS record	ATS %
2020	256	163–91–2	64.2%
2021	272	144–126–2	53.3%
2022	271	143–121–7	54.2%
2023	272	125–133–14	48.4%
2024	272	142–121–9	54.0%
2025	272	150–119–3	55.8%

Pass rating (allowed) in 2021 vs 2020

Bills lead at 65.30 — they ranked #5 last year. Bears are last at 103.30 — #20 last year.

The league average is 90.88, down 2.68 from 93.56 last year.

Biggest riser: Cowboys, #26 → #3. Biggest faller: Commanders, #3 → #29.

Spread between first and last: 38.00; 22 teams are within 8.48 of the average.

Year-over-year — 2021 vs 2020

Biggest movers from last season.

Biggest riser

WAS · +19.40

Biggest faller

DAL · −23.80

Most consistent

IND · 0.00

League trend 2021 vs 2020

▼ -2.68

Rank	Team	2021	2020	Δ
1	WAS	100.80	81.40	+19.40
2	BAL	99.40	87.20	+12.20
3	PIT	88.70	76.70	+12.00
4	SF	97.00	88.60	+8.40
5	CHI	103.30	94.90	+8.40
6	LAR	83.80	80.40	+3.40
7	SEA	93.60	90.20	+3.40
8	KC	92.00	89.40	+2.60
9	ARI	93.50	91.50	+2.00
10	LAC	93.00	91.40	+1.60
11	LV	96.40	95.30	+1.10
12	IND	90.50	90.50	0.00
13	NYJ	103.20	103.20	0.00
14	MIA	85.40	87.00	−1.60
15	NO	81.70	83.30	−1.60
16	CIN	93.10	96.10	−3.00
17	CAR	95.00	98.40	−3.40
18	GB	86.90	91.10	−4.20
19	NYG	89.00	93.20	−4.20
20	ATL	97.40	101.70	−4.30
21	JAX	100.80	105.60	−4.80
22	CLE	89.40	94.80	−5.40
23	MIN	91.40	97.00	−5.60
24	PHI	95.40	102.40	−7.00
25	DEN	85.00	92.10	−7.10
26	TB	85.60	94.30	−8.70
27	TEN	86.40	97.50	−11.10
28	DET	101.00	112.40	−11.40
29	HOU	94.10	109.60	−15.50
30	NE	73.30	89.30	−16.00
31	BUF	65.30	86.90	−21.60
32	DAL	76.60	100.40	−23.80

Multi-year context

7-year window (2020–2026)

Multi-year leader

BUF · 85.00

Multi-year laggard

ARI · 99.44

Biggest improver

MIN · −4.37/yr

Biggest decliner

DAL · +5.04/yr

Rank	Team	Avg	Slope/yr	2020	2021	2022	2023	2024	2025	2026
1	BUF	85.00	+3.45	86.90	65.30	82.10	81.90	93.30	79.80	105.70
2	DEN	86.07	−1.70	92.10	85.00	83.10	98.00	86.20	78.70	79.40
3	PIT	86.19	+1.35	76.70	88.70	86.80	84.70	87.50	92.20	86.70
4	LAR	86.29	+0.16	80.40	83.80	90.80	88.00	95.90	87.00	78.10
5	MIN	86.64	−4.37	97.00	91.40	91.60	95.20	82.40	86.00	62.90
6	SEA	86.86	−2.51	90.20	93.60	87.30	92.10	90.90	77.90	76.00
7	NO	87.40	+3.26	83.30	81.70	83.80	79.70	84.80	91.80	106.70
8	NE	87.63	+2.01	89.30	73.30	83.50	86.90	96.90	93.10	90.40
9	KC	88.23	−1.67	89.40	92.00	95.30	83.60	90.60	89.90	76.80
10	BAL	88.39	−0.52	87.20	99.40	88.70	74.60	91.10	89.60	88.10
11	GB	88.43	−1.11	91.10	86.90	88.30	94.70	88.50	92.70	76.80
12	LAC	88.83	−1.37	91.40	93.00	88.00	96.40	87.10	75.00	90.90
13	PHI	88.89	−3.01	102.40	95.40	81.60	97.60	82.50	75.40	87.30
14	CLE	88.96	−0.01	94.80	89.40	85.20	74.70	98.90	90.00	89.70
15	SF	89.11	+0.03	88.60	97.00	82.70	79.60	92.00	100.50	83.40
16	HOU	90.19	−2.82	109.60	94.10	82.70	90.10	83.70	76.20	94.90
17	CIN	91.29	−0.10	96.10	93.10	80.10	91.40	91.90	99.40	87.00
18	NYG	91.47	+0.15	93.20	89.00	89.90	84.10	103.10	94.30	86.70
19	TB	92.43	+0.35	94.30	85.60	92.70	92.00	96.60	97.50	88.30
20	JAX	92.79	−3.58	105.60	100.80	89.10	89.80	103.40	78.50	82.30
21	NYJ	93.19	−0.61	103.20	103.20	80.50	76.00	89.00	110.90	89.50
22	IND	93.23	+1.19	90.50	90.50	96.20	88.20	95.80	88.00	103.40
23	CAR	93.36	−1.61	98.40	95.00	93.70	88.80	105.40	88.20	84.00
24	CHI	94.37	−0.68	94.90	103.30	94.40	88.00	90.90	91.40	97.70
25	ATL	95.03	−1.58	101.70	97.40	95.70	90.30	100.20	88.40	91.50
26	MIA	95.67	+4.19	87.00	85.40	95.30	93.00	88.70	105.30	115.00
27	DAL	96.01	+5.04	100.40	76.60	84.70	80.80	99.50	109.60	120.50
28	LV	96.04	+0.38	95.30	96.40	98.80	89.30	96.50	96.40	99.60
29	TEN	96.97	+2.13	97.50	86.40	93.00	96.40	95.10	108.30	102.10
30	DET	97.13	−1.70	112.40	101.00	94.20	91.50	82.00	92.50	106.30
31	WAS	97.13	+2.77	81.40	100.80	90.20	105.70	93.90	104.00	103.90
32	ARI	99.44	+2.95	91.50	93.50	98.20	102.90	95.10	97.60	117.30

