The 10 Best NFL Defenses Over the Last Decade

5. 2008 Philadelphia Eagles

The 2008 Philadelphia Eagles held their opponents to an average of 4.4 yards per play. Only three teams over the past 10 seasons allowed fewer yards per play on average.

It may be hard to believe that the fifth-best NFL defense of the last 10 seasons was part of a team with a 9-6-1 record, but keep in mind that the offense needs to help, too. One of those losses was a 10-3 defeat, and the tie was a 13-13 stalemate that included holding their opponent to only 56 rushing yards.

The Eagles had six games with three or more takeaways, held their opponents under 90 rushing yards in 11 games, and only allowed 200 or more passing yards five times. That pass defense was spearheaded up front by Darren Howard and Trent Cole, who combined for 29 of Philadelphia’s 48 sacks in 2008.

After holding their opponents to 14 and 11 points in the first two rounds of the playoffs, the Eagles’ season ended with a 32-25 loss to the Arizona Cardinals in the NFC Championship game.