NFL Playoff Picture: San Francisco 49ers Defense or Green Bay Packers Offense?

The NFL Playoffs have yet to begin, but all signs point to an NFC Championship Game at Lambeau Field on January 22, 2012 between the San Francisco 49ers and the Green Bay Packers.

This is a matchup most football people have been salivating over for months now. The Packers feature a nearly unstoppable offense and the 49ers feature the most dominant defense in the NFL. It's a classic strength vs. strength battle that we love to debate, but rarely get to see.

So, if you had to choose between the Packers offense and the 49ers defense, which would you choose?

My personal preference will always be defense. I favor Ronnie Lott over Joe Montana. In Madden, I would always become a middle linebacker, just so I could hit someone.

The game of football is inherently violent in nature. This controlled violence is why we all love the NFL so much to begin with. No disrespect to what the Packers do on offense, I simply cannot choose finesse and precision over the brute strength and indomitable will it takes to be a dominant defense.

When your team's offense puts points on the board, you become exhilarated in the moment, but when your team's defense slowly but surely sucks the life out of their opponent with sacks and turnovers it creates an environment of dominance that lasts.

The Packers offense is fatally flawed, because if the passing game hits a rough patch, they have no running game to fall back on and they will lose. All it will take is for the Packers to get dominated by a defensive line (think the Kansas City Chiefs) and their offense will grind to a halt. 

The 49ers defense is fatal to opposing offenses. They give up a moderate amount of passing yards, but they don't give up any points. This year, the 49ers gave up only 14.3 points per game, and that was after a Week 17 near-disaster in St. Louis when they gave up 27 points.

If these two teams do end up facing off for the NFC Championship in January, this question will be answered once and for all. Another thing that would happen is that 49ers rookie sensation Aldon Smith would likely see the most action he's seen all year, due to the formations the Packers tend towards. 

Rodgers would see a pass rush unlike he's seen all year long, and the 49ers would finally show that a dominant defense always trumps a dominant offense.

Of course, I could be off my rocker and the Packers might go off for 50 points. Nah. Defense wins championships.