Wasn't that before the offensive explosion though? I look at the teams around the league that year, and Atlanta's number don't look all that impressive.1977 Rams = 10.42 PPG1977 Broncos = 10.57 PPG
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Bears best defense ever? (1 Viewer)
- Thread starter PrestonV20
- Start date
Nope the numbers are accentuated by their terrible offensive division. The Bengals and Browns had 2 of the most putrid offenses imaginable, scoring 10.06 and 11.56 PPG respectively.The average offense Baltimore faced that year scored 17.4 PPG, so they held opponents to 59.35% of their normal point output.The average offense the 85 Bears faced allowed 21.1 PPG, so they held their opponents to 58.57% of their total output. And then they went and dominated allowing 0 points in back to back playoff games.hi1111 said:
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The average offense faced by the 77 Falcons scored 15.8 PPG, so they allowed their opponents 58.35% of their total output. So far, they are #1...
The 06 Bears opponents are getting an average of 17.4 PPG. So far they are holding them to 41.2% of their output.
ETA: Ravens opponents score 15.6 PPG this year (holding opps to 59%), San Diego opponents have scored 14.2 PPG (Holding opps to 63%), and Denver opponents are getting 20.4 PPG (Holding opps to 41.6%). So, only the Broncos defense has been nearly as impressive as Da Bears this season.
The 06 Bears opponents are getting an average of 17.4 PPG. So far they are holding them to 41.2% of their output.
ETA: Ravens opponents score 15.6 PPG this year (holding opps to 59%), San Diego opponents have scored 14.2 PPG (Holding opps to 63%), and Denver opponents are getting 20.4 PPG (Holding opps to 41.6%). So, only the Broncos defense has been nearly as impressive as Da Bears this season.
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jonessed
Footballguy
I agree (except for the mancrush thing). This is far superior to Power Monster's correlation of strong defense to uniform color and stadium restaurant choicesFantastic numbers. Don't take this the wrong way, but I think I'm developing a little bit of a mancrush here.
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Nice work. I'll be disappointed if the Bears allow another td this season.
Workhorse
Footballguy
And they totally shut down McGahee last week.If the offense keeps this up, I don't see a single weakness on this Bears team. Not one.
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sholditch
Footballguy
I think if you are measuring a defense by NFL terms rather than fantasy terms, then points allowed is really the only stat that matters, other than total wins. If a defense doesn't get a single turnover but never allows their opponents to get within field goal range, I would have no problem calling that a better defense than one that averaged a billion turnovers a game but gave up points.
Almost certainly.There's a big problem with factoring INT return or Fumble returns for TDs, as well as long k/o or punt return for TDs, out of the "points allowed" number. Yes, it will give you a more accurate picture of how many points a defense REALLY gave up... but it's not a perfect solution, either. I mean, what happens if an Int is returned to the 1 yard line? Even if the defense plays brilliantly, they're giving up at least 3 points on that possession nine times out of ten. If you factor out returns all the way, then you'd have to factor out returns to the 1. And if you factored out returns to the one, then you have to factor out returns to the two. And if you factor out returns to the two...
I have a problem with only keeping track of points allowed, mostly because field position is fluid.Let's assume a hypothetical team (Team1) that has a defense that, every time it takes the field, will allow the other team to make it to their 40 yard line, but not a yard further. Every time the other team gets the ball, they get to Team1's 40 and then stall... and then they'd punt. This means Team1 would always be getting the ball inside their own 10. Inside your own 10 yard line, you've got a great chance to have an INT returned for a score, or perhaps to get sacked for a safety. In other words, while the defense never gives up a point, by pinning the offense so deep every time, they put the offense in a position where THEY'RE giving up points (in the form of safeties and turnover returns).Defense has two purposes. One is to prevent scoring, but the other is to get the ball back in favorable field position so that their offense can score. If the defense can't do both, then it can be a very good defense, but never a great one.
When you're talking in absolutes like this, sure. But I'll tell you that Lovie Smith considers turnovers to be the single most important defensive category. They're game changing plays, capable of setting the offense up for an easy score or putting up points by themselves. That's why when you see the Bears running back an Int they look like a punt return unit...they emphasize it in practice.ETA: I'm pretty sure if you got a billion turnovers a game, you'd get at least half a billion points off of them. Especially if the ball's in Vasher or Manning Jr's hands on a couple hundred million of those.
