Defense wins championships? Freakonomics Article

[JCoz]

http://t.co/w5uwIej8

Interesting but pretty raw, IMO.

Discuss.

[Triple-S]

No matter the rank, I see one thing here

1991
2000
2002
and maybe 2005*

There's only been three super bowl won by supbar QB's. I only include 2005 in there, because Roethlisberger was flat out terrible in that game, and if the refs wern't crooked, you're talking a Seahawks W.

Even the losers..

1994
1995
2000
2006

So that's 8 out of 40 participants.

[JCoz]

That goes a lot deeper.

Around 80% of SB winners had HOF QB's

There a little tail wagging the dog in there I'm sure but its still staggering.

[Triple-S]

It's not to say that defense isn't important either..just things have changed

in the early 90's, not having a good enough defense likely cost the Bills a Lombardi. I mean you can't stop Mark F-ing Rypien and Jeff Hosteler (not even Phil Simms), you got a big problem. (going to be kind on them on the mid 90's Cowboys..as they were a juggernaut).

Sad thing is..you pop that team in a time machine they'd probably THRIVE in a more QB friendly league.

[HoodooMan]

in the early 90's, not having a good enough defense likely cost the Bills a Lombardi.

Early 90s Bills defensive rankings (pts allowed/rushing ypc/passer rating):

90: 6th/6th/11th
91: 19th/11th/5th
92: 14th/1st/14th
93: 5th/12th/5th

I don't think that was it.

[Fire Marshall Bill]

#10

Jim Kelly (XXVI)

28-58, 275 yds, 4.7 ypa, 2 TD, 4 int, 44.8 passer rating

Jim Kelly boasts plenty of Hall of Fame credentials. Great performances in the Super Bowl are not among them, and this 40-car pileup at rush hour in this 37-24 loss to Washington was the most disastrous of the bunch. The prolific Bills offense failed to score a single first-half point and Kelly's frantic comeback effort (Super Bowl record 58 attempts) produced too little too late. Even worse: The enduring image of the game is a glassy-eyed Kelly being helped off the field by Buffalo staff after suffering an injury


Read more: http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/multim ... z1lNZ1GPKe

The other was Scott Norwood

[Triple-S]

in the early 90's, not having a good enough defense likely cost the Bills a Lombardi.

Early 90s Bills defensive rankings (pts allowed/rushing ypc/passer rating):

90: 6th/6th/11th
91: 19th/11th/5th
92: 14th/1st/14th
93: 5th/12th/5th

I don't think that was it.

ESPN on the "Top 5 reasons you can't blame" said that in 91 and 93 they were both ranked 27th in total d.

[noles1]

That Bills era defense invented "bend but don't break"...

Always find it an utter waste to try and figure why the Bills never won it.

Simply came down to the NYG's playing out of their minds and having 2 coaches at their pinnacles for their coaching assignments (Parcells and Belichek). Throw in a kicker and a bunch of quirky things happening and they lost their best chance in the first of the four.

The Redskins game was as unlucky as anything, Rypien 3/4 of the way the a 16 month stretch that was Kurt Warner-esque. Thurman (the likely MVP the year before) losing his helmet and the first half imploding on the more talented Bills team.

The Cowboys games were hopeless. Cowboys were far and away the better, more talented team.

Never really anything more than that IMO.

[Triple-S]

The Cowboys games were hopeless. Cowboys were far and away the better, more talented team.

Never really anything more than that IMO.

I can't believe how dominant the NFC was, and how weak the AFC was prior to '98.

Giants, 49ers, Redskins, Bears, Cowboys all just seemed to be on paper so much more talented.

[FUDU]

Still with the rankings?

Cmon.