Shula also deserves some credit for our stout D.

[Chimera]

Lol Indy had like the worst defense in the league the year they won the super bowl. saying "but they stepped it up when it counted!" is a glorious, pathetic example of a cop out.

"Guys guys guys, it's alright if the offense isn't putting up lots of points and we don't make it to the super bowl, when the NFL elects to send us instead of the winning teams, we will ground and pound and defense in that game and win! yeah! real football! ground and pound and pound and ground! GROUND POUND HEEERRRRFFF"

yes because having the greatest QB ever has absolutely no effect on any outcome, hence all teams should build a similar team

ever wonder what the colts would have looked like without manning? hint: 2011

[Chimera]

The saints were dead in the middle of the league in defensive efficiency in 2009 (and the colts were right there with them that year) and the colts were bottom ten in 2006.

Seeing Drew Brees and Peyton Manning in he same Super Bowl a few years ago should've made the little light bulb in your head go off to put to rest these misconceptions but you're old so take some ginkgo balboa and get with the program ebenezer

weird... one defense was known for being the perfect example of bend but not break. they'd give up yards, but then were among the top ball hawking defenses in the league.

....and that defense won the game

[MadHatter]

Lol Indy had like the worst defense in the league the year they won the super bowl. saying "but they stepped it up when it counted!" is a glorious, pathetic example of a cop out.

"Guys guys guys, it's alright if the offense isn't putting up lots of points and we don't make it to the super bowl, when the NFL elects to send us instead of the winning teams, we will ground and pound and defense in that game and win! yeah! real football! ground and pound and pound and ground! GROUND POUND HEEERRRRFFF"

Bullshit.

Indy's defense played lights out in the playoffs that year..and that is a damn fact.

Every other playoffs for Indy was a debacle because they had no defense.

Big time offenses get to the playoffs, that I agree. But those that do well and win in the playoffs all have defenses that stepped it up when it counted.

Go back to playing Madden

[Chimera]

Bullshit.

Indy's defense played lights out in the playoffs that year..and that is a damn fact.

Every other playoffs for Indy was a debacle because they had no defense.

Go back to playing Madden

But but but if you ignore the playoff games that were like 13-7, you'll se they got in a shootout with the patriots!!!!eleventyone!!!

Proof we should build like the exceptions!!

[Chimera]

The NFL is a copycat league. When we went to the NFCCG in 1996 riding the zone blitz, half the NFL started using the zone blitz.

When Tampa won in 2002 using the Tampa 2, half the league started using the Tampa 2.

When the Colts had the greatest QB of all time and won mostly with offense in 2006, a few teams copied them. Some had success (2007 patriots, 2008 cardinals, 2009 saints for examples)

All those teams went to the super bowl. In each game, the team with the better defense won - the exception was the 2006 colts. (2007 giants, 2008 steelers, 2009 saints)

[frash.exe]

weird... one defense was known for being the perfect example of bend but not break. they'd give up yards, but then were among the top ball hawking defenses in the league.

....and that defense won the game

And they were both back to back in efficiency on FO and average while their offenses were the main component all along

[frash.exe]

http://www.advancednflstats.com/2009/09/time-of-possession.html

http://freakonomics.com/2012/02/03/football-freakonomics-tackling-the-old-defense-wins-championship-cliche/

http://freakonomics.com/2012/01/20/does-defense-really-win-championships/

[frash.exe]

"Oh god, what's frash doing, posting research to back up his opinion instead of a bunch of ad hoc crap to validate tired football platitudes I've been told 86,000 times, who does he think he is?"

"I don't know what to do I guess BETTER KEEP MAKING MADDEN JOKES OVER AND OVER"

[Growl]

Bullshit.

Indy's defense played lights out in the playoffs that year..and that is a damn fact.

Every other playoffs for Indy was a debacle because they had no defense.

Big time offenses get to the playoffs, that I agree. But those that do well and win in the playoffs all have defenses that stepped it up when it counted.

Go back to playing Madden

 

Hahahaha he just said Madden.

 

"IM SO TIRED OF U HI FALUTIN POSTERS TRYING TO MAKE ME ACCEPT THESE FACTS NOW WATCH AS I RAILROAD THIS ONE PIECE OF ISOLATED INFORMATION INTO THE CONVERSATION AND TRY TO COVER FOR MYSELF!! <insert madden fallback joke #6027456>

[Chimera]

In the first link, a four year old article, its called an anomaly in the very first sentence. Then again halfway through. Then the game was called a fluke. Finally, the author said not to draw conclusions from a single game. Congratulations, you proved that exceptions exist.

The second article has a final paragraph that you must have skipped.

From the third:

 38 (out of 45) Super Bowls have been won by a top 10 defense and 22 have been won by a top three defense....

We further found that among the 45 NFL Super Bowls, the better defensive team — measured by points allowed that season— has won 29 times.

.

[Growl]

As you can see in the graphic, scoring is much higher in Super Bowls than in regular-season games. Over the past 10 seasons, Super Bowl teams have each scored 25.3 points per game, compared to 20.5 points per game during the regular season; and the winning Super Bowl teams have averaged 31.6 points per game. (Kind of seems like an argument for a new cliché, doesn’t it – OFFENSE. WINS. CHAMPIONSHIPS!)

 

but no no no they stepped up when it counted for that one play defense still wins!!

[frash.exe]

In the first link, a four year old article, its called an anomaly in the very first sentence. Then again halfway through. Then the game was called a fluke. Finally, the author said not to draw conclusions from a single game. Congratulations, you proved that exceptions exist.

The second article has a final paragraph that you must have skipped.

From the third:

The point

Your head

[frash.exe]

Also from the third article that came right after the part Mr belding posted that he selectively omitted

"We found that when it comes to winning a title, or winning in sports in general for that matter, offense and defense carry nearly identical weight. For example, here’s what Berman didn’t tell you: the number of Super Bowl champs with a top 10 offense? Thirty-eight. And a top 3 offense? Twenty.  In other words, offense wins championships, too."

[Chimera]

Also from the third article that came right after the part Mr belding posted that he selectively omitted

"We found that when it comes to winning a title, or winning in sports in general for that matter, offense and defense carry nearly identical weight. For example, here’s what Berman didn’t tell you: the number of Super Bowl champs with a top 10 offense? Thirty-eight. And a top 3 offense? Twenty. In other words, offense wins championships, too."

Now who's selectively omitting?

Of those 38 top 10 offenses, how many were also top 10 defenses?