What Rush Y/A (allowed) is

Yards per carry allowed: opponent rushing yards divided by opponent rush attempts. The standard read of run defense, with the same caveat as the offensive version — a couple of long runs move it a lot.

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

In 2021 the Saints led at 3.72; the league average was 4.31.

League snapshot — 2021

League leader

NO · 3.72

League average

4.31

Best to worst

1.27

All 32 teams, lower is better.

Rank	Team	Value	Games
1	NO	3.72	17
2	SEA	3.78	17
3	BAL	3.80	17
4	TEN	3.91	17
5	LAR	3.95	17
6	PHI	4.00	17
7	SF	4.00	17
8	CAR	4.07	17
9	WAS	4.12	17
10	LV	4.20	17
11	BUF	4.21	17
12	CLE	4.23	17
13	DEN	4.27	17
14	CIN	4.28	17
15	TB	4.28	17
16	ATL	4.29	17
17	JAX	4.31	17
18	IND	4.38	17
19	MIA	4.38	17
20	CHI	4.40	17
21	DET	4.41	17
22	NYG	4.46	17
23	DAL	4.46	17
24	NYJ	4.46	17
25	NE	4.52	17
26	ARI	4.58	17
27	HOU	4.61	17
28	LAC	4.62	17
29	MIN	4.68	17
30	GB	4.69	17
31	KC	4.76	17
32	PIT	4.99	17

At a glance — 2021

Where the 32 teams sit on this stat this season.

League leader

NO · 3.72

League laggard

PIT · 4.99

League average

4.31

Spread (max − min)

1.27

Rank	Team	Value	Δ vs avg	Percentile
1	NO	3.72	-0.59	100%
2	SEA	3.78	-0.53	96.8%
3	BAL	3.80	-0.51	93.5%
4	TEN	3.91	-0.40	90.3%
5	LAR	3.95	-0.35	87.1%
6	PHI	4.00	-0.30	83.9%
7	SF	4.00	-0.30	80.6%
8	CAR	4.07	-0.24	77.4%
9	WAS	4.12	-0.18	74.2%
10	LV	4.20	-0.11	71%
11	BUF	4.21	-0.10	67.7%
12	CLE	4.23	-0.08	64.5%
13	DEN	4.27	-0.03	61.3%
14	CIN	4.28	-0.03	58.1%
15	TB	4.28	-0.03	54.8%
16	ATL	4.29	-0.02	51.6%
17	JAX	4.31	0.00	48.4%
18	IND	4.38	0.07	45.2%
19	MIA	4.38	0.07	41.9%
20	CHI	4.40	0.10	38.7%
21	DET	4.41	0.10	35.5%
22	NYG	4.46	0.15	32.3%
23	DAL	4.46	0.15	29%
24	NYJ	4.46	0.16	25.8%
25	NE	4.52	0.21	22.6%
26	ARI	4.58	0.27	19.4%
27	HOU	4.61	0.30	16.1%
28	LAC	4.62	0.32	12.9%
29	MIN	4.68	0.37	9.7%
30	GB	4.69	0.38	6.5%
31	KC	4.76	0.46	3.2%
32	PIT	4.99	0.68	0%

Does Rush Y/A (allowed) matter against the spread?

Run as a one-stat algorithm against the closing line, this stat went 816–762–37 ATS (51.7%) across 2020–2025, #184 of 296 ranked.

Its best season was 2020 (142–112, 55.9%); 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	142–112–2	55.9%
2021	272	131–139–2	48.5%
2022	271	137–127–7	51.9%
2023	272	120–138–14	46.5%
2024	272	139–124–9	52.9%
2025	272	147–122–3	54.6%

Rush Y/A (allowed) in 2021 vs 2020

Saints lead at 3.72 — they ranked #4 last year. Steelers are last at 4.99 — #13 last year.

The league average is 4.31, down 0.08 from 4.38 last year.

Biggest riser: Panthers, #28 → #8. Biggest faller: Steelers, #13 → #32.

Spread between first and last: 1.27; 19 teams are within 0.30 of the average.

Year-over-year — 2021 vs 2020

Biggest movers from last season.

