Defensive Hog Index

The Defensive Hog Index is our effort to quantify which team has the best defensive front in football. It's proven a huge indicator of success since we introduced it during the 2007 season. Teams that are better in the DHI consistently win the playoffs, especially those teams that consistently pressure the passer, as measured by Negative Pass Play%.

The top defensive front is that which posts the highest average rating across the board. The Defensive Hog Index is based upon these criteria: YPA –Yards Per Attempt. So simple, even you can understand it. This rates a defense's ability to stuff an opposing ground game; NPP% – Negative Pass Plays, expressed as a percentage. This is how often an opponent's pass plays end in either a sack or interception. Defenses that get after the quarterback and overwhelm the opposing offensive line naturally force sacks and INTs. These negative pass plays are calculated as a percentage of attempts. So if a team foces two sacks and two INTs in 40 pass plays, their NPP% will be 10 percent (4/40); 3down% - Opposition success rate on third down. The lower the percentage, the higher the defensive success.