Great NFL Defenses through the years ...
<< the NFL has become a "passing league," with even the best defenses giving up 15+ points a game these days.>>
Your points are well taken. They are also extremely well articulated in the intro to the late 2015 Fansided article cum slideshow clipped below which includes an excerpt of the 2013 Seahawks (and their Legion of Boom) which they rank 7th all time. I've also excerpted the '58 Giants slide text because of the important point it makes about the evolution of American pro football. The full 30 slides are worth reviewing. The selections are pretty well chosen and ranked.
<< I think if Mr. Carson were to update that list and take into account the jacked up passing offenses in today's NFL, the Seahawks during those years would have to be included in it, and perhaps other teams would be as well. >>
I think you're right and Brian Carson would likely have included the Seahawks 'Legion of Doom' in his updated Top 10 of the Super Bowl Era, but not the 2000 Baltimore Ravens or the 2002 Tampa Bay Buccaneers which Andrew Dowdeswell did include in his Top 10 excerpted below.
"In making this list, I didn't base my selections on just one outstanding season, so those expecting to see the 2000 Baltimore Ravens, the 2002 Tampa Bay Buccaneers, or the 1991 Philadelphia Eagles will be very disappointed." - Brian Carson | Message 31548871 -
Dowdeswell's Top 10 (which includes 1 pre-Super Bowl era team):
1. 1976 Steelers
2. 1985 Bears
3. 1969-1971 Vikings
4. 1969 Chiefs
5. 1960s Packers
6. 2000 Ravens¹
7. 2013 Seahawks
8. 2002 Bucs¹
9. 1958 Giants
10. 1973 Dolphins
One other point to mention: We are now well into the 'Salary Cap Era' and as a consequence we'll see few other teams that are as well balanced and dominant both offensively and defensively as the 70s Steelers that won 4 Super Bowls in 6 years were. That team boasted a great and versatile quarterback (Bradshaw) who called all his own plays, a dynamic wide receiving tandem (Stallworth and Swann, a pair of great running backs (Bleir and Harris) and the expanded Steel Curtain, all pretty much organically grown though the draft. In today's world no team could afford to keep and pay all that collective talent together through 6 Super Bowl years. The Patriots, however have managed to produce a well balanced and highly competitive team or an amazing span of this century's years in the Brady/Belichick era.
>> 30 greatest defenses in NFL history
Andrew Dowdeswell
Fansided
December 03, 2015
fansided.com
With the emergence of fantasy football, the more restrictive rules and the advancements in the passing game, offensive football has become the name of the game. Quarterbacks, wide receivers, running backs and even tight ends are the stars of the league, the names that everyone pay to see. Passing football is more and more prominent, as evidenced by the increased yardage of quarterbacks each and every year. However, that old adage is still true; defense wins championships, and throughout the years of pro football, many have had the pleasure of watching some great defenses.
Defense has always been fascinating to watch. The tactical battle between offense and defense is what drives this wonderful game, and while offensive stars seem to dominate the league’s media, defense plays just as big a part. Whether it be dialing up expansive blitz packages, introducing coverage techniques and inventing new formations, throughout eras, the pendulum of success has swung between the two sides of the ball. One year, an offense will look unstoppable, the next, defensive coordinators experiment, trial and exercise new ways to overcome such a system. It is the way the world of football works, and here, the greatest defenses will feature, many in reaction to some wonderful offensive football.
Some outstanding defenses have taken the field. The ’85 Bears, the Steel Curtain, the Purple People Eaters will all feature high on this list, and whatever you see as the No. 1 defense of all time, the discussion throughout the eras is always a fascinating one. Comparing across history is always tough. There are many factors that influence levels of performance that often negate the effects of time. Rules are more stringent than ever, pass interference calls are a regularity, there is more protection over quarterbacks than ever before and the concussion issue the league faces has limited the ferocity of the hits. However tough it is to rank teams across the years, it will not stop this brave writer from attempting such a feat.
Whatever your opinion from team to team, defense to defense, I hope you’ll enjoy this list, and the discussion of who is the greatest defense of all time. ... <Very Big Snip of the Slideshow >
#7. 2013 Seahawks
The most recent defense on this list, the Seattle Seahawks’ defense of 2013 were truly sensational. Built around the Legion of Boom, consisting of Richard Sherman, Earl Thomas and Kam Chancellor, the Seahawks secondary was ferocious. They led the league in interceptions, quarterback rating and passing yards allowed. A scintillating secondary was complimented by a defensive line and linebacker corps that loved to tackle. Defensive end Michael Bennett was an expert pass rusher, while linebacker Bobby Wagner was incredible in coverage, and one of the best open field tacklers around.
Many other defenses on this list can claim that their secondary matches up to that of Seattle, the Seahawks played in an era where the rules were set up to aid passing offenses. On paper, other defenses may well match up, but when pass interference rules are harsher than ever, corners are reprimanded for the slightest bit of contact and quarterbacks like Brees, Rodgers and Manning are throwing for 5,000 yards in a year, the talent of the Seahawks’ secondary shines through.
Unlike the ’02 Bucs, however, the Seahawks defense dominated against the best of offenses. Not since 1990 has the No. 1 offense and defense faced each other in the Super Bowl. In 2013, such a scenario was repeated when Peyton Manning and his Denver Broncos’ pitted themselves against the Legion of Boom. Seattle destroyed the future Hall of Fame quarterback, holding one of the greatest offenses of all time to only 306 total yards and eight points. The Seahawks’ defense was already considered an elite unit, but forcing four turnovers in a demolition of Peyton Manning cemented their place among history’s best.
<snip>
#9. 1958 Giants
In the ’50s, similarly to more recent years, the stars of the sport all played on the offensive side of the ball. Otto Graham at the Browns, Bobby Walston of the Eagles and Frank Gifford from the Giants themselves were the main attractions. The Giants’ defense of the late ’50s changed all this. Suddenly, the stars of the franchise were on both sides of the ball. A ferocious, brutal defense was as exciting to watch as an explosive, gung-ho offense.
The main attraction of such a defense? The All-Decade linebacker Josh Huff, who was the first defensive star in the NFL. He was the first defensive player to make the cover of TIME magazine and was the first player to ever be mic’d up during a game. The Giants defense was built around Huff playing what was then a new position, middle linebacker. The 4-3 formation was invented by the assistant coach of New York in order to stop the all-conquering Browns’ and Colts’ offenses and it worked.
From 1958, the Giants had the best defense in the NFL in three of the next four years. Such was the superiority of that defense, that not only was the game changed forever, but the pronunciation of the word ‘Defense’ changed. The word is pronounced “Duh-fense”, but the outstanding play of the Giants inspired fans to chant the inaugural “DEFENSE! DEFENSE!” Changing the way a word is said? That is proof if ever you needed it. Oh, and the aforementioned assistant coach was the little-known Tom Landry.
<snip rest>
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Cheers, - Eric L. - |
