Are Seahawks Really 'Best Defense to Ever Play Football'?

The defensive end for the Seattle Seahawks, Michael Bennett, is staking a claim to be a part of the best defense ever to play the game.

Now, while I enjoy the Seahawks defensive, physical style, particularly since it comes at a time when offenses tend to make records and score points as if the NFL were a video game these days, I still would hesitate to suggest that this defense is the best of all time.

In my own lifetime, there were two other defenses that probably ranked higher, and simply stated, just dominated more than these Seahawks - and that is saying something!

The 1985 Chicago Bears were a more dominant defense when they were around, although it should be noted, in fairness, that they played in a different era in the NFL, one that was kinder to tough, physical defenses, and harsher for offenses. So, while they dominated the league in 1985, and even in 1986, when they established what was then a record low amount of points for a 16-game season, it was probably easier for defenses to dominate.

That was not the case, however, with the 2000 Baltimore Ravens, who were probably even more dominant defensively than the 1985 and 1986 Chicago Bears. While Chicago had a more complete team, with a far better offense than the 2000 Ravens ever had, the level of Baltimore's defensive dominance in 2000 was just off the charts. They eclipsed the '86 Bears mark for least points allowed in a 16-game season, and that in an era that was far kinder to offenses. Remember, the 1998 Minnesota Vikings had established a new scoring record that still places third on the all-time list, and the 1999 St. Louis Rams won the Super Bowl on the power of their video game offense, which was billed as "The Greatest Show on Turf."

For the Ravens to shut down opposing offense, including some of the true elites like Denver and Oakland in the playoffs, holding them to a combined 6 points total in those games, Baltimore deserves the distinction as the greatest and most intimidating defense ever. Again, it says something that their offense was much less than spectacular - it was almost a liability at times!

Yet, the Ravens defense not only kept the team in games, but largely won it for the Ravens. They were so physical and intimidating, they were a buzzsaw. And let us not forget that they essentially shut out the New York Giants in the Super Bowl, a team that had scored a lot of points in a 41-0 romp over the Vikings in the NFC Championship.

So, yes, Seattle's defense is historically dominant, and should probably be mentioned alongside those other two defensive championship teams. However, they place no higher than second on the list, and I suspect that they may place third on that list of defensive juggernauts in the recent Super Bowl era - and that is not to even mention the Steel Curtain defense of the seventies, before I ever became a fan of the NFL (or lived in the United States, for that matter).

Still, it says something about how good the Seahawks defense is that, in an era of explosive offenses, the Seahawks can dominate seasons with their defense, much like they are doing now. Remember, they will be remembered, in part, for completely shutting down last season's Denver Broncos, the newest team to have achieved a historical level of offensive explosiveness by being the first to reach 600 points scored in one season, all behind a quarterback who completed more touchdown passes, and threw for more yards, than any NFL quarterback had ever done before! Yet, that offense scored one single touchdown all day on Super Bowl Sunday, and were almost lucky to have done that much, given the level of Seattle's dominance!

Also, if the Seahawks can win another title off the strength of that defense, I suspect that that distinction will place them even higher on the list of all time defensive juggernauts. The fact that they are not done yet means that this debate is still open, and the Seahawks can still take their place as one of the elite defenses of all time!





Seahawks' defense finding place in league history By TIM BOOTH (AP Sports Writer) December 24, 2014

http://sports.yahoo.com/news/seahawks-defense-finding-place-league-history-223424065--nfl.html




Michael Bennett: Seahawks have 'best defense to ever play football' by SI Wire, December 24,2014:

http://www.si.com/nfl/2014/12/24/seahawks-defense-seattle-michael-bennett-best-ever