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GRIDIRON ASSASSIN
Footballguy
Ravens Super Bowl defense vs. Bears Super Bowl defense
Which defense had more sacks in season?
Which defense had the most sacks in a game?
Which defense knocked out more QBs?
Which defense had the fewest losses?
Which defense gave up fewer points in the playoffs and Super Bowl?
Most team members who pled guilty to obstruction of justice in a double homicide on the team?
Bears!
Bears!
Bears!
Bears!
Bears!
Ravens!
next argument please.....
Which defense had more sacks in season?
Which defense had the most sacks in a game?
Which defense knocked out more QBs?
Which defense had the fewest losses?
Which defense gave up fewer points in the playoffs and Super Bowl?
Most team members who pled guilty to obstruction of justice in a double homicide on the team?
Bears!
Bears!
Bears!
Bears!
Bears!
Ravens!
next argument please.....
GRIDIRON ASSASSIN
Footballguy
LOL....One of the league's all time sack leaders when he retired in Richard Dent, plus Hall of Famers Singletary and Dan Hampton ....not to mention Wilbur Marshall, Otis Wilson and Steve McMichael - and the media darling - the Fridgeand who did the Ravens have? please enlighten me.
flapgreen
Footballguy
Raider Nation
Devil's Advocate
I doubt you'll see the defense get much of a rest in week 17, even if they've already clinched their seed. They tried that last year, as you pointed out, and then Steve Smith tore them a new one. Keep the foot on the gas!
And Fencik, and Duerson...The 85 Bears had 5 Pro Bowlers on D.The 00 Ravens had 3.85 Bears = Greatest D ever.
GRIDIRON ASSASSIN
Footballguy
btw.... I have the utmost respect for what the Ravens achieved - but opposing quarterbacks were scared senseless by the Bears and their 46 defense - which most offenses simply couldn't figure out back then.
Woodson is among my favorite DBs in the past two decades too.
And although he still thinks he's the best MLB in football, Ray Lewis WAS indeed for a few years prior to and after that Super Bowl. He's not even the best defensive player on that team any longer.
Woodson is among my favorite DBs in the past two decades too.
And although he still thinks he's the best MLB in football, Ray Lewis WAS indeed for a few years prior to and after that Super Bowl. He's not even the best defensive player on that team any longer.
how many probowlers you have doesnt mean anything.... the 2000 ravens team had all D, a rookie back and trent dilfer spliting time with tony banks at qb, are you kidding me? the bears had a 46 defense new to the NFL (which was a significant advantage), in 2000 offenses were MUCH more advanced then back in 85. not to mention walter payton running the ball, I like jamal and I still think hes good even now, but him and priest are not even half of peyton. now comparing this years bears to either of those defense is ludicrous, they shouldnt even be mentioned. who have the bears played? Ahman tore them up for 110, and favre is not what he was, can you name someone other then clifton on that oline? how about that GREAT packers D. then they had the great detroit lions, wow what a great team kitna at QB KJ at running back and 2 of their last 1 round WR on the bench.now we go to the mighty vikings, whom you only beat by 3, and obviously struggled with. then the even mightier seahawks, o wait they mightve been had alexander been playing. buffalo what an offense. this years bears will be measured by their 1 and out in the playoffs.now back to the 2000 ravens. they had a fairly easy schedule and lived up to it setting the record for least points allowed. then in the playoffs the beat DENVER 21 - 3 !!! the titans 24-10 oakland 16-3 and then went to the suberbowl and DOMINATTED! 34-7. they showed dominance unlike ever before. the 85 bears actually were just as dominant looking at the results. the bears seem much better actually. but once you factor in the era's, and offenses of both teams there is not question that baltimore had the better D. the fact the bears had more pro bowlers on D only makes me lean more towards the ravens D since they didnt have as many superstars.
GRIDIRON ASSASSIN
Footballguy
Unless the Bears win the Super Bowl this year, all this talk about fewest points, and comparisons to the Super Bowl Bears is a moot point.
They've got to win 6 in a row before worrying about 16 too.
BEAR DOWN!
They've got to win 6 in a row before worrying about 16 too.
BEAR DOWN!
