Blitz rate
Blitz rate is the share of dropbacks a defense rushed five or more. The Vikings led 2025 at 46.0%, the Bengals were last at 17.7%.
Muffed counts a blitz as five or more pass rushers, the same convention used across the verified charting data. Four rushers is a standard rush no matter who they are. Anything above that trades a coverage defender for a rusher.
Updated Jul 26, 2026
Current leaders — 2025
| # | Team | Blitz% | Press% | Man% | Zone% | EPA/DB |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Minnesota Vikings | 46.0% | 33.5% | 18.3% | 81.7% | -0.12 |
| 2 | Atlanta Falcons | 35.2% | 31.3% | 32.7% | 67.3% | 0.00 |
| 3 | Kansas City Chiefs | 33.8% | 33.0% | 35.9% | 64.1% | 0.03 |
| 4 | Tampa Bay Buccaneers | 33.6% | 34.5% | 29.4% | 70.6% | 0.08 |
| 5 | Miami Dolphins | 32.7% | 26.6% | 27.5% | 72.5% | 0.17 |
| 6 | Denver Broncos | 32.2% | 34.5% | 44.6% | 55.4% | -0.08 |
| 7 | Pittsburgh Steelers | 30.7% | 29.5% | 35.2% | 64.8% | 0.04 |
| 8 | New York Giants | 30.1% | 30.1% | 39.9% | 60.1% | 0.06 |
| 9 | Dallas Cowboys | 28.5% | 32.0% | 25.0% | 75.0% | 0.24 |
| 10 | Indianapolis Colts | 28.1% | 29.4% | 36.5% | 63.5% | 0.06 |
See the full defensive blitz rate leaderboard — Minnesota Vikings leads.
Why it matters
Blitzing buys pressure and sells coverage, and in 2025 the trade was close to even: five rushers generated pressure on 38.3% of dropbacks against 26.2% for four, but gave up +0.064 expected points added per dropback against +0.033. Across all 32 teams the correlation between blitz rate and expected points allowed was -0.09 — effectively nothing. What it changes for a roster is the shape of a week: heavy blitz defenses concede more quick throws to backs and slot receivers.
Updated Jul 26, 2026
The counter
Blitz rate is a tendency, not an outcome — it predicts the type of throw, not the yardage.
Updated Jul 26, 2026
Hear the story behind the numbers
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