Can you win a Super Bowl without A Great Defense?

[mattjames2010]

2009 Saints defense was pretty bad.

They got a ton of turnovers.

https://www.pro-football-reference.com/teams/nor/2009.htm

Only 6 games that year with 2 or less turnovers in a game. Crazy.

 

[Praxit]

The team with the great defense often forces the offense to commit more mistakes.

I'd be highly surprised to see Chiefs or Rams get to the big dance, and if they do, they will probably end up like the 2013 Broncos. I still think a team we're not expecting yet will emerge around the end of the season, the same way the Giants did in 2007 and 2011.

..I wouldn't be surprised if they get knocked out of playoffs for having iffy defense. If a team can score 50pts on you, thats something to worry about.

 

[mattjames2010]

My opinion is this: To win a Super Bowl, you need to have competent QB play and top 5 in some category on defense. The recent Super Bowl winners didn't just have good defense, they had QBs playing out of their minds or playing well.

Right now, we have a defense that is top 5 in points per game
Dak is a middling to bottom tier QB in nearly every statistic

IF Dak ups his game, there is a chance we are the team that emerges. We will see.

 

[aria]

In the last 10 years the worst defense to win a Superbowl was the 2011 Packers. They were ranked #19 in points scored per game. The teams since 2011...

#12 - Ravens
#1 - Seattle
#10 - Pats
#4 - Den
#1 - Pats
#4 - Phili

You tell me.

It will be interesting because we also have a few offensive “super powers” this year that are averaging ~6-8 ppg more than the leaders in ppg over the past several years.

 

[Dallasfann]

2009 Saints defense was pretty bad.

You mean the 4th best defense in yards allowed and 6th best at points allowed. The defense that the 4th best offense in the league ( Colts ) only manged to score 17 points against in the SB against. That awful defense? People seem to just remember the offenses of SB winning teams and never actually look into defenses. I'm telling you guys, you have to have a defense to win a SB.

 

[uvaballa]

Only team I can really think of that didnt have a Defense that could at least on occasion get a stop was that 2008? Colts team?

One of those team that Peyton Manning just willed to a super bowl with marvin harrison, Reggie wayne, and Dallas Clark

Only defenders who they had was Freeny who would get destroyed by the run game and a super tiny Safety Bob Sanders(i think) who was injured all the time and was that season as well up until the Super Bowl

Bad memory my friend. Peyton threw more INTs than TDS during those playoffs and was average. They won due to their defense.

 

[sean10mm]

Bad memory my friend. Peyton threw more INTs than TDS during those playoffs and was average. They won due to their defense.

Yeah, the 2006 Colts defense was bad for most of the year when Bob Sanders was out, and as soon as Bob Sanders came back for the playoffs it just started destroying people. Dude was the linchpin of their defense.

Peyton tried to choke away their first 2 playoff games HARD (1 TD 5 INT in those 2 games), but the defense only allowed 8 and 6 points. Then the defense held Brady to 2 field goals in the 4th quarter and picked him off on the last drive to prevent the normally inevitable comeback.

 

[sean10mm]

In the last 10 years the worst defense to win a Superbowl was the 2011 Packers. They were ranked #19 in points scored per game.

Correction: the 2010 Packers won the Super Bowl. Their defense was #2 in points and #5 in yards that year, with 47 sacks and 24 (!) interceptions.

 

[Irvin88_4life]

In the last 10 years the worst defense to win a Superbowl was the 2011 Packers. They were ranked #19 in points scored per game. The teams since 2011...

#12 - Ravens
#1 - Seattle
#10 - Pats
#4 - Den
#1 - Pats
#4 - Phili

You tell me.

But didn't the GB team get a ton of turnovers

 

[Irvin88_4life]

2009 Saints defense was pretty bad.

They got turnovers though. In the Superbowl you had a pick and onside kick after half time that helped

 

[Doomsday101]

I think you have to have a quality defense, does not have to be a top 5 but it needs to be a good defense who can make plays.

 

[CouchCoach]

Depends on the variables beginning with the venue and weather.