GRIDIRON ASSASSIN
Footballguy
The Steelers defense was the most dominating over a stretch I have ever seen also. Four Super Bowls in six years is about as good as it gets. They also had the best draft class ever:It is what it is said:
1974
1 1 21 21 Lynn Swann WR USC
2 2 20 46 Jack Lambert LB Kent State
3 4 4 82 John Stallworth WR Alabama A&M
4 4 22 100 Jimmy Allen DB UCLA
5 5 21 125 Mike Webster C Wisconsin
6 6 19 149 James Wolf DE Prairie View A&M
7 6 20 150 Rick Druschel G North Carolina State
8 7 9 165 Allen Sitterle T North Carolina State
9 7 23 179 Scott Garske TE Eastern Washington
10 8 22 204 Mark Gefert LB Purdue
11 9 15 223 Tom Reamon RB Missouri
12 9 21 229 Charlie Davis T Texas Christian
13 10 9 243 Jim Kregel G Ohio State
14 10 20 254 Dave Atkinson DB Brigham Young
15 11 23 283 **** Morton RB Arkansas
16 12 22 308 Hugh Lickiss LB Simpson
17 13 21 333 Frank Kolch QB Eastern Michigan
18 14 20 358 Bruce Henley DB Rice
19 15 23 387 Larry Hunt DT Iowa State
20 16 22 412 Octavus Morgan LB Illinois
21 17 21 437 Larry Moore DE Angelo State
The 2006 Chicago Bears defense, at 5-0, has yielded 1173 yards of offense. They have given up 36 points. So you come up with 1173/36 = 32.58 yards per point allowed.
The best defense among super bowl champs since 1990 in this regard was the 2000 Baltimore Ravens. Opposing clubs needed 25.12 yards for every point they got off of them.
The 06 Bears defense would absolutely shatter the mark if they keep this pace up. I don't know if I've ever seen a YPPA that high.
The 06 Bears offense? 1820 yards / 156 points = 11.67 YPP. Since 1990, only the 98 Vikings had a more efficient offense among clubs that at least got to the conference title round. That Viking offense was at 11.56 YPP.
The best defense among super bowl champs since 1990 in this regard was the 2000 Baltimore Ravens. Opposing clubs needed 25.12 yards for every point they got off of them.
The 06 Bears defense would absolutely shatter the mark if they keep this pace up. I don't know if I've ever seen a YPPA that high.
The 06 Bears offense? 1820 yards / 156 points = 11.67 YPP. Since 1990, only the 98 Vikings had a more efficient offense among clubs that at least got to the conference title round. That Viking offense was at 11.56 YPP.
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Yeah? But how many points do they allow per third down reception of more than 10 yards that fails to convert? What's their ratio of incomplete passes forced to 4th quarter drives with 25 or more yards allowed?YPPA is one of the most useless statistics I have ever seen. It's not descriptive of any actual real-life events, and it doesn't actually correllate that well with quality of defenses (if anything, it would tell a lot about which defenses kept facing a short field). It smacks of nothing more than seeing two statistics next to each other and being overcome by an overwhelming urge to divide them by each other.If Team A's opponents started 10 drives on Team A's 2 yard line, and 5 of those drives ended in turnovers, and the other 5 drives resulted in 1 total yard and 5 field goals, Team A's giving up .0667 YPPA, but I would argue that that was probably the most phenominal defensive showing I had ever seen. That's 1st-and-goal situations resulting in 15 total points. That's absurd... but according to your YPPA, Team A would be the worst defense in the entire league.Edit: I remember once seeing someone touting the remarkable statistic "first downs per carry", and going on and on about how this statistic proved beyond any shadow of a doubt that Jerome Bettis was the most dominant RB in the entire NFL... until someone else calculated what the average yardage to go was per carry. Guess what- the top 5 RBs in terms of first down per carry were also the top 5 RBs in terms of fewest yards to go per carry. The result? First downs per carry simply proves that the more short-yardage carries an RB gets, the more first downs he gets per carry. Woah, groundbreaking.
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It's not the only reason - but it's just yet another category where the 85 Bears are superior, despite what hi111 and sholditch may believe.85 Bears = Greatest Defense Ever.SSOG said:Well, by that logic, the '05 Bears were very bit as good as the '85 bears. I mean, they had 5 pro-bowlers, too. And the '05 Steelers and Broncos were both as good as the '00 Ravens, since they had 3 pro-bowlers on defense, too.
The Jacket
Footballguy
All that % of opposing team's points palaver... quite impressive but there's still SO much more to it than even that.
(1.) The opposing team's PPG average - does it exclude the games in which they faced the defense in question? Does it exclude any defensive/ST scores that said opposing team scored in other games?
