Despite all the rules changes designed to make it easier to score points, the NFL proved once again this weekend that defense still wins championships.
I know… I know… the Patriots are still alive and at home this weekend but here’s what I look at:
Two of the top defenses in the league will play Sunday (San Francisco and Baltimore).
Only one of the top offenses in the league remains (New England).
I’ll probably have my picks later on in the week but I’m leaning Baltimore and San Francisco right now.
From all the NFL I’ve watched over the years (and it’s been a lot), it seems three types of teams win championships:
1) Elite teams (think your 49ers of the 80s, Cowboys of the 90s, and Patriots of the early 00s)
2) Hot teams at the right time that win despite their questionable defenses because they get a lot of turnovers (think Green Bay last year, Indianapolis the year they beat Chicago, and New Orleans the year they beat Indy).
3) Defensively elite teams (the year Tampa Bay won, and when Baltimore beat the Giants in 2000).
I think we have some teams left that fit into categories two and three, but not one.
Posted by Scott Leamon at 11:25 AM. Filed under: leamon •
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