A team can win with an opportunistic D and a prolific O that forces teams to get out of character with their offense and take additional risks.

But balance is the key as the Pats have proven. Helps to have a Tier 1 QB too but that doesn't insure trips to the Big Dance as Brees, Rodgers and others have proven. Even the Greatest Show on Earth had help. The #1 D until that was dismantled after the SB.

With all of the glitz and glamor of LA and NO, if CHI had homefield, they'd be my pick.

 

[Doomsday101]

2009 Saints defense was pretty bad.

Yardage wise but they created lots of turnovers. They were 3rd in ints and 3rd in fumble recoveries. You are right in terms of giving up yards they were not great.

 

[CouchCoach]

I think you have to have a quality defense, does not have to be a top 5 but it needs to be a good defense who can make plays.

And stops. The best D in the game is one the HC can turn the game over to with the lead. Any HC that has a good D, plans differently and makes different decisions during gams than those with just OK D's.

 

[Doomsday101]

And stops. The best D in the game is one the HC can turn the game over to with the lead. Any HC that has a good D, plans differently and makes different decisions during gams than those with just OK D's.

True making stops is big, creating turnovers is even bigger. Main stat for me is points allowed, I don't care about yards as much as I care about not allowing teams to put 7 on the board. If I can hold you to 3's I keep my offense in the game.

 

[TwoDeep3]

Define great defense.

Was the Ram defense a great defense against the Chief's on Monday night?

Be careful how you answer, because that was almost a perfect example of a Denver @ Dallas game a few years ago. And the fan base ignored the late pick and blamed the defense for that loss.

 

[mattjames2010]

Define great defense.

Was the Ram defense a great defense against the Chief's on Monday night?

Be careful how you answer, because that was almost a perfect example of a Denver @ Dallas game a few years ago. And the fan base ignored the late pick and blamed the defense for that loss.

Rams D had some great moments, but they continue to get burned in the worst way in almost every game. I have no idea what is up with them, it's unlike Phillips playstyle and they have actual talent.

Even with the turnovers and scoring off them, they still gave up 30+ points to Mahomes.

 

[CouchCoach]

Rams D had some great moments, but they continue to get burned in the worst way in almost every game. I have no idea what is up with them, it's unlike Phillips playstyle and they have actual talent.

Even with the turnovers and scoring off them, they still gave up 30+ points to Mahomes.

Talib will help part of their problem but they do not have good talent across the board on defense. They do have one of the two best D players in the league but are pretty thin which is not unlike other teams with O minded HC's.

Some GM's give into their HC to make him happy but some do not as the one in SF did not with Harbaugh and George Young did not with Parcells. Which is why both left.

I do like the way the Cowboys have shifted to both sides of the line to try and achieve balance. The same kind of balance that got those rings.

 

[cern]

Talib will help part of their problem but they do not have good talent across the board on defense. They do have one of the two best D players in the league but are pretty thin which is not unlike other teams with O minded HC's.

Some GM's give into their HC to make him happy but some do not as the one in SF did not with Harbaugh and George Young did not with Parcells. Which is why both left.

I do like the way the Cowboys have shifted to both sides of the line to try and achieve balance. The same kind of balance that got those rings.

which do you consider the most prevalent factor in the 90's cowboys winning superbowls. their great defense or their great offense. personally, I think it was their great offense. jmo, of course.

 

[CouchCoach]

which do you consider the most prevalent factor in the 90's cowboys winning superbowls. their great defense or their great offense. personally, I think it was their great offense. jmo, of course.

I can't say either side because, just like in the 70's, both sides were so complimentary to each other.

I do think the offense sets the tone for the team and affects the opposing offenses strategy more than the defenses. And there have only been 3 really shut downs and all they could do was get one ring.

The 60's Packers, 70's Steelers', Cowboys and Raiders, 80's Niners and then 90's Cowboys were all about balance. That's why they could withstand missing a good player, except the QB and the Cowboys did OK with Garrett, because they were so balanced and not overly dependent on one side of the ball. They were able to sustain contention because of balance.