Best Defense Ever

[Shock2k]

Hey, if they want to say Denver didn't just beat up on weak defenses all year, which would be the only reason Manning would break All-Time offensive records. Then we HAVE to be the #1 defense of all time. As we took out the best offense off all time. Not just took down... dismantled, destroyed, decimated.

In doing my research for this season it was KC and Denver that had the easiest schedules.

Now with that said, I don't think there is an argument of "best ever" for anything. BUT, we are a facet of the conversation. AND we should be even better next year.

 

[JimZornsCorn]

Most definitely the 2013 Seattle Seahawks are in the conversation for best defensive performance in a Super Bowl. I'd say the '74 Steelers defense who didn't give up a point to a high-powered Vikings offense and scored a safety in the performance.

Greatest defenses ever for a season? Perhaps, but I don't see them better than:

'85 Bears
'76 Steelers
'00 Ravens

 

[Pandion Haliaetus]

I think you have to look at the circumstances.

Easley said the biggest players of his era was 280 pounds.

Times have changed in each decade along with the rules... if I had to pinpoint it I would said the Seahawks 2013 D is the best in the Salary Cap ERA... which is still historically huge.

 

[Sgt. Largent]

As far a single season, IMO we're right up there with the '85 Bears. They had a more dominant post season, but they also played much easier teams.

But sorry '85 Bears, the Hawks defensive performance last night was THE greatest defensive performance in a SB EVER...................EVER. We weren't playing a weak ass Tony Eason led NE team that was just happy to be in their 1st SB, we played the supposed greatest offense in the history of the NFL, and made them look like a High School JV squad.

 

[DeathbyTalons]

Given the circumstances and who we played in the biggest game, Yes. This defense evicerated the greatest offense in NFL history and, if it were'nt what I consider a healthy dose of prevent D, would have pitched a shut out.

 

[themunn]

Put it this way, the only points we gave up were on a drive extended by a play that wouldn't have been a penalty in the past.

 

[TDOTSEAHAWK]

Most definitely the 2013 Seattle Seahawks are in the conversation for best defensive performance in a Super Bowl. I'd say the '74 Steelers defense who didn't give up a point to a high-powered Vikings offense and scored a safety in the performance.

Greatest defenses ever for a season? Perhaps, but I don't see them better than:

'85 Bears
'76 Steelers
'00 Ravens

Add in us the '02 Bucs and the list for the five greatest defenses is complete. Order can be whatever but I will say this, doing what we just did against the greatest offense in NFL history and with the offensive rules chages makes a great case for us.

 

[Blitzfan]

It's very hard to compare defenses of differing eras. But, I do feel we have to be close to the top. Consider how the defenses listed above would have done in today's pass happy, offensively slanted NFL.

 

[Hawkscanner]

Most definitely the 2013 Seattle Seahawks are in the conversation for best defensive performance in a Super Bowl. I'd say the '74 Steelers defense who didn't give up a point to a high-powered Vikings offense and scored a safety in the performance.

Greatest defenses ever for a season? Perhaps, but I don't see them better than:

'85 Bears
'76 Steelers
'00 Ravens

You know, with respect I think that a good case can be made that just in terms of the Super Bowl ... that this was the greatest Super Bowl Defensive performance of all time. Think about it in this context ...

The 1976 Steelers Defense ... for how good that team was, didn't make the Super Bowl.
The 1985 Bears Defense ... went up against the Patriots led by the "mighty" Steve Grogan
The 2000 Ravens Defense ... went up against the Giants and the "great" Kerry Collins in the Super Bowl.

The 2013-2014 Seahawks (on the other hand) beat an absolute legend in Peyton Manning. As I wrote in my Super Bowl Preview ...

Over the course of his 14 year illustrious career, Manning is a 7 Time All-Pro … he has been selected to 13 Pro Bowls … and has been the league’s MVP 4 times. He has a career pass completion percentage of 65.5 … and has completed 5,532 passes (2nd most all time) … has thrown for 64,964 yards (2nd most all time) … 491 touchdowns (2nd most all time) … and owns a career QB Rating of 97.2 (2nd most all time). Most importantly, his teams have a record of 167-73 in games he has started. when his team has been down and they’ve needed him to help lead them to victory, he has -- having engineered 4 Quarter comeback game winning drives a mind blowing 52 times. For all of that though, Peyton Manning has but 1 Super Bowl Ring to his name (in 2006). But this year, Manning has been a man on a mission.

And Peyton Manning and that Offense had just set the record for the most points EVER in a season (606 Points). This was the greatest offense in NFL History -- #1 -- and the Seahawks absolutely made those guys look old, slow, and like a pop warner team.

