San Francisco 49ers 10 Best Scoring Defenses of All Time: Ranking the 2011 49ers

Through Week 10, the 2011 San Francisco 49ers humbly occupy No. 1 in the standings in scoring defense in the NFL. 

They have allowed a league-low 15.3 points per game, not to mention having the NFL's highest-ranking rushing defense.

First give praise to the preexisting stalwarts on the roster prior to head coach Jim Harbaugh's arrival. Patrick Willis, Navorro Bowman, Justin Smith and Ray McDonald come to mind.

Then acknowledge the contributions of newcomer DBs Carlos Rogers and Donte Whitner, and rookie LB Aldon Smith and CB Chris Culliver.

Ultimately, give credit to Harbaugh and defensive coordinator Vic Fangio for harnessing their maximum potential and bringing it all together.  

But hey: let's not get ahead of ourselves. Harbaugh wouldn't want us or his players spouting off on such statistics or accolades. Humble hearts boys. No fodder for public entitlement or media speculation, he'd say.

Apologies coach Harbaugh, speculate is exactly what we'll do.

If the hard hitting 2011 49ers defense maintains this pace, they'll have allowed the fourth-lowest season point total over 16 games in franchise history. Some of the former teams above them brought home Vince Lombardi trophies.

I realize the season is ongoing and postseason success—let alone Super Bowl victories—are far from certain. But does that not call for a historical ranking of this defensive squad among the franchise's best of all time? Can we not make the comparisons and compile a top 10 best of all time list?

Well, I'm here to take on that endeavor. 

Criteria

Selecting just 10 defenses from the 60-plus years of the 49ers' participation in the NFL demanded certain criteria.

Honoring that, this list excludes any team that played fewer than 16 games in the regular season. Projecting a defense's statistics that played only 12 games (e.g The 1960 49ers) over the course of 16 games entails too many unknown performance-altering variables. I am of course projecting for this year's 49ers defense, but I had to impose certain qualifications for the sake of this 10 team limit. And this article would not exist if I hadn't.

Having established that, allowing the fewest points per game was the primary criteria. Once I arranged a master list of teams with the fewest points allowed (meaning one with more than 10 teams), certain factors elevated some defenses that technically gave up more points than other defensive squads.

These factors included shutouts, number of opposing teams held below their average point total during the season, quality of opponent, number of wins where 10 points or less were allowed and regular season records.

Ultimate considerations included whether the team had qualified for the playoffs, points allowed during the postseason and if the team made it to the Super Bowl.

I eliminated any team with a clearly superior offense (e.g. the 1994 Super Bowl champion 49ers who scored a league-best 31.6 points per game) that relied on outscoring the opposition rather than making defensive stops.

Honorable Mentions

13.6 points/game (franchise-low), 190 points for the season (third in the NFL), 14 game schedule, 8-6 record, no postseason appearance

15.4 points/game, 216 for the season (sixth in the NFL), 12 game schedule, 8-4 record, defeated the Washington Redskins 24-20 in the Divisional round, lost 3-14 to the Dallas Cowboys in the Conference Championship, allowed 17 points/game during the postseason

16.9 points/game, 253 points for the season (third in the NFL), 15 game schedule, 13-2 record, lost 24-36 to the Minnesota Vikings in the Divisional round

18.5 points/game, 296 points for the season (sixth in the NFL), 13-3 record, scored league-high 31.6 points per game, defeated the San Diego Chargers 49-26 in the Super Bowl, scored 43.6 points per game during the postseason, allowed 23 points per game during the postseason

15.4 points/game, 247 for the season (third in the NFL), 10-5-1 record, held teams below their season point total average in eight out of 10 wins, allowed 10 points or less in three wins, shutout the Atlanta Falcons 20-0, lost 3-49 to the NY Giants in the Divisional round 

16.4 points/game, 263 for the season (second in the NFL), 10-6 record, held teams below their season point total average in nine out of 10 wins, allowed 10 points or less in four wins, lost 3-17 to the NY Giants in the Wild Card round

10. 1995 49ers Defense

Points Allowed: 16.1/g

Season Total: 258 points (second in the NFL)

Regular Season Record: 11-5

Teams Held Below Season Average: 10 out of 11 wins

10 Points or Less Allowed: four out of 11 wins

Shutouts: zero

Marquee Defensive Performance: held the eventual Super Bowl champion Dallas Cowboys to 20 points; ranked third in the NFL with 27 points/g average

