What Fumbles lost (allowed) is

Opponent fumbles recovered by this defense — the opponent lost the ball and this team got it. Noisier than most stats, because who recovers a loose ball is close to a coin flip.

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 Colts led at 0.94; the league average was 0.49.

League snapshot — 2021

League leader

IND · 0.94

League average

0.49

Best to worst

0.76

All 32 teams, higher is better.

Rank	Team	Value	Games
1	IND	0.94	17
2	ARI	0.88	17
3	MIA	0.82	17
4	KC	0.76	17
5	TB	0.65	17
6	CIN	0.59	17
7	LAC	0.59	17
8	PIT	0.59	17
9	BUF	0.53	17
10	DAL	0.53	17
11	ATL	0.47	17
12	CHI	0.47	17
13	DET	0.47	17
14	GB	0.47	17
15	NE	0.47	17
16	SF	0.47	17
17	WAS	0.47	17
18	CAR	0.41	17
19	DEN	0.41	17
20	HOU	0.41	17
21	LV	0.41	17
22	MIN	0.41	17
23	NO	0.41	17
24	NYG	0.41	17
25	NYJ	0.41	17
26	SEA	0.41	17
27	BAL	0.35	17
28	LAR	0.35	17
29	TEN	0.35	17
30	CLE	0.29	17
31	PHI	0.24	17
32	JAX	0.18	17

At a glance — 2021

Where the 32 teams sit on this stat this season.

League leader

IND · 0.94

League laggard

JAX · 0.18

League average

0.49

Spread (max − min)

0.76

Rank	Team	Value	Δ vs avg	Percentile
1	IND	0.94	0.45	100%
2	ARI	0.88	0.39	96.8%
3	MIA	0.82	0.33	93.5%
4	KC	0.76	0.28	90.3%
5	TB	0.65	0.16	87.1%
6	CIN	0.59	0.10	83.9%
7	LAC	0.59	0.10	80.6%
8	PIT	0.59	0.10	77.4%
9	BUF	0.53	0.04	74.2%
10	DAL	0.53	0.04	71%
11	ATL	0.47	-0.02	67.7%
12	CHI	0.47	-0.02	64.5%
13	DET	0.47	-0.02	61.3%
14	GB	0.47	-0.02	58.1%
15	NE	0.47	-0.02	54.8%
16	SF	0.47	-0.02	51.6%
17	WAS	0.47	-0.02	48.4%
18	CAR	0.41	-0.08	45.2%
19	DEN	0.41	-0.08	41.9%
20	HOU	0.41	-0.08	38.7%
21	LV	0.41	-0.08	35.5%
22	MIN	0.41	-0.08	32.3%
23	NO	0.41	-0.08	29%
24	NYG	0.41	-0.08	25.8%
25	NYJ	0.41	-0.08	22.6%
26	SEA	0.41	-0.08	19.4%
27	BAL	0.35	-0.14	16.1%
28	LAR	0.35	-0.14	12.9%
29	TEN	0.35	-0.14	9.7%
30	CLE	0.29	-0.19	6.5%
31	PHI	0.24	-0.25	3.2%
32	JAX	0.18	-0.31	0%

Does Fumbles lost (allowed) matter against the spread?

Run as a one-stat algorithm against the closing line, this stat went 823–755–37 ATS (52.2%) across 2020–2025, #163 of 296 ranked.

Its best season was 2022 (153–111, 58.0%); its worst 2023 (129–129, 50.0%).

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

Season	Games	ATS record	ATS %
2020	256	129–125–2	50.8%
2021	272	137–133–2	50.7%
2022	271	153–111–7	58.0%
2023	272	129–129–14	50.0%
2024	272	134–129–9	51.0%
2025	272	141–128–3	52.4%

Fumbles lost (allowed) in 2021 vs 2020

Colts lead at 0.94 — they ranked #7 last year. Jaguars are last at 0.18 — #29 last year.

The league average is 0.49, down 0.04 from 0.53 last year.

Biggest riser: Chiefs, #24 → #4. Biggest faller: Browns, #6 → #30.

Spread between first and last: 0.76; 25 teams are within 0.17 of the average.

Year-over-year — 2021 vs 2020

Biggest movers from last season.

