Top Ten NFL Single Season Defenses

#10  2000 Tennessee Titans

• Out of all my top 10 teams this would be the one most open to scrutiny.  So I better make a good case for them finishing 10th.  The Case:  First, the Titans nearly gave up 1300 yards less than the NFL average that season.  That was the 2nd highest difference of any team I researched.  And let's be honest there are a lot of ways to measure a great defense but certainly total yards would have to be in the top 3.  Second, their difference to the league average in total touchdowns and overall points given up both ranked in the top half of my final 16 teams.  In fact the Titans only allowed 17 TD's in a 16 game regular season.  And while the year 2000 wasn't the most dominant era for NFL offenses it was no longer the 1970s as well.  Third, consider that the Titans led the league in yards allowed and yards per play in 2000 even though one of the other greatest defenses all-time (Ravens) were their competition.  Fourth, the Titans had 2 regular season shutouts, pretty average for the best teams but higher than some on the list, and scored 5 TDs on defense during the season tying for 2nd out of the final 16.  And lastly consider the Titans only playoff game that season.  It was versus the eventual Superbowl champ Ravens. Surprisingly to me, Baltimore came into the game with the NFL's 14th highest scoring team. Tennessee's defense gave up ten points (11 less than the Ravens average), six first downs, 134 yards, and accumulated 3 sacks.  Six first downs???  That's pretty good people!  Their team lost because the Ravens defense and special teams both scored TDs.



Samari Rolle was the only All-Pro on the 2000 Titans defense.

• Why Not Higher?:  Unfortunately for the 2000 Titans defense their team did lose that playoff game.  So while their stats were awesome comparing them to teams playing 3 playoff games is somewhat skewed.  But, above any other reason the Titans aren't higher on my list is their deficiency to create turnovers.  Their 30 takeaways was actually just under the league average.  And to top it off they could not turnover the Baltimore offense in that one playoff game.  It may be the difference between the 2000 Titans being viewed as a top 5 defense all-time instead of the Ravens which scored off a turnover that day. 

#9  1972 Miami Dolphins

• The Case:  The "No-Name" defense, as they were called, generated 15 more turnovers than the league average ranking 4th out of my final 16.  Only one other defense from the 1970s forced more TO's per game than this group.  In a 14 game season they posted 3 shutouts and led the league in points and yards allowed.  In the postseason they forced 10 turnovers in 3 games and only allowed 3 TDs.  Also in the playoffs the "No-Name" defense gave up 14.5 ppg less than the scoring average of teams they played including a shutout in the Superbowl.  However, the Redskins did score on a special teams blunder that defensive players are still perturbed about.  Maybe most impressive though is the fact that the '72 Dolphins are the only undefeated team during this time frame.  Considering that defense ruled supreme in the '70s it is obvious that the "No-Name" defense was the backbone of arguably the greatest team ever. 



After having his field goal attempt blocked kicker Garo Yepremian attempted to make a pass that slipped out of his hands.  It was picked up by the Redskins and returned for a TD negating the defense's attempt at a Superbowl shutout.

• Why Not Higher?:  Other than their impressive turnover numbers the '72 Dolphins statistics compared to the league average are lower than most on my final list of 16.  They gave up 4.3 yards per play which in 1972 isn't very good compared to the best.  Also, there are at least four or five teams from the '70s that have better per game averages in TDs and yards allowed.  And finally, while they weren't giving up many TDs the '72 Dolphins did allow a considerable amount of first downs and yards in the playoffs.       

#8  2008 Pittsburgh Steelers

• The Case:  The number one reason why this version of the Steelers is in the top ten is simple.  In 2008 they gave up 1,440 yards less than the NFL average.  That is #1 of any team I researched.  In fact it is over 140 yards higher than the 2nd team on my final list of 16 teams.  Not only did they dominate their peers in this category they also dominated the rest of the list in total yards given up.  Their 237 yards per game is better than the great '75 and '78 Superbowl champion Steel Curtain defenses.  That's pretty impressive!!  Obviously then their yards per play was outstanding too.  At only 3.9 it is better than any defense in my top ten outside of the '70s.  They were a full 1.4 less than the league average which of course is highest of any team in my final 16.  In 2008 they also led the league in TDs and scoring against.  Additionally in the playoffs the 2008 Steelers scored two TDs which is tied for third among my final 16.



