When college football coach Bear Bryant uttered the old adage "offence sells tickets but defence wins championships", few realised it would become the all-encompassing sporting mantra it is today.
The axiom is intuitively solid; a strong defence prevents the opposition from scoring large amounts of points which therefore increases a defensive team’s chances of winning. Historically, the phrase held true. Following the NFL-AFL merger, the 1970s, 1980s and 1990s saw all-time great defensive units rise in the form of the Miami Dolphins, Chicago Bears and Pittsburgh Steelers as they all surged to championship glory.
The Dolphins teams of 1972 and 1973 - led by legendary head coach Don Shula - ranked first on defence in both seasons, while the Steelers finished first or second in 1974, 1975 and 1978 as their dynasty flourished. Walter Payton may be the face of the iconic Bears team of 1985, but it was their defence, dubbed ‘the Monsters of the Midway’, that truly earned the team its place in history.
Nowadays though, Bryant’s words can certainly be debated. The NFL have implemented rule changes designed to protect players and make games less physical, ultimately ensuring defences are less effective while offences flourish.
The Baltimore Ravens won the league in 2000 on the back of a legendary defensive unit and mediocre offence, as did the 2002 Tampa Bay Buccaneers and 2003 New England Patriots.The saying suggests defensive domination is the key factor in deciding which teams can harbour championship aspirations - but the modern NFL has been dominated by the quarterback.
Who do you think of when you think of recent champions? Tom Brady’s New England Patriots and Patrick Mahomes’ Kansas City Chiefs immediately spring to mind.
While he played alongside a Super Bowl champion and all-time great quarterback in Drew Brees on the New Orleans Saints himself, defensive end Cam Jordan scoffed at the question proposed to him. To the seven-time Pro Bowler, Bryant’s words undoubtedly remain true - even in the modern NFL.
“Absolutely,” Jordan exclusively told Mirror Sport without batting an eyelid. “Do you think the Rams would have won this last Super Bowl without Aaron Donald and Von Miller? Not at all.
“Defence is clear-cut at winning championships. The Legion of Boom won themselves a championship, and probably lost because the offence in the second bid for a championship.”
Jordan raises an interesting point. The vaunted Seattle Seahawks defence certainly carried the franchise to its maiden Super Bowl title in 2012 before an error by Russell Wilson - or rather, a stellar play by Patriots cornerback Malcolm Butler - ensured the team would not retain their title the following season.
“When I think about that Super Bowl with Seattle, you don’t talk about an offence capitalising on a moment,” Jordan added. “Malcom Butler’s interception in the end zone secured the win, just as Von Miller did with the Broncos when he took the life out of the Carolina Panthers in Super Bowl 50. Defence does more than win championships; they’re sometimes why you’re even in that championship.”
Since 2003, four Super Bowl champions have finished first or second in scoring defensive units (2008 Pittsburgh Steelers, 2010 Green Bay Packers, 2013 Seattle Seahawks and 2016 Patriots). However, there have also been champions like the 2006 Indianapolis Colts, who possessed a 23rd-ranked scoring defence.
Even looking at Peyton Manning’s victorious Colts team, the franchise allowed scores of 8, 6, 34 and 17 en route to glory - an average of just 16.5 points per game. This is a full touchdown less than their regular season average of 22.5, so perhaps defence does indeed matter down the stretch after all.
Former NFL cornerback Jason Bell believes the answer is not as simple as Bryant suggests, but the great coach is on the right lines. Bell told Mirror Sport : “It’s changing because of the rules. Offences get you to the game; defences have to close.
“They do still win championships. You can get to the Super Bowl with a potent offence, but you have got to be able to close when you have a lead. In baseball you have a key pitcher who can close, and it’s the same in the NFL.”
Even in the memorable 41-33 offensive shootout of Super Bowl LII where defence mattered little, Brandon Graham sacked and stripped the ball from Brady. The ball was recovered by the Philadelphia Eagles as they finally won it all on the back of a crucial defensive play. Graham, like Bell suggests, closed the game akin to a pitcher.
The very next year saw a defensive showdown with the Patriots overcoming the Rams 13-3. Houston Texans defensive rookie Adedayo Odeleye believes teams need a consistent defence rather than a ‘sexy’ offence to compete at the top, and no recent Super Bowl has turned fans off like Super Bowl LIII - but New England still celebrated.
Let’s get an offensive perspective on the matter. Minnesota Vikings receiver KJ Osborn believes the natural symbiotic relationship between offence and defence means Bryant’s words can certainly be deemed true, even in the current age of the quarterback.
“At the end of the day, it’s about who can score the most points - and if the defence stops the other team from scoring, then your team will win,” Osborn said when he spoke to Mirror Sport earlier this offseason before helping his team to a 28-25 win over the New Orleans Saints in London earlier this month. “It’s just a saying as its a team sport - special teams are also a huge factor - but you need the defence to come through.”
Do you think defence or offence is more important in the NFL? Let us know in the comments section.
Frankly, offence alone does not win championships. Since Super Bowl XXXIV, 14 out of 22 champions had a higher defensive rating than their opponents based on yards per game, with 12 of 14 victors having a lower offensive ranking.
Since Super Bowl XXXIV, champions had an average offensive rank of 11.38 and defensive rank of 7.19 and the runner-up had an average offensive rank of 6.71 and defensive rank of 9.32. A powerful offence undoubtedly increases a team’s odds of making the Super Bowl, but the Lombardi Trophy is, more often than not, won by the team with the greater defence.
With six national championships to his name, Bryant certainly understood what it took to win titles. Rather than ‘defence wins championships’, perhaps the full quote should be tweaked. Personally, I like Bell’s thinking: offences get you to the game, defences take you over the line.
Let’s see which defence comes out on top in Super Bowl LVII in February. Perhaps early Defensive Player of the Year candidate Micah Parsons will lead the Dallas Cowboys to the promised land for the first time since their offensive star trio of Troy Aikman, Michael Irvin and Emmitt Smith won in 1995.