(2.) What kind of consideration to the defense in question's field position and team's offense does it have?
For example, Team A holds its opponents to 10ppg which is 50% of their normal scoring rate. Team B holds its opponents to 12ppg which is 60% of their normal scoring rate. Team A's opponents scored 21 points off defense/special teams, Team B's opponent's scored none. Team A's offense scores 22ppg, Team B's offense scores 15ppg.
Who's the more impressive unit? On the surface, everyone would say Team A, and certainly with good reason. But digging deeper, you can see quite clearly that Team B's performance is the more impressive one.
(1.) The opposing team's PPG average - does it exclude the games in which they faced the defense in question? Does it exclude any defensive/ST scores that said opposing team scored in other games?
(2.) What kind of consideration to the defense in question's field position and team's offense does it have?
For example, Team A holds its opponents to 10ppg which is 50% of their normal scoring rate. Team B holds its opponents to 12ppg which is 60% of their normal scoring rate. Team A's opponents scored 21 points off defense/special teams, Team B's opponent's scored none. Team A's offense scores 22ppg, Team B's offense scores 15ppg.
Who's the more impressive unit? On the surface, everyone would say Team A, and certainly with good reason. But digging deeper, you can see quite clearly that Team B's performance is the more impressive one.
But over the course of 16 games, a lot of those situations even out for every club. Its not something I would use for 1 game, or a stretch of few games. I think it works well when looking at a season, however.What this does tells us is how inefficient opposing offenses are made to be by the defense. When an offense looks to be efficient, it seeks to obtain the most points out of every yard it gains. A good defense is one that makes the opposing offense work hard for every point. And that is the fundamental basis for YPP and YPPA.
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GRIDIRON ASSASSIN
Footballguy
I leave that stuff in there because I cannot find detailed-enough historical data on the NFL to parse it out. No one keeps track of it. I can't go back and look at every scoring drive in every game the 1985 Bears played. I don't think it exists in a reasonably accessible form. Its lost to history.Actually, the Bears defense did not give up 36 points. Rex Grossman threw a perfect strike to a ViQUEENS defender for a TD.
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Tell ya what - you go ahead and spent a month looking all of this BS up. When you're done, maybe you can find out all of the injuries in those seasons and see which teams faced more injured teams. You could assign an offensive number to those injured players and factor it in too. And finally, you could factor in some offense time of possession figures, to see which defenses were aided more by their offenses. Get something like the yards and points per minute on the field. Maybe multiply it all together, divide by 3...In the meantime, 85 Bears = Greatest Defense Ever with the 06 Bears on their heels.
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I disagree. YPPA awards teams that either give up very few points, or a lot of yards. That's not consistantly awarding the best defenses. If one team allows 200 points and 1500 yards, and another team allows 200 points and 5000 yards, the second team will score more than THREE TIMES higher on YPPA.Let's look at an example from last year. Last year, Tampa Bay allowed 4444 yards and 274 points (16.2 YPPA). The New York Giants allowed 5240 yards and 314 points (16.7 YPPA). According to YPPA, despite allowing MORE points and MORE yards, New York ranks as a better defense than Tampa Bay last year.If you want a truly intuitive stat, try one that rewards for allowing fewer points and FEWER yards, not fewer points and MORE yards.
That's not how I've used this stat. A .5 difference is not significant. What is significant is neither team is over 20. A YPPA over 20 is a signature of a strong defense. A YPPA of 16 is actually pretty crappy. I would grade both defenses as mediocre to poor.I think it does award the best defenses. Its more difficult to only give up 200 points if you give up 5000 yards than if you only give up 1500 yards. The defense probably had to come up with more huge plays to stop all those extra drives for no points.Look at it this way. Is it more impressive for your defense to go out there for 15 straight drives and give up 0 points, or 3 drives? Of course the 15 is more impressive. And the defense that had the streak of 15 is going to have a much higher YPPA.
