What Pass yds per att (allowed) is

Yards per attempt allowed: opponent passing yards divided by opponent attempts — how much each throw against this defense gained, on average. The quickest read of pass defense, with the same blind spot as the offensive version: sacks are not attempts, so they are not credited here.

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

In 2021 the Bills led at 5.19; the league average was 6.59.

League snapshot — 2021

League leader

BUF · 5.19

League average

6.59

Best to worst

2.40

All 32 teams, lower is better.

Rank	Team	Value	Games
1	BUF	5.19	17
2	NE	5.89	17
3	CLE	5.91	17
4	TB	5.96	17
5	GB	6.13	17
6	LV	6.21	17
7	CAR	6.26	17
8	NYG	6.27	17
9	PHI	6.33	17
10	MIA	6.36	17
11	SF	6.39	17
12	NO	6.44	17
13	ARI	6.45	17
14	DEN	6.46	17
15	PIT	6.47	17
16	LAR	6.54	17
17	DAL	6.56	17
18	TEN	6.59	17
19	IND	6.62	17
20	LAC	6.67	17
21	CIN	6.69	17
22	ATL	6.78	17
23	CHI	6.79	17
24	MIN	6.80	17
25	SEA	6.83	17
26	KC	6.96	17
27	JAX	7.12	17
28	WAS	7.20	17
29	NYJ	7.46	17
30	HOU	7.50	17
31	BAL	7.56	17
32	DET	7.59	17

At a glance — 2021

Where the 32 teams sit on this stat this season.

League leader

BUF · 5.19

League laggard

DET · 7.59

League average

6.59

Spread (max − min)

2.40

Rank	Team	Value	Δ vs avg	Percentile
1	BUF	5.19	-1.40	100%
2	NE	5.89	-0.70	96.8%
3	CLE	5.91	-0.68	93.5%
4	TB	5.96	-0.63	90.3%
5	GB	6.13	-0.47	87.1%
6	LV	6.21	-0.38	83.9%
7	CAR	6.26	-0.34	80.6%
8	NYG	6.27	-0.32	77.4%
9	PHI	6.33	-0.26	74.2%
10	MIA	6.36	-0.24	71%
11	SF	6.39	-0.20	67.7%
12	NO	6.44	-0.15	64.5%
13	ARI	6.45	-0.14	61.3%
14	DEN	6.46	-0.13	58.1%
15	PIT	6.47	-0.12	54.8%
16	LAR	6.54	-0.05	51.6%
17	DAL	6.56	-0.03	48.4%
18	TEN	6.59	-0.01	45.2%
19	IND	6.62	0.03	41.9%
20	LAC	6.67	0.07	38.7%
21	CIN	6.69	0.10	35.5%
22	ATL	6.78	0.19	32.3%
23	CHI	6.79	0.19	29%
24	MIN	6.80	0.21	25.8%
25	SEA	6.83	0.23	22.6%
26	KC	6.96	0.37	19.4%
27	JAX	7.12	0.53	16.1%
28	WAS	7.20	0.60	12.9%
29	NYJ	7.46	0.87	9.7%
30	HOU	7.50	0.91	6.5%
31	BAL	7.56	0.97	3.2%
32	DET	7.59	1.00	0%

Does Pass yds per att (allowed) matter against the spread?

Run as a one-stat algorithm against the closing line, this stat went 819–759–37 ATS (51.9%) across 2020–2025, #175 of 296 ranked.

Its best season was 2020 (154–100, 60.6%); its worst 2023 (120–138, 46.5%).

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

Season	Games	ATS record	ATS %
2020	256	154–100–2	60.6%
2021	272	134–136–2	49.6%
2022	271	133–131–7	50.4%
2023	272	120–138–14	46.5%
2024	272	128–135–9	48.7%
2025	272	150–119–3	55.8%

Pass yds per att (allowed) in 2021 vs 2020

Bills lead at 5.19 — they ranked #9 last year. Lions are last at 7.59 — #32 last year.

The league average is 6.59, down 0.20 from 6.79 last year.

Biggest riser: Patriots, #24 → #2. Biggest faller: Ravens, #4 → #31.

Spread between first and last: 2.40; 22 teams are within 0.52 of the average.

