Best NFL defenses of all time?

[CMIZ5290]

Everyone talks about the 1985 Bears, the 2000 Ravens, etc...Does anyone remember how fantastic the 1977 Atlanta Falcons defense was? Their stats suggest that they were the best. Look at some of these stats...They only gave up 128 points for the season (about 8 per game!), only 1,380 pass yards for the season (less than 100 per game!), they only gave up 12 touch downs for the season! As remarkable as they were, believe it or not, the team finished 7-7! Can you imagine giving up just a tad over a touchdown per game, and being just .500?

[1952boyntoncollector]

Everyone talks about the 1985 Bears, the 2000 Ravens, etc...Does anyone remember how fantastic the 1977 Atlanta Falcons defense was? Their stats suggest that they were the best. Look at some of these stats...They only gave up 128 points for the season (about 8 per game!), only 1,380 pass yards for the season (less than 100 per game!), they only gave up 12 touch downs for the season! As remarkable as they were, believe it or not, the team finished 7-7!

I forget the year but the Philly Eagles defense in the mid 80s coached by buddy ryan... there was a year or two they were number 1 against the pass and the run and their offense was bad so the defense was on the field a lot... Golic/White/Simmons maybe Jerome Brown as still alive on the line...seth joyner. eric allen etc.....they crushed warren moon when Moon was set to break Marino's yardage record at the time..

also killed like 3 redskin qbs in one game and put them in body bags.. and brian mitchell had to be the qb

[Rookiemonster]

Stats don't make the defense . You to give it the eye test .

[Peter_Spaeth]

Has to be the mid 70s Steel Curtain.

[CMIZ5290]

I forget the year but the Philly Eagles defense in the mid 80s coached by buddy ryan... there was a year or two they were number 1 against the pass and the run and their offense was bad so the defense was on the field a lot... Golic/White/Simmons maybe Jerome Brown as still alive on the line...seth joyner. eric allen etc.....they crushed warren moon when Moon was set to break Marino's yardage record at the time..

also killed like 3 redskin qbs in one game and put them in body bags.. and brian mitchell had to be the qb

Mike Golic, really???? He sucked....Watching Mike and Mike???

[1952boyntoncollector]

Mike Golic, really???? He sucked....Watching Mike and Mike???

Mike was a reserve...he would of started on most teams actually on the Eagles he was a reserve ..Reggie White probably passed the eye test......3 members on the D-Line were in the Pro Bowl

i thinking of the 1991 team actually as I looked up the best year of the late 1980s run to early 1990s.......20 Tds allowed all year the 85 bears gave up 22 TDs..gave up 3549 yards... 85 Bears gave up 4135 plus the eagles offense was much worse than the bears offense and were on the field longer..


Statistics site Football Outsiders ranks the 1991 Eagles as the greatest defensive team in their ranking's history.[1] Says Football Outsiders, "The 1991 Eagles completely lap the field in terms of defensive DVOA. Only the 2002 Bucs had a better pass defense, and only the 2000 Ravens had a better run defense, and the Eagles were much more balanced than either of those teams.

"It's crazy to imagine how few points the Eagles might have given up if they were playing with a halfway-decent offense instead of losing Randall Cunningham to a torn ACL in the first game of the season. The Eagles were stuck depending on an over-the-hill Jim McMahon for 11 starts, plus Jeff Kemp for two and Brad Goebel for two. McMahon actually wasn't half bad ... but the other two quarterbacks were awful, especially Goebel who had no touchdowns with six interceptions. And the running game was dreadful, with 3.1 yards per carry as a team.

[cardsfan73]

Has to be the mid 70s Steel Curtain.

+1

[Mikehealer]

The Buddy Ryan coached Eagles, come on, they never won a playoff game.
I can't imagine anyone seriously considering them the best defense ever.
They never led the league in scoring defense, which is the point of defenses, keeping the other team from scoring.

The '91 team didn't even make the playoffs and Ryan was already fired by then.

The mid to late '80's Bears and Steel Curtain were much better defenses.

[1952boyntoncollector]

The Buddy Ryan coached Eagles, come on, they never won a playoff game.
I can't imagine anyone seriously considering them the best defense ever.
They never led the league in scoring defense, which is the point of defenses, keeping the other team from scoring.

The '91 team didn't even make the playoffs and Ryan was already fired by then.

The mid to late '80's Bears and Steel Curtain were much better defenses.

