Getting Defensive: Week 6

Last year, the Philadelphia Eagles were propelled to Super Bowl LVII in part by a fearsome defense that tallied a whopping 70 sacks. Four different Eagles players hit double-digits in sacks - an NFL record. The Eagles were second in total defense, first against the pass and third in fantasy points.

Now, five games into the 2023 season, the Eagles are one of just two undefeated teams left in the league. But the defense has taken a step backward, at least statistically. Philly enters Week 6 10th in the NFL in total defense, 13th in scoring defense and 11th in fantasy points. The Eagles have 15 sacks, which puts the team on pace for 51 in 2023.

Mind you, those are all respectable numbers. They just aren’t quite what fantasy managers have come to expect from the team.

This week, though, that could be set to change.

For starters, that Eagles’ pass rush is starting to heat up. After being all but invisible over the first three games of the season, edge-rusher Haason Reddick has tallied three sacks over the past two games. The Eagles’ secondary has struggled at times but still features a pair of big names at corner in James Bradberry and Darius Slay. Philly should also have inside linebacker Nakobe Dean back after a stint on injured reserve.

The even bigger reason though may be the matchup. Yes, the New York Jets scored 31 points against the Denver Broncos last week. But the Broncos are a disaster defensively, and even after that outburst the Jets are still 27th in the league in both scoring offense and total offense. New York is 12th in fantasy points allowed to defenses in 2023 after ranking eighth a year ago.

Look for the Eagles to get after Zach Wilson - and for Philadelphia to have their best fantasy outing of the season defensively.

THE NO-DOUBTERS

Buffalo Bills (vs. New York Giants)

The Bills return home in Week 6 after a disappointing trip to London - and that’s likely very bad news for the visiting Giants. It’s not just a matter of a Bills team that ranks eighth against the pass this year, fifth in scoring defense, leads the NFL in sacks with 21 and leads all AFC defenses in fantasy points. It’s also a matter of a matchup with a reeling Giants team that ranks dead-last in total offense, 31st in scoring offense, has allowed a staggering 30 sacks in five games and (stunner) leads the NFL in fantasy points surrendered to defenses.

San Francisco 49ers (at Cleveland Browns)

There was no question that the 49ers possess one of the NFL’s best defenses, and last Sunday night that defense sent a message, Facing a supposedly potent Dallas offense, the 49ers were absolutely dominant. The Cowboys tallied less than 200 yards of offense, scored 10 points, turned the ball over four times and allowed three sacks of Dak Prescott. It was a dominant effort in every facet of the game, and a reminder

that while the big plays haven’t been there as much as fantasy managers would like with the 49ers, the team remains a no-doubt every-week start.

Baltimore Ravens (at Tennessee Titans)

The Ravens fell in Pittsburgh last week, but it’s a loss that can’t be laid at the feet of the defense - Baltimore is seventh in the league in total defense, third in the NFL at just 15 points allowed per game, second behind only the Buffalo Bills in sacks and ninth in the league in fantasy points. The Titans have improved offensively in recent weeks, but this is a team that has had its struggles moving the ball at times this year, especially on the ground. This isn’t a smash spot for the Ravens necessarily, but they should be a solid fantasy start.

New Orleans Saints (at Houston Texans)

To be fair, the Houston Texans aren’t the favorable fantasy start for defenses that they were just one year ago - rookie quarterback C.J. Stroud still hasn’t thrown an interception, and the Texans have surrendered the fourth-fewest fantasy points to the position in 2022. But the Saints are a top-10 defense in just about every category - fourth in total defense, pass defense and scoring defense, eighth against the run and third among defenses in fantasy points scored so far this season. It’s happened with little fanfare, but New Orleans has quietly assembled one of the NFL’s best defenses.

Kansas City Chiefs (vs. Denver Broncos)

Granted, they play in the shadow of Patrick Mahomes, so they don’t get the recognition that they might in other cities. But keyed by players like defensive tackle Chris Jones, linebacker Nick Bolton and cornerback L’Jarius Sneed, the Kansas Chiefs are a quietly solid defensive football team. On Thursday night, that quietly solid defense will play host to a Denver Broncos team that isn’t especially solid anywhere - after being embarrassed at home by a bad Jets team the Broncos are one loss away from tying their worst six-game start in franchise history.

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Detroit Lions (at Tampa Bay Buccaneers)

That’s right - welcome to the end times. The Detroit Lions have become a viable defensive start in favorable or even neutral matchups. To say that’s a big change from a year ago is the mother of all understatements - in 2022, the Lions fielded the worst defense in the NFL. Now, Detroit is sixth in the league in total defense, has tallied a respectable 14 sacks and ranks among the top-12 team defenses for the season. The Buccaneers haven’t been especially kind to opposing defenses this season, but the jury is still out somewhat on Baker Mayfield after just four starts with his new team.

Miami Dolphins (vs. Carolina Panthers)

The Dolphins offense gets all the run this season - and with good reason. But the defense has had its moments too - at times. There have essentially been two types of defensive efforts for the Dolphins from a fantasy perspective. On three occasions, the Dolphins have posted double-digit fantasy points. In the other two games, Miami posted a doughnut. Feast or famine. Matchup plays a part in that kind of variance, of course, and this week the Dolphins get a good one - rookie quarterback Bryce Young and a Panthers team allowing the eighth-most fantasy points to defenses.

Atlanta Falcons (vs. Washington Commanders)

The Falcons have been surprisingly stout defensively this season, at least in some respects - the Falcons are seventh in the league in total defense and 10th in points allowed at just 19.2 points per game. However, the Falcons haven’t been able to amass many big plays, and as a result the team hasn’t posted big scores for fantasy managers. However, there’s a pretty good chance that will change in Week 6. Daniel Jones is the only quarterback in the NFL who has been dropped more than Sam Howell, and Washington has allowed the fourth-most fantasy points to team defenses in 2023.

Minnesota Vikings (at Chicago Bears)

To be clear, the Minnesota Vikings are not a good defensive football team. They might be moderately better than last year’s sieve of a unit, but an inability to get stops has played its part in the team’s 1-4 start. However, as is so often the case with streaming plays, this is more about the opponent than the defense itself. Yes, the Bears just dropped a 40-burger on the Washington Commanders, but this is still a team that has surrendered the third-most sacks (20) in the league this season and surrendered the fifth-most fantasy points to defenses.

Las Vegas Raiders (vs. New England Patriots)

This isn’t a call for fantasy managers who are faint of heart - even after a solid defensive performance that included three Jordan Love interceptions, the Raiders are still just 28th in fantasy points among defenses. But this has a lot less to do with the Raiders than it does a New England Patriots offense that has scored three points in the last two games combined. The Patriots are 26th in total defense, dead last in the NFL in scoring and lead the AFC in fantasy points surrendered to defenses. Right now, the Pats are making every defense look good.

CAVEAT EMPTOR, FOLKS

Dallas Cowboys (at Los Angeles Chargers)

The Dallas Cowboys remain the highest-scoring defense in fantasy football, largely because the team has three defensive touchdowns and a special teams score through five games. But the Dallas defense was just humiliated in San Francisco - well over 400 yards of offense and 42 points allowed in a blowout loss. The Chargers aren’t quite as prolific offensively as the Niners, but they aren’t far off - the Bolts are averaging just under 390 yards of offense and 27.5 points per game, both of which rank in the top seven in the league. Micah Parsons and Co. are going to have their hands full - again.

Gary Davenport is a two-time Fantasy Sports Writers Association Football Writer of the Year. Follow Gary on Twitter at @IDPSharks.