Troy Polamalu was one of two Steelers defenders to be named an All-Pro.

• Why Not Higher?:  Compared to league averages, in the regular season their TDs and scoring allowed are mediocre among my final 16 teams.  Also, their turnovers per game was only 4.2 higher than the league average.  But the biggest reason this defense isn't higher has to do with the postseason.  They're near the bottom of my final 16 in first downs, yards, points allowed, and TDs given up.  In fact, in 3 playoff games the 2008 Steelers gave up 8 TDs.  That may not sound too bad, but when you're comparing it to the greatest defenses of all time it's just not in the top tier.  In their 3 playoff games they held their opponents to an average of 6.4 ppg under their average.  But, that was 14th out of my final 16 teams. 

#7  1971 Baltimore Colts  

• The Case:  Like the 2000 Titans some of you football enthusiasts may be wondering where in the world did the '71 Colts come from.  Well since they didn't win the Superbowl I didn't really notice them at first.  But the more I started digging on this group the more I found that impressed me.  For starters, they only gave up 10 points per game and 203 yards per game.  Both ranked 2nd out of my top 16 teams.  But, more significantly, the '71 Colts also rank in the top 7 in both ppg and yards pg when comparing them to the league average that season.  So in other words this isn't just a great defense because they played in the '70s.  In fact, the '71 Colts defense is the best from the '70s in comparison to the league average in both points and yards per game.  Also, the Colts had 3 All-Pros on defense in 1971 and recorded 3 shutouts in a 14 game season.  In their two postseason games they ranked in the upper half of my final 16 in each statistical category.  Their defense allowed 13 ppg less than their opponents had been scoring during the season including their loss to Miami.



At 6'7" DE Bubba Smith was an imposing presence and an All-Pro for the '71 Colts.

• Why Not Higher?:  The turnovers forced and TDs against for the '71 Colts are not as impressive compared to the other great teams on this list in either a per game or comparison to the league average perspective.  They only forced 4.5 more turnovers and allowed only 10.8 TDs fewer than the average '71 team.  The latter stat ranked 15th out of my final 16 teams.  The Colts also only led the league in 2 out of my 5 major stat categories.  While they were good in the postseason the highest they ever appeared was 3rd in any of my statistical categories.  That's pretty knit-picky but we are getting down to the nitty-gritty!  But, the main reason the '71 Colts aren't higher is because they did not win the Superbowl.  The same is true for our next team...             

#6  1970 Minnesota Vikings

• The Case for the Purple People Eaters:  Well... where do I start?  For one thing the '70 Vikings led the NFL in yards per game, yards per play, touchdowns allowed, points allowed, and turnovers per game.  There's only one other team that I know of during this span of years to do the same and you'll read about them later.  Next, they scored 5 TDs themselves that season which is tied for 2nd of any team on my final 16.  In yards per game, yards per play, and TDs per game there is no better team in my final 16 than the '70 Vikings.  Their 3.4 yards per play and 200.2 yards per game are phenomenal but most impressive is the fact they allowed less than 1 TD per game that season.  They are the only team on my list to achieve that feat.  Compared to league averages the '70 Vikings rank 1st among '70s teams in yards per play and TDs allowed.  In their only postseason game the defense forced 3 turnovers and scored a TD.  Vikings fans can certainly claim that this defense is the best of the '70s and possibly all-time.



Hall of Fame defensive linemen Carl Eller #81 and Alan Page #88 were All-Pros in 1970.

• Why Not Higher?:  Out of my final 16 these Vikings rank 6th in turnovers per game which is the worst of their per game averages.  Compared to the league averages they are middle of the pack in the turnovers and scoring categories in my final 16.  But, of course, the biggest reason the '70 Vikings aren't higher is because they didn't win the Superbowl.  In fact they only played one playoff game losing 17-14 to the 49ers.  In that game they gave up 2 TDs and 289 yards while only recording one sack.  While those numbers don't sound horrible consider that giving up 2 TDs per game in the playoffs ranks 11th out of my final 16 teams.  Incredible!  If the '70 Vikings would've won the Superbowl this defense would be in contention for #1.   