It wasnt the defense fault for the Eagles and their offense was so bad, you are going to give up points when the other team starts on your 10 yard line because of a fumble....super bowls dont matter...we are talking best defense not best team.....

you wont find a worse offense on any of those other teams cited with the best defense....brad goebel 0 tds and 6 ints? Easy to lead the league in less points allowed when your team has 8 minute offensive td drives like the steelers did.....if you play 200 more snaps on defense then the next defense you are going to give up more points

The fact that rich kotite was their coach shows how good their defense was actually...buddy ryan imprint..plus their division was very good the eagles were 10-6 and didnt make the playoffs and
Brad Goebel, Pat Ryan and Jeff Kemp were their QBs for most of the games that year.....they started 5 QBs and won 10 games...

"In 1991, the Eagles played in the toughest division in football. The 1985 Bears played in a putrid division. Despite that, the '91 Eagles allowed 35 fewer yards per game than did the '85 Bears.

In fact, the 1991 Eagles put up the second-best numbers against the run and the pass in the history of the NFL. That the same defense could achieve both in the same year is inconceivable; the Bears were third against the pass in 1985 alone.

The 1991 Eagles led the league in fewest yards allowed against the rush, the pass, and overall. The squad led the league in sacks, forced fumbles, and takeaways. Half the defense made the 1991 Pro Bowl"

http://www.nfl.com/videos/philadelphia-eagles/09000d5d8227329e/Films-Encore-91-Eagles-defense.


I can imagine why someone would consider that years team defense one of the best ever..

[Mikehealer]

If you really believe they were a better defense than the Steelers and Bears because they gave up 35 yards less, then so be it.

I still can't believe anyone would seriously consider the '91 Eagles one of the best defenses ever.

[1952boyntoncollector]

If you really believe they were a better defense than the Steelers and Bears because they gave up 35 yards less, then so be it.

I still can't believe anyone would seriously consider the '91 Eagles one of the best defenses ever.

no not because of just that there were many reasons cited....not sure if you saying the steelers defense was better because they wont the superbowl

but every 'expert' tv show on top lists including NFL network does list that Eagles defense as one of the best defenses ever so its not crazy talk...

the teams the eagles were facing 2x that season had far better offenses than the Bears faced in 1985.....opponents matter when looking at stats..

the 3 teams in the bears division that year, Packer/Lions/bucs none of them scored more than their opponent...the Bucs were 2-14 that year...no team had a winning record... Green bay was 2nd that year and was 8-8 and outscored for the year..

The eagles had the Redskins who were 14-2 and won the superbowl, Dallas was 11-5 and Giants were 8-8 followed by Ariz 4-12.... the redskins lead the league in points scored and faced the eagles twice...if you want to talk about allowing one more point (244 versus 243) for the year versus the 77 steelers (despite Eagles playing in 2 more games) and overlooking the fact the teams in the Eagles division were far superior than the teams you mentioned than you can but most people dont.

steelers did play 14 games..easy to give up less points when play 2 less games as well..just saying..

[VoodooChild]

1976 Steel Curtain. Gave up 28 points TOTAL in the last 9 games of season including 5 shutouts. Unfortunately Franco and Rocky got hurt in the first playoff game and couldn't play in the AFC Championship game which they lost to the Raiders. Jack Lambert says that the '76 team is the best he ever played for and the loss to the Raiders was the most painful of his career.

[the 'stache]

The '61 Packers are certainly in the discussion. That team was dominant, and only a week 11 loss at Detroit kept the Packers from finishing the season 15-0 World Champs. The Packers greatly missed Paul Hornung in that game, and Bart Starr, who only threw 9 interceptions in the entire season, was picked twice by a pair of Hall of Famers, Dick LeBeau and Night Train Lane.

The Packer defense gave up 54 points in the first nine games of the season, and they gave up more than 7 points in only one of those games (21 to Minnesota). The defense pitched four shutouts, including the NFL title game where they blanked the 12-2 New York Giants. In 15 games, they allowed 125 points, or 8.3 points a game. The team as a whole scored 415 points (29.6 ppg) and allowed 148 (10.6 ppg), both best in the NFL.

The '62 Packer defense featured five future Hall of Famers: Willie Davis, Henry Jordan, Ray Nitschke, Herb Adderley and Willie Wood. The team, probably the greatest in NFL history, had ten Hall of Famers in total (Bart Starr, Jim Taylor, Paul Hornung, Jim Ringo and Forrest Gregg on offense), and another, Jerry Kramer, is a no-brainer Hall of Famer that inexplicably has not yet been inducted yet.