Postseason Points Allowed: 27/g

Postseason Total: 27 points

Postseason Record: 0-1

Divisional Round: lost to the Green Bay Packers 20-27 

9. 1997 49ers Defense

Points Allowed: 16.6/g 

Season Total: 265 points (third in the NFL) 

Regular Season Record: 13-3 

Teams Held Below Season Average: 10 out of 13 wins 

10 Points or Less Allowed: six out of 13 wins

Shutouts: one (23-0 over the New Orleans Saints)

Marquee Defensive Performance: held the eventual Super Bowl champion Denver Broncos to 17 points; ranked No. 1 in the NFL with 29.5/g average  

Postseason Points Allowed: 22.5/g

Postseason Total: 45 points 

Postseason Record: 1-1 

Divisional Round: defeated the Minnesota Vikings 30-22 

Conference Championship: lost to the Green Bay Packers 10-23

8. 1992 49ers Defense

Points Allowed: 14.8/g

Season Total: 236 (third in the NFL)

Regular Season Record: 14-2

Teams Held Below Season Average: 12 out of 14 wins

10 Points or Less Allowed: five out of 12 wins

Shutouts: zero

Marquee Defensive Performance: held the 11-5 postseason-qualified Miami Dolphins to three points (21.2/game); future Hall of Famer Dan Marino limited to 19-31-192 yards and zero TDs

Postseason Points Allowed: 21.5/g

Postseason Total: 43 points

Postseason Record: 1-1

Divisional Round: defeated the Washington Redskins 20-13 (1 rushing TD, 2 FGs)

Conference Championship: lost to the Dallas Cowboys 20-30

7. 2011 49ers Defense

2011 (*Through 9 games)

Points Allowed: 15.3/g

Season Total: 138 points (first in the NFL)

Regular Season Record: 8-1

Teams Held Below Season Average: seven out of eight wins

10 Points or Less Allowed: three out of eight wins

Shutouts: zero

Marquee Defensive Performance: held the previous undefeated 5-0 Detroit Lions to 19 points on their home turf (31.8/game through first four weeks)

Postseason Record: TBD

Reasoning: **see end of slide show

6. 1996 49ers Defense

Points Allowed: 16.1/g

Season Total: 257 points (fourth in the NFL)

Regular Season Record: 12-4

Teams Held Below Season Average: 11 out of 12 wins

10 Points or Less Allowed: three out of 11 wins

Shutouts: two (34-0 over the St. Louis Rams, 14-0 over the Philadelphia Eagles)

Marquee Defensive Performance: shutout the Eagles 14-0 in the playoffs; ranked ninth in the NFL with 22.7 points/g; kept Pro Bowlers Ricky Waters (RB) and WR Irving Fryar out of the end zone

Postseason Points Allowed: 17.5/g

Postseason Total: 35 points

Postseason Record: 1-1

Wildcard Round: defeated the Philadelphia Eagles 14-0

Divisional Round: lost to the Green Bay Packers 14-35

5. 1981 49ers Defense

Points Allowed: 15.6/g

Season Total: 250 (second in the NFL)

Regular Season Record: 13-3

Teams Held Below Season Average: nine out of 13 wins

10 Points or Less Allowed: four out of 13 wins

Shutouts: zero

Marquee Defensive Performance(s): held the eventual AFC Champion Cincinnati Bengals to three points in Week 15; ranked third in the NFL with 26.3/g; limited Hall of Fame finalist QB Ken Anderson in SB XVI to one TD pass and one rushing TD until late in the fourth quarter when the game was out of reach   

Postseason Points Allowed: 23.3/g

Postseason Total: 70 points

Postseason Record: 3-0

Divisional Round: defeated the NY Giants 38-24

Conference Championship: defeated the Dallas Cowboys 28-27

Super Bowl XVI: defeated the Cincinnati Bengals 26-21

4. 1990 49ers Defense

Points Allowed: 14.9/g

Season Total: 239 points (second in NFL)

Regular Season Record: 14-2

Teams Held Below Season Average: 11 out of 14 wins 

10 Points or Less Allowed: five out of 14 wins

Shutouts: zero

Marquee Defensive Performance(s): held the Washington Redskins to 13 points in Week 2 and 10 points in a Divisional playoff game (total of 2 TD passes, 3 FG); ranked fourth in the NFL with 23.8 points/g  

