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Defense wins championships. It’s one of the most popular phrases in all of sports, especially the NFL. There’s no doubt that the game has changed, primarily rule changes, which has led to more scoring. However, there have still been some incredible defenses throughout the years, and we’ve highlighted our top five most dominant NFL defenses of all time.
Just about any top-five list is subjective and comes with plenty of opinions, but when it comes to dominant NFL defenses, the 1985 Chicago Bears are nearly always among the first teams mentioned. Between Mike Singletary and William “The Fridge” Perry, there was no shortage of monster names on the ‘85 Bears defense.
Richard Dent also made the Hall of Fame, and was actually the Super Bowl MVP that season, as the Chicago defense led them to hoisting the Lombardi Trophy. Their defense also led them to an incredible 15-1 record, allowing just 258.4 yards and 12.4 points per game. Both marks were the best in the league, and they shined brightest when it mattered most, posting shutouts in both playoff games leading up to the Super Bowl, where they gave up just 10 points to the New England Patriots.
Next on our list of the top five most dominant NFL defenses of all time is another unit that led their team to a Super Bowl victory. That would be the 2000 Baltimore Ravens, and what made that Lombardi Trophy win even more spectacular was the fact that they had been a franchise for just a handful of seasons.
Since their inaugural season in 1996, the Ravens have been among the best drafting teams, which included Ray Lewis in their first-ever draft. He was the leader of this feared 2000 squad, which allowed just seven points to the New York Giants in Super Bowl 35. At the time, they set records for points allowed per game (10.3) and total rushing yards in a 16-game season (970). As if that wasn’t impressive enough, they also posted four shutouts in the regular season.
It’s only fitting that the next team on our list of the top five most dominant NFL defenses of all time is the Raven’s biggest rival – the Pittsburgh Steelers. They seemed to dominate the entire decade of the 1970’s, but it was this 1976 squad that fully solidified the Steel Curtain nickname. Led by the Jacks – Lambert and Ham, this was actually one of the 70’s Steelers teams that didn’t win a Super Bowl.
Despite not hoisting the Lombardi Trophy, it was the absolute dominance that this defense demonstrated that has them standing out above the rest. To make the situation even more unique, the Steelers started 1-4 this season. However, they finished it on a nine-game winning streak thanks to Lambert and company allowing just 28 total points! The team had 41 sacks and two different players with six interceptions, proving their depth across the board.
The 2000 Ravens won Super Bowl 35 at Raymond James Stadium in Tampa Bay, Florida, and shortly after it was their home team that demonstrated the most dominant defense. Like the others on our list of the top five most dominant NFL defenses of all time, they had plenty of household names, such as Warren Sapp and Derrick Brooks.
After earning a first-round bye, the Bucs allowed just six and 10 points in their playoff games ahead of Super Bowl 37. Although they allowed 21 points in that Super Bowl victory, their 48 points allowed them to take their foot off the gas and enjoy their accomplishments. Perhaps the most unique aspect of this unit was their dominance in terms of passing. They allowed more than 420 fewer passing yards than the next-best defense, picked off 31 passes and allowed just 10 touchdowns through the air.
Speaking of dominant defenses in terms of passing yards, our list of the top five most dominant NFL defenses of all time rounds out with the Legion of Boom. This nickname was given to the 2013 Seattle Seahawks thanks to arguably the best secondary in NFL history led by Richard Sherman.
While defensive backs are generally known for their speed and quickness, the size of Sherman and Kam Chancellor changed the game with their physicality. Perhaps the best way to illustrate their greatness is their Super Bowl victory over the Denver Broncos. Peyton Manning set the NFL record for passing touchdowns with 55 this season, yet lost to the Seahawks 43-8 in Super Bowl 48, which began with a safety in Seattle’s favor on the first play of the game.
Mark has been a lifelong fan of all sports, and five years ago turned it into a profession, specializing in the NFL, NHL and MLB. He is a diehard Baltimore Ravens fan and has had his work published in sites such as Sports Illustrated, Pickswise and other top outlets.