For anyone that witnessed the Seattle Seahawks pummel the Denver Broncos 43-8 in Super Bowl XLVIII at Metlife Stadium, one thing was clear – defense wins championships.
Last season the Broncos had one of the most impressive offensive seasons in the history of the NFL and yet they were only able to score eight points in the super bowl. Quite frankly the game seemed over when Cliff Avril tackled Knowshon Moreno in the end zone for a safety a mere 12 seconds into the game.
Once that happened the Broncos simply could not get back into the game and Peyton Manning was not able to get anything going. The defense basically smothered the Broncos from start to finish.
With their defense playing as well as they did, the Seahawks were able to score a massive 43 points.
[new page = 10. Houston Texans]
With the addition of Jadeveon Clowney, DE out of South Carolina, the Houston Texans have a very dangerous defensive line. Between him and J.J. Watt, opposing quarterbacks will not feel very secure in the pocket.
The Texans big concern is stopping the run game. They have always relied on blitzing the quarterback and stopping the big play but they have struggled with the run game. This is the downside of drafting Clowney because he is a prototypical pass rusher, not a run stopper.
[new page = 9. New England Patriots]
"It's good to have the same jersey on as Tom."
@Patriots DB Darrelle Revis meets the press: http://t.co/WRmBPgp8ap pic.twitter.com/dg7R4tiK3q
— NFL (@nfl) May 31, 2014
image via Twitter from NFL
The New England Patriots have always struggled on defense. Their image has revolved around Tom Brady and the offense for years and it helped them lose to the New York Giants in two super bowls.
This off-season they made big moves to aquire Brandon Browner, CB who won a super bowl with the Seahawks last season, and Darrelle Revis, formally Revis Island of the Jets and Buccaneers.
Between Revis and Browner they are some of the biggest names in man coverage today. Teams will find it very hard to throw deep against the Patriots which should eliminate the big play that they have feared for years now. If they can figure out how to stop the run and cover opposing tight ends, look for the Patriots to make a super bowl run this season.
[new page = 8. Cleveland Browns]
For years the Cleveland Browns have been a laughingstock of the NFL. This is the year that all stops. With the addition of CB Justin Gilbert out of Oklahoma St. paired with Joe Haden, the Browns will have a very competitive defense.
Last season they allowed the ninth fewest yards per game in the entire NFL. While they did better in pass defense than stopping the run, drafting Gilbert will still help their defense improve. He is a big body that can tackle well with great ball skills.
If their linebackers can step up this season and put pressure on the quarterback, the Browns will have a change of fate, at least on the defensive side of the ball.
[new page = 7. New Orleans Saints]
How excited are you to see these 2 in the black and gold: @champbailey and @jairusbyrd! pic.twitter.com/AdYf1L9iF9
— New Orleans Saints (@Saints) May 22, 2014
image via Twitter from Saints
The Saints, much like the Patriots, have always relied on offense and their quarterback Drew Brees to win games. This coming season they have one of the best secondary’s in the NFL.
Kenny Vaccaro, safety, is coming off a great rookie season. Play him alongside recently acquired Jairus Byrd and Champ Bailey almost eliminates the deep ball for opposing offenses.
This was such a big improvement for the Saints because their big struggle was always with the secondary. Their linebackers have played solid and they aren’t that vulnerable against the run. The Saints will make a big playoff push this season.
[new page = 6. Cincinnati Bengals]
The Bengals have one of the meanest defenses in the league. With Geno Atkins leading the defensive line, opposing running backs will rarely be able to run up the middle. This pushes a lot of running plays to the outside where fast linebackers are able to take them down before a big gain.
Where they have struggled is stopping the pass. Acquiring Darqueze Dennard, CB out of Michigan State, was a big move for the Bengals because he was one of, if not the best available CB in the draft.
He is a decent tackler but has great man coverage skills and should be able to shut down opposing number one or two receivers. Their defense should get a lot of turnovers this year.
[new page = 5. New York Jets]
The Jets could very well have the best defensive line in football. Muhammad Wilkerson is developing into a top defensive end while Sheldon Richardson just won defensive rookie of the year. Last season they were among the top five teams in limiting rushing yards per game for the opposition.
The Jets big problem comes with open field tackling. With the addition of hard hitting Calvin Pryor, safety out of Louisville, the Jets have ramped up their intimidation factor tenfold.
If second year cornerback Dee Milliner can perform well as the number one cornerback, the Jets will be looking at a late season playoff push.
[new page = 4. San Francisco 49ers]
Patrick Willis is the best middle linebacker in the NFL. Along with Justin Smith on the front line, running the ball against the 49ers isn’t a very good idea.
They have struggled in the passing game, but with the acquisition of Jimmie Ward, safety out of Northern Illinois, who some viewed as the best safety in the draft, the deep ball will not be as easy to complete against this defense.
Once Novarro Bowman is healthy once again the 49ers will be a really intimidating defense to face.
[new page = 3. Carolina Panthers]
Luke Kuechly is the best tackler in football. If you are near him, you will be on the ground very shortly. With 156 combined tackles, he ranks among the top five in the league last season. Once his football IQ improves he will overtake Willis as the best middle linebacker in the game.
With that said, he is only one of the Panthers many defensive weapons. Their secondary is strong and their defensive line is good against the run. They struggle when it comes to the ball being thrown over the middle of the field.
If they can effectively find a way to stop the slot receiver they should once again finish with a top five defense.
[new page = 2. Arizona Cardinals]
The Cardinals only have two standout defensive players, but since everyone on the defensive side of the ball is above average for their position, they are a very tough defense to face.
The big names include Patrick Peterson and Tyrann Mathieu. Peterson is a top two CB in the league because of his natural gifts – speed, height, vertical leap, and strength. He is pretty good in coverage too.
Mathieu on the other hand has some of the best instinct of any player in the NFL. He simply knows where to be and when to be there. If those two stay in Arizona for a while and have a defense slowly built around them they should contend for a super bowl in the coming years.
[new page = 1. Seattle Seahawks]
The Seahawks have the most complete defense that the NFL has seen in years. Almost every player at each position can be considered elite.
Richard Sherman is the best CB in the league accompanied with Earl Thomas the best safety in the league. Not to mention Kam Chancellor, Bobby Wagner and Michael Bennett.
As hard as it is to run the ball against the Seahawks it is nearly impossible to pass against them.
Teams are simply going to have to hope they can pick on Byron Maxwell who will be replacing Brandon Browner as the number two CB.
Regardless of what opposing offenses try to do, the Seahawks defense is capable of stopping any attacks thrown or run their way.
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