Defenses
ON THE RISE
PANTHERS
Lane-clogging DT Kris Jenkins, who tore his right ACL in Week 1 last season, isback at full speed.
BEARS
Top-notch defense now has rookie Devin Hester (six kick-return touchdowns incollege) 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 akick-return man last season.
ON THEDECLINE
PATRIOTS
Aging defense struggled through first half of 2005 (27.5 PPG) and lostlinebacker Willie McGinest to free agency.
JETS
Defense is bound to struggle as new coach Eric Mangini implements his 3-4system, which doesn't suit their personnel.
RAMS
This was the NFL's second-worst scoring defense in '05; Martz-less offense willkeep 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 (31/2 sacks in 12 games for the Saints last year) to an injury-depleted line.
CHIEFS
The talent is there; now they have a defense-first coach in Herm Edwards totake advantage of it.
SAINTS
This could be a clever way to siphon points out of Reggie Bush (three careerTDs as a punt returner at USC).
  | SI TEAM RANKINGS FOR 2006 With 2005 stats | POINTS/ | YARDS/ | RANK | RANK | 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 |
*Points scoredby defense and special teams
PHOTO
BILL FRAKES
PHOTO
BRIAN KILLIAN/WIREIMAGE.COM