Overview of Nine lessons we learned from the NFL's best defenses
This episode of The Athletic Football Show breaks down the biggest defensive trends from the NFL’s top units in 2025 and what they mean heading into 2026. Robert Mays, Derek, and Cody Alexander of Match Quarters focus on how modern defenses are built: stopping the run without sacrificing coverage structure, using hybrid defenders, leaning into nickel and dime personnel, disguising coverage from two-high shells, and blitzing with precision rather than volume. The big takeaway is that the best defenses are no longer just reacting to offenses — they’re dictating the terms.
The biggest defensive lessons
1. Stop the run first, then rush the passer
The best defenses are built around the old principle of “stop the run to have fun.” The top units — especially Seattle, Houston, Denver, and New Orleans — succeed by holding up against the run on early downs, often from light boxes. That keeps them on schedule to pressure the quarterback on later downs.
2. Interior strength is the foundation
You can’t survive in light boxes without strong defensive tackles and disruptive interior players. Cody emphasized that modern defenses want to fit the box with six defenders, then use coverage structure to add a seventh or eighth when needed. The key is having stout interior linemen who can play gap-and-a-half and force offenses to bounce runs.
3. Hybrid edge/linebacker players are becoming essential
Many of the best defenses have a flexible “tweener” player who can walk down onto the edge, play in base, or rush off the line. Examples mentioned included:
- Leo Chenal
- Jalen Walker
- Zack Baun
- Jihaad Campbell
- Andrew Van Ginkel
- Derrick Barnes
- Isaiah McDuffie
These players let defenses stay multiple without sacrificing too much in coverage or run defense.
4. Big nickel is a real advantage
Nickel is now a force multiplier, especially for teams that can play it against 12 personnel and still fit the run. Teams like Seattle, Houston, Philadelphia, Jacksonville, the Rams, and the Chargers all leaned into bigger nickel defenders, often 6 feet tall and 200 pounds or more.
5. Early-down defense is overwhelmingly zone-based
The league is now an early-down zone league. Cody noted that early downs are about:
- Two-high shells
- Cover 3 and quarters/cover 6
- Minimal pre-snap tells
- Fewer man-coverage answers
That makes life much harder for offenses trying to call scripted beaters.
6. Split-field coverage is driving the modern look
On early downs, more defenses are using quarters and other split-field structures from the same shell, often rotating late or building in rules that function similarly to cover 3. This keeps quarterbacks from identifying coverage pre-snap and helps defenses defend motion, crossers, and condensed formations.
7. Blitzing is about timing and efficiency, not volume
The best defenses are not the ones blitzing most — they’re the ones blitzing best. Seattle, Minnesota, the Chargers, Houston, Philadelphia, and Denver were among the most effective blitz teams. The emphasis is on:
- Static pre-snap looks
- Late pressure reveals
- Simulated pressure
- Targeting weak points like the running back or weak-side B-gap
8. Dime is now a situational weapon
Teams are no longer using dime just because they have good DBs. They’re using it to dictate situation, especially on second-and-long or obvious passing downs. Seattle, the Rams, the Ravens, and the Chargers all leaned into dime in those spots. This is less about matching personnel and more about winning the down-and-distance math.
9. Offenses will need more downfield answers
If defenses keep closing off the middle of the field and forcing low-percentage throws, offenses will need to attack vertically more often. That means:
- More deep shots
- More reliance on true X receivers
- More willingness to be aggressive downfield
The panel suggested that boundary corners and outside receivers could become even more important as defenses dare offenses to test them deep.
Key stats and trends
Notable numbers from the discussion
- Seattle allowed a 38% success rate on light-box runs
- Only a few teams allowed under a 10% first-down conversion rate
- On early downs, the league is around 82% zone
- In top defenses, the average nickel body type has gotten bigger since 2018
- Seattle’s blitzing was especially efficient, with -0.4 EPA per dropback on blitzes
What this means going forward
The modern defensive meta is about controlling structure, forcing offenses into uncomfortable decisions, and making the quarterback work without easy pre-snap clues. The best teams have:
- big, versatile bodies up front
- hybrid defenders
- smart coverage rules
- selective but devastating pressure packages
In short: the best defenses in the NFL are no longer trying to survive offensive evolution. They’re shaping it.