Biggest riser

TB · +0.68

Biggest faller

CIN · −0.83

Most consistent

NE · −0.00

League trend 2021 vs 2020

▼ -0.08

Rank	Team	2021	2020	Δ
1	TB	4.28	3.60	+0.68
2	PIT	4.99	4.31	+0.68
3	IND	4.38	3.70	+0.68
4	NYJ	4.46	4.03	+0.44
5	NYG	4.46	4.11	+0.35
6	CHI	4.40	4.14	+0.26
7	KC	4.76	4.51	+0.25
8	LAR	3.95	3.75	+0.20
9	GB	4.69	4.53	+0.16
10	LAC	4.62	4.48	+0.14
11	MIN	4.68	4.55	+0.13
12	SF	4.00	3.96	+0.04
13	ARI	4.58	4.57	+0.01
14	NE	4.52	4.53	−0.00
15	DET	4.41	4.42	−0.01
16	CLE	4.23	4.27	−0.04
17	SEA	3.78	3.87	−0.08
18	WAS	4.12	4.22	−0.09
19	ATL	4.29	4.40	−0.11
20	NO	3.72	3.85	−0.13
21	MIA	4.38	4.52	−0.14
22	PHI	4.00	4.18	−0.18
23	LV	4.20	4.59	−0.39
24	BUF	4.21	4.61	−0.40
25	JAX	4.31	4.73	−0.43
26	DEN	4.27	4.78	−0.51
27	DAL	4.46	4.97	−0.51
28	HOU	4.61	5.20	−0.59
29	TEN	3.91	4.51	−0.60
30	CAR	4.07	4.75	−0.68
31	BAL	3.80	4.52	−0.73
32	CIN	4.28	5.11	−0.83

Multi-year context

7-year window (2020–2026)

Multi-year leader

SF · 3.98

Multi-year laggard

NYG · 4.80

Biggest improver

HOU · −0.27/yr

Biggest decliner

NYG · +0.15/yr

Rank	Team	Avg	Slope/yr	2020	2021	2022	2023	2024	2025	2026
1	SF	3.98	+0.03	3.96	4.00	3.39	4.12	4.43	4.30	3.66
2	TEN	3.99	−0.03	4.51	3.91	3.34	3.81	4.53	4.29	3.54
3	TB	4.00	−0.04	3.60	4.28	4.48	3.82	4.28	4.25	3.28
4	BAL	4.04	−0.05	4.52	3.80	3.85	4.47	3.55	4.18	3.94
5	JAX	4.09	−0.21	4.73	4.31	4.15	4.16	4.39	3.93	2.93
6	SEA	4.14	−0.03	3.87	3.78	4.85	4.57	4.52	3.73	3.69
7	NE	4.15	−0.07	4.53	4.52	4.06	3.30	4.40	4.20	4.02
8	IND	4.19	+0.10	3.70	4.38	4.13	4.06	4.21	3.87	4.97
9	NYJ	4.21	+0.01	4.03	4.46	4.20	4.07	4.08	4.40	4.21
10	MIN	4.22	−0.12	4.55	4.68	4.52	3.75	4.05	3.99	4.01
11	PHI	4.23	−0.02	4.18	4.00	4.64	4.27	4.24	4.28	3.99
12	MIA	4.23	−0.06	4.52	4.38	4.13	3.81	4.33	4.78	3.66
13	LAR	4.25	+0.13	3.75	3.95	4.28	4.19	4.63	4.32	4.59
14	KC	4.25	−0.16	4.51	4.76	4.34	4.43	4.14	4.01	3.57
15	HOU	4.28	−0.27	5.20	4.61	5.05	3.49	4.32	3.98	3.32
16	ATL	4.28	−0.04	4.40	4.29	4.41	4.03	4.47	4.61	3.77
17	PIT	4.30	−0.08	4.31	4.99	4.16	4.29	4.07	4.24	4.04
18	NO	4.31	+0.14	3.85	3.72	4.49	4.41	4.91	3.96	4.86
19	CLE	4.37	+0.01	4.27	4.23	4.69	4.26	4.52	4.17	4.43
20	WAS	4.37	+0.03	4.22	4.12	4.37	4.47	4.77	4.75	3.91
21	DEN	4.39	−0.05	4.78	4.27	4.25	4.96	3.85	3.87	4.71
22	GB	4.39	−0.12	4.53	4.69	4.95	4.40	3.95	4.19	4.06
23	DET	4.41	−0.05	4.42	4.41	5.22	3.69	4.53	4.35	4.25
24	LV	4.42	+0.04	4.59	4.20	4.53	4.21	4.31	3.88	5.21
25	BUF	4.47	−0.00	4.61	4.21	4.32	4.57	4.51	5.13	3.92
26	LAC	4.48	−0.13	4.48	4.62	5.42	4.12	4.69	4.30	3.75
27	CHI	4.49	+0.07	4.14	4.40	4.93	3.78	4.77	5.00	4.40
28	ARI	4.53	−0.03	4.57	4.58	4.52	4.67	4.62	4.40	4.38
29	CAR	4.59	+0.12	4.75	4.07	4.26	4.10	5.15	4.38	5.40
30	DAL	4.66	+0.05	4.97	4.46	4.41	4.15	4.83	4.71	5.10
31	CIN	4.71	+0.07	5.11	4.28	4.19	4.70	4.43	5.21	5.04
32	NYG	4.80	+0.15	4.11	4.46	5.22	4.72	4.60	5.30	5.19

