View topic - Steelers 2008 Defense Could be the Greatest of all Time

[No l Gravity l Profile]

Here is an great take on the Steelers 2008 defense and how they handled short fields all year long.

http://www.behindthesteelcurtain.com/20 ... e-steelers

[Snockered Pedestrian Profile]

Nice find.
I'll still take the '76 Steelers defense, though. What could have been with a decent, healthy RB.

[darthsteel Profile]

all talks of the steeler defense being top 5 all time blew out the window in the 4th qt of the sb!

[The Fan Of STEEL Profile]

Could be? This was the greatest defense of all time. It should only get stronger this season.

[darthsteel Profile]

Could be? This was the greatest defense of all time. It should only get stronger this season.

when did you start watching football 3 yrs ago?
the bucs and ravens sb defenses were better this decade alone.... the eagles of the ealry 90's were better to!

talk of the stillers defense went out the window when they were sloppy in all three 4th qt's this post season when it counted....the vaunted defense would have been hammered by the media if the offense did'nt bail them out in the sb after they sucked ass in the 4th qt of the biggest game.

playing great in the regular season then choking in the 4th qt of all three playoff games makes for a over rated defense,very good but nowhere near top 5 all time.. stats mean crapola..

the bucs defense always gave the rams freakshow offense fits in the playoffs, and the ravens were just shutdown...

I doubt anyone on this board in thier heart believes this defense would hold a brady led pat offense to under 30 , like the bucs always held the rams well under.

what the cards did to this defense in the 4th qt, brady and the pats do all game long...this defense still has below avg . corners and is exsposed against top flight passing games...luckilly for the steelers the pats and chargers are the only big time passing attacks in the afc presently. colts are not what they used to be..

[No l Gravity l Profile]

Could be? This was the greatest defense of all time. It should only get stronger this season.

when did you start watching football 3 yrs ago?
the bucs and ravens sb defenses were better this decade alone.... the eagles of the ealry 90's were better to!

Based on what?

Pittsburgh 2008 Regular Season Defense
#2 Rushing (YPG): 80.2
#1 Passing (YPG): 156.9
#1 Total Defense (YPG): 237.2
#1 Points Per Game: 13.9

Tampa Bay 2003 Regular Season Defense (this was not their Superbowl year if you hadn't noticed, Steelers were the #1 D that year)
#5 Rushing (YPG): 97.1
#1 Passing (YPG): 155.6
#1 Total Defense (YPG): 252.8
#1 Points Per Game: 16.5


Baltimore 1999 Regular Season Defense
#2 Rushing (YPG): 76.9
#6 Passing (YPG): 186.9
#2 Total Defense (YPG): 263.9 (Bills allowed less yards)
#1 Points Per Game: 17.3

Couple that with the most difficult schedule in the NFL and Ben throwing 15 INTs...I'd say we're still in the running for the best D ever.

[SteelTank Profile]

Sorry, this D is not close to being the greatest of all time.

The fact of the matter is, there really hasn't been a truly great anything since the Ravens Defense that won it in 2000. There hasn't been a great team since the first two Cowboy teams that won it all in the 90's.

There are no more great teams and that's good. The Steelers were a very good team this year while the Cardinal's were a little above average and yet they were that close to winning it all.

The Steelers D was very good and sometimes great, but certainly not an all-time D. Does it really matter?

Having said that, since we are a very good team and have a very good D and a very good QB, we have a very good chance of repeating. But, if we do, we still don't stack up to all time great teams. I'll ask again - does it really matter?

It's a new era were any one of 10 teams can win it every year. So, from that standpoint, what the Steelers and Patriots have done this decade is great because the teams themselves are not great. Only marginally better than most teams. The same can be said about the 72 Dolphins that went undefeated. They weren't great, but what they did was amazing given the talent they had.

[darthsteel Profile]

Could be? This was the greatest defense of all time. It should only get stronger this season.

when did you start watching football 3 yrs ago?
the bucs and ravens sb defenses were better this decade alone.... the eagles of the ealry 90's were better to!

Based on what?