Biggest riser

ARI · +0.38

Biggest faller

CAR · −0.40

Most consistent

TB · +0.02

League trend 2021 vs 2020

▼ -0.04

Rank	Team	2021	2020	Δ
1	ARI	0.88	0.50	+0.38
2	KC	0.76	0.44	+0.33
3	IND	0.94	0.63	+0.32
4	NE	0.47	0.25	+0.22
5	LV	0.41	0.25	+0.16
6	CIN	0.59	0.44	+0.15
7	LAC	0.59	0.44	+0.15
8	MIA	0.82	0.69	+0.14
9	DEN	0.41	0.31	+0.10
10	MIN	0.41	0.31	+0.10
11	DET	0.47	0.38	+0.10
12	CHI	0.47	0.44	+0.03
13	TB	0.65	0.63	+0.02
14	NO	0.41	0.44	−0.03
15	GB	0.47	0.50	−0.03
16	PIT	0.59	0.63	−0.04
17	HOU	0.41	0.50	−0.09
18	SEA	0.41	0.50	−0.09
19	ATL	0.47	0.56	−0.09
20	JAX	0.18	0.31	−0.14
21	TEN	0.35	0.50	−0.15
22	NYG	0.41	0.56	−0.15
23	NYJ	0.41	0.56	−0.15
24	SF	0.47	0.63	−0.15
25	WAS	0.47	0.63	−0.15
26	BUF	0.53	0.75	−0.22
27	DAL	0.53	0.75	−0.22
28	LAR	0.35	0.63	−0.27
29	CLE	0.29	0.63	−0.33
30	BAL	0.35	0.69	−0.33
31	PHI	0.24	0.63	−0.39
32	CAR	0.41	0.81	−0.40

Multi-year context

7-year window (2020–2026)

Multi-year leader

BUF · 0.66

Multi-year laggard

TEN · 0.39

Biggest improver

LV · +0.10/yr

Biggest decliner

IND · −0.08/yr

Rank	Team	Avg	Slope/yr	2020	2021	2022	2023	2024	2025	2026
1	BUF	0.66	−0.01	0.75	0.53	0.63	0.76	0.88	0.47	0.60
2	CIN	0.64	+0.07	0.44	0.59	0.75	0.47	0.59	0.47	1.20
3	PIT	0.60	+0.02	0.63	0.59	0.24	0.71	0.76	0.71	0.60
4	DAL	0.59	−0.07	0.75	0.53	1.06	0.59	0.53	0.29	0.40
5	TB	0.59	−0.04	0.63	0.65	0.65	0.76	0.53	0.53	0.40
6	IND	0.57	−0.08	0.63	0.94	0.59	0.65	0.53	0.47	0.20
7	MIN	0.57	+0.08	0.31	0.41	0.47	0.65	0.53	0.82	0.80
8	NYG	0.57	−0.03	0.56	0.41	0.82	0.82	0.59	0.35	0.40
9	KC	0.56	−0.02	0.44	0.76	0.76	0.65	0.35	0.24	0.75
10	CAR	0.55	+0.04	0.81	0.41	0.47	0.12	0.41	0.35	1.25
11	ARI	0.54	−0.02	0.50	0.88	0.59	0.29	0.41	0.53	0.60
12	SF	0.54	+0.04	0.63	0.47	0.47	0.29	0.41	0.53	1
13	GB	0.53	−0.01	0.50	0.47	0.53	0.71	0.76	0.35	0.40
14	WAS	0.53	+0.01	0.63	0.47	0.35	0.59	0.71	0.18	0.80
15	MIA	0.53	−0.07	0.69	0.82	0.35	0.65	0.41	0.59	0.20
16	BAL	0.53	−0.00	0.69	0.35	0.59	0.59	0.29	0.59	0.60
17	LAC	0.52	+0.03	0.44	0.59	0.41	0.65	0.41	0.18	1
18	CHI	0.52	+0.01	0.44	0.47	0.53	0.41	0.82	0.59	0.40
19	NO	0.52	+0.05	0.44	0.41	0.41	0.65	0.29	0.65	0.80
20	HOU	0.52	+0.02	0.50	0.41	0.59	0.47	0.53	0.53	0.60
21	NYJ	0.52	+0.04	0.56	0.41	0.24	0.59	0.65	0.18	1
22	DEN	0.50	+0.03	0.31	0.41	0.47	0.82	0.53	0.35	0.60
23	SEA	0.50	−0.01	0.50	0.41	0.65	0.59	0.41	0.53	0.40
24	CLE	0.49	−0.01	0.63	0.29	0.53	0.59	0.59	0.41	0.40
25	LV	0.48	+0.10	0.25	0.41	0.41	0.47	0.18	0.47	1.20
26	PHI	0.47	−0.04	0.63	0.24	0.59	0.47	0.82	0.53	0
27	ATL	0.46	−0.01	0.56	0.47	0.47	0.47	0.29	0.35	0.60
28	DET	0.43	−0.01	0.38	0.47	0.53	0.41	0.47	0.35	0.40
29	NE	0.42	+0.03	0.25	0.47	0.47	0.41	0.24	0.53	0.60
30	JAX	0.42	+0.01	0.31	0.18	0.76	0.59	0.18	0.53	0.40
31	LAR	0.40	−0.03	0.63	0.35	0.29	0.35	0.35	0.59	0.20
32	TEN	0.39	−0.06	0.50	0.35	0.53	0.59	0.41	0.35	0