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If you think Tampa was a "mediocre" defense because it had a ~16 YPPA, you have lost your freaking mind. Last season, Tampa finished 1st in yards allowed, 8th in points allowed, 12th in takeaways, and 7th in 3rd-down conversion percentage. That's not "mediocre", that's fantastic.Besides, I don't care how difficult it is to only give up 200 points if they allow 5,000 yards, any defense that gives up 200 points and 1500 yards on the season is *DRASTICALLY* better than any defense that gives up 200 points and 5000 yards on the season. Field position is fluid- any defense that gives up a ton of yards sets their offense up in horrible field position, which decreases offensive scoring. If you gave both of those teams an average offense, the first team would score a TON more than the second team- and since scoring differential is far more important than scoring defense, and since the first defense would produce a far superior scoring differential, the first defense would blow the second defense out of the water.The second defense might have come up with a bunch of huge plays to stop all of those extra drives for no points, but they would have also had to come up with a bunch of idiotic plays to allow those yards in the first place. I'd rather have a defense that forces a 3-and-out on every possession than a defense that allows the other team to drive the length of the field on every possession and then gets an INT in the end-zone.BGP said:
nflguru
Footballguy
The bear defense this year has an advantage over the 85 team.. the 2006 team has an offense and someone earlier in the thread mentioned the bears getting up on a team and then playing pass rush defense (is true)...
After watching them this year you cant say they havent killed every team played and they are the best team in the league right now... Some folks that are posting may not have seen them this season, you'll get a chance tomorrow night... I know its ARZ, but Rex is impressive this year and I can see them in the superbowl if this play continues..
GRIDIRON ASSASSIN
Footballguy
Ya, that Walter Payton guy sure did suck back in '85. Only 1,551 rushing yards and 49 receptions for an additional 483 yards. He would have had more than 11 TDs, but McMahon was busy stroking his ego, and Dr. Franken-Ditka was busy creating his new offensive creature: "The Fridge" This of course when the defense wasn't scoring TDs off of turnovers.
NatronIsMean
Footballguy
Agreed - as "nflguru", I'd hope that you remember that the 85 Bears LED THE NFL IN OFFENSE. HOF running back, McKinnon and Gault, and McMahon. That team also had a superb line in Hilgenberg, Covert, Bortz, and co.Ya, that Walter Payton guy sure did suck back in '85. Only 1,551 rushing yards and 49 receptions for an additional 483 yards. He would have had more than 11 TDs, but McMahon was busy stroking his ego, and Dr. Franken-Ditka was busy creating his new offensive creature: "The Fridge" This of course when the defense wasn't scoring TDs off of turnovers.
The bear defense this year has an advantage over the 85 team.. the 2006 team has an offense...
cracKer
Shawn Culcasi
My records show 2nd in points, 6th in yards...but close enough
GRIDIRON ASSASSIN
Footballguy
A little known fact is that Willie Gault never put up 1,000+ yards in any given year during his NFL career, and McMahon never threw more than 15 TDs in a season ever in his NFL career.
Sabertooth
Footballguy
Green Bay circa 1996 was number one offense and number one defense. Those were the days.
sholditch
Footballguy
I said real terms. Your hypothetical would never happen every game of a 16-game season. It would never happen consistently throughout the the course of a single game for that matter. This argument seems to beAlmost certainly.There's a big problem with factoring INT return or Fumble returns for TDs, as well as long k/o or punt return for TDs, out of the "points allowed" number. Yes, it will give you a more accurate picture of how many points a defense REALLY gave up... but it's not a perfect solution, either. I mean, what happens if an Int is returned to the 1 yard line? Even if the defense plays brilliantly, they're giving up at least 3 points on that possession nine times out of ten. If you factor out returns all the way, then you'd have to factor out returns to the 1. And if you factored out returns to the one, then you have to factor out returns to the two. And if you factor out returns to the two...
I have a problem with only keeping track of points allowed, mostly because field position is fluid.Let's assume a hypothetical team (Team1) that has a defense that, every time it takes the field, will allow the other team to make it to their 40 yard line, but not a yard further. Every time the other team gets the ball, they get to Team1's 40 and then stall... and then they'd punt. This means Team1 would always be getting the ball inside their own 10. Inside your own 10 yard line, you've got a great chance to have an INT returned for a score, or perhaps to get sacked for a safety. In other words, while the defense never gives up a point, by pinning the offense so deep every time, they put the offense in a position where THEY'RE giving up points (in the form of safeties and turnover returns).
Defense has two purposes. One is to prevent scoring, but the other is to get the ball back in favorable field position so that their offense can score. If the defense can't do both, then it can be a very good defense, but never a great one.
