On Sunday afternoon, as the Broncos completed a huge victory over the Chargers in the final week of the regular season, defensive coordinator Wade Phillips ran off the field holding one finger in the air. He may have been celebrating the Broncos earning the No. 1 seed in the playoffs, or he could have been celebrating any of the plethora of defensive categories his defense finished No. 1 in the league in.
Here’s a look at all of those categories:
| Category | Rank | Stat | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Total Yards Allowed | 1 | 4,530 YDS | ||||
| Yards Per Play Allowed | 1 | 4.4 YPP | ||||
| Sacks | 1 | 52 | ||||
| Net Yards Per Pass Attempt Allowed | 1 | 5.1 | ||||
| First Downs Allowed Passing Allowed | 1 | 162 FD | ||||
| Yards Per Rush Allowed | 1 | 3.3 | ||||
| Interceptions for a Touchdown | T-1 | 4 | ||||
| Pass Yards Allowed | 1 | 3,193 |
Phillips and his players admitted last week that it meant something to be number one and they finished the job against the Chargers. Now they get their chance to put the old adage “defense wins championships” to the test.