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
IND	0.63	0.94	0.59	0.65	0.53	0.47	0.20
ARI	0.50	0.88	0.59	0.29	0.41	0.53	0.60
MIA	0.69	0.82	0.35	0.65	0.41	0.59	0.20
KC	0.44	0.76	0.76	0.65	0.35	0.24	0.75
TB	0.63	0.65	0.65	0.76	0.53	0.53	0.40
CIN	0.44	0.59	0.75	0.47	0.59	0.47	1.20
LAC	0.44	0.59	0.41	0.65	0.41	0.18	1
PIT	0.63	0.59	0.24	0.71	0.76	0.71	0.60
BUF	0.75	0.53	0.63	0.76	0.88	0.47	0.60
DAL	0.75	0.53	1.06	0.59	0.53	0.29	0.40
ATL	0.56	0.47	0.47	0.47	0.29	0.35	0.60
CHI	0.44	0.47	0.53	0.41	0.82	0.59	0.40
DET	0.38	0.47	0.53	0.41	0.47	0.35	0.40
GB	0.50	0.47	0.53	0.71	0.76	0.35	0.40
NE	0.25	0.47	0.47	0.41	0.24	0.53	0.60
SF	0.63	0.47	0.47	0.29	0.41	0.53	1
WAS	0.63	0.47	0.35	0.59	0.71	0.18	0.80
CAR	0.81	0.41	0.47	0.12	0.41	0.35	1.25
DEN	0.31	0.41	0.47	0.82	0.53	0.35	0.60
HOU	0.50	0.41	0.59	0.47	0.53	0.53	0.60
LV	0.25	0.41	0.41	0.47	0.18	0.47	1.20
MIN	0.31	0.41	0.47	0.65	0.53	0.82	0.80
NO	0.44	0.41	0.41	0.65	0.29	0.65	0.80
NYG	0.56	0.41	0.82	0.82	0.59	0.35	0.40
NYJ	0.56	0.41	0.24	0.59	0.65	0.18	1
SEA	0.50	0.41	0.65	0.59	0.41	0.53	0.40
BAL	0.69	0.35	0.59	0.59	0.29	0.59	0.60
LAR	0.63	0.35	0.29	0.35	0.35	0.59	0.20
TEN	0.50	0.35	0.53	0.59	0.41	0.35	0
CLE	0.63	0.29	0.53	0.59	0.59	0.41	0.40
PHI	0.63	0.24	0.59	0.47	0.82	0.53	0
JAX	0.31	0.18	0.76	0.59	0.18	0.53	0.40

Fumbles lost (allowed) since 2018

Leaders since 2018: 2018 Browns (0.94), 2019 Steelers (1.13), 2020 Panthers (0.81), 2021 Colts (0.94).

The best season on record is Steelers 2019 at 1.13; the worst Jaguars 2021 at 0.18.

The league average has fallen from 0.54 in 2018 to 0.49 in 2021.

Distribution

How the 32 teams cluster for 2021.

About this stat

Stat ID: def_team_stats_fumbles_lost
Side: defensive
Family: Team Stats
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.