Pittsburgh 2008 Regular Season Defense
#2 Rushing (YPG): 80.2
#1 Passing (YPG): 156.9
#1 Total Defense (YPG): 237.2
#1 Points Per Game: 13.9

Tampa Bay 2003 Regular Season Defense (this was not their Superbowl year if you hadn't noticed, Steelers were the #1 D that year)
#5 Rushing (YPG): 97.1
#1 Passing (YPG): 155.6
#1 Total Defense (YPG): 252.8
#1 Points Per Game: 16.5


Baltimore 1999 Regular Season Defense
#2 Rushing (YPG): 76.9
#6 Passing (YPG): 186.9
#2 Total Defense (YPG): 263.9 (Bills allowed less yards)
#1 Points Per Game: 17.3

Couple that with the most difficult schedule in the NFL and Ben throwing 15 INTs...I'd say we're still in the running for the best D ever.

based on watching all three defenses late in the season into the post season, the bucs and ravens shut the door and got better while the stillers sucked for air... baseing teams on stats is rediculous sincestats dont take garbage time into acount when a team has built a big lead in a games resulting in plain base defense and subs...
greatness is built on what a defense accomplishes in the post season, not the regular season... everyone in the media was building the stillers up to possibly be a top 5 defense of all time but soon as the playoffs hit , that talk stopped immediatley...

[The Fan Of STEEL Profile]

Could be? This was the greatest defense of all time. It should only get stronger this season.

when did you start watching football 3 yrs ago?
the bucs and ravens sb defenses were better this decade alone.... the eagles of the ealry 90's were better to!

talk of the stillers defense went out the window when they were sloppy in all three 4th qt's this post season when it counted....the vaunted defense would have been hammered by the media if the offense did'nt bail them out in the sb after they sucked ass in the 4th qt of the biggest game.

playing great in the regular season then choking in the 4th qt of all three playoff games makes for a over rated defense,very good but nowhere near top 5 all time.. stats mean crapola..

the bucs defense always gave the rams freakshow offense fits in the playoffs, and the ravens were just shutdown...

I doubt anyone on this board in thier heart believes this defense would hold a brady led pat offense to under 30 , like the bucs always held the rams well under.

what the cards did to this defense in the 4th qt, brady and the pats do all game long...this defense still has below avg . corners and is exsposed against top flight passing games...luckilly for the steelers the pats and chargers are the only big time passing attacks in the afc presently. colts are not what they used to be..

I've been watching football since the early sixties. This was the best defense ever, hands down. The STEELERS defense never "sucked for Air".

[lloydrules Profile]

It was a good defense but now where near the best ever.

The 70s Steelers was better. The 1985 Bears was better. And the 2000 Ravens were better. The Parcells Giants were better. Maybe the Ryan Eagles D was better too.

If you want to start throwing around terms of "best ever" consider that this team gave up 16 points in the 4th Q. alone, and lost the lead, in the Super Bowl. Do "best ever" defenses do that? I really don't think so.

[Hagerstown Steelman Profile]

Best defense ever probably not. However, one of the best in the past 10 years without a doubt. If they can repeat last years performance that I would have to say in the top 3 over the past 20 years.

One thing with defenses is that it is hard to judge the stats (other than ppg). For instance we were #1 against the pass. If Ben does not separate his should wk1 I say we put up 7-10 more ppg on offense. If this happens more teams have to throw against us. Could lead to more sacks but also more passing yards and we probably do not finish #1.

Also over the past 20-25 years look at all of the rule changes that tip the scales in the favor of the offense. This also limits how dominating a defense can be.

No matter how you slice it we have a good one and it will be essential intact for 2009.

[lloydrules Profile]

I'm with you on the rule changes. Imagine a defense that could grab the jersey of a WR the entire play vs. DBs not being allowed to "touch" a WR after 5 yards?

The difference on how much you can clobber a QB after he gets rid of the ball and all things related to how much, how hard, how often you can hit them.

Lots of major difference affecting the passing game.

[gutofsteel Profile]

Well, the analysis of how they perform is irrelevant without an apples-to-apples comparison with some of those other great defenses.

My personal opinion is that this defense is fantastic with a longer field, but they do not fair as well with a shorter field. Probably related to that is they didn't generate near the turnovers as the SB defenses of BAL and TB.

It can be problematic comparing points allowed (because of field position influenced by the offense and turnovers), but that is the bottom line for a defense. And compared to those TB and BAL defenses, I wouldn't say either team had a better offense, but comparable.

