Ranking the Best Playoff Defenses of All Time

Whether this pass, offense-happy NFL likes to acknowledge it or not, defense wins championships, period.

You can score all the points in the world and lose, but score just a field goal and win. That's the beauty and importance of defensive football. And with the NFL playoffs in full force, here are the best playoff defenses of all time.

8. 1989 San Francisco 49ers

Because of players like Joe Montana, Jerry Rice, John Taylor and Roger Craig, the San Francisco 49ers defense didn't get nearly as much credit as it deserves.

Other than Ronnie Lott, most players aren't nearly as well known. In the 1989 playoffs, the 49ers defense allowed only 26 total points and saved their best for last.

In Super Bowl XXIV, the 'Niners defense held John Elway and the Denver Broncos to just 10 points and 167 total yards.

7. 1971 Dallas Cowboys

In the 1971 NFL playoffs, the Dallas Cowboys were feeling bitter after having lost Super Bowl V, otherwise known as the "Blunder Bowl," to the Baltimore Colts.

This year "The Doomsday Defense" was born as Dallas allowed just 18 total points in three playoff games and only one TD. The Cowboys capped the season off with a 24-3 win over Miami in Super Bowl VI, still, the only team to not score a touchdown in the Super Bowl.

6. 2002 Tampa Bay Buccaneers

One of the quickest and fastest defenses to ever play the game, the 2002 Tampa Bay Buccaneers allowed just 16 points before Super Bowl XXXVII kicked off and were winning 34-9 at the start of the fourth quarter against Oakland.

They picked off Rich Gannon, the 2002 NFL MVP, five times and took three back for TDs. In the NFC title game at Philadelphia, corner Ronde Barber took a pick back to seal the win against the Eagles.

Led by middle linebacker Derrick Brooks, the Tampa-2 scheme revolutionized defenses in the 21st century.

5. 1974 Pittsburgh Steelers

No, not the 1975 or 1978 Pittsburgh Steelers, the 1974 "Steel Curtain."

Where the Steel City's football franchise became a dynasty, it all began with the '74 Steelers most collectively dominant postseason performance.

Allowing just 33 points in three games, Pittsburgh's defense held Bills running back O.J. Simpson to under 50 yards in the first playoff game, the explosive Raiders to 13 points a week later and didn't give up a touchdown to Minnesota in Super Bowl IX.

This is where the "Steel Curtain" became entrenched in pro football lore.

4. 2000 Baltimore Ravens

One of the few wild-card teams to win the Super Bowl, the 2000 Baltimore Ravens took the scenic route to Super Bowl XXXV.

In these playoffs the Ravens allowed 23 points in four games which averages out to 5.75 points per contest. Ray Lewis and Co. allowed just one TD the entire postseason and the Ravens immediately became arguably the greatest single season defense ever.

3. 1986 New York Giants

Led by league MVP Lawrence Taylor, the New York Giants didn't care that John Elway had led "The Drive" against the Cleveland Browns in the AFC title game.

Prior to winning Super Bowl XXI over Denver 39-20, the Giants won their two NFC playoff games 49-3 over San Francisco and 17-0 over the Washington Redskins.

The "Big Blue Wrecking Crew" had one of the best linebacking corps of all time, and the Giants would go on to win a second Super Bowl in 1991.

2. 1969 Kansas City Chiefs

With arguably the best linebacking corps to ever play the game, the 1969 Kansas City Chiefs gave up 20 points in three playoff games en route to winning Super Bowl IV.

In the first playoff game K.C. held Joe Namath and the defending Super Bowl champion Jets to six points. Thereafter, they stuffed rival-Oakland to only seven points after the Raiders scored 56 a week earlier against Houston.

Led by eventual Hall of Famers in Bobby Bell, Willie Lanier, Buck Buchanan and Emmitt Thomas, the Chiefs had one of the best single-season defenses of all time.

1. 1985 Chicago Bears

The 46 defense, Buddy Ryan, Mike Singletary, Richard Dent, Wilber Marshall, Dan Hampton, Steve McMichael and the list goes on and on and on.

The 1985 Chicago Bears gave up 10 points in the playoffs, all in Super Bowl XX to the New England Patriots. They shutout the NY Giants 21-0 in the divisional round and the Los Angeles Rams 24-0 in the NFC title game.

Although this defense only won one Super Bowl, it is the standard by which all other defenses are measured and compared to.

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