Postseason Points Allowed: 15.5/g

Postseason Total: 25 points

Postseason Record: 1-1

Divisional Round: defeated the Washington Redskins 28-10

Conference Championship: lost to the NY Giants 13-15; limited the Giants to five FG, zero TD

3. 1988 49ers Defense

Points Allowed: 18.4/g

Season Total: 294 points (eighth in the NFL) 

Regular Season Record: 10-6

Teams Held Below Season Average: nine out of 10 wins 

10 Points or Less Allowed: five out of 10 wins

Shutouts: zero

Marquee Defensive Performance: held the AFC Champion Cincinnati Bengals to without an offensive TD in SBXXIII (16 points, 3 FG, 1 Kick Return TD); ranked first in the NFL with 28 points/g

Postseason Points Allowed: 9.3/g

Postseason Total: 28 points

Postseason Record: 3-0

Divisional Round: defeated the Minnesota Vikings 34-9; Vikings ranked fourth in the NFL with 25.4 points/g

Conference Championship: defeated the Chicago Bears 28-3

Super Bowl XXIII: defeated the Cincinnati Bengals 20-16; shut down NFL MVP QB Boomer Esiason (11-25-144 yards-0TD- 1INT)

2. 1989 49ers Defense

Points Allowed: 15.8/g 

Season Total: 253 points (third in the NFL) 

Regular Season Record: 14-2

Teams Held Below Season Average: eight out 14 wins

10 Points or Less Allowed: five out of 14 wins

Shutouts: one (26-0 over the Chicago Bears)

Marquee Defensive Performance: thwarted the Denver Broncos offensive attack in SBXXIV; future Hall of Famer John Elway held to 10-26-108 yards-0TD-1INT (1 rushing TD)

Postseason Points Allowed: 8.6/g

Postseason Total: 26 points

Postseason Record: 3-0

Divisional Round: defeated the Vikings 41-13

Conference Championship: defeated the Los Angeles Rams 30-3; Rams ranked second in the NFL with 26.6 points/g  

Super Bowl XXIV: defeated the Denver Broncos 55-10; Broncos ranked eighth in the NFL with 22.6 points/g 

1. 1984 49ers Defense

Points Allowed: 14.2/g

Season Total: 227 points (first in NFL)

Regular Season Record: 15-1

Teams Held Below Season Average: 11 out of 15 wins

10 Points or Less Allowed: seven out of 11 wins

Shutouts: one (33-0 over the Los Angeles Rams)

Marquee Defensive Performance: dominated the No. 1 ranked AFC Champion Miami Dolphins offense in SBXIX; held to half their point total average (16; 32.1 in regular season); allowed only one passing TD, three FG 

Postseason Points Allowed: 8.6/g

Postseason Total: 26 points

Postseason Record: 3-0

Divisional Round: defeated the NY Giants 21-10; stymied future Hall of Fame QB Phil Simms (25-44-218-0TD-2INT) 

Conference Championship: shutout the Chicago Bears 23-0; Bears scored 20.3 points/g during the regular season; future Hall of Fame RB Walter Payton limited to 22-92-0TD 

Super Bowl XIX: defeated the Miami Dolphins 38-16; contained future Hall of Fame QB Dan Marino (29-50-318-1TD-2INT) 

Overview

The legendary defenses of the '80s with Hall of Fame bone-crusher Ronnie Lot rank above the 2011 unit. Aside from some of those squads, Harbaugh and Fangio have molded the current defense into arguably the hardest-hitting corps in the National Football League.

LB Patrick Willis is on his way to becoming a transcendent player. DE Justin Smith is a game-changing closer. These monsters and the rest of the defensive stalwarts haven't allowed a 100-yard rusher or rushing TD all season. Opposing offenses simply do not score TDs upon entering the red zone.

They have the ability to lead this team to the NFC Championship game against what all logic dictates as the Green Bay Packers. Their 23 sacks rank in the top 10. They put consistent pressure on quarterbacks and take them off their spots. Aaron Rodgers will experience the same.

And takeaways? They are tied for the league-lead with 21.

Running the ball, stopping the run and takeaways are the keys to postseason success.

The 2011 49ers can beat the Packers and defeat the AFC's best in the Super Bowl. If they do, it will be the franchise's sixth title and tied for the most in NFL history.

This defense might then rise up a spot or two. I might then have to make a new Best of All Time list.