[Bored5000]

I am shocked that people on here don't consider the 1991 Eagles defense among the best of all-time. I am not saying they were better than the 1985 Bears or the Steel Curtain, but the 1991 Eagles almost always comes up in discussions of all-time great defenses. Sometimes it is listed at number one. The '91 Eagles defense is at least in the discussion with any all-time great defense.

As mentioned, the 1991 Eagles led the league in fewest yards allowed against the rush, the pass, and overall. The squad led the league in sacks, forced fumbles, and takeaways. What exactly constitutes an all-time great defense if that's not it?

It was the defense's fault the team did not make the playoffs? James Joseph led the team in rushing that year with just 440 yards and four different players took turns at quarterback after Randall Cunningham was lost in the first quarter of the first game. At one point, the team went 11 straight quarters without scoring a touchdown. Reggie White should have been playing quarterback? Jerome Brown at running back? Andre Waters at flanker?

[howard38]

I am shocked that people on here don't consider the 1991 Eagles defense among the best of all-time. I am not saying they were better than the 1985 Bears or the Steel Curtain, but the 1991 Eagles almost always comes up in discussions of all-time great defenses. Sometimes it is listed at number one. The '91 Eagles defense is at least in the discussion with any all-time great defense.

As mentioned, the 1991 Eagles led the league in fewest yards allowed against the rush, the pass, and overall. The squad led the league in sacks, forced fumbles, and takeaways. What exactly constitutes an all-time great defense if that's not it?

It was the defense's fault the team did not make the playoffs? James Joseph led the team in rushing that year with just 440 yards and four different players took turns at quarterback after Randall Cunningham was lost in the first quarter of the first game. At one point, the team went 11 straight quarters without scoring a touchdown. Reggie White should have been playing quarterback? Jerome Brown at running back? Andre Waters at flanker?
Agreed. With that offense it was a miracle just to win ten games.

[1952boyntoncollector]

I am shocked that people on here don't consider the 1991 Eagles defense among the best of all-time. I am not saying they were better than the 1985 Bears or the Steel Curtain, but the 1991 Eagles almost always comes up in discussions of all-time great defenses. Sometimes it is listed at number one. The '91 Eagles defense is at least in the discussion with any all-time great defense.

As mentioned, the 1991 Eagles led the league in fewest yards allowed against the rush, the pass, and overall. The squad led the league in sacks, forced fumbles, and takeaways. What exactly constitutes an all-time great defense if that's not it?

It was the defense's fault the team did not make the playoffs? James Joseph led the team in rushing that year with just 440 yards and four different players took turns at quarterback after Randall Cunningham was lost in the first quarter of the first game. At one point, the team went 11 straight quarters without scoring a touchdown. Reggie White should have been playing quarterback? Jerome Brown at running back? Andre Waters at flanker?

wow someone agrees with me....right to say they arent in the discussion of best defense of all time is absurd...their defense destroyed the Oilers that year who were on pace to break most offensive records.......and they played more games 16 than defenses of decades earlier and offensives put up bigger offensive number in the 90s versus prior decades and their division that year had 2 great teams..redskins who won the SB and Dallas who were on their way to be an elite team

[Bored5000]

wow someone agrees with me....right to say they arent in the discussion of best defense of all time is absurd...their defense destroyed the Oilers that year who were on pace to break most offensive records.......and they played more games 16 than defenses of decades earlier and offensives put up bigger offensive number in the 90s versus prior decades and their division that year had 2 great teams..redskins who won the SB and Dallas who were on their way to be an elite team

Well, definitively stating what the best, greatest, most in these types of discussions is a bit like stating how many angels can dance on the head of a pin. But to dismiss that 1991 Eagles defense for a reason like they didn't even make the playoffs is nonsensical when one considers what the offense was like. How many 10-win NFL teams have ever had the leading rusher gain less than 440 yards for the season? The five quarterbacks that season threw nine more interceptions than touchdowns.

The '91 Eagles defense comes up too often in these types of discussions among NFL experts to simply dismiss them with a wave of the hand because the team did not make the playoffs or Buddy Ryan was not the coach. I always thought it was universally accepted that team was at least among the all-time great defenses until I read this thread.

[esd10]

One of the best defensive secondary in football history was the 1976 bengals with lamar Parrish, Ken the rattler riley and tommy Casanova. They are very much over looked bye football historians because the the d line was a joke but if you came over the middle you would have been rocked or picked.

[DeanH3]

I feel it's almost impossible to compare defenses of today with those of even the early 90's. The rule changes are so in favor of the offense today that it would interesting to see how even the vaunted steel curtain would fare in today's game.