#5  1974 Pittsburgh Steelers

• Wow, a member of the Steel Curtain's highest finish is 5th on the list???  Please don't let Jack Lambert or "Mean" Joe Greene read this.  There is no doubt in my mind that the Steel Curtain of the '70s is the greatest defensive dynasty all-time as they have appeared in my top 14 three different times.  But, remember this is a single season competition.
• The Case:  This was the coming out year for the Steel Curtain so to speak because it culminated in their first Superbowl victory.  They had 3 All-Pros, scored 3 defensive TDs, posted two shutouts, and led the league in 3 out of my 5 statistical categories.  They gave up 3.6 yards per play and just under 220 yards per game.  Both stats were top 3 in my list of final 16 teams.  The '74 Steelers also forced 47 turnovers in a 14 game season which ranks 2nd per game out of my final 16.  Their numbers compared to the league average aren't as impressive but were still top 5 in yards per play and turnovers.  In the playoffs the '74 Steelers were top 6 or better out of my final 16 in five of the seven categories I researched.  Most impressively they gave up 3 total TDs, 220 yards per game, and forced 9 turnovers in the postseason.  In each playoff contest they gave up fewer points to their opponents than they were averaging including 22 points less to the Vikings in the Superbowl.  In fact the defense shutout the Vikings offense but a blocked punt returned for a touchdown resulted in six points for the Vikings team.  In the Superbowl the Steelers D also scored 2 points on a safety when Dwight White sacked Fran Tarkenton in the end zone. 



Thanks to this safety the Steel Curtain outscored Minnesota's offense in Superbowl IX.

• Why Not Higher?:  Despite holding teams to few yards the '74 Steelers did allow more points (13.5 per game) and more TDs (21) than most on my final list of 16.  They only allowed 7.5 fewer TDs and 65.5 fewer points than the league average.  Both were dead last on my final list of 16.  In the playoffs they didn't score and only recorded 2 sacks in 3 games.  And in their first playoff game versus the Bills they only gave up 5 points fewer than Buffalo's average.   
   

#4  2013 Seattle Seahawks

•  My whole curiosity with this list came with this year's Superbowl champs.  I wanted to know where they stood against the greatest defenses all-time and from all my research I can safely say...VERY GOOD!  I'm putting them at 4th.  Some may have them higher (5th and up), while Seahawks fans would certainly have them lower (3rd-1st).  Either way the 2013 Seahawks did have one of the greatest single season's ever.
• The Case:  Other than the '70 Vikings this Seattle team is the only NFL team since the merger to lead the league in yards allowed, yards per play, touchdowns and points allowed, and turnovers forced.  They also had 4 defensive TDs, 2 All-Pros, and 1 shutout.  Against the league average was where this team really shined.  In each of my five statistical categories the Seahawks ranked 3rd-6th of my final 16 teams in comparisons to the league averages.  Most impressively out of those would be that the Hawks gave up 1 yard per play less and 17.9 TDs less than the league averages.  In the playoffs the Seahawks three opponents averaged 16.4 points less per game than their season averages.  This ranked 3rd out of my final 16 teams.  Of course the most dominant performance came versus Denver in the Superbowl where the Broncos were held to 29.9 points less than their season average.  That number is the highest of any team versus an opponent in my final 16.  And yes, the QB of that Broncos team was Peyton Manning who some consider the greatest QB all time and the Broncos offense as a whole was record setting.  So the 2013 Seahawks defensive performance in the Superbowl was all the more impressive. 



This play by Richard Sherman will forever live in Seahawks lore.

• Why Not Higher?:  As good as the Seahawks were against the NFL average they were equally low in per game stats.  When I say low what I mean is compared to other great teams on this list.  But, considering 2013 was a record setting year in offensive yards and touchdowns what can we really expect from the '13 Hawks?  Is it fair to even use the per game stats?  Well you'll have to decide for yourself but for me I said yes mainly because it is another way to measure Seattle against teams from a similar era such as the '08 Steelers, '02 Bucs, and '00 Ravens.  But in realizing that per game stats were very much skewed I added the comparison to the league average (which by the way I don't think is a perfect model either because it favors teams within the last 20 years).  However, because I do think comparisons to the league average are more valuable, when I ranked the teams those stats were weighted more heavily than the per game stats.  What I'm searching for here is some balance! Let's move on though to the postseason.  Despite Seattle's incredible postseason run their stats did have some flaws.  Except for defensive TDs Seattle ranked in the bottom half of my final 16 teams in playoff stats.  Most noticeably to me was only 4 sacks in 3 games and allowing an average of 341 yards per game.  In the regular season the Hawks only gave up 273.63 yards per game.  Ultimately the Seahawks aren't 1-3 in my ranking because the teams filling those spots have better data.  But, we're talking about the top 3 single seasons from 1970-2013!  It's not a bad thing to come in 4th.       

