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

[Nel Profile]

How many HOFers-to-be were on the Stillers' D in 2008?

Troy P., maybe.
James Harrison, maybe.

How can it be the greatest D w/out a bunch o' HOFers?

Just wondering.

[Steel Holiday Profile]

Don't forget Dick Lebeau. Aaron Smith is and probably forever will be underrated. Part of what made this unit special was that they did not rely on just one guy. Harrison had a hall of fame season. When you couple that with the solid efforts from guys like Taylor, Woodley, and Clark, and then throw in the spectacular of Polamalu this was an exceptional effort. Everybody contributed at least at points, and all the contributions were critical.

If their was one weak area on the team it was probably vs. opposing rushing attacks. The traditionally impenetrable front 7 was pushed around a bit by some of the elite rushing attacks. Most of that was probably due to the undersized linebackers in the middle. No defense in the last 25 years has been perfect though. Didn't colonel Dan Marino shred the Bears on Monday Night in their only loss during their vaunted season?

I don't see lack of HOF players being a legit gripe for why the Pittsburgh Steelers defense of 2008 isn't the best of all-time. With a defensive minded coach in his second season facing a very difficult schedule, Mike Tomlin had his team ready to respond. No part of the team responded better than the defense. I'm not trying to argue against why other units were better, maybe they were. But, what we witnessed was incredible. It will be tough for another group of guys to replicate going forward.

[The Fan Of STEEL Profile]

How many HOFers-to-be were on the Stillers' D in 2008?

Troy P., maybe.
James Harrison, maybe.

How can it be the greatest D w/out a bunch o' HOFers?

Just wondering.

The HOF is a popularity contest, nothing more. I hope the HOF game dies.

[No l Gravity l Profile]

Troy P. ...MAYBE???!!!

[StillDodger Profile]

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.

Our stats were padded by a depleted Clowns offense, which after Brady Q. went down may have been the worst ever in the NFL. Even the Bungles' lowly "D" was able to shut them out. (The Clowns scored only six against us in the other game.) We also played a Bungles team without their starting QB, and faced several rookie QBs over the season.

I'm not taking away from this year's "D", but you do have to consider what we faced. Not to mention the Cards lighting us up late in the SB, which almost cost us the championship. I think our 1970s "D" wouldn't have let the Cards back in that game.

[HereWeGo Profile]

Still Dodger.

i was just about to post a very similar response until getting to yours. my sentiments exactly.

[steelerette Profile]

I don't think the Steelers' 2008 defense was better than the 70's Steelers' defense, but it is a totally different era, so I dunno. I do think our 2008 defense deserved it's #1 ranking this season. The 2008 defense won more than a few games for the Steelers, which is quite evident to everyone but Still Mill. All hail Dick LeBeau!

[stillgrill Profile]

You can throw stats out the window on this. There was Greene, Lambert, Ham, Blount - 4 HOF's + one who should be- Greenwood. Troy will be the only guy who even gets a sniff at Canton. 2008 was a tremendous group but the guys from the '70's could only be even remotely rivaled by the '85 Bears D.