Summary
Super Bowls are often won and lost on defensive qualities.
The Chicago Bears, New York Giants and Pittsburgh Steelers all feature, but which era?
Defensive giants of the game like Ray Lewis and Lawrence Taylor played for some of these sides.
When it comes to the NFL, quarterbacks, running backs, and wide receivers will always get more column inches than defensive players. That’s not to say a defense is not as important. As the great former Green Bay Packers coach Vince Lombardi said: Championships are won on defense. Lombardi is recognised as one of the most decorated coaches in sports history. His Green Bay Packers side was the NFL team of the 1960s.
By stifling the opposition, teams give themselves the platform on which to play. If they concede fewer points, they don’t need to score so many to win. It is that simple. It’s just not that glamorous, because to be a good NFL defense, you need to be well-organised and hungry to destroy. Here are the 10 best defenses in NFL history.
Ranking factors
Proven quality - forget a team's attacking prowess, how well they defend is what counts.
Ruthlessness - how a team went after the opposition
Teamwork - how a defense was organised in bringing down attacking plays.
Tom Brady Related
Tom Brady Reveals His Pick For NBA GOAT - Michael Jordan or LeBron James
The GOAT of NFL, Tom Brady, has revealed who his pick is for the GOAT of NBA between Michael Jordan and LeBron James.
10 Philadelphia Eagles
1991
Reggie White Best NFL Defensive Ends
RVR Photos-USA TODAY Sports
The 1991 Philadelphia Eagles side wasn’t a vintage one. They didn’t even make the play-offs. This wasn’t helped after the first week of the season when talented quarterback Randall Cunningham suffered a knee injury. With their attacking creativity stifled, the Eagles had to defend. They did it excellently.
They ended the season first in the fewest passing yards, rushing yards, and total yards allowed. Five defensive players made the Pro Bowl. They included defensive end Reggie White and linebacker Seth Joyner. Both players would go on to win the Super Bowl, just not with the Eagles. White is considered one of the best players in NFL history. This was a defense that wasn’t part of a winning team, but it is remembered.
Philadelphia Eagles 1991 defense stats
Games
Points conceded
Points conceded per game
Team rushing yards
Team passing yards
Total yards
9 Miami Dolphins
1972 to 1974
Dick Anderson
Tony Tomsic-USA TODAY Sports
In 1973, the Miami Dolphins did what no other NFL franchise had done in the Super Bowl before. They finished the season unbeaten. Their 14-7 win over the Washington Redskins was their first of back-to-back Super Bowl wins. This was a defensive unit deemed as the No-Name Defense. This was due to that part of the team being largely unknown.
Many of the Dolphins’ defense were part-time. Their safety, Dick Anderson, won the NFL defensive player of the year in ‘73. It is reported that he made more money in his sales job. Their defense was coached by Bill Arnsparger. “We never questioned a single defense that he called," said Anderson. It certainly paid dividends.
Miami Dolphins 1972 defense stats
Games
Points conceded
Points conceded per game
Team rushing yards
Team passing yards
Total yards
8 Green Bay Packers
1962
Ray Nitschke Green Bay Packers
John G. Zimmerman/Sports Illustrated via Getty Images
The Green Bay Packers were the NFL team of the 1960s. They had players like linebacker Ray Nitschke and defensive tackle Henry Jordan. The two are some of the top 10 defenders in Green Bay Packers history. Five of their defensive players were named in the NFL team of the decade for the 1960s.
It was their performance in the 1962 NFL Championship game that solidified their place in the rankings. When they needed to be solid, they reduced the New York Giants to just seven points. This was during terrible conditions, with extreme wind. Nitschke was named the game’s MVP.
Green Bay Packers 1962 defense stats
Games
Points conceded
Points conceded per game
Team rushing yards
Team passing yards
Total yards
7 Tampa Bay Buccaneers
2002
Derrick Brooks Tampa Bay Buccaneers
Doug Pensinger/Getty Images
Not only did the Tampa Bay Buccaneers win Super Bowl XXXVII, but they were the best defensive side that year by some distance. On average, they conceded just 12.3 points per game. They featured linebacker Derrick Brooks, one of the greatest Tampa Bay Buccaneers players of all-time.
Coach Jon Gruden said, “Our battle cry was pound the rock, and the rock is the opponent.” They were surprise Super Bowl winners, and the win was very much built on defense. Brooks, along with Warren Sapp, Ronde Barber and John Lynch, all played in the Pro Bowl. Dexter Jackson was named MVP in their victorious Super Bowl.
Tampa Bay Buccaneers 2002 defense stats
Games
Points conceded
Points conceded per game
Team rushing yards
Team passing yards
Total yards
6 Kansas City Chiefs
1969
Bobby Bell
Rod Hanna-USA TODAY Sports
There’s a strong argument to suggest that the 1969 Kansas City Chiefs rank highest as the franchise’s four Super Bowl-winning teams. In that Super Bowl, they beat another very capable defense in the shape of the Minnesota Vikings. That Chiefs team featured Hall of Fame stars like linebackers Bobby Bell and Willie Lanier, and safety Johnny Robinson.
