What Rush 1stD (allowed) is

Rushing first downs allowed: first downs opponents earned on running plays against this defense.

Lower is better. It is shown per game, so a team's number does not depend on games played. Source: P + N.

Through Week 8 of 2026, the Bears lead at 4.29; the league average is 6.71.

League snapshot — 2026

League leader

CHI · 4.29

League average

6.71

Best to worst

4.71

All 32 teams, lower is better.

At a glance — 2026

Where the 32 teams sit on this stat this season.

League leader

CHI · 4.29

League laggard

NO · 9

League average

6.71

Spread (max − min)

4.71

Rank	Team	Value	Δ vs avg	Percentile
1	CHI	4.29	-2.42	100%
2	JAX	4.57	-2.14	96.8%
3	SF	5.14	-1.57	93.5%
4	TB	5.38	-1.34	90.3%
5	SEA	5.57	-1.14	87.1%
6	NE	5.63	-1.09	83.9%
7	BUF	5.86	-0.85	80.6%
8	PIT	5.88	-0.84	77.4%
9	KC	6	-0.71	74.2%
10	LAR	6	-0.71	71%
11	CIN	6.29	-0.42	67.7%
12	MIN	6.29	-0.42	64.5%
13	NYG	6.43	-0.28	61.3%
14	WAS	6.43	-0.28	58.1%
15	ATL	6.63	-0.09	54.8%
16	HOU	6.71	0.00	51.6%
17	BAL	6.75	0.04	48.4%
18	DET	6.86	0.15	45.2%
19	GB	7	0.29	41.9%
20	IND	7.13	0.41	38.7%
21	MIA	7.14	0.43	35.5%
22	LAC	7.29	0.58	32.3%
23	CLE	7.50	0.79	29%
24	PHI	7.50	0.79	25.8%
25	TEN	7.63	0.91	22.6%
26	ARI	7.75	1.04	19.4%
27	CAR	8	1.29	16.1%
28	DAL	8	1.29	12.9%
29	DEN	8	1.29	9.7%
30	LV	8	1.29	6.5%
31	NYJ	8.13	1.41	3.2%
32	NO	9	2.29	0%

Does Rush 1stD (allowed) matter against the spread?

Run as a one-stat algorithm against the closing line, this stat went 845–733–37 ATS (53.5%) across 2020–2025, #116 of 296 ranked.

Its best season was 2020 (141–113, 55.5%); its worst 2021 (138–132, 51.1%).

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

Season	Games	ATS record	ATS %
2020	256	141–113–2	55.5%
2021	272	138–132–2	51.1%
2022	271	145–119–7	54.9%
2023	272	137–121–14	53.1%
2024	272	143–120–9	54.4%
2025	272	141–128–3	52.4%

Rush 1stD (allowed) in 2026 vs 2025

Bears lead at 4.29 — they ranked #21 last year. Saints are last at 9 — #22 last year.

The league average is 6.71, down 0.21 from 6.92 last year.

Biggest riser: Bills, #28 → #7. Biggest faller: Broncos, #4 → #29.

Spread between first and last: 4.71; 21 teams are within 1.09 of the average.

Year-over-year — 2026 vs 2025

Biggest movers from last season.

