NFL pace, 2026
How fast every NFL offense plays and how many plays each defense has faced in the 2026 regular season: plays per game, possession time per play, pass share and yards per play, with the last three games beside the season (4 to 6 games per team).
The short answer
Most offensive plays per game, NFL 2026 regular season through Oct 15, 2026: 1. Chicago Bears 73.2 (5 games); 2. Los Angeles Rams 70.8 (5 games); 3. Carolina Panthers 67 (4 games); 4. Arizona Cardinals 66.8 (5 games); 5. New Orleans Saints 66.8 (5 games). League average 62.2. The shortest possession time per play: New Orleans Saints, 26.3 seconds; the longest: Minnesota Vikings, 32.9 seconds.
Volume, not efficiency: the Denver Broncos rank 11th in yards allowed per game but 22nd per play
The Denver Broncos have allowed 348.3 yards per game (11th most of 32) on 5.0 yards per play (22nd). They have faced 69 plays per game, the 3rd most, so the per-game total says more about how many snaps they defended than how much each snap gained. At the other end, the Chicago Bears rank 24th in yards per game and 3rd per play, on 50.2 plays faced per game.
NFL offensive pace, 2026
| Team | Games | Plays/g (rank) | Possession time per play, sec (rank) | Pass share (rank) | Yards/play (rank) | Last 3: plays/g | Last 3: sec per play |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Chicago Bears | 5 | 73.2 (1st) | 28.8 (13th) | 48.5% (28th) | 5.4 (15th) | 75.3 | 29.0 |
| Los Angeles Rams | 5 | 70.8 (2nd) | 27.7 (6th) | 63.1% (6th) | 6.0 (6th) | 79 | 26.4 |
| Carolina Panthers | 4 | 67 (3rd) | 26.6 (2nd) | 63.2% (5th) | 6.1 (5th) | 68.7 | 27.0 |
| Arizona Cardinals | 5 | 66.8 (4th) | 28.3 (9th) | 62.1% (8th) | 4.5 (31st) | 71.7 | 27.0 |
| New Orleans Saints | 5 | 66.8 (4th) | 26.3 (1st) | 63.9% (3rd) | 4.8 (23rd) | 61.3 | 26.8 |
| Detroit Lions | 5 | 66.4 (6th) | 27.3 (5th) | 59.5% (10th) | 5.9 (7th) | 65.7 | 26.8 |
| New York Giants | 5 | 65.2 (7th) | 31.3 (27th) | 53.0% (18th) | 4.7 (25th) | 67.7 | 31.3 |
| Las Vegas Raiders | 5 | 65 (8th) | 27.9 (7th) | 56.8% (12th) | 5.2 (18th) | 66 | 26.9 |
| Indianapolis Colts | 5 | 64.4 (9th) | 29.0 (15th) | 56.2% (14th) | 4.6 (28th) | 68.7 | 28.5 |
| Washington Commanders | 5 | 64 (10th) | 29.3 (18th) | 52.3% (21st) | 5.1 (19th) | 62 | 29.5 |
| New England Patriots | 5 | 63.8 (11th) | 29.7 (21st) | 51.0% (23rd) | 5.8 (8th) | 66.3 | 29.0 |
| Houston Texans | 5 | 63.4 (12th) | 28.7 (10th) | 61.4% (9th) | 5.4 (14th) | 55.3 | 31.1 |
| Seattle Seahawks | 6 | 63.2 (13th) | 29.5 (20th) | 54.5% (16th) | 5.3 (17th) | 66.7 | 28.7 |
| Kansas City Chiefs | 4 | 63 (14th) | 28.7 (11th) | 52.0% (22nd) | 6.5 (2nd) | 61.7 | 28.2 |
| Cincinnati Bengals | 5 | 62.4 (15th) | 29.8 (22nd) | 62.4% (7th) | 5.5 (13th) | 63.3 | 29.3 |
| Atlanta Falcons | 5 | 62 (16th) | 31.4 (29th) | 44.8% (32nd) | 5.8 (9th) | 62 | 32.4 |
| Baltimore Ravens | 5 | 62 (16th) | 31.0 (26th) | 45.8% (31st) | 6.4 (4th) | 63.3 | 30.8 |