No, of course that wouldn't actually happen- I was using an extreme example to most clearly illustrate the point I was trying to make. In real-world terms, that can absolutely happen on a much smaller scale, though, and it will have the exact same effect, albeit to a lesser degree.I said real terms. Your hypothetical would never happen every game of a 16-game season. It would never happen consistently throughout the the course of a single game for that matter. This argument seems to beAlmost certainly.There's a big problem with factoring INT return or Fumble returns for TDs, as well as long k/o or punt return for TDs, out of the "points allowed" number. Yes, it will give you a more accurate picture of how many points a defense REALLY gave up... but it's not a perfect solution, either. I mean, what happens if an Int is returned to the 1 yard line? Even if the defense plays brilliantly, they're giving up at least 3 points on that possession nine times out of ten. If you factor out returns all the way, then you'd have to factor out returns to the 1. And if you factored out returns to the one, then you have to factor out returns to the two. And if you factor out returns to the two...
I have a problem with only keeping track of points allowed, mostly because field position is fluid.Let's assume a hypothetical team (Team1) that has a defense that, every time it takes the field, will allow the other team to make it to their 40 yard line, but not a yard further. Every time the other team gets the ball, they get to Team1's 40 and then stall... and then they'd punt. This means Team1 would always be getting the ball inside their own 10. Inside your own 10 yard line, you've got a great chance to have an INT returned for a score, or perhaps to get sacked for a safety. In other words, while the defense never gives up a point, by pinning the offense so deep every time, they put the offense in a position where THEY'RE giving up points (in the form of safeties and turnover returns).
Defense has two purposes. One is to prevent scoring, but the other is to get the ball back in favorable field position so that their offense can score. If the defense can't do both, then it can be a very good defense, but never a great one.
Gr00vus
Footballguy
I'm surprised no-one's mentioned the mid/late 80's Parcells Giants defenses. Those cats were scary. I think, while they may not measure up statistically to some of the other teams mentioned in this thread, they were the most frightening defense I've seen. The '85 bears were pretty close to that too, but I think Banks, Taylor et al were just a bit more violent. I still remember that hit Jim Burt put on Montana in the playoffs, a very "I'm Batman" moment.
Also the Dungy Bucs had some awesome defenses as well, they deserve a mention.
As for this year's Bears, they look pretty good so far, but really it's only 1/4 of a season - let's see how it goes over all 16 and probably the playoffs before we immortalize them.
Also the Dungy Bucs had some awesome defenses as well, they deserve a mention.
As for this year's Bears, they look pretty good so far, but really it's only 1/4 of a season - let's see how it goes over all 16 and probably the playoffs before we immortalize them.
That's why I said these stats are best used on full 16-game seasons.No, of course that wouldn't actually happen- I was using an extreme example to most clearly illustrate the point I was trying to make. In real-world terms, that can absolutely happen on a much smaller scale, though, and it will have the exact same effect, albeit to a lesser degree.I said real terms. Your hypothetical would never happen every game of a 16-game season. It would never happen consistently throughout the the course of a single game for that matter. This argument seems to beAlmost certainly.There's a big problem with factoring INT return or Fumble returns for TDs, as well as long k/o or punt return for TDs, out of the "points allowed" number. Yes, it will give you a more accurate picture of how many points a defense REALLY gave up... but it's not a perfect solution, either. I mean, what happens if an Int is returned to the 1 yard line? Even if the defense plays brilliantly, they're giving up at least 3 points on that possession nine times out of ten. If you factor out returns all the way, then you'd have to factor out returns to the 1. And if you factored out returns to the one, then you have to factor out returns to the two. And if you factor out returns to the two...
I have a problem with only keeping track of points allowed, mostly because field position is fluid.Let's assume a hypothetical team (Team1) that has a defense that, every time it takes the field, will allow the other team to make it to their 40 yard line, but not a yard further. Every time the other team gets the ball, they get to Team1's 40 and then stall... and then they'd punt. This means Team1 would always be getting the ball inside their own 10. Inside your own 10 yard line, you've got a great chance to have an INT returned for a score, or perhaps to get sacked for a safety. In other words, while the defense never gives up a point, by pinning the offense so deep every time, they put the offense in a position where THEY'RE giving up points (in the form of safeties and turnover returns).
Defense has two purposes. One is to prevent scoring, but the other is to get the ball back in favorable field position so that their offense can score. If the defense can't do both, then it can be a very good defense, but never a great one.
That's why I consider the modern era to start in 1990. You saw a marked difference in offensive production.
