In last week's Monday hangover update, the Cold, Hard Football Facts listed chapter and verse on how the 2005 Bears defense stacks up against the great Bears defenses of the mid-1980s. (Here's a clue: They stack up pretty damn well.)
That means, of course, that it became a big storyline in yesterday's pregame shows, proving once again that you'll get more in-depth data here first than you will anywhere else, even at the big networks.
Following Chicago's 13-10 win over Tampa Bay yesterday, the Bears now surrender just 10.9 PPG. Only 11 teams in the Super Bowl era have surrendered fewer than 11.0 PPG and just one, the 2000 Ravens (10.3 PPG), has done so since the NFL liberalized offenses to bring an end to the "dead ball era" of the 1970s.
The chart below shows how the 2005 Bears stack up against the stingiest defenses of the Super Bowl era, all the way up to the great Super Bowl champion Bears defense of 1985. It may come as a shock, at least to those who worship at the temple of hype, but there have been 21 defenses in modern NFL history that have given up fewer points per game than the mighty 1985 Bears. Of course, the 1985 Bears shut out both opponents in the conference playoffs and surrendered just 10 points to New England in Super Bowl XX.
|
Team |
Games |
Pts. Allowed |
PPG |
Record |
Results |
|
1977 Falcons |
14 |
129 |
9.21 |
7-7 |
Missed playoffs |
|
1969 Vikings |
14 |
133 |
9.50 |
12-2 |
Lost SB IV |
|
1975 Rams |
14 |
135 |
9.64 |
12-2 |
Lost NFC title game |
|
1976 Steelers |
14 |
138 |
9.86 |
10-4 |
Lost AFC title game |
|
1971 Vikings |
14 |
139 |
9.93 |
11-3 |
Lost div. playoff |
|
1971 Colts |
|
|
|
|
|
|
1970 Vikings |
14 |
143 |
10.21 |
12-2 |
Lost div. playoff |
|
1968 Colts |
14 |
144 |
10.29 |
13-1 |
Lost SB III |
|
2000 Ravens |
16 |
165 |
10.31 |
12-4 |
Won SB XXXV |
|
1977 Rams |
14 |
146 |
10.43 |
10-4 |
Lost div. playoff |
|
1977 Broncos |
14 |
148 |
10.57 |
12-2 |
Lost SB XII |
|
1973 Dolphins |
14 |
150 |
10.71 |
12-2 |
Won SB VIII |
|
2005 Bears |
11 |
120 |
10.91 |
8-3 |
TBD |
|
1975 Steelers |
14 |
162 |
11.57 |
12-2 |
Won SB X |
|
1966 Packers |
14 |
163 |
11.64 |
12-2 |
Won SB I |
|
1986 Bears |
16 |
187 |
11.69 |
14-2 |
Lost div. playoff |
|
2000 Titans |
16 |
191 |
11.94 |
13-3 |
Lost div. playoff |
|
1973 Vikings |
14 |
168 |
12.00 |
12-2 |
Lost SB VIII |
|
1968 Chiefs (AFL) |
14 |
170 |
12.14 |
12-2 |
Lost div. playoff |
|
1978 Steelers |
16 |
195 |
12.19 |
14-2 |
Won SB XIII |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
2002 Bucs |
16 |
196 |
12.25 |
12-4 |
Won SB XXXVII |
|
1985 Bears |
16 |
198 |
12.37 |
15-1 |
Won SB XX |
|
1978 Broncos |
16 |
198 |
12.37 |
10-6 |
Lost div. playoff |
Note that three of the 11 best scoring defenses of the Super Bowl era played in 1977. It's no surprise, then, why the NFL opened up the passing game in 1978. The NFL at the time needed more scoring.
It's also interesting to note that just seven of the previous 23 teams on our list (not including the 2005 Bears) have gone on to win the Super Bowl. The lesson is clear: A great defense alone will not win the Super Bowl for you.