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
NO	3.85	3.72	4.49	4.41	4.91	3.96	4.86
SEA	3.87	3.78	4.85	4.57	4.52	3.73	3.69
BAL	4.52	3.80	3.85	4.47	3.55	4.18	3.94
TEN	4.51	3.91	3.34	3.81	4.53	4.29	3.54
LAR	3.75	3.95	4.28	4.19	4.63	4.32	4.59
PHI	4.18	4.00	4.64	4.27	4.24	4.28	3.99
SF	3.96	4.00	3.39	4.12	4.43	4.30	3.66
CAR	4.75	4.07	4.26	4.10	5.15	4.38	5.40
WAS	4.22	4.12	4.37	4.47	4.77	4.75	3.91
LV	4.59	4.20	4.53	4.21	4.31	3.88	5.21
BUF	4.61	4.21	4.32	4.57	4.51	5.13	3.92
CLE	4.27	4.23	4.69	4.26	4.52	4.17	4.43
DEN	4.78	4.27	4.25	4.96	3.85	3.87	4.71
CIN	5.11	4.28	4.19	4.70	4.43	5.21	5.04
TB	3.60	4.28	4.48	3.82	4.28	4.25	3.28
ATL	4.40	4.29	4.41	4.03	4.47	4.61	3.77
JAX	4.73	4.31	4.15	4.16	4.39	3.93	2.93
IND	3.70	4.38	4.13	4.06	4.21	3.87	4.97
MIA	4.52	4.38	4.13	3.81	4.33	4.78	3.66
CHI	4.14	4.40	4.93	3.78	4.77	5.00	4.40
DET	4.42	4.41	5.22	3.69	4.53	4.35	4.25
NYG	4.11	4.46	5.22	4.72	4.60	5.30	5.19
DAL	4.97	4.46	4.41	4.15	4.83	4.71	5.10
NYJ	4.03	4.46	4.20	4.07	4.08	4.40	4.21
NE	4.53	4.52	4.06	3.30	4.40	4.20	4.02
ARI	4.57	4.58	4.52	4.67	4.62	4.40	4.38
HOU	5.20	4.61	5.05	3.49	4.32	3.98	3.32
LAC	4.48	4.62	5.42	4.12	4.69	4.30	3.75
MIN	4.55	4.68	4.52	3.75	4.05	3.99	4.01
GB	4.53	4.69	4.95	4.40	3.95	4.19	4.06
KC	4.51	4.76	4.34	4.43	4.14	4.01	3.57
PIT	4.31	4.99	4.16	4.29	4.07	4.24	4.04

Rush Y/A (allowed) since 2018

Leaders since 2018: 2018 Texans (3.44), 2019 Buccaneers (3.26), 2020 Buccaneers (3.60), 2021 Saints (3.72).

Buccaneers have led this stat 2 of 4 seasons.

The best season on record is Buccaneers 2019 at 3.26; the worst Texans 2020 at 5.20.

Distribution

How the 32 teams cluster for 2021.

About this stat

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