Year-over-year — 2021 vs 2020

Biggest movers from last season.

Biggest riser

BAL · +1.66

Biggest faller

NE · −1.30

Most consistent

HOU · −0.02

League trend 2021 vs 2020

▼ -0.20

Rank	Team	2021	2020	Δ
1	BAL	7.56	5.90	+1.66
2	WAS	7.20	5.78	+1.42
3	LAR	6.54	5.57	+0.98
4	PIT	6.47	5.88	+0.59
5	NO	6.44	6.18	+0.27
6	KC	6.96	6.74	+0.22
7	SF	6.39	6.17	+0.22
8	NYJ	7.46	7.28	+0.18
9	LAC	6.67	6.54	+0.13
10	SEA	6.83	6.72	+0.11
11	ARI	6.45	6.35	+0.11
12	CHI	6.79	6.76	+0.02
13	HOU	7.50	7.52	−0.02
14	DEN	6.46	6.69	−0.23
15	CAR	6.26	6.51	−0.25
16	IND	6.62	6.88	−0.26
17	NYG	6.27	6.58	−0.30
18	TEN	6.59	6.98	−0.39
19	TB	5.96	6.36	−0.40
20	CIN	6.69	7.09	−0.40
21	GB	6.13	6.58	−0.45
22	DAL	6.56	7.02	−0.45
23	DET	7.59	8.14	−0.55
24	ATL	6.78	7.48	−0.70
25	MIN	6.80	7.58	−0.78
26	JAX	7.12	7.92	−0.80
27	CLE	5.91	6.73	−0.82
28	PHI	6.33	7.15	−0.82
29	LV	6.21	7.20	−0.99
30	MIA	6.36	7.38	−1.03
31	BUF	5.19	6.44	−1.25
32	NE	5.89	7.19	−1.30

Multi-year context

7-year window (2020–2026)

Multi-year leader

BUF · 6.12

Multi-year laggard

DET · 7.21

Biggest improver

MIN · −0.30/yr

Biggest decliner

ARI · +0.26/yr

Rank	Team	Avg	Slope/yr	2020	2021	2022	2023	2024	2025	2026
1	BUF	6.12	+0.11	6.44	5.19	5.99	6.01	6.60	5.69	6.91
2	CLE	6.18	−0.05	6.73	5.91	6.40	5.20	7.05	5.81	6.15
3	PHI	6.21	−0.08	7.15	6.33	5.46	6.55	5.40	5.91	6.67
4	SEA	6.22	−0.30	6.72	6.83	6.55	6.76	6.31	5.46	4.90
5	SF	6.22	−0.03	6.17	6.39	6.37	5.82	6.30	6.73	5.74
6	DEN	6.23	−0.13	6.69	6.46	5.89	6.91	6.16	5.35	6.13
7	LAR	6.27	−0.05	5.57	6.54	6.90	6.44	6.97	6.21	5.26
8	KC	6.32	−0.09	6.74	6.96	6.05	5.40	6.53	6.50	6.04
9	GB	6.36	−0.13	6.58	6.13	6.99	6.70	6.44	5.98	5.69
10	NO	6.36	+0.09	6.18	6.44	5.81	6.26	6.80	6.19	6.85
11	NE	6.36	−0.05	7.19	5.89	6.15	6.11	6.71	6.21	6.30
12	NYJ	6.40	−0.20	7.28	7.46	5.78	5.46	6.23	7.11	5.46
13	BAL	6.42	−0.00	5.90	7.56	6.63	5.09	6.57	6.69	6.46
14	TB	6.52	+0.14	6.36	5.96	6.02	6.86	6.57	7.08	6.78
15	NYG	6.54	+0.00	6.58	6.27	6.39	6.70	7.09	6.57	6.15
16	CAR	6.54	+0.04	6.51	6.26	6.63	6.04	7.17	6.84	6.32
17	LAC	6.58	−0.03	6.54	6.67	6.72	7.09	6.19	6.03	6.84
18	MIN	6.60	−0.30	7.58	6.80	7.25	6.58	6.40	6.01	5.55
19	PIT	6.61	+0.12	5.88	6.47	6.95	6.70	6.58	6.71	6.99
20	ATL	6.62	−0.21	7.48	6.78	7.00	6.26	6.58	6.38	5.89
21	LV	6.72	+0.02	7.20	6.21	6.94	6.39	6.51	6.46	7.34
22	HOU	6.75	−0.25	7.52	7.50	6.80	6.97	6.13	5.75	6.57
23	WAS	6.77	+0.13	5.78	7.20	6.31	7.42	6.39	7.61	6.71
24	MIA	6.80	+0.07	7.38	6.36	6.37	6.60	6.24	7.11	7.56
25	IND	6.89	+0.10	6.88	6.62	6.56	6.76	7.11	6.69	7.60
26	CIN	6.91	−0.01	7.09	6.69	6.53	7.58	6.61	7.39	6.51
27	ARI	6.94	+0.26	6.35	6.45	6.58	7.11	6.80	6.85	8.46
28	TEN	6.95	+0.10	6.98	6.59	6.91	6.75	6.35	7.59	7.46
29	DAL	6.98	+0.23	7.02	6.56	6.16	6.20	7.20	7.62	8.11
30	JAX	7.00	−0.12	7.92	7.12	6.68	6.58	7.49	5.79	7.44
31	CHI	7.21	+0.17	6.76	6.79	7.66	6.51	7.32	7.18	8.22
32	DET	7.21	−0.23	8.14	7.59	7.38	7.12	6.76	6.59	6.88