In terms of Super Bowl Performance, when you consider WHO it was against ... in my mind this was the greatest defensive performance in Super Bowl History. Bar none. No question in my mind.

 

[plyka]

I've never seen a defense like that Ravens 2000 D, but then again, I wasn't watching the '85 Bears. 3-4 weeks ago I wouldn't have put this Seattle D in the same convo, but after this Superbowl, there is no doubt that they deserve to be in the conversation.

The difference between this defense and the 2000 Ravens is that they were more dominant, while this one is more bend but don't break. They aren't really bend but don't break, but compared to that D they are. That D would just suffocate offenses. But they played in an era where it was more possible to dominate on defense. And they played against lesser competition. Would they have had the same success against this Denver team? I believe they actually would, but remember, they had Trent Dilfer at QB. Baltimore would have likely won this superbowl with a score of 10-7 or thereabouts. Trent Dilfer was just an atrocious QB, and would have given Manning 15 possessions, so perhaps they may have actually lost? NOt sure.

All in all, this D is definitely in teh conversation.

 

[Happypuppy]

The '85 bears were a bit of a trick defense with the 46. Once the spread offenses hit they were toast. Watch the '86 San Francisco and Chicago game. Montana took them apart. This is the best defense I have seen and I am old enough to have seen them all including the the excellent steelers teams of the 70s. That team was good for the time but the linebackers were slow and gap pluggers to allow the d line to attack

 

[BayAreafbfan]

I know the 1984 49ers defense doesn't get mentioned much, but they held a very good Miami Dolphins offense led by the great Dan Marino to 16 pts after shutting out Chicago in the NFC title game

 

[SeaWolv]

Through week 16 Seattle was #5 all time for DVOA. I'd be curious to see how the last week of the regular season and the playoffs affected their ranking.

http://www.footballoutsiders.com/dvoa-r ... oa-ratings

 

[Seeker]

2000 ravens played a bunch nobodies under center.
1985 bears were legit but played in an era were defense wasn't outlawed
gotta do some more research on the steel curtain though.

 

[Happypuppy]

Just some stats to back up my position

The 1985 Bears were primarily a defense built to stop the run once the spread defense became popular it was obsolete

The Seahawks held teams to 14 points this year. The league average was the highest it has ever been in history at 23 points. Denver was 10 points higher than that.
The rules limit much what a defense of player can do. Kenny Easley Ronnie Lott players in the Hall of Fame's would've had a much more difficult time; as great as they were

This is the. Best. Defense. Ever.

 

[Exittium]

AGREED best DEFENSE EVER. Those who are still saying the 85 bears and those other... needs to stop living in the past and accept this change. Especially with how the rules have changed now to help the offense's more. Which make harder to play defense now then it was back then.

 

[zack803]

Hey, we got the nickname! LOB baby!

 

[HawkFan72]

Eric Allen ranked us the #2 Defense of all time, behind the 85 bears.

The radio guys in SF ranked us #3 behind the 85 Bears and the 2000 Ravens.

These are guys who have every reason to dislike the Seahawks, and yet they are putting us right up there in the Top 3. There are legit arguments to the Bears and Ravens being ranked above us, but we are going to be in the conversation for a long time and remembered as one of the best Defenses of all time.

 

[LazerLargent78]

I am so tickled with our Defense and ST this year, simply pure beast mode like ML.

We rank up there but not exactly the best SB Defense..

1985 Bears: 176 Pass YPG, 82 Rush YPG, (258 Total YPG) 64 Sacks, 61 Turnovers
2000 Ravens: 187 Pass YPG, 61 Rush YPG, (248 Total YPG) 35 Sacks, 49 Turnovers
2002 Bucs: 156 Pass YPG, 97 Rush YPG (253 Total YPG) 43 Sacks, 38 Turnovers
2008 Steelers: 157 Pass YPG, 80 Rush YPG (237 Total YPG) 51 Sacks, 29 Turnovers
2013 Seahawks: 172 Pass YPG, 101 Rush YPG (273 Total YPG) 44 Sacks, 39 Turnovers

 

[VivaEfrenHerrera]

I never thought I'd see it in my lifetime, but yep, those '85 Bears have been supplanted. I don't even feel the need to go into the numbers or the DVOA or the advanced metrics or the crap metrics or any metrics. When you straight-up murder what everyone called over and over and over and over again "The greatest offense in history" anchored by "the greatest quarterback in history" protected by "the best O-line in football". Yeah. You're the best ever, and that's that.