The Cowboys led the league in interceptions a year ago, helping them finish as one of the top (if not the top) fantasy defenses in most sack- and takeaway-based scoring systems. But it's tough to repeat, and a downturn is probably coming.
Paced by All-Pro cornerback Trevon Diggs, who had 11, Dallas had 26 interceptions last season. They were one of only two teams (with New England) to reach 20; in the last decade, only three teams have had a season where they finished with more interceptions. But sustaining that excellence a year later is rare; most teams take a step back.
Over the past decade, there have been 36 previous occasions where a defense made it up to 20 interceptions; 3.6 per year. And it was more common in the earlier part of the decade; teams and quarterbacks are being more careful with taking chances, and officiating has tended to favor offenses more than defenses. Only 9 of those 20-interception seasons have come since 2016.
And from those 36 teams to record 20 picks, just 5 made it up to 20 again one year later. Three of those did it nearly a decade ago. Difficult to maintain that kind of hot streak, and with interceptions on the decline league-wide, it's even less likely.
In the table, sorted by interceptions last season, the 20-interception seasons are in bold. Teams that were able to record 20-plus in back-to-back seasons are tagged with a black dot. One of those teams, at least, was the other team that reached 20 last year, the Patriots. The Bengals once did it three years in a row. So it's possible -- but more likely Dallas finishes below that.
TEAM INTERCEPTIONS, 2011-PRESENT | |||||||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Defense | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 15 | 16 | 17 | 18 | 19 | 20 | 21 |
Dallas | 15 | 7 | 15 | 18 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 9 | 7 | 10 | 26 |
• New England | 23 | 20 | 17 | 16 | 12 | 13 | 12 | 18 | 25 | 18 | 23 |
Indianapolis | 8 | 12 | 15 | 12 | 17 | 8 | 13 | 15 | 15 | 15 | 19 |
Buffalo | 20 | 12 | 23 | 19 | 17 | 12 | 18 | 16 | 14 | 15 | 19 |
LA Rams | 12 | 17 | 14 | 13 | 13 | 10 | 18 | 18 | 13 | 14 | 19 |
New Orleans | 9 | 15 | 12 | 12 | 9 | 9 | 20 | 12 | 13 | 18 | 18 |
Green Bay | 31 | 18 | 11 | 18 | 16 | 17 | 11 | 7 | 17 | 11 | 18 |
Tampa Bay | 14 | 18 | 21 | 14 | 11 | 17 | 13 | 9 | 12 | 15 | 17 |
Houston | 17 | 15 | 7 | 20 | 14 | 11 | 11 | 15 | 12 | 3 | 17 |
Minnesota | 8 | 10 | 12 | 13 | 13 | 14 | 14 | 12 | 17 | 15 | 16 |
Tennessee | 11 | 19 | 13 | 12 | 11 | 12 | 12 | 11 | 14 | 15 | 16 |
Kansas City | 20 | 7 | 21 | 6 | 22 | 18 | 16 | 15 | 16 | 16 | 15 |
• NY Giants | 20 | 21 | 17 | 17 | 15 | 17 | 13 | 16 | 10 | 11 | 15 |
Miami | 16 | 10 | 18 | 14 | 13 | 16 | 9 | 21 | 13 | 18 | 14 |
Pittsburgh | 11 | 10 | 10 | 11 | 17 | 13 | 16 | 8 | 20 | 18 | 13 |
Cleveland | 9 | 17 | 14 | 21 | 11 | 10 | 7 | 17 | 14 | 11 | 13 |
• Cincinnati | 10 | 14 | 20 | 20 | 21 | 17 | 11 | 12 | 11 | 11 | 13 |
• Arizona | 10 | 22 | 20 | 18 | 19 | 14 | 15 | 7 | 7 | 11 | 13 |
Denver | 9 | 16 | 17 | 18 | 14 | 14 | 10 | 17 | 10 | 10 | 13 |
Atlanta | 19 | 20 | 10 | 16 | 15 | 12 | 8 | 15 | 12 | 12 | 12 |
Philadelphia | 15 | 8 | 19 | 12 | 15 | 16 | 19 | 10 | 11 | 8 | 12 |
Washington | 13 | 21 | 16 | 7 | 11 | 13 | 16 | 15 | 13 | 16 | 11 |
Seattle | 22 | 18 | 28 | 13 | 14 | 11 | 14 | 12 | 16 | 14 | 11 |
LA Chargers | 17 | 14 | 11 | 7 | 11 | 18 | 18 | 13 | 11 | 12 | 11 |
Detroit | 21 | 11 | 15 | 20 | 9 | 10 | 19 | 7 | 7 | 7 | 11 |
San Francisco | 23 | 14 | 18 | 23 | 9 | 10 | 10 | 2 | 12 | 12 | 9 |
Baltimore | 15 | 13 | 16 | 11 | 6 | 18 | 22 | 12 | 13 | 10 | 9 |
Carolina | 14 | 11 | 20 | 14 | 24 | 17 | 10 | 13 | 14 | 7 | 9 |
• Chicago | 20 | 24 | 19 | 14 | 8 | 8 | 8 | 27 | 10 | 10 | 8 |
Jacksonville | 17 | 12 | 11 | 6 | 9 | 7 | 21 | 11 | 10 | 12 | 7 |
NY Jets | 19 | 11 | 13 | 6 | 18 | 8 | 11 | 13 | 12 | 10 | 7 |
Las Vegas | 18 | 11 | 9 | 9 | 14 | 16 | 5 | 14 | 9 | 10 | 6 |
--Andy Richardson