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	6.44	5.19	5.99	6.01	6.60	5.69	6.91
NE	7.19	5.89	6.15	6.11	6.71	6.21	6.30
CLE	6.73	5.91	6.40	5.20	7.05	5.81	6.15
TB	6.36	5.96	6.02	6.86	6.57	7.08	6.78
GB	6.58	6.13	6.99	6.70	6.44	5.98	5.69
LV	7.20	6.21	6.94	6.39	6.51	6.46	7.34
CAR	6.51	6.26	6.63	6.04	7.17	6.84	6.32
NYG	6.58	6.27	6.39	6.70	7.09	6.57	6.15
PHI	7.15	6.33	5.46	6.55	5.40	5.91	6.67
MIA	7.38	6.36	6.37	6.60	6.24	7.11	7.56
SF	6.17	6.39	6.37	5.82	6.30	6.73	5.74
NO	6.18	6.44	5.81	6.26	6.80	6.19	6.85
ARI	6.35	6.45	6.58	7.11	6.80	6.85	8.46
DEN	6.69	6.46	5.89	6.91	6.16	5.35	6.13
PIT	5.88	6.47	6.95	6.70	6.58	6.71	6.99
LAR	5.57	6.54	6.90	6.44	6.97	6.21	5.26
DAL	7.02	6.56	6.16	6.20	7.20	7.62	8.11
TEN	6.98	6.59	6.91	6.75	6.35	7.59	7.46
IND	6.88	6.62	6.56	6.76	7.11	6.69	7.60
LAC	6.54	6.67	6.72	7.09	6.19	6.03	6.84
CIN	7.09	6.69	6.53	7.58	6.61	7.39	6.51
ATL	7.48	6.78	7.00	6.26	6.58	6.38	5.89
CHI	6.76	6.79	7.66	6.51	7.32	7.18	8.22
MIN	7.58	6.80	7.25	6.58	6.40	6.01	5.55
SEA	6.72	6.83	6.55	6.76	6.31	5.46	4.90
KC	6.74	6.96	6.05	5.40	6.53	6.50	6.04
JAX	7.92	7.12	6.68	6.58	7.49	5.79	7.44
WAS	5.78	7.20	6.31	7.42	6.39	7.61	6.71
NYJ	7.28	7.46	5.78	5.46	6.23	7.11	5.46
HOU	7.52	7.50	6.80	6.97	6.13	5.75	6.57
BAL	5.90	7.56	6.63	5.09	6.57	6.69	6.46
DET	8.14	7.59	7.38	7.12	6.76	6.59	6.88

Pass yds per att (allowed) since 2018

Leaders since 2018: 2018 Bears (5.64), 2019 49ers (5.19), 2020 Rams (5.57), 2021 Bills (5.19).

The best season on record is 49ers 2019 at 5.19; the worst Lions 2020 at 8.14.

Distribution

How the 32 teams cluster for 2021.

About this stat

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