Biggest riser

DEN · +2.88

Biggest faller

CHI · −3.24

Most consistent

TB · +0.02

League trend 2026 vs 2025

▼ -0.21

Rank	Team	2026	2025	Δ
1	DEN	8	5.12	+2.88
2	HOU	6.71	4.88	+1.83
3	NO	9	7.59	+1.41
4	CLE	7.50	6.12	+1.38
5	TEN	7.63	6.41	+1.21
6	LAC	7.29	6.29	+0.99
7	DET	6.86	6.06	+0.80
8	CAR	8	7.24	+0.76
9	SEA	5.57	5	+0.57
10	LV	8	7.71	+0.29
11	BAL	6.75	6.47	+0.28
12	NYJ	8.13	8	+0.13
13	TB	5.38	5.35	+0.02
14	DAL	8	8.18	−0.18
15	MIA	7.14	7.35	−0.21
16	IND	7.13	7.41	−0.29
17	GB	7	7.29	−0.29
18	KC	6	6.29	−0.29
19	ARI	7.75	8.06	−0.31
20	PHI	7.50	7.88	−0.38
21	LAR	6	6.41	−0.41
22	JAX	4.57	5.06	−0.49
23	ATL	6.63	7.18	−0.55
24	NE	5.63	6.18	−0.55
25	PIT	5.88	7.24	−1.36
26	WAS	6.43	7.82	−1.39
27	NYG	6.43	7.88	−1.45
28	CIN	6.29	7.88	−1.60
29	SF	5.14	7.06	−1.92
30	BUF	5.86	7.94	−2.08
31	MIN	6.29	8.47	−2.18
32	CHI	4.29	7.53	−3.24

Multi-year context

7-year window (2020–2026)

Multi-year leader

TB · 5.66

Multi-year laggard

CAR · 7.83

Biggest improver

HOU · −0.59/yr

Biggest decliner

NO · +0.57/yr

Rank	Team	Avg	Slope/yr	2020	2021	2022	2023	2024	2025	2026
1	TB	5.66	+0.01	4.88	5.76	6.29	6.12	5.82	5.35	5.38
2	BAL	5.69	+0.14	6.13	4.88	5.41	5.88	4.29	6.47	6.75
3	SF	6.04	+0.02	6.50	5.88	4.76	5.82	7.12	7.06	5.14
4	DEN	6.37	+0.01	6.81	6.06	6.53	7.06	5	5.12	8
5	LAR	6.40	+0.02	5.81	6.71	6.41	6.53	6.94	6.41	6
6	PIT	6.54	−0.08	5.94	8.59	5.88	5.71	6.53	7.24	5.88
7	KC	6.55	−0.18	7.25	7.18	6.06	6.41	6.65	6.29	6
8	NE	6.56	−0.26	8.31	6.82	5.47	6	7.53	6.18	5.63
9	TEN	6.59	+0.16	7.38	5.47	5.65	6.18	7.41	6.41	7.63
10	MIA	6.60	+0.08	7.13	6.24	5.88	6.53	5.94	7.35	7.14
11	JAX	6.71	−0.59	8.88	7.47	6.82	6	8.18	5.06	4.57
12	BUF	6.71	−0.11	7.81	6.53	6.56	5.82	6.47	7.94	5.86
13	CLE	6.72	−0.07	7.25	6.71	7.82	5.24	6.41	6.12	7.50
14	WAS	6.75	+0.18	6.44	5.94	6.06	7.18	7.35	7.82	6.43
15	SEA	6.75	−0.29	6.25	7.41	7.82	8.59	6.59	5	5.57
16	CHI	6.84	−0.28	6.69	7.24	9.06	5.35	7.71	7.53	4.29
17	DET	6.86	−0.37	8	8.12	8.18	5.53	5.29	6.06	6.86
18	NO	6.94	+0.57	5.50	5.12	7.35	6	8	7.59	9
19	PHI	7.02	+0.15	6.50	7.12	6.94	6.65	6.53	7.88	7.50
20	MIN	7.05	−0.27	8.56	7.82	7	6.24	4.94	8.47	6.29
21	IND	7.10	+0.20	6.19	6	7.71	7.53	7.76	7.41	7.13
22	LAC	7.13	−0.18	7.13	8.82	7.06	6.71	6.65	6.29	7.29
23	GB	7.20	−0.10	7.56	7.18	7.65	7.29	6.41	7.29	7
24	LV	7.24	+0.07	7.50	6.65	7.65	7.12	6.06	7.71	8
25	ATL	7.24	−0.05	6.13	8.47	8.06	6.35	7.88	7.18	6.63
26	CIN	7.30	−0.01	8	6.35	6.56	7.65	8.35	7.88	6.29
27	HOU	7.31	−0.59	9.13	8.24	9.06	6.65	6.53	4.88	6.71
28	NYJ	7.46	+0.22	6.50	7.82	7	6.94	7.82	8	8.13
29	ARI	7.54	+0.15	7.44	6.41	7.41	8.35	7.35	8.06	7.75
30	NYG	7.58	−0.08	7.25	7.65	8.12	8	7.76	7.88	6.43
31	DAL	7.71	+0.07	9.19	6.06	7.24	6.76	8.53	8.18	8
32	CAR	7.83	+0.21	7.50	6.71	7.41	7.29	10.65	7.24	8

