Reading the Defense, Week 13

The 2023 NFL regular season is two-thirds complete. It's effectively over for several teams. Two have acknowledged it by firing their head coaches.

Those teams remaining in contention battle through injuries to remain competitive. Star defensive end Myles Garrett will continue to play despite hearing "a pop" in his shoulder, likely an aggravation of an earlier injury. The Browns' playoff hopes remain alive, albeit on the precarious shoulders of rookie Dorian Thompson-Robinson or 38-year-old Joe Flacco.

If the Browns were 2-9, they might shut down Garrett for the season rather than allow him to risk further injury that could impact their 2024 plans. New England's top pass rusher, Matthew Judon, suffered a torn biceps in Week 4. He reportedly might return in December. As of this writing, on the last day of November, there is no news on his pending availability. Judon's 4-year $54 million contract incentivizes the 2-9 Patriots to leave him on IR and prepare for 2024.

Many reliable IDPs play for bad teams. At this point in the season, however, those players' availability might become less reliable. Players expected to return for big money in 2024 are more likely to give way to younger, cheaper options on also-rans than on contenders.

New England Patriots (2-9)

Anfernee Jennings succeeded the aforementioned Matthew Judon in the line-up. Jennings and rookie defensive lineman Keion White each scored their first quarterback sacks of the season versus the pitiful Giants' offense in Week 12. Neither would be easy to trust in less favorable match-ups down the stretch.

Inside linebacker Ja'Whaun Bentley signed an extension ahead of the 2023 season. He has missed time due to injury and appears on the injury report ahead of the Patriots' Week 13 game against the Chargers. Jahlani Tavai assumed Bentley's full-time role in Week 10 and posted adequate numbers for fantasy gamers. If the Patriots shut down Bentley for the year, Tavai will be worth a look in the fantasy playoffs. This defense will struggle to get off the field in their late-season dates with Kansas City and Buffalo.

Jahlani Tavai showing why he plays the "adjuster" role in the #Patriots defense

One of NE's more unsung dawgs pic.twitter.com/TIClO7i1zW

— Taylor Kyles (@tkyles39) December 1, 2023

Cincinnati Bengals (5-6)

The Bengals have a roster built to win now, but Joe Burrow is out for the year, and backup quarterback Jake Browning is clearly not up to the task of sustaining a playoff-bound team. Veteran defenders on lucrative long-term contracts include Trey Hendrickson, Sam Hubbard, B.J. Hill, Logan Wilson, Germaine Pratt, and Nick Scott.

Scott has already given way to rookie Jordan Battle at safety. Battle has recorded 19 combined tackles in two starts and should be on fantasy rosters by now.

The Bengals used their first-round pick on defensive end Myles Murphy, a high-upside prospect with high-end traits. Defensive coordinator Lou Anarumo indicates his role is growing. Should Murphy replace the run-stuffer Hubbard with Hendrickson and Hill remaining in the line-up, the Cincinnati pass rush would be worth gambling on.

Whew Myles Murphy wins on the edge and BJ Hill lays the hit. pic.twitter.com/Rgbc22fPmu

— Goodberry (@JoeGoodberry) November 26, 2023

Draftniks were excited about Akeem Davis-Gaither when he came out of Appalachian State. The first pick of the 2020 NFL draft's fourth round has rarely sniffed the field behind productive and healthy starters Wilson and Pratt. If one were to go down, Davis-Gaither would relish the chance to prove himself as his contract expires this year.

Tennessee Titans (4-7)

The Titans have already traded away star safety Kevin Byard, cycled through a potential replacement in Elijah Molden, and turned to waiver claim K'Von Wallace. Tennessee's Week 14 opponent, Miami, allows the most fantasy points to opposing safeties.

Amani Hooker, the other starting safety, is in the middle of a $30 million deal. Terrell Edmunds, the player Tennessee received in return for Byard, could also step in alongside Wallace if Hooker were to miss time.

Tennessee signed outside linebacker Harold Landry III to a 5-year, $87.5 million contract in 2022. Landry tore an ACL and missed the season. He hasn't been quite the same player in 2023. If banged up, he could cede time to third-year pass rusher Rashad Weaver. Weaver has himself struggled to stay on the field in 2023, but he flashed early in 2022 with 5.5 sacks in his first eight games. The Titans will want to see what they have in him before committing to the fourth-year salary increase.

New York Giants (4-8)

The Giants traded a late pick for former first-rounder Isaiah Simmons in August. They might want to see what they have before his rookie contract expires next winter. High-priced free agent Bobby Okereke hasn't missed a snap this season; however, Simmons played full-time in the one game that LB2 Micah McFadden missed.

Isaiah Simmons' closing burst pic.twitter.com/RfjihWetty

— Nick Falato (@nickfalato) October 9, 2023

Carolina Panthers (1-10)

Despite the Panthers' early abandonment of its head coach and offensive staff, defensive coordinator Ejiro Evero remains. He may be less likely to transition to younger players as he hopes to avoid a pink slip.

The franchise, however, cannot ignore two big contract years in 2024 for two defensive linemen. The team's first-round picks of 2019 and 2020, end Brian Burns and tackle Derrick Brown, are expected back next year. Brown will return on the fifth-year option. The Panthers will reportedly use the franchise tag on Burns. The franchise cannot afford a catastrophic injury that jeopardizes either's availability for 2024 as it tries to rebuild credibility.

The likely beneficiary of available pass-rush snaps is Yetur Gross-Matos. The team's second pick of 2020, after Brown, looked like a bust through three years. The Penn State alum showed life early in 2023 with 2.5 sacks but was injured and placed on the reserve/injured list. Gross-Matos is expected to return to play early in December. He'll play for a second contract and a defensive coordinator on a short leash.

Chicago Bears (4-8)

If a case could be made for rostering a handcuff linebacker this season, Jack Sanborn's headshot would appear in the article. You'll have to settle for a highlight here.

#Bears Jack Sanborn might be the fastest "slow" linebacker in football -- either that or Justin Fields has spoiled my eyes.

Really nice lane discipline here to not get faked out by the read option, but running down Jalen Hurts? That's no easy task! Excited to see him next year. pic.twitter.com/fwt0HqnAtV

— Robert Schmitz (@robertkschmitz) December 22, 2022

The former undrafted free agent collected 53 tackles, including 5 for loss in five starts before getting hurt in his 6th start as a rookie last year. If one of Chicago's two high-priced free agents gets hurt down the stretch, Sanborn would resume a full-time role in a defensive scheme that spills tackles to the middle of the field.

Arizona Cardinals (2-10)

The Cardinals' defense is thin on talent but has two safeties on veteran contracts. The team kept fantasy gamers and writers alike guessing on safety deployment to begin the season. K'Von Wallace started and played full-time in place of an injured Budda Baker. Wallace was quite productive for several games, then suddenly waived once Baker returned. Baker missed the end of last season as well. Andre Chachere looks like Baker's hypothetical replacement. Chachere has eligibility at cornerback on at least one fantasy football platform.

In Closing

Reading the Defense drops each Friday. This column seeks to identify not only whom to target or fade but why. Analysis at Footballguys aims to equip fantasy gamers with the confidence to acquire players for their rosters and deploy them on Sundays. Readers are welcome to contact and follow this writer @DynastyTripp on the website formerly known as Twitter.