The 10 best defensive teams in the NFL

Jan 19, 2014; Seattle, WA, USA; Seattle Seahawks safety Kam Chancellor (31) celebrates with linebacker Malcom Smith (53) and safety Earl Thomas (29) and cornerback Byron Maxwell (41) after intercepting a pass in the fourth quarter against the San Francisco 49ers in the 2013 NFC Championship football game at CenturyLink Field. The Seahawks defeated the 49ers 23-17 to advance to Super Bowl XLVIII. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports
Jan 19, 2014; Seattle, WA, USA; Seattle Seahawks safety Kam Chancellor (31) celebrates with linebacker Malcom Smith (53) and safety Earl Thomas (29) and cornerback Byron Maxwell (41) after intercepting a pass in the fourth quarter against the San Francisco 49ers in the 2013 NFC Championship football game at CenturyLink Field. The Seahawks defeated the 49ers 23-17 to advance to Super Bowl XLVIII. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports /
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Oct 20, 2013; Kansas City, MO, USA; Kansas City Chiefs outside linebacker Tamba Hali (91) celebrates after sacking Houston Texans quarterback Case Keenum (7) in the second half at Arrowhead Stadium. The Chiefs won 17-16. Mandatory Credit: John Rieger-USA TODAY Sports
Oct 20, 2013; Kansas City, MO, USA; Kansas City Chiefs outside linebacker Tamba Hali (91) celebrates after sacking Houston Texans quarterback Case Keenum (7) in the second half at Arrowhead Stadium. The Chiefs won 17-16. Mandatory Credit: John Rieger-USA TODAY Sports /

No. 10: Kansas City Chiefs

Midway through the 2013 season the Kansas City Chiefs looked like one of the top defenses in the entire NFL. They were on pace to challenge some of the all-time team sack numbers and were forcing turnovers at an incredible rate. Dontari Poe is a force in the middle of the defense, Tamba Hali and Justin Houston are a pair of elite pass rushers, Derrick Johnson is one of the best ILBs in the NFL, and Eric Berry is a versatile playmaker on the back end.

So what happened in the second half of the season?

Well, it started with their edge rushers battling some injuries. That resulted in a dramatic lack of pressure on opposing QBs who then exposed KC’s secondary. KC added another pass rusher to the mix with first round draft pick Dee Ford so the hope is that there won’t be a drop off in pressure this season. If that’s true then KC should again be a top defensive unit, but if the pass rush fails the Chiefs secondary could still be a liability in coverage. It wouldn’t be a total surprise to see KC make a jump into the top five or completely fall out of consideration for the top ten all together.

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