Most sportswriters expected the Vikings to beat the Chiefs quite easily. After all, the Vikings had been one of the best defensive sides in the regular season. Yet the signs were there in the play-off wins. In each victory, they limited their opponents to less than 10 points. Today, the Patrick Mahomes Kansas side get a lot of plaudits, but the 1969 to 1970 side were the real deal.
Kansas City Chiefs 1969 defense stats
Games
Points conceded
Points conceded per game
Team rushing yards
Team passing yards
Total yards
Bruce Smith Buffalo Bills Related
The 10 Players With the Most Sacks in NFL History
These NFL legends were enforcers on the defensive side of the ball and made getting to the quarterback look easy.
5 Seattle Seahawks
2013
richard-sherman
Credit: John Froschauer/ AP
The Seattle Seahawks thumped the Denver Broncos 43-8 in Super Bowl XLVIII. Their defensive unit was known as the Legion of Boom. Many of their defense were fifth-round picks in the draft. They were perhaps conscious of that and were motivated to prove to people their worth.
Featuring players like Richard Sherman and Kam Chancellor, the Seahawks defense were a rowdy bunch. Linebacker Malcolm Smith was the MVP in Super Bowl XLVIII. He was a seventh-round draft pick, yet his 10 tackles in that game summed up the hunger and desire of that Seahawks team to utterly dominate the opposition.
Seattle Seahawks 2013 defense stats
Games
Points conceded
Points conceded per game
Team rushing yards
Team passing yards
Total yards
4 Baltimore Ravens
2000
Eddie George, Ray Lewis
The Baltimore Ravens won the 2000 Super Bowl. Yet incredibly, they went five games in the regular season without scoring a touchdown. They still won two of these games. Their defense was led by linebacker Ray Lewis, one of the greatest ever Ravens players. They had a swagger about them.
"What we did defensively, my goodness, we turned into these bullies. We're tough," said Lewis. The Ravens conceded only five rushing touchdowns during the entire regular season. In Super Bowl XXXV, the Ravens dominated the New York Giants 34-7. Lewis was voted MVP. As the game wore on, the Giants were simply unable to gain territory.
Baltimore Ravens 2000 defense stats
Games
Points conceded
Points conceded per game
Team rushing yards
Team passing yards
Total yards
3 New York Giants
1986 to 1987
Lawrence Taylor New York Giants LB
The New York Giants defense, which effectively won Super Bowl XXI, were known as the Big Blue Wrecking Crew. This 1986 side defeated their opponents in the play-offs by a total of 105 points to 23. This was a dominant defense. In the Super Bowl, they intercepted Denver Broncos quarterback John Elway three times.
Outside linebacker Lawrence Taylor was a three-time NFL defensive player of the year. Nobody had more sacks than Taylor in 1986. He ended the season with 20. He is one of the best New York Giants players of all time. Many consider him the greatest ever NFL defensive player. The side would win another Super Bowl four years later. A defense that would grind the opposition into submission.
New York Giants 1986 defense stats
Games
Points conceded
Points conceded per game
Team rushing yards
Team passing yards
Total yards
2 Pittsburgh Steelers
1976
Mean Joe Greene Pittsburgh Steelers
Manny Rubio-USA TODAY Sports
The Pittsburgh Steelers of 1976 could just as easily have been ranked number one, but they came a close second. The Steel Curtain reveled in the responsibility of shutting teams out. They didn’t have the best of starts in ’76. They were 1 and 4 and had lost their quarterback, Terry Bradshaw, to injury. In eight of the next nine games, the Steelers conceded just one touchdown.
The Steelers' defense was marshaled by defensive lineman Mean Jo Greene, who is considered one of the Steelers' greatest ever players. That side won four Super Bowls in the six years between 1975 and 1980. All-time defensive giants of the game, even if they did lose the Championship game that season to the Raiders.
Pittsburgh Steelers 1976 defense stats
Games
Points conceded
Points conceded per game
Team rushing yards
Team passing yards
Total yards
1 Chicago Bears
1985
Mike Singletary Chicago Bears LB
RVR Photos-USA TODAY Sports
The Chicago Bears' defense of 1985 was known as the Monsters of the Midway. One of those monsters was Mike Singletary. The linebacker is considered one of the best Chicago Bears players of all time. The Bears conceded just 10 points in their three playoff wins. They went on to win the Super Bowl. One win that season encapsulated what the Bears were all about.
That was in their 40-0 win over the Dallas Cowboys. That game saw the Monsters of Midway record six sacks and four interceptions, two of which were returned for touchdowns. They led the league in points and yards allowed, as well as takeaways. This was not achieved again until the Seattle Seahawks did so in 2013.
Chicago Bears 1985 defense stats
Games
Points conceded
Points conceded per game
Team rushing yards
Team passing yards
Total yards
Statistics courtesy of The Football Database and Pro Football Reference. They address the NFL regular season.