Bendability

Think of Bendability as a way to quantify the phenomenon of the “bend but don’t break defense” and measure how well teams play in “situational football.” Tthe Bendability Index is not merely a defensive indicator! It is a team-wide measurement of ability to keep opponents off the scoreboard. It takes into account a variety of factors, including proficiency of offense and special teams, field position, red zone defense, and turnover differential, and then spits it all out in an easy-to-understand number. Teams that rank highly in Bendability are typically smart, efficient, well-coached teams.

Bendability = Yards allowed/Points Allowed = Yards Per Point Allowed (YPPA). The higher the number, the more “bendable” the defense.

Rank	Team	Defensive Yds.	Pts. Allowed	Defensive Yds. per Pt. Allowed
1 =	Jacksonville Jaguars	1,650	70	23.57
2 =	Minnesota Vikings	1,299	64	20.30
3 2	Kansas City Chiefs	1,271	77	16.51
4 =	Chicago Bears	1,557	96	16.22
5 2	San Francisco 49ers	1,486	93	15.98
6 9	Philadelphia Eagles	1,784	112	15.93
7 1	Cincinnati Bengals	1,721	109	15.79
8 3	New England Patriots	1,481	94	15.76
9 =	Denver Broncos	1,737	111	15.65
10 =	New York Giants	1,635	106	15.42
11 2	New York Jets	1,465	96	15.26
12 4	Tennessee Titans	1,659	109	15.22
13 3	Cleveland Browns	1,670	112	14.91
14 =	Pittsburgh Steelers	1,621	109	14.87
15 8	Las Vegas Raiders	1,885	129	14.61
16 3	Dallas Cowboys	1,977	136	14.54
17 =	Carolina Panthers	1,549	109	14.21
18 7	Houston Texans	1,562	112	13.95
19 7	Indianapolis Colts	1,921	138	13.92
20 2	Buffalo Bills	1,943	141	13.78
20 7	Green Bay Packers	1,543	112	13.78
21 3	Baltimore Ravens	1,628	119	13.68
22 =	Detroit Lions	2,022	148	13.66
23 3	Atlanta Falcons	1,643	122	13.47
24 6	Tampa Bay Buccaneers	1,497	112	13.37
25 2	Miami Dolphins	1,649	132	12.49
26 =	Los Angeles Chargers	1,558	129	12.08
27 6	Seattle Seahawks	1,256	105	11.96
28 3	New Orleans Saints	1,805	151	11.95
29 =	Los Angeles Rams	1,426	120	11.88
30 2	Washington Commanders	1,752	149	11.76
31 3	Arizona Cardinals	1,817	162	11.22