| Los Angeles Chargers | 5 | 61.6 (18th) | 28.8 (12th) | 49.5% (27th) | 4.8 (24th) | 65 | 28.7 |
| Pittsburgh Steelers | 5 | 61.6 (18th) | 29.4 (19th) | 63.3% (4th) | 5.3 (16th) | 59 | 30.2 |
| Minnesota Vikings | 5 | 61.4 (20th) | 32.9 (32nd) | 47.9% (30th) | 4.6 (27th) | 65 | 33.2 |
| Dallas Cowboys | 5 | 61 (21st) | 26.9 (3rd) | 64.2% (2nd) | 5.8 (10th) | 66.3 | 25.5 |
| Tampa Bay Buccaneers | 5 | 60.8 (22nd) | 31.5 (30th) | 52.6% (20th) | 5.0 (21st) | 63.3 | 31.6 |
| Buffalo Bills | 5 | 59 (23rd) | 29.0 (16th) | 48.4% (29th) | 6.7 (1st) | 58 | 29.3 |
| Cleveland Browns | 5 | 58.8 (24th) | 29.2 (17th) | 54.2% (17th) | 4.7 (26th) | 63.3 | 27.6 |
| Green Bay Packers | 5 | 58.8 (24th) | 28.1 (8th) | 65.1% (1st) | 5.6 (12th) | 59 | 28.3 |
| New York Jets | 5 | 58.8 (24th) | 31.3 (28th) | 52.9% (19th) | 4.8 (22nd) | 53 | 29.1 |
| Jacksonville Jaguars | 5 | 58.6 (27th) | 32.5 (31st) | 50.5% (25th) | 5.7 (11th) | 60.7 | 31.7 |
| Philadelphia Eagles | 5 | 57.8 (28th) | 28.9 (14th) | 56.2% (15th) | 4.5 (29th) | 54.7 | 27.8 |
| Denver Broncos | 6 | 57.3 (29th) | 30.1 (23rd) | 56.3% (13th) | 4.4 (32nd) | 59.3 | 30.2 |
| San Francisco 49ers | 5 | 56.8 (30th) | 30.2 (24th) | 50.5% (24th) | 6.4 (3rd) | 57 | 27.9 |
| Miami Dolphins | 5 | 54.8 (31st) | 30.4 (25th) | 50.0% (26th) | 5.1 (20th) | 56 | 29.8 |
| Tennessee Titans | 5 | 54.6 (32nd) | 26.9 (4th) | 58.9% (11th) | 4.5 (30th) | 57.7 | 27.0 |
Plays faced by each NFL defense, 2026
| Defense | Games | Plays faced/g (rank) | Opponent possession time per play, sec (rank) | Yards allowed/g (rank) | Yards/play allowed (rank) | Opponent pass share (rank) | Last 3: plays faced/g |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Detroit Lions | 5 | 71.8 (1st) | 26.3 (1st) | 404.4 (1st) | 5.6 (8th) | 62.8% (2nd) | 68 |
| Buffalo Bills | 5 | 70 (2nd) | 28.4 (7th) | 388.6 (3rd) | 5.6 (11th) | 59.3% (7th) | 71.7 |
| Denver Broncos | 6 | 69 (3rd) | 27.9 (4th) | 348.3 (11th) | 5.0 (22nd) | 54.5% (20th) | 70 |
| Carolina Panthers | 4 | 67 (4th) | 27.2 (3rd) | 387.3 (4th) | 5.8 (6th) | 55.4% (17th) | 66 |
| Philadelphia Eagles | 5 | 66.4 (5th) | 29.1 (16th) | 356.8 (9th) | 5.4 (16th) | 54.6% (19th) | 71.3 |
| Green Bay Packers | 5 | 65.6 (6th) | 30.6 (28th) | 308.6 (25th) | 4.7 (28th) | 50.0% (26th) | 65 |
| Atlanta Falcons | 5 | 65.4 (7th) | 26.7 (2nd) | 328.6 (17th) | 5.0 (24th) | 66.5% (1st) | 67.7 |
| Cleveland Browns | 5 | 64.4 (8th) | 29.2 (17th) | 334 (13th) | 5.2 (20th) | 57.2% (12th) | 68 |
| Washington Commanders | 5 | 64.2 (9th) | 28.7 (13th) | 350.4 (10th) | 5.5 (14th) | 60.9% (4th) | 71.3 |
| Kansas City Chiefs | 4 | 63.8 (10th) | 30.4 (27th) | 317.8 (21st) | 5.0 (26th) | 58.6% (10th) | 69.3 |
| San Francisco 49ers | 5 | 63.6 (11th) | 29.6 (20th) | 297.2 (27th) | 4.7 (29th) | 56.7% (15th) | 68.3 |
| New York Jets | 5 | 63.4 (12th) | 28.6 (11th) | 293 (29th) | 4.6 (31st) | 53.3% (23rd) | 72.7 |
| Tennessee Titans | 5 | 63.4 (12th) | 33.6 (32nd) | 331.8 (14th) | 5.2 (19th) | 47.6% (30th) | 60.7 |
