NFL | 2006 | Fantasy Playoff Preview II - Run Defenses

ESPN uses three categories in their rankings: attempts, yards, and touchdowns. According to those three stats, the Bengals, Jets, Texans, Bills, and Rams are the top 5 most favorable matchups for RBs.

But attempts can be a misleading category when you’re talking about averaging a whole season’s worth of numbers. It’s also important, then, to include yards per attempt.

In rushing yards per attempt, the Rams, Colts, Browns, Saints, and Titans are the top 5 most favorable matchups.

Football Outsiders uses their own stats to rank defenses and they list the Jets as the worst against the run, followed by the Bills, 49ers, Bengals, Colts, and Rams.

Just based on the games I’ve watched, I’d say that the Jets are definitely deserving of being one of the worst teams against the run. As noted the Colts’ run defense is getting better, but still isn’t great. And as the Rams’ injuries mount, they will be run on more and more since teams will be up on them more and more.

Tennessee scares me a little because even though the stats say they have one of the worst run defenses, they have shown to be a physical group at time this season and have some talent in their front seven. They’re giving up a 5th worst 4.7 YPC and ranked 4th in attempts against.

So here’s a table of what seems to be the 10 worst run defenses in the NFL and who they play in weeks 15 and 16. Listed in no particular order:



TEAM	WEEK 15	WEEK 16
49ers	Seahawks	Cardinals
Redskins	Saints	Rams
Jets	Vikings	Dolphins
Bucs	Bears	Browns
Titans	Jaguars	Bills
Bengals	Colts	Broncos
Colts	Bengals	Texans
St. Louis	Oakland	Redskins
Texans	Patriots	Colts
Bills	Dolphins	Titans


As you see the Dolphins and Colts are in the unique position of playing a team on this list in both weeks. So whomever picked up Sammy Morris is looking pretty good right now.