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Which was the greatest Super Bowl performance by a defensive unit?

Clayton

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The 2000 Ravens, 02 Bucs, 13 Seahawks and 15 Broncos all had amazing defenses overall and defenses that did well in the Super Bowl they won, but I think the Pats limiting the Rams high octane offense to 3 points in Super Bowl 53 might be the best defensive performance in the Super Bowl itself, Pats D was outstanding in that game. It’s kind of hard to believe the Pats won the Super Bowl that year given that they really didn’t have many weapons on O around Brady, Edelman and Gronk were pretty much it, but Brady was just amazing and carried the team and their D was stronger than normal that year
That Patriots team had the 7th best defense* in the regular season so it is impressive when you consider they had an elite performance without an elite defense.

Although the 07 Giants team had the 17th best defense* in the regular season and they got hot and beat the best regular season team of all time.

With a lot of these other performances, we're talking about elite defenses but not those two.

* - from Proreference so maybe not 100% accurate
 

Dr. Strangelove

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For me, the 85 Bears leading up to the SB were the most dominant. The Pats really had no chance and that game was anti-climactic because we all knew what was coming. The fact that the Pats actually scored 10 points and had over 400 combined yards when neither NFC team had that many yards and were both shut out kinda makes the SB performance a little, meh.
Those 2000 Ravens would probably be the top one for me. But then again, Kerry Collins so whatever, right. But still, that was dominant.
Some of those older games mentioned also stand out but it was an era when defenses reigned supreme so that might need to be considered.
And at the risk of being a total homer, the Hawks dismantling of Peyton's Broncos when virtually the entire country said the Donkeys were gonna roll them has to be one of the most shocking displays ever. That and the 19 Pats in this era where the offenses have the decided advantage has to be taken into consideration. Those two teams shutting down those high powered offenses has to be part of the conversation. We can talk Oline issues or whatever but still, Peyton's Broncos were considered unstoppable and it was never even a contest.
To my point of what the opposing offense had, we should give a shout-out to the Raiders in SB XVIII over the Redskins. The Skins came in with the highest scoring offense ever at that time with 541 points scored and were trying to go back to back and the Raiders shut them down with only 9 points given up. Yeah, we all remember Marcus Allen's absolutely stunning performance but what they did to Washington defensively should be noted.
 

Schmoopy1000

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For me, the 85 Bears leading up to the SB were the most dominant. The Pats really had no chance and that game was anti-climactic because we all knew what was coming. The fact that the Pats actually scored 10 points and had over 400 combined yards when neither NFC team had that many yards and were both shut out kinda makes the SB performance a little, meh.
Those 2000 Ravens would probably be the top one for me. But then again, Kerry Collins so whatever, right. But still, that was dominant.
Some of those older games mentioned also stand out but it was an era when defenses reigned supreme so that might need to be considered.
And at the risk of being a total homer, the Hawks dismantling of Peyton's Broncos when virtually the entire country said the Donkeys were gonna roll them has to be one of the most shocking displays ever. That and the 19 Pats in this era where the offenses have the decided advantage has to be taken into consideration. Those two teams shutting down those high powered offenses has to be part of the conversation. We can talk Oline issues or whatever but still, Peyton's Broncos were considered unstoppable and it was never even a contest.
To my point of what the opposing offense had, we should give a shout-out to the Raiders in SB XVIII over the Redskins. The Skins came in with the highest scoring offense ever at that time with 541 points scored and were trying to go back to back and the Raiders shut them down with only 9 points given up. Yeah, we all remember Marcus Allen's absolutely stunning performance but what they did to Washington defensively should be noted.
if you are counting whole playoffs & not just the Superbowl.
I think the 85' bears wins it.
They gave up zero points in the playoffs!
 

saturdaysarebetter

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For me, the 85 Bears leading up to the SB were the most dominant. The Pats really had no chance and that game was anti-climactic because we all knew what was coming. The fact that the Pats actually scored 10 points and had over 400 combined yards when neither NFC team had that many yards and were both shut out kinda makes the SB performance a little, meh.
Those 2000 Ravens would probably be the top one for me. But then again, Kerry Collins so whatever, right. But still, that was dominant.
Some of those older games mentioned also stand out but it was an era when defenses reigned supreme so that might need to be considered.
And at the risk of being a total homer, the Hawks dismantling of Peyton's Broncos when virtually the entire country said the Donkeys were gonna roll them has to be one of the most shocking displays ever. That and the 19 Pats in this era where the offenses have the decided advantage has to be taken into consideration. Those two teams shutting down those high powered offenses has to be part of the conversation. We can talk Oline issues or whatever but still, Peyton's Broncos were considered unstoppable and it was never even a contest.
To my point of what the opposing offense had, we should give a shout-out to the Raiders in SB XVIII over the Redskins. The Skins came in with the highest scoring offense ever at that time with 541 points scored and were trying to go back to back and the Raiders shut them down with only 9 points given up. Yeah, we all remember Marcus Allen's absolutely stunning performance but what they did to Washington defensively should be noted.
Valid points made. Although the '85 Bears faced a one-dimensional Rams team that was quarterbacked by the great Dieter Brock if memory serves. C'mon. Hardly impressive. So when you consider the '85 Bears faced Dieter Brock and Tony Eason in the post-season, color me unimpressed.
 

Debbie Does

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Superbowl LI in 2017, Patriots against the Falcons. The Patriots were down by the dismal score of 28-3 with just over a quarter to go. The defense just took over, kept getting the ball back to the offense, and Brady and Company started scoring. Atlanta didnt get another point and the Patriots won 34-28 in overtime.
 

PDay8810

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Superbowl LI in 2017, Patriots against the Falcons. The Patriots were down by the dismal score of 28-3 with just over a quarter to go. The defense just took over, kept getting the ball back to the offense, and Brady and Company started scoring. Atlanta didnt get another point and the Patriots won 34-28 in overtime.
Sure...why not.

:hardy:
 

saturdaysarebetter

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Superbowl LI in 2017, Patriots against the Falcons. The Patriots were down by the dismal score of 28-3 with just over a quarter to go. The defense just took over, kept getting the ball back to the offense, and Brady and Company started scoring. Atlanta didnt get another point and the Patriots won 34-28 in overtime.
So you're ignoring the 28 points the Patriots gave up before the fourth quarter????
 

Clayton

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And at the risk of being a total homer, the Hawks dismantling of Peyton's Broncos when virtually the entire country said the Donkeys were gonna roll them has to be one of the most shocking displays ever. That and the 19 Pats in this era where the offenses have the decided advantage has to be taken into consideration. Those two teams shutting down those high powered offenses has to be part of the conversation. We can talk Oline issues or whatever but still, Peyton's Broncos were considered unstoppable and it was never even a contest.
To be fair, virtually the entire country is often wrong when it comes to the Super Bowl best I can tell. If I'm looking at it correctly the game opened up even odds and public pushed it 2.5 points towards the Broncos. It was supposed to be an even contest. IIRC Drew Brees was asked about how Peyton was going to attack Seattle's defense and he gave an answer like 'I'm not fully sure he can'

I know when the Chiefs and Bucs faced off in the Super Bowl the Chiefs were a 3pt favorite and got stomped. The Chiefs blew out the Bills before the Super Bowl and I think people forgot how shaky that Chiefs team was down the stretch on top of ignoring the oline issues.

The public tends to lean offense and history tends to lean defense.
 
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