PIT gave up 223 in the regular season and 61 in 3 postseason games.
TB in '02 gave up 196 in the regular season and 37 in 3 postseason games.
BAL in '00 gave up 165 in the regular season and 23 in 4 postseason games. In fact, I think they scored more than that on defense alone in the playoffs.

So the '08 PIT defense was very good, but not on the same level as those other two.

[No l Gravity l Profile]

Well, the analysis of how they perform is irrelevant without an apples-to-apples comparison with some of those other great defenses.

My personal opinion is that this defense is fantastic with a longer field, but they do not fair as well with a shorter field. Probably related to that is they didn't generate near the turnovers as the SB defenses of BAL and TB.

It can be problematic comparing points allowed (because of field position influenced by the offense and turnovers), but that is the bottom line for a defense. And compared to those TB and BAL defenses, I wouldn't say either team had a better offense, but comparable.

PIT gave up 223 in the regular season and 61 in 3 postseason games.
TB in '02 gave up 196 in the regular season and 37 in 3 postseason games.
BAL in '00 gave up 165 in the regular season and 23 in 4 postseason games. In fact, I think they scored more than that on defense alone in the playoffs.

So the '08 PIT defense was very good, but not on the same level as those other two.

The Steelers defense did not give up all of those points. Thats points against for the combined offense, defense and STs. Off the top of my head I can remember Ben throwing a pick 6 against the Jags and Tennessee and the 2 safeties against the Eagles and Giants....well I guess you can count the safety when we played the Giants since it was on Harrison

[fillstorer Profile]

4th quarter SB points are not a stat that should be used against the steelers in arguments about best ever. The Steelers corners were playing deep and exchanging yards for time off the clock. That kind of defense is setup to allow teams to score but to make them do it in a way that takes so much time off of the clock that the team can win. The defense sacrifices stats for wins. Fitz 2nd touchdown was the result of one play's blown coverage. The other defenses listed had their fair share.

[Steel Holiday Profile]

When you consider that there is a Super Bowl trophy to show for it, it is a reasonable statement. Strategically speaking; the Steelers defense never put, or even allowed an opponent to put the Pitt offense into a compromising position. Making the Steelers offense one dimensional was a killer during games this season. But, the offensive short comings were from lack of abilities, not from lack of balance. Enter some slobbering fools moaning that it was the play calling. I think it was because Pittsburgh played against some tough teams defensively. In those games that Pgh lost, the opposing defense imposed it's will against the offense to dominate. Rookie Dt Eric Foster stuffed the Rb 2 Times! No matter how small the offensive out put was, the defense was right there to give them chances to take the lead in every game. That is a good defense. In several contest Pgh's defense scored the decisive points. That is a great defense!

[gutofsteel Profile]

The Steelers defense did not give up all of those points. Thats points against for the combined offense, defense and STs. Off the top of my head I can remember Ben throwing a pick 6 against the Jags and Tennessee and the 2 safeties against the Eagles and Giants....well I guess you can count the safety when we played the Giants since it was on Harrison

But that happens to every team. Yes, the defense did not give up all those points, but neither did TB and BAL's defense, I'm sure.

Many times, as well, the defense started slowly and then LeBeau made great adjustments. Other times, late in games, they got a little too conservative and bent all the way to breaking, which is why 4 or 5 of Ben's 6 comebacks were AFTER the defense had blown a 4th quarter lead.

Very good, but I can't put them on the same level as BAL and TB. Maybe with a little softer schedule this year and a dominant playoff run they'll leapfrog both.

[steelcitymetal Profile]

the point is...

Pgh loses SB with __ANY__ other defense other than our own

[bigjoespompano Profile]

The same 'theme' seems to reappear in many of the replies. "The defense sucked in the fourth quarter..."

Ya think that maybe if they hadn't had to spend so much TIME ON THE FIELD bailing out the FUKKING, GAWDAM USELESS PILE OF ARIENS SHIT THEY CALL AN OFFENSE then maybe (Just Maybe) they would have been better and not pooped out those last fourth quarters?? Hummmm? Anyone consider that??? And that suck-azz, fukk-face abortion coordintor will be back to DO IT AGAIN THIS SEASON!!!!!! AAAAAGGGGGHHHHHH!!!!!

[ILLSTILL Profile]

See, I agree here.

The defense can't be blamed for how they did in that 4th quarter alone!

They sucked that entire game! Lets not get confused.