| New Orleans Saints | 5 | 63.2 (14th) | 30.8 (29th) | 361 (8th) | 5.7 (7th) | 50.0% (26th) | 62.3 |
| Houston Texans | 5 | 62.6 (15th) | 28.5 (9th) | 312.4 (22nd) | 5.0 (25th) | 60.0% (5th) | 67.3 |
| Baltimore Ravens | 5 | 62 (16th) | 28.6 (10th) | 325.6 (19th) | 5.3 (18th) | 57.0% (13th) | 64.3 |
| Dallas Cowboys | 5 | 62 (16th) | 31.6 (30th) | 395.4 (2nd) | 6.4 (1st) | 45.9% (32nd) | 58.3 |
| Los Angeles Chargers | 5 | 62 (16th) | 29.4 (18th) | 311.6 (23rd) | 5.0 (23rd) | 47.2% (31st) | 59.3 |
| Indianapolis Colts | 5 | 61.6 (19th) | 30.1 (25th) | 384.2 (5th) | 6.2 (2nd) | 56.0% (16th) | 55.3 |
| Las Vegas Raiders | 5 | 61.6 (19th) | 29.0 (14th) | 377 (6th) | 6.1 (5th) | 54.2% (22nd) | 65.3 |
| Cincinnati Bengals | 5 | 61.4 (21st) | 28.4 (6th) | 344.2 (12th) | 5.6 (9th) | 57.9% (11th) | 59 |
| Miami Dolphins | 5 | 60 (22nd) | 32.2 (31st) | 329.8 (16th) | 5.5 (13th) | 49.0% (29th) | 61.3 |
| Seattle Seahawks | 6 | 60 (22nd) | 29.8 (22nd) | 237.3 (32nd) | 4.0 (32nd) | 52.3% (24th) | 60.3 |
| Jacksonville Jaguars | 5 | 59.6 (24th) | 28.5 (8th) | 330 (15th) | 5.5 (12th) | 62.0% (3rd) | 63.3 |
| Pittsburgh Steelers | 5 | 59.4 (25th) | 30.2 (26th) | 324.2 (20th) | 5.5 (15th) | 55.2% (18th) | 62.3 |
| Arizona Cardinals | 5 | 58.8 (26th) | 29.0 (15th) | 363.4 (7th) | 6.2 (4th) | 49.1% (28th) | 58.7 |
| Los Angeles Rams | 5 | 58.8 (26th) | 29.6 (19th) | 285.2 (30th) | 4.9 (27th) | 51.0% (25th) | 58.3 |
| New York Giants | 5 | 58.4 (28th) | 28.7 (12th) | 327 (18th) | 5.6 (10th) | 56.7% (14th) | 60 |
| New England Patriots | 5 | 57.2 (29th) | 29.8 (24th) | 296.2 (28th) | 5.2 (21st) | 58.9% (9th) | 57 |
| Tampa Bay Buccaneers | 5 | 56.6 (30th) | 29.8 (23rd) | 299.4 (26th) | 5.3 (17th) | 59.9% (6th) | 55 |
| Minnesota Vikings | 5 | 56.2 (31st) | 28.2 (5th) | 259.8 (31st) | 4.6 (30th) | 59.1% (8th) | 48 |
| Chicago Bears | 5 | 50.2 (32nd) | 29.6 (21st) | 311.4 (24th) | 6.2 (3rd) | 54.4% (21st) | 46 |
Limits of these figures
- Possession time per play is time of possession divided by offensive plays. It is not true pace: it includes the clock between plays, so teams that run the ball and lead late post longer times.
- Pass share is pass attempts as a share of pass and rush attempts; sacks are not counted as passes.
- Three games is a small sample. Samples: 4 to 6 games per team.
- These figures describe past games. They are not predictions.
This page contains no sportsbook prices or betting lines.
Questions
- Which NFL team runs the most plays per game in 2026?
- The Chicago Bears: 73.2 offensive plays per game over 5 games. The league average is 62.2.
- What is possession time per play?
- It is a team's time of possession divided by its offensive plays. It is not a pure measure of tempo: it also counts the clock that runs between plays and after first downs. The New Orleans Saints average the least, 26.3 seconds per play.
- Which defense has faced the most plays?
- The Detroit Lions: 71.8 opponent plays per game, allowing 5.6 yards per play.