#3  2002 Tampa Bay Buccaneers

• The Case:  Let me just start with a slogan that Jon Gruden told his Bucs in '02.  "Bring the Juice!!... and if you don't got any juice, Fake the Juice!"  That puts them in the top ten automatically.  Seriously though why are the Bucs in the top 3??  First, they led the NFL in 4/5 of my chosen categories, posted 2 shutouts, had 3 All-Pros, and scored 5 TDs in the regular season.  Next, despite being a team from the last 20 years the Bucs TDs allowed per game ranked 7th in my final 16 ahead of the '85 Bears, '08 Steelers, and '13 Seahawks.  In comparison to league averages the '02 Bucs ranked 2nd in points and TDs allowed while coming in 3rd in yards allowed and yards per play.  In the postseason the Bucs forced 13 turnovers an average of 4.333 per game which is #1 of any team in my final 16.  Also, they only allowed 3 TDs total, recorded 11 sacks, and scored 4 TDs on defense.  The last stat was 1st of any team on my list and 3 of those TDs came in the Superbowl in which the Bucs D outscored the Raiders offense (for the entire postseason the Bucs had more TDs on defense than their opponents did on offense).  In the playoffs the Bucs held opponents to 15.3 points less than their season averages (4th on my list).  Their last two opponents, Philly and Oakland, were ranked 4th and 2nd in scoring throughout the regular season.



In '02 LB Derrick Brooks had 7 INTs and returned 4 for TDs including the playoffs.

• Why Not Higher?:  Honestly, it's a question I'm asking myself right now.  As you must have noticed they were absolutely dominant throughout the entire season.  But, here are a few areas that the '02 Bucs were deficient in terms of the greatest ever.  The two teams ranked 1 and 2 along with the Seahawks for that matter all held at least one playoff opponent 20+ points under their season average.  The Bucs highest margin was 16.9.  Much like the Seahawks, the Bucs per game totals aren't great compared to the very best.  But, again, their era has much to do with that.  Compared to the league average their turnover stat during the regular season wasn't that great ranking 10th with only 9 more than the NFL norm.  In the playoffs the '02 Bucs gave up 269.7 yards per game compared to 252.75 during the season.  But finally, and mostly why the Bucs come in 3rd is because their data isn't as good overall as the 2000 Ravens and they can't compare to the mystique (look it up) of the next team on my list.  

#2  1985 Chicago Bears

• Sacrilege (disrespectful) correct!!???  Well before you click the X in the upper right hand corner let me present The Case (digging myself into a deeper hole):  'Da Bears absolutely dominated the postseason!!!  That is the number one thing they have going for themselves.  Out of my seven postseason stats the Bears rank 1st-4th in each.  Absolute dominance.  The most impressive is the fact that their three opponents averaged 3.3 points per game (two were shutout completely).  Equally unbelievable the Bears registered 16 sacks in 3 games.  They also only gave up 144.7 yards per game, forced 10 turnovers total, scored 2 TDs themselves, and only gave up 1 TD.  That's right, the '85 Bears also scored more TDs than their opponents in the playoffs (as did the next team on my list).  Their opponents in the playoffs averaged 19.6 less points than the regular season (2nd on my list).  In short, if this was all about the playoffs the '85 Bears would be #1 easily.  In the regular season, they led the NFL in 3 of my categories, posted 2 shutouts, had 3 All-Pros, and scored 5 TDs.  The '85 Bears also recovered 54 turnovers or 3.38 per game ranking 1st of any team (including the '70s) on my final 16.  Compared to the NFL average the Bears rank 3rd in points allowed and turnovers on my final list of 16.  



The architect of the '85 Bears D was coordinator Buddy Ryan who was carried off the field after winning the Superbowl.

