RADIO
Defenses matter a lot in fantasy football. If you can draft and matchup the right players against sub-par defenses, you have a recipe for success. It’s not as easy as just looking at the best and worst defenses from 2014 though, and that’s why we’re here to help.
In this eight article series, we’re going to take a look at all the defenses in the NFL. We’ll look at whether or not teams have improved for 2015, and dive into the passing and rushing defensive potential of every NFL team, one division at a time.
Today we are taking a look at the AFC South passing and rushing defenses, and their outlook for the 2015 fantasy football season. When this series is over, you will have a great grasp of which defenses to target for plus matchups.
Editor’s Note: If you’re looking for a new, awesome, highly customizable and free option for year-round commissioner & dynasty leagues, something more capable than Yahoo, better looking than CBS, and built from the ground up with fantasy football in mind, play free fantasy football with our friends at Fleaflicker. Sign up your league on Fleaflicker, and get a Full Season Premium Subscription for FREE.
AFC South Passing Defense Rankings
Indianapolis Colts
2014 Rankings: 10, 14, 5
Known much more for Andrew Luck and their impressive passing offense, the Colts were surprisingly strong against the pass defensively in 2014. They finished in the top third of teams in terms of DVOA and were a top-5 team against the WR position. Impressive numbers for a defense that gets little to no recognition.
2015 Projected Pass Defense Ranking: Top Half
Vontae Davis is emerging as one of the best shutdown corners in the game, and the addition of Trent Cole coupled with the return of Robert Mathis should bolster a Colts pass rush that struggled at times in 2014. While things get a bit muddy beyond those core players, there’s little reason to believe Indy can’t return to last season’s form. They may be a defense to be leery of for the QB and WR positions this coming year.
Jacksonville Jaguars
2014 Rankings: 17, 15, 17
A young defense in Jacksonville struggled at times in 2014 before finishing in the middle of the league against the pass. The secondary only managed six interceptions, tied for the league low, but the Jaguars also surrendered only 24 TDs via the air, and only 13 of those were caught by WRs. Those are strong numbers and I bet many non-Jaguars fans are surprised to hear that.
2015 Projected Pass Defense Ranking: Middle of the Pack
A team as young as the Jaguars always has potential to improve drastically from year to year, and with Gus Bradley calling the shots defense will always be a priority. Johnathan Cyprien is an emerging talent at the safety position, and if the pass rush, which landed the sixth most sacks in the league last year, can take a step forward despite losing their top draft pick, this defense could be stout against the pass. Until then, the Jaguars aren’t a team to fear at the QB and WR positions.
Tennessee Titans
2014 Rankings: 26, 20, 16
The worst defense in the division last season, the Titans were well in the bottom third of teams in terms of DVOA against the pass. They were, however, respectable against QBs and WRs. Parts of that may be attributed to the fact that the Titans surrendered north of 27 P/G in 2014, giving offenses little reason to pass.
2015 Projected Pass Defense Ranking: Bottom Ten
There are pieces in place in Tennessee. Jurrell Casey became a force as an interior rusher in the last two seasons and the addition of Brian Orakpo could help make a weak pass rush much stronger, but that doesn’t change the weaknesses in the Titans’ secondary. Even with the addition of Perrish Cox, the Titans' would be depending on Jason McCourty having a primme season in order to alleviate the safeties and pass rushing issues. Of all the defensive units in the AFC South, the Titans will be the one to target in 2015.
Houston Texans
2014 Rankings: 6, 8, 29
Saving the best for last, JJ Watt and the Texans defense were among the 10 best teams in the league last season when it came to both DVOA against the pass and the QB position, yet surprisingly struggled in a mighty way against wide outs. Houston surrendered nearly 3,000 yards to opposing WR in 2014, a number that equated to more than 24 fantasy points a week.
2015 Projected Pass Defense Ranking: Bottom 5
As long as Watt is on this team, the defense will be one to fear. Watt has been the best defensive player in the league for the better part of three seasons now, and single handedly makes the Texans pass rush a daunting one. Beyond him, though, there isn’t too much to be leery of with Brian Cushing regressing and Jadaveon Clowney struggling to stay healthy. Still, it’s not a bad idea to hesitate before playing a QB against Houston in 2015.
AFC South Run Defense Rankings
2014 Pass Defense Ranking and Fantasy Points against Quarterbacks and Wide Receivers, per ESPN
Indianapolis Colts
2014 Rankings: 19, 24
The Colts’ ability to stop the run lagged a bit behind their ability against the pass, finishing in the bottom half of the league in DVOA and struggling against the RB position. Part of that could be attributed to the fact that the Colts surrendered nearly 800 yards in receiving to RBs in 2014, among the highest numbers in the league.
2015 Projected Run Defense Ranking: Middle of the Pack
The return of Mathis and the addition of Cole will help boost the defense in more than just pass rush, and with an offense capable of scoring points at will opponents may not find it smart to run the ball much against Indianapolis. That said, there really isn’t anything to suggest a stout run defense is on the horizon from the Colts in 2015.
Jacksonville Jaguars
2014 Rankings: 20, 27
Just like the Colts, the Jaguars were much better in terms of DVOA against the run than they were against the RB position. Giving up 1750 yards on the ground to opposing RBs will do that.
2015 Projected Run Defense Ranking: Bottom Ten
If there is a bright spot on a rebuilding Jaguars team, it’s the defensive line. Only a handful of teams produced more sacks than Jacksonville in 2014, and that same line now has another year of experience under its belt. Pass rush doesn’t fix a leaky run defense, though, which could leave the Jaguars once again near the bottom of the league against RBs. They aren’t a defense to fear.
Tennessee Titans
2014 Rankings: 29, 31
It seems like fantasy players have rejoiced for a few years now upon seeing one of their RBs is playing the Titans. Amongst the league’s worst run defenses yet again in 2014, Tennessee was the only team in the league to surrender more than 2000 yards on the ground to the RB position.
2015 Projected Run Defense Ranking: Bottom Ten
Bad doesn’t become good without significant change, and not enough of that change happened this off-season to reason the Titans will improve drastically against the run. There are some pieces in place, like Casey and Orakpo mentioned before, but adding pass rush won’t plug those gaping holes. If your RB happens to be playing the Titans in 2015, smile a little bit.
Houston Texans
2014 Rankings: 16, 10
Houston wasn’t as good against the run in 2014 as it was against the pass, and part of that may fall on the regression and injuries of Brian Cushing at middle linebacker. They still finished in the top-10 against RBs, though, good enough to make fantasy players uneasy.
2015 Projected Run Defense Ranking: Top Half
If Cushing can return to his previous form and Clowney stay on the field, this Texans front seven could be dominant against the pass and the run. Until then, though, Houston is likely to remain a middle of the ground defense against the run. They aren’t a defense to target, but they aren’t a defense to fear either.
NFL & Fantasy Football Chat Room
[iflychat_embed id="c-0" hide_user_list="yes" hide_popup_chat="no" height="400px"]
Check out all of RotoBaller's fantasy football rankings. Staff rankings are updated regularly for all positions and include standard formats, PPR scoring, tiered rankings and dynasty leagues.
