NFL Playoff Predictions: Projecting the Top Postseason Defenses

In today's NFL, the idea that "defense wins championships" has largely fallen by the wayside as high-production offenses take center stage.

However, when talking playoffs, it's clear that teams with strong defenses manage to fare better than those teams who are off balance, relying more on their offense than on their defense's ability to stop opponents.

Defense may not win a championship, but not having a strong one will keep a team from winning the Super Bowl, especially as offenses get bogged down with injuries at this late point in the season.

In the following slides, I detail four defenses that are going to present nightmare matchups for their postseason opponents.

Pittsburgh Steelers

It's no secret that the Pittsburgh Steelers defense has been the No. 1 reason why the team has reached the postseason season after season, and they're easily the most fearsome defense an opponent could face in the playoffs.

While this year, more than any other, the Steelers have found consistent success in their pass-heavy offense, as this season wears on it's clear that their defensive squad has only gotten stronger.

They started slow, to be sure, and they're just now getting into the groove as far as interceptions and sacks are concerned.

But the playoffs are like a whole new season unto itself, and considering the Steelers' track record in recent years, there's no more dangerous postseason defense in the league.

Baltimore Ravens

The AFC North is the home of the terrifying defenses, and there are few more terrifying this year than that of the Baltimore Ravens.

The top defense in the league, Baltimore is allowing just 198.6 passing yards and 88.8 rushing yards per game this season. While they've struggled against some of the worst offenses in the league this year, they've stepped up when it mattered most and are the No. 1 reason the team sits atop their division with a 9-3 record.

In the postseason, only one team seems to have what it takes to dismantle the Ravens, and that's the Pittsburgh Steelers. Every other team they face seems to have no answer for Baltimore's top-flight defense and they're going to be a scary squad to face once the playoffs begin.

San Francisco 49ers

The San Francisco 49ers have boasted one of the league's top defenses since 2009, however problems on offense have prevented the squad from making a postseason run.

That is, until this year. The Niners have already won the NFC West divisional title and clinched a playoff berth, and at 10-2, are the NFC's No. 2 team.

Their troubled offense has finally found a rhythm, but it's that seemingly unstoppable defense that will pay the biggest dividends for the team in the postseason.

The Niners have yet to allow a rushing touchdown this year and they're giving up an average of just 71.8 yards on the ground per game. At the same time, they're holding opponents to just 231.6 passing yards per game and have picked off quarterbacks 16 times.

They've also forced 16 fumbles, recovering 12 of them. Creating turnovers is the most important and effective thing a defense can do, and no other does it as well as San Francisco.

Turn them loose against a pass-heavy playoff team like the Green Bay Packers or New Orleans Saints and it could be a very good day indeed for one of the league's most surprising teams of the year.

New York Jets

The New York Jets are a prime example of how far a good defense can take a team. Struggling on offense year after year behind inconsistent quarterback Mark Sanchez, the team has reached the AFC championship game in both 2009 and 2010 on the strength of their defense.

Ranked third overall through 13 weeks, the Jets are giving up just under 205 passing yards and 113 rushing yards per game. They've notched 24 sacks this year, intercepted opposing quarterbacks 14 times and have forced 17 fumbles, recovering nine.

Thanks to early missteps, the Jets are at 7-5 and on the very fringe of notching a wild-card playoff spot. If they manage to snag one of the two openings, they'll be a hard team to beat.

Though their offense might not carry them all the way to the AFC championship game for the third year in a row, their powerful defense is more than capable of picking up the necessary slack. We've seen it before and it's not impossible to imagine we will see it again this year.