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
BUF	86.90	65.30	82.10	81.90	93.30	79.80	105.70
NE	89.30	73.30	83.50	86.90	96.90	93.10	90.40
DAL	100.40	76.60	84.70	80.80	99.50	109.60	120.50
NO	83.30	81.70	83.80	79.70	84.80	91.80	106.70
LAR	80.40	83.80	90.80	88.00	95.90	87.00	78.10
DEN	92.10	85.00	83.10	98.00	86.20	78.70	79.40
MIA	87.00	85.40	95.30	93.00	88.70	105.30	115.00
TB	94.30	85.60	92.70	92.00	96.60	97.50	88.30
TEN	97.50	86.40	93.00	96.40	95.10	108.30	102.10
GB	91.10	86.90	88.30	94.70	88.50	92.70	76.80
PIT	76.70	88.70	86.80	84.70	87.50	92.20	86.70
NYG	93.20	89.00	89.90	84.10	103.10	94.30	86.70
CLE	94.80	89.40	85.20	74.70	98.90	90.00	89.70
IND	90.50	90.50	96.20	88.20	95.80	88.00	103.40
MIN	97.00	91.40	91.60	95.20	82.40	86.00	62.90
KC	89.40	92.00	95.30	83.60	90.60	89.90	76.80
LAC	91.40	93.00	88.00	96.40	87.10	75.00	90.90
CIN	96.10	93.10	80.10	91.40	91.90	99.40	87.00
ARI	91.50	93.50	98.20	102.90	95.10	97.60	117.30
SEA	90.20	93.60	87.30	92.10	90.90	77.90	76.00
HOU	109.60	94.10	82.70	90.10	83.70	76.20	94.90
CAR	98.40	95.00	93.70	88.80	105.40	88.20	84.00
PHI	102.40	95.40	81.60	97.60	82.50	75.40	87.30
LV	95.30	96.40	98.80	89.30	96.50	96.40	99.60
SF	88.60	97.00	82.70	79.60	92.00	100.50	83.40
ATL	101.70	97.40	95.70	90.30	100.20	88.40	91.50
BAL	87.20	99.40	88.70	74.60	91.10	89.60	88.10
JAX	105.60	100.80	89.10	89.80	103.40	78.50	82.30
WAS	81.40	100.80	90.20	105.70	93.90	104.00	103.90
DET	112.40	101.00	94.20	91.50	82.00	92.50	106.30
NYJ	103.20	103.20	80.50	76.00	89.00	110.90	89.50
CHI	94.90	103.30	94.40	88.00	90.90	91.40	97.70

Pass rating (allowed) since 2018

Leaders since 2018: 2018 Bears (72.90), 2019 Patriots (62.80), 2020 Steelers (76.70), 2021 Bills (65.30).

The best season on record is Patriots 2019 at 62.80; the worst Lions 2020 at 112.40.

Distribution

How the 32 teams cluster for 2021.

About this stat

Stat ID: def_passing_pass_rating
Side: defensive
Family: Passing
Data source: P only
Polarity: lower is better
Display grain: rate
Algorithm eligibility: Algorithm-eligible: this stat can be picked in the Algorithm Builder.