Run Funnels and Pass Funnels: Mapping NFL Defenses for Week 8

PPR fantasy points allowed per game is a simple way to see how much production a defense gives up to a position. Plot wide receivers on one axis and running backs on the other, and the 32 defenses sort themselves into four groups around the league averages: 31.7 points per game allowed to wide receivers and 21.7 to running backs.

The interesting part is that defenses are rarely equally good or bad at everything. Some take away the run and leave the passing game open. Others do the reverse. A few are open both ways, and a few are tough on everyone.

The bottom-right quadrant holds seven defenses that give up more than average to wide receivers while holding running backs below average. Jacksonville is the clearest case, allowing 38.0 points per game to wide receivers (5th-most in the league) and just 17.3 to running backs. Philadelphia (40.4 and 21.2) follows the same pattern. Detroit, Washington, Baltimore, Cleveland and New England also sit in this corner.

The top-left quadrant is the mirror image: eight defenses that keep wide receivers below average but give up big numbers to running backs, whether as runners or as pass catchers. New Orleans allows 30.2 points per game to running backs, the most in the league, while giving up 29.9 to wide receivers, below the average. Miami is the cleanest example of the type, at 23.8 to wide receivers (3rd-fewest in the league) and 26.4 to running backs. Carolina, Denver, Las Vegas, San Francisco, the Chargers and Indianapolis complete the group, several of them only narrowly.

The top-right quadrant is the one nobody wants to be in: above-average points allowed to both wide receivers and running backs. Buffalo allows the most to wide receivers in the league (42.3) and the 3rd-most to running backs (26.9). Houston, Green Bay, Dallas, Atlanta, Tennessee and Arizona are also in this corner.

The bottom-left quadrant is below average against both positions. Seattle allows the fewest points in the league to wide receivers (21.2) and 20.9 to running backs, and Minnesota allows the fewest to running backs (16.0). Kansas City, the Rams, Tampa Bay, Chicago, Cincinnati, Pittsburgh, the Giants and the Jets round out the group.

Receivers against pass funnels. All seven pass funnels play this week: Jacksonville, Cleveland, Detroit, Baltimore, New England, Washington and Philadelphia. The wide receivers on the other side of those games (Indianapolis, Pittsburgh, Minnesota, Buffalo, Miami, Philadelphia and Washington, respectively) face defenses that have allowed above-average production to wideouts while holding running backs down. Sunday night's Eagles-Commanders game is an unusual one: both defenses are pass funnels.

Backs against run funnels. Carolina, Indianapolis, Las Vegas, the Chargers, Miami and Denver are the run funnels in action, which puts the running backs for Green Bay, Jacksonville, the Jets, the Rams, New England and Kansas City (respectively) against defenses that have been generous to the position. New Orleans, the most generous of all, is on bye.

Two-way funnels and stout defenses. Green Bay, Tennessee, Atlanta, Arizona, Dallas and Buffalo are the two-way funnels in action, against Carolina, Cincinnati, Tampa Bay, Dallas, Arizona and Baltimore (respectively). The stout defenses playing are Cincinnati, Pittsburgh, Minnesota, Tampa Bay, the Jets, the Rams, Kansas City, Seattle and Chicago. Houston, New Orleans, the Giants and San Francisco are on bye.

Treat the map as a starting point rather than a verdict. Injuries, game script and personnel all change how a matchup plays out, and a defense's position on the map reflects what it has allowed through Week 7.