NFL By the Numbers - Best Defensive Run -- EVER

NFL BY THE NUMBERS

Greatest defensive Run - -EVER

I saw an analysis on the internet the other day that compared the great 1985 Chicago Bears defense to the 1977 Atlanta Falcons "Gritz Blitz" defense. http://www.dumcoach.com/index.php?topic=889.0

It is an interesting analysis and the writer makes some good points:

1) The Bears had a better offense to take pressure off the defense

2) The 1977 Falcons defense is too often dismissed when speaking of the best defenses of the post merger era.

3) The Falcons allowed only 9.2 points per game in 1977 and nobody has done better than that in the post merger era.

The Bears destroyed opponents in winning the Super Bowl after the 1985 season.  The Falcons went 7-7 and missed the playoffs.  The Falcons pitched two shutouts in 14 games.  The Bears pitched two shutouts in 16 games.  Each team kept their opponent from scoring a touchdown four times during their magical defensive seasons.

So who gets my vote for the greatest defensive run of the post merger era?  Is it the Falcons or the Bears?  I vote neither.  No, the greatest defensive run of the post merger era belongs to.......

The 1976 Pittsburgh Steelers were the defending two-time Super Bowl Champs.  Led by the famous Steel curtain Defense (Greene, Holmes, White, Greenwood, Ham, Lambert, Blount, Russell, Wagner, Thomas,  and Edwards) and offensive stars Terry Bradshaw, Franco Harris, Rocky Bleier, Len Swann, and John Stallworth, the Steelers were heavy favorites to make it three in a row.

Every team was gunning for the Steelers.  They dropped their first game in a 31-28 shootout with the powerful Raiders.  The Steelers then lost three of their next four games.  To make matters worse, Quarterback Terry Bradshaw and wideout John Stallworth were injured during this 1-4 start.  Pittsburgh had a big hole to climb out of and was missing two of its best offensive players.  What would happen in week six?

In week six of the 1976 NFL season the Steelers started the greatest defensive run of the post merger era.  That week they smothered the Bengals 23-6.  The Steelers had a simple approach.  They would not ask rookie quarterback Mike Kruczek to do much.  They would put the ball into the hands of their running duo of Franco Harris and Rocky Bleier.  They would ask their vaunted defense, which had yielded 22 points a game through the first five weeks, to return to Steel Curtain form.

Week after week the Steelers followed this formula.  Week after week the methodical offense produced and the dominating defense crushed.  The Steelers won nine games in a row to finish at 10-4 and win the AFC Central.  During the nine-game streak the defense allowed 28 points -- Total.  That equates to a fraction over one field goal per game.  The Steel Curtain shut out five of the nine opponents.  The Steelers held eight of the nine opponents without a touchdown.  The Houston Oilers pushed across two touchdowns in a week eleven 32-16 loss.  The Steelers addressed this blemish in week fourteen when they shut out the Oilers 21-0 and yielded but 158 yards. 

Some other numbers to consider.  During the streak the Steelers surrendered on average 183 yards per game and less than 100 yards a game passing.  The Steelers were always in front.  Their opponents were always playing from behind yet could not average 100 passing yards.  The Steelers also won the turnover battle 28-12 during this stretch.  Mike Kruczek passed for 750 yards and ZERO touchdowns in the ten games he played, but he was 6-0 as a starter.  He was the ultimate "manage the game" quarterback.

The Steelers won the divisional round when they went to Baltimore and trounced the Colts 40-14.  They outgained the Colts 526 to 170.  However, a three-peat was not to be.  The Steelers lost both Harris and Bleier to injury in the Colt game.  Without their two consistent runners the Steelers had no punch to give the surging Raiders.  The Raiders won the AFC Title game 24-7.  They would then defeat the Minnesota Vikings in Super Bowl XI.

The 1976 Steel Curtain did not bring home a championship.  It did carry a team as no defense had before or since.  The 1976 Steelers were the best defensive team I have ever seen.