Defenses - 07.24.06

	July 24, 2006 Defenses

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�	SI TEAM RANKINGS FOR 2006 With 2005 stats	POINTS/ GAME	YARDS/ GAME	RANK (rush/pass)	RANK (total)	INTS	SACKS	POINTS*	BYE WEEK
1.	Chicago Bears	12.6	281.8	11/5	2	24	41	36	7
2.	Pittsburgh Steelers	16.1	284.0	3/16	4	15	47	20	4
3.	Carolina Panthers	16.2	282.6	4/9	3	23	45	18	9
4.	Indianapolis Colts	15.4	307.1	16/15	11	18	46	24	6
5.	Seattle Seahawks	16.9	316.8	5/25	16	16	50	18	5
6.	Jacksonville Jaguars	16.8	290.9	14/7	6	19	47	18	6
7.	Baltimore Ravens	18.7	284.7	9/8	5	11	42	18	7
8.	Washington Redskins	18.3	297.9	13/10	9	16	35	24	8
9.	Denver Broncos	16.1	312.9	2/29	15	20	28	20	4
10.	San Diego Chargers	19.5	309.2	1/28	13	10	46	12	3
11.	Tampa Bay Buccaneers	17.1	277.8	6/6	1	17	36	20	4
12.	Philadelphia Eagles	24.2	325.4	21/21	23	17	29	18	9
13.	Cincinnati Bengals	21.9	338.7	20/26	28	31	28	6	5
14.	Minnesota Vikings	21.5	323.3	19/22	21	24	34	30	6
15.	Dallas Cowboys	19.2	300.9	15/11	10	15	37	12	3
16.	New England Patriots	21.1	330.2	8/31	26	10	33	12	6
17.	New York Giants	19.6	327.5	12/27	24	17	41	24	4
18.	Miami Dolphins	19.8	317.4	17/20	18	14	49	12	8
19.	Atlanta Falcons	21.3	325	26/14	22	16	37	20	5
20.	Cleveland Browns	18.8	316.8	30/4	16	15	23	18	6
21.	Arizona Cardinals	24.2	295.6	10/12	8	15	37	18	9
22.	Kansas City Chiefs	20.3	328.1	7/30	25	16	29	18	3
23.	Detroit Lions	21.6	322.4	24/13	20	19	31	20	8
24.	Buffalo Bills	22.9	343.5	31/19	29	17	38	14	8
25.	Green Bay Packers	21.5	293.1	23/1	7	10	35	18	6
26.	Tennessee Titans	26.3	319.4	22/17	19	9	41	32	7
27.	St. Louis Rams	26.8	350.1	28/23	30	13	41	26	7
28.	New York Jets	22.2	308.8	29/2	12	21	30	24	9
29.	Houston Texans	26.9	364	32/24	31	7	37	12	5
30.	San Francisco 49ers	26.8	391.2	18/32	32	16	28	36	7
31.	New Orleans Saints	24.9	312.1	27/3	14	10	25	0	7
32.	Oakland Raiders	23.9	330.8	25/18	27	5	36	6	3

ON THE RISE

PANTHERS
Lane-clogging DT Kris Jenkins, who tore his right ACL in Week 1 last season, is back at full speed.

BEARS
Top-notch defense now has rookie Devin Hester (six kick-return touchdowns in college) to bolster a weak return game (one touchdown in '06).

VIKINGS
Koren Robinson, 26, blossomed (26.0 yards, one TD) in his first year as a kick-return man last season.

ON THE DECLINE

PATRIOTS
Aging defense struggled through first half of 2005 (27.5 PPG) and lost linebacker Willie McGinest to free agency.

JETS
Defense is bound to struggle as new coach Eric Mangini implements his 3-4 system, which doesn't suit their personnel.

RAMS
This was the NFL's second-worst scoring defense in '05; Martz-less offense will keep that unit on the field even more this year.

SLEEPERS

EAGLES
A bust last season, they'll benefit from adding free-agent DE Darren Howard (3 1/2 sacks in 12 games for the Saints last year) to an injury-depleted line.

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	ARTICLES	GALLERIES	COVERS
American Football Conference	6441	0	171
National Football Conference	7801	0	185
National Football League	13627	0	598
New Orleans Saints	600	0	11
NFC North Division	2350	0	0

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American Football Conference (171)