Chicago among the NFL's stingiest defenses

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	14	140	10.00	10-4	Lost AFC title game
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
1972 Dolphins	14	171	12.21	14-0	Won SB VII
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.