Best Defense Ever?

[Rotorhead]

https://www.cbssports.com/nfl/news/steelers-defense-on-pace-for-improbable-triple-crown-that-no-nfl-team-has-ever-pulled-off-in-super-bowl-era/

[Rotorhead]

We currently leading is scoring defense, sacks and TO’s, no team has ever finished the season with the trifecta.

[teegre]

As long as we win the Super Bowl, I wouldn’t care about not getting that trifecta.

(That said... it’s pretty cool. Good thread.)

[Big Ben's Gray]

With Dupree out I'm wondering how our defense is gonna look now and will they keep it up...at least our defensive backs have kept healthy...knock on wood.

[Born2Steel]

I'm not as worried about the pass rush falling off as much as the run defense taking a hit with Bud out.

[Fire Goodell]

Dupree was definitely an important piece, you couldn't just double team Watt because Dupree 1on1 was also a mismatch.

[EzraTank]

https://www.cbssports.com/nfl/news/steelers-defense-on-pace-for-improbable-triple-crown-that-no-nfl-team-has-ever-pulled-off-in-super-bowl-era/

All well and good but the best defense I've ever seen play was the 1991 Eagles defense with Reggie White, Clyde Simmons, Wes Hopkins, Andre Waters, Eric Allen, Seth Joyner, Byron Evans, Jerome Brown and company. I remember watching a game against the Cardinals where the Cards have the ball 1st and goal at the one. They ran the ball 3 straight times and lost yardage on each carry, but the Eagles defense got a personal foul on 3rd down giving the Cards another 1st and goal from the one yard line. The Cards used all 4 downs and were stuffed every time turning the ball over after 7 straight plays from inside the 5.

They just pushed teams backwards and had 4 defensive linemen that were scary good and at any time one of them could be in the QB's face. Jerome Brown and Mike Pitts were the inside guys and stuffed the run Reggie White & Clyde Simmons the outside guys. Reggie White was the only outside rusher I've ever seen that was able to beat double teams and get sacks. I remember watching him just throw off of his blockers (with one arm) into the other blocker of the double team and just destroy the QB. He was the best lineman I ever saw play the game. On top of that he was the nicest person off the field as well.

And the architect of that defense was Bud Carson the guy who built the Steel Curtain. Buddy Ryan (who build the 1985 Bears "46" defense) and Carson drafted and built that Eagles defense. It was scary to play against. If Randall Cunningham, coming off 1990 NFL MVP honors, didn't tear his ACL on the first play of the second quarter in Week 1 against the Packers, that defense likely would have held that coveted Super Bowl trophy. They never won because free agency broke them up.

[Mojouw]

All well and good but the best defense I've ever seen play was the 1991 Eagles defense with Reggie White, Clyde Simmons, Wes Hopkins, Andre Waters, Eric Allen, Seth Joyner, Byron Evans, Jerome Brown and company. I remember watching a game against the Cardinals where the Cards have the ball 1st and goal at the one. They ran the ball 3 straight times and lost yardage on each carry, but the Eagles defense got a personal foul on 3rd down giving the Cards another 1st and goal from the one yard line. The Cards used all 4 downs and were stuffed every time turning the ball over after 7 straight plays from inside the 5.

They just pushed teams backwards and had 4 defensive linemen that were scary good and at any time one of them could be in the QB's face. Jerome Brown and Mike Pitts were the inside guys and stuffed the run Reggie White & Clyde Simmons the outside guys. Reggie White was the only outside rusher I've ever seen that was able to beat double teams and get sacks. I remember watching him just throw off of his blockers (with one arm) into the other blocker of the double team and just destroy the QB. He was the best lineman I ever saw play the game. On top of that he was the nicest person off the field as well.

And the architect of that defense was Bud Carson the guy who built the Steel Curtain. Buddy Ryan (who build the 1985 Bears "46" defense) and Carson drafted and built that Eagles defense. It was scary to play against. If Randall Cunningham, coming off 1990 NFL MVP honors, didn't tear his ACL on the first play of the second quarter in Week 1 against the Packers, that defense likely would have held that coveted Super Bowl trophy. They never won because free agency broke them up.

Andre "Dirty" Waters! Seth Joyner running behind that D line and Eric Allen patrolling the outside? Good lord, that team was loaded. That front was a thing of beauty to watch.

[Six Rings]

Dupree was definitely an important piece, you couldn't just double team Watt because Dupree 1on1 was also a mismatch.

While this is true, I don't think Dupree would be as good on another team. Like you said there is Watt, Tuitt and Heyward to worry about.

[86WARD]

Dupree was definitely an important piece, you couldn't just double team Watt because Dupree 1on1 was also a mismatch.

If you double Watt, Tuitt could have a field day...remember Tuitt in early 2019? Beastmode!!