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2026 season · All 32 defenses

Defensive Blitz Rate Leaders

Through Week 7 · Sunday, Sunday night and Monday night pending

Defensive Blitz Rate — 2026 NFL leaders, updated Oct 24, 2026. Minnesota Vikings led the league in blitz rate at 70.4%, ahead of 31 other qualifying teams. Based on verified play-level charting from FTN Data via nflverse, regular season only. Through Week 7 of the 2026 season, with Sunday, Sunday night and Monday night still to come.

Does blitzing work? See the chart ↓

Blitz rate is how often a defense sends a fifth rusher or more. It is a philosophy rather than a grade, and a stubborn one — coordinators keep their answer to this question from year to year, which is what makes it worth knowing before a season starts rather than after. Fantasy relevance runs through the opposing offense: heavy-blitz defenses concede more quick throws to backs and slot receivers, because the hot route is the offense's built-in reply to an extra rusher.

Related: Quarterbacks vs the Blitz · Light Box Rate

Defensive Blitz Rate, 2026 NFL season
#TeamΔ WKGBlitz%BlitzesDBRead
1Minnesota VikingsNo change570.4%126179Read
2Washington CommandersNo change; did not play this week645.5%112246Read
3Tampa Bay BuccaneersNo change642.6%98230Read
4New York GiantsNo change642.0%89212Read
5Chicago BearsNo change741.1%92224Read
6New England PatriotsUp 4 places, from 10739.0%98251Read
7New York JetsDown 1 place, from 6637.4%83222Read
8Denver BroncosDown 1 place, from 7636.8%89242Read
9Carolina PanthersDown 1 place, from 8536.6%79216Read
10Buffalo BillsDown 1 place, from 9; did not play this week635.5%93262Read
11New Orleans SaintsNo change634.5%77223Read
12Green Bay PackersNo change634.3%83242Read
13San Francisco 49ersNo change632.1%75234Read
14Baltimore RavensNo change631.2%72231Read
15Jacksonville JaguarsNo change; did not play this week630.9%72233Read
16Los Angeles RamsNo change630.5%61200Read
17Detroit LionsNo change529.3%71242Read
18Arizona CardinalsNo change628.1%54192Read
19Dallas CowboysNo change627.8%57205Read
20Miami DolphinsNo change527.4%43157Read
21Los Angeles ChargersNo change; did not play this week627.0%51189Read
22Kansas City ChiefsNo change526.9%54201Read
23Las Vegas RaidersNo change626.8%59220Read
24Pittsburgh SteelersNo change626.4%60227Read
25Atlanta FalconsNo change625.9%69266Read
26Philadelphia EaglesNo change624.9%59237Read
27Cleveland BrownsNo change624.1%56232Read
28Tennessee TitansNo change623.5%50213Read
29Houston TexansNo change623.0%56243Read
30Seattle SeahawksNo change621.6%46213Read
31Indianapolis ColtsNo change620.7%43208Read
32Cincinnati BengalsNo change516.1%31193Read

New to this stat? What blitz rate means.

Does blitzing work?

Blitz rate across, EPA allowed per play (up = stingier) up, one dot per team, crosshair at the league median.Arizona Cardinals: blitz rate 28.1%, EPA allowed per play 0.08Atlanta Falcons: blitz rate 25.9%, EPA allowed per play -0.02Baltimore Ravens: blitz rate 31.2%, EPA allowed per play -0.03Buffalo Bills: blitz rate 35.5%, EPA allowed per play 0.13Carolina Panthers: blitz rate 36.6%, EPA allowed per play -0.01Chicago Bears: blitz rate 41.1%, EPA allowed per play -0.00Cincinnati Bengals: blitz rate 16.1%, EPA allowed per play -0.03Cleveland Browns: blitz rate 24.1%, EPA allowed per play -0.03Dallas Cowboys: blitz rate 27.8%, EPA allowed per play 0.16Denver Broncos: blitz rate 36.8%, EPA allowed per play -0.04Detroit Lions: blitz rate 29.3%, EPA allowed per play 0.15Green Bay Packers: blitz rate 34.3%, EPA allowed per play -0.06Houston Texans: blitz rate 23.0%, EPA allowed per play -0.00Indianapolis Colts: blitz rate 20.7%, EPA allowed per play 0.07Jacksonville Jaguars: blitz rate 30.9%, EPA allowed per play -0.04Kansas City Chiefs: blitz rate 26.9%, EPA allowed per play -0.10Los Angeles Chargers: blitz rate 27.0%, EPA allowed per play -0.04Los Angeles Rams: blitz rate 30.5%, EPA allowed per play -0.04Las Vegas Raiders: blitz rate 26.8%, EPA allowed per play 0.03Miami Dolphins: blitz rate 27.4%, EPA allowed per play 0.11Minnesota Vikings: blitz rate 70.4%, EPA allowed per play -0.21New England Patriots: blitz rate 39.0%, EPA allowed per play 0.02New Orleans Saints: blitz rate 34.5%, EPA allowed per play 0.07New York Giants: blitz rate 42.0%, EPA allowed per play 0.02New York Jets: blitz rate 37.4%, EPA allowed per play -0.05Philadelphia Eagles: blitz rate 24.9%, EPA allowed per play 0.08Pittsburgh Steelers: blitz rate 26.4%, EPA allowed per play -0.06Seattle Seahawks: blitz rate 21.6%, EPA allowed per play -0.13San Francisco 49ers: blitz rate 32.1%, EPA allowed per play -0.06Tampa Bay Buccaneers: blitz rate 42.6%, EPA allowed per play -0.09Tennessee Titans: blitz rate 23.5%, EPA allowed per play 0.04Washington Commanders: blitz rate 45.5%, EPA allowed per play 0.07

Tap or hover a team to draw its season path.

Does blitzing work? Blitz rate across, EPA allowed per play up (flipped, so higher is the stingier defense), all 32 charted teams season to date, dashed lines at the league median. Expected points added (EPA) is how much a play moved a team's expected score.Teams inside the shaded band can't yet be told apart from average on that axis — the season's sample is still too small.Data via nflverse / FTN Data via nflverse

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