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
CHI	6.69	7.24	9.06	5.35	7.71	7.53	4.29
JAX	8.88	7.47	6.82	6	8.18	5.06	4.57
SF	6.50	5.88	4.76	5.82	7.12	7.06	5.14
TB	4.88	5.76	6.29	6.12	5.82	5.35	5.38
SEA	6.25	7.41	7.82	8.59	6.59	5	5.57
NE	8.31	6.82	5.47	6	7.53	6.18	5.63
BUF	7.81	6.53	6.56	5.82	6.47	7.94	5.86
PIT	5.94	8.59	5.88	5.71	6.53	7.24	5.88
KC	7.25	7.18	6.06	6.41	6.65	6.29	6
LAR	5.81	6.71	6.41	6.53	6.94	6.41	6
CIN	8	6.35	6.56	7.65	8.35	7.88	6.29
MIN	8.56	7.82	7	6.24	4.94	8.47	6.29
NYG	7.25	7.65	8.12	8	7.76	7.88	6.43
WAS	6.44	5.94	6.06	7.18	7.35	7.82	6.43
ATL	6.13	8.47	8.06	6.35	7.88	7.18	6.63
HOU	9.13	8.24	9.06	6.65	6.53	4.88	6.71
BAL	6.13	4.88	5.41	5.88	4.29	6.47	6.75
DET	8	8.12	8.18	5.53	5.29	6.06	6.86
GB	7.56	7.18	7.65	7.29	6.41	7.29	7
IND	6.19	6	7.71	7.53	7.76	7.41	7.13
MIA	7.13	6.24	5.88	6.53	5.94	7.35	7.14
LAC	7.13	8.82	7.06	6.71	6.65	6.29	7.29
CLE	7.25	6.71	7.82	5.24	6.41	6.12	7.50
PHI	6.50	7.12	6.94	6.65	6.53	7.88	7.50
TEN	7.38	5.47	5.65	6.18	7.41	6.41	7.63
ARI	7.44	6.41	7.41	8.35	7.35	8.06	7.75
CAR	7.50	6.71	7.41	7.29	10.65	7.24	8
DAL	9.19	6.06	7.24	6.76	8.53	8.18	8
DEN	6.81	6.06	6.53	7.06	5	5.12	8
LV	7.50	6.65	7.65	7.12	6.06	7.71	8
NYJ	6.50	7.82	7	6.94	7.82	8	8.13
NO	5.50	5.12	7.35	6	8	7.59	9

Rush 1stD (allowed) since 2018

Leaders since 2018: 2018 Bears (4.25), 2019 Saints (4.50), 2020 Buccaneers (4.88), 2021 Ravens (4.88), 2022 49ers (4.76), 2023 Browns (5.24), 2024 Ravens (4.29), 2025 Texans (4.88), 2026 Bears (4.29).

Bears have led this stat 2 of 9 seasons.

The best season on record is Bears 2018 at 4.25; the worst Panthers 2024 at 10.65.

Week to week — Week 6 to Week 7

Since Week 6: Chargers up 9 (#23 → #14), Bills up 6 (#15 → #9), Commanders up 6 (#15 → #9); Panthers down 15 (#7 → #22), Texans down 10 (#10 → #20), Jets down 7 (#23 → #30).

17 teams moved by two places or fewer.

Distribution

How the 32 teams cluster for 2026.

About this stat

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