"Defense wins championships" is a long-standing saying in the NFL. That saying is still true to this day, as a strong defense can take all the pressure off the offense to perform in crucial moments. All a good offense needs to do is stay on the field and score points.
The defense, however, needs to stop the opposing offense as much as possible. From holding teams to third-down conversions and field goals, strong defenses help win the day.
Here's a look at the top five defenses heading into Week 10.
Which defense is ranked #1 for Week 10?
#5 - New Orleans Saints
Even with the Saints having a rough time dealing with the passing attack of Matt Ryan as he carved the secondary up with three TDs, the Saints still possess one of the best front sevens in the entire league.
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The Saints are allowing a league-high 73.8 rushing yards per game. Although the total yardage allowed per game comes heavily from the passing game, there is no way teams are allowed to rush the ball against this front seven. The Saints are also 5th on the list, allowing 19.4 points per game. This is a good unit. The secondary just needs a bit of help at times.
#4 - Denver Broncos
The Denver Broncos came alive in Week 9, where they effectively stopped the offensive prowess of the Dallas Cowboys, which is no easy feat. Dak Prescott has been great all year, but he found himself stuck amid a hungry Broncos defense.
The Broncos are 2nd in only allowing 17.0 points per game, and their rushing defense is nearly as good as the Saints. The team may have had a tough run as of late, but they could easily turn things around if the defense continues to come alive, as they did on Sunday.
Also Check Out: Complete NFL Week 10 TV Schedule
Top 3 defenses for Week 10
Which defense has taken the #1 spot?
#3 - Los Angeles Rams
The Los Angeles Rams have fallen a bit in this week's rankings, but that doesn't mean the group is not stellar. The Rams defense was strong to begin with, but now they finally get to see what paying for Von Miller can do to bolster their pass rush even more.
Von Miller is a Pro Bowl talent who has already accounted for 4.5 sacks this season. Pair that with Aaron Donald and Jalen Ramsey, and this unit becomes one of the scariest in the league. A tough loss against the Titans will have the Rams defense retooling itself so as not to lose another crucial game.
#2 - Arizona Cardinals
The Arizona Cardinals defense continues to be one of the best units in the league, led by talents like Chandler Jones and emerging sack monster Markus Golden. The Arizona Defense is currently 4th in yards allowed per game with 321 yards. They are also 3rd in the league for points allowed with 17.2
Simply put, this defense is on fire and has been since the start of the season. The Cardinals are 8-1 and have shut down the 49ers' offense power, even with Jimmy Garoppolo being a great fantasy quarterback in the past two weeks. The Cardinals defense gets scarier by the week and will have no problem carrying the team through the playoffs.
#1 - Buffalo Bills
In one of the strangest upsets of the entire 2021 season, the Bills lost to the Jaguars. Although the embarrassing loss will likely not be replicated, the Bills' defense still held the Jaguars to a mere nine points.
The Bills defense still holds the top spot in yards allowed per game with 262.6 yards and points per game with 14.8 points. Whatever happened to the Bills offense in the Week 9 loss needs to be corrected because this defense will continue to be dominant every single week.
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