• Why Not Higher?:  During the regular season the '86 Bears were better than the '85 Bears.  But more importantly to this list so were the 2000 Ravens.  In points per game, yards per game, yards per play, and TDs per game during the regular season the Ravens were better than the Bears.  And consider that the Ravens were playing 15 years later.  In comparison to the NFL average the Ravens stats are better than the Bears in all five categories...even turnovers.  There's no doubt which team had the better regular season.  But, which season is more important...regular or playoffs?  That's a debate which could go one forever but I think both are important.  Without a great regular season a team won't even be considered on this list.  And without a great postseason a team certainly won't be in the top ten.  The bottom line with the '85 Bears is if all you did was look at the regular season stats they would finish near 10th.  But, when you add the playoffs they instantly take a giant leap.  It's kind of like walking on the moon.  However, the next team on my list was equally dominant in both "seasons."                 

#1  2000 Baltimore Ravens

• The Case:  I know, I know, this better be good.  Trust me it's not a tough sell.  And let me just say I have no bias toward the 2000 Ravens whatsoever.  In fact, all I can remember about them that year is that I absolutely wanted them to lose.  I was tired of "how good their defense is" and rooted vehemently for the Raiders in the AFC Championship game.  Of course to no avail.  Frankly, for me they were boring to watch because there was no scoring!!!  So let's get into it.  First, the 2000 Ravens had 4 shutouts.  The '76 Steelers had 5 but no other team in my final 16 teams recorded 3!  In per game averages (remember they favor teams from long ago) the Ravens gave up 10.31 points per game which ranks 4th out of my final 16.  Their yards per game is lower than my 2nd-4th teams on this list.  Their turnovers per game is better than any team since 2000.  And finally their TDs allowed per game is tied for 2nd out of my final 16 teams with an average of 1 per game.  Let me repeat that last stat...the 2000 Ravens allowed 16 TDs in a 16 game season.  The 2000 Ravens allowed 1143 yards and 17.8 TDs less than the league average both of which rank at least 6th on my final list.  But, they are #1 of any team in scoring per game and turnovers forced.  The Ravens forced 18.9 more turnovers than the league average while the Bears number was 15.8 and the Seahawks 13.6.  The Ravens allowed 165.8 points less than the NFL average.  The next best team on my list was the Bucs at 150.8 then the Bears at 146.5, and at 4th the Seahawks with 143.5.  While the '85 Bears were most dominant in the playoffs the Ravens were not far behind.  While allowing just under 248 yards per game in the regular season the Ravens dropped that number to 209 yards per game for the playoffs.  They forced 12 turnovers in 4 games so 3 per game.  They also averaged 3.5 sacks per game and scored 2 defensive TDs.  But, most impressively in the postseason was how the Ravens limited the opposition in points and TDs.  They gave up 1 TD in 4 games!!!  Holy smokes people.  Their opponents averaged 5.8 points per game and that includes a special teams TD that the Giants scored.  Now while they didn't go up against Peyton Manning the 2000 Ravens did play the 2nd (Broncos) and 3rd (Raiders) best scoring teams in the playoffs.  They held Denver to 27.3 and Oakland to 26.9 points under their season averages.  Include the 20.5 versus the Giants and that's 3 playoff opponents that the Ravens held to at least 20 less points than their season averages.  Include their game versus Tennessee and the average for their playoff opponents is 21.6 points under their averages the lowest of any team on my list and the best in NFL history from 1970-2013.  The bottom line is that the 2000 Ravens are my #1 because they dominated in both seasons to a greater extent than any other team.  



No team has ever been shutout in the Superbowl but it wasn't the fault of the Ravens D as this lone Giants TD was scored on a kickoff return.

• Why Not Higher?:  Wait, that's impossible.  One is the best!  Why write any more??  But seriously, if you were to pick out the "bad" in the 2000 Ravens here are a couple items.  First, they only had 1 All-Pro and scored 1 TD during the regular season.  They also only led the league in 3 out of the 5 categories (Tennessee led the league in the other 2).  Compared to the league averages the Bucs and Seahawks both had better numbers than the Ravens in yards allowed, yards per play, and TDs allowed.  Although the margins were small.  And finally, the '85 Bears did win 6 out of the 7 playoff categories head to head with the Ravens including over 60 yards less per game.      

So there it is...my list of the NFL's greatest single season defenses ever.  And certainly this year's Seahawks are well deserving of a top ten place.  Hopefully you enjoyed the research no matter if you agree or not.  And if you are to ever argue any team's place in history I encourage you to use my info free of charge!  

Kieth