Image via Complex Original
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In football, offense tends to be what dominates the headlines and sells tickets. The flash of a big play and the thrill of a long touchdown are what drive TV ratings and are the things that fans love to watch. But for all the glamor surrounding the offensive side of the ball, there’s a reason the age-old adage is “defense wins championships.”
You’d be hard-pressed to find a successful NFL team that did not have a defense that bullied its opponents off the field and dramatically impacted nearly every single game. A great defense’s ability to suffocate an offensive attack makes it a unique commodity in sports—a unit that has just one job but whose performance nearly always determines the final result of the game.
One of the ways a great defense operates is by psychologically destroying its opponent before they even set foot on to the field. Often, these units carry nicknames like the “Steel Curtain” or the “Purple People Eaters,” monikers that only add to their legend and give opposing offensive players nightmares days before the actual game. Even if they didn’t always win Super Bowls, these ferocious teams have lived up to their lofty reputations and cemented their legacy as all-time greats. These are The 10 Most Intimidating Defensive Units in NFL History.
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10.2013 Seattle Seahawks
Last season’s “Legion of Boom” was a joy to watch all year, allowing an average of 14.4 points per game when the league average was 23.4. They were best in the NFL in a number of categories, including points and yards allowed, passing yards, interceptions, turnovers, and touchdowns allowed. As a result, three players from the unit were named to the Pro Bowl roster. In the Super Bowl, Seattle unleashed one of the all-time dominant performances in the history of the game, frustrating the Denver Broncos all night as they recorded a safety on the first play of the game, scored a touchdown, and forced four turnovers in all. While they lacked stars outside of cornerback Richard Sherman, the Seahawks’ ability to dominate on defense despite playing in this offense-oriented era is a testament to just how great they were.
9.1973 Miami Dolphins
Perhaps no unit better epitomizes the team concept better than the Dolphins’ “No Name Defense,” which, despite a lack of big stars, was the premier group in the NFL. After going undefeated the year before, the Dolphins actually got better in 1973 as they surrendered just 150 points in 14 games (setting an NFL record in doing so). They had five All-Pro team members, including the AP Defensive Player of the Year in Dick Anderson. Defensive end Bill Stanfill set a still-standing team record of 18.5 sacks, and the Dolphins won their second consecutive Super Bowl after allowing just 33 total points in their three playoff wins.
8.1990 New York Giants
Despite going up against seven playoff teams over the course of the regular season, the Giants finished 1990 with a 13-3 record thanks in large part to their dominant defense. Anchored by Lawrence Taylor, as well as Pro Bowlers Erik Howard and Pepper Johnson, the Giants stifled opponents to the tune of just 13.2 points allowed per game and surrender just 21 total touchdowns. The playoffs were where they really shined, as they allowed just 16 points in their first two games before stymying Buffalo’s NFL-best offense in Super Bowl XXV, in which they won a championship on the infamous “wide right” play.
7.1969 Kansas City Chiefs
Coach Hank Stram’s “Triple Stack” defense may not be the household name that some other units have become, but it was no less effective. The 1969 Chiefs were dominant on D, winning the Super Bowl thanks in large part to their ability to keep opponents out of the end zone. They had three Hall of Famers (Bobby Bell, Buck Buchanan, and Willie Lanier) in their ranks, and, in the regular season, surrendered an average of just 12.6 points per game. Their playoff run was truly impressive, as the Chiefs allowed a total of 20 points in three games and forced 13 turnovers in their three victories.
6.2002 Tampa Bay Buccaneers
The “Tampa 2” scheme clearly worked wonders for the 2002 Buccaneers, who won the Super Bowl despite having an offense that finished 18th in the NFL in points scored and 24th in total yards. The defense—led by Hall of Famers Warren Sapp and Derrick Brooks—surrendered just 196 points (12.3 PPG) in the regular season and held opponents to 10 points or fewer on eight different occasions. Their pass defense was outstanding, limiting opposing quarterbacks to an NFL-best 50.8 percent completion rate and 48.4 passer rating that was lowest in the league by over 20 points. It’s no wonder that they were never challenged in the playoffs, winning their three games by a combined margin of 69 points.
5.1962 Green Bay Packers
In the pre-Super Bowl era, no defense dominated quite like the 1962 Packers. Five of their starters—Willie Davis, Henry Jordan, Ray Nitschke, Willie Wood, and Herb Adderley—would be enshrined in the Hall of Fame, and two more would be named to that season’s All-Pro team. They surrendered just 10.8 points per contest, and led the league with a staggering 50 forced turnovers in 14 games. They held opposing quarterbacks to a meager 43.5 passer rating, well below the league average of 69.4, and held the Giants without an offensive touchdown in the NFL championship game as they took the league title with a 16-7 win.
4.2000 Baltimore Ravens
Since 1951, nobody has had a better rush defense than the 2000 Ravens. Anchored by future Hall of Fame middle linebacker Ray Lewis, Baltimore held opponents to a paltry average of 2.69 yards per carry and did not allow a 100-yard rusher all season. They set 16-game records for fewest rushing yards and points allowed, and posted four shutouts during the regular season. They somehow managed to tighten things up in the playoffs, allowing a total of 23 points in four games and holding the Giants without an offensive touchdown as they won the Super Bowl in a 34-7 rout.
3.1969 Minnesota Vikings
The Vikings defense had it all: Hall of Famers (Carl Eller, Alan Page, Paul Krause), great stats (9.5 points per game allowed, the second-lowest total of the Super Bowl era), and a great nickname (The Purple People Eaters). The Vikings were dominant on both sides of the ball in 1969, finishing No. 1 in the NFL both on offense and on defense and reaching the Super Bowl for the first time in franchise history. Their entire defensive line (Eller, Page, Gary Larsen, and Jim Marshall) went to the Pro Bowl along with Krause, having put up some astounding statistics: 30 interceptions, just 12 touchdowns allowed all season, and an average of just 3.4 yards allowed per play.
2.1976 Pittsburgh Steelers
The “Steel Curtain,” facing one of the toughest schedules in the league due to their opponents’ combined .528 winning percentage, had a rough go of it to start 1976. As such, they looked unremarkable to start the season in allowing an average of 22 points per game over their first five contests. However, after a loss to the Cleveland Browns dropped the Steelers to 1-4, a switch flipped. Over their last nine games, the Steelers posted five shutouts, allowed double-digit points just once, and won all nine games. The defense boasted four Hall of Famers (“Mean” Joe Greene, Jack Lambert, Jack Ham, and Mel Blount), and in addition to those guys, sent another four defensive players to that season’s Pro Bowl. While they failed to reach the Super Bowl following an AFC Championship game loss to the Raiders, this Steelers unit remains one of the greatest ever.
1.1985 Chicago Bears
The 1985 Bears used Buddy Ryan’s patented “46” defense to flat-out destroy opponents, blitzing the quarterback from every angle and clogging the middle with an incredible defensive line that featured William “Refrigerator” Perry and Richard Dent, as well as Dent’s fellow Hall of Famers Dan Hampton and Mike Singletary. They held seven of their opponents to fewer than 10 points and went 15-1 during the regular season, but honestly, that was just a warm-up for the playoffs. They shut out their first two postseason opponents to make it to the Super Bowl, and once there, they annihilated the New England Patriots 46-10 by allowing just seven total rushing yards over the course of the game. Together with their outstanding offense, this Bears team is regarded as one of the best in NFL history.