Do defences still win championships in the National Football League? Well, this Super Bowl will be the perfect litmus test.
The Seattle Seahawks boast the best defensive unit in the league. They finished No. 1 in total defence, No. 1 in yards allowed, and No. 1 in takeaways. On Sunday, they will be going against a Peyton Manning-led Denver Broncos offence that statistically ranks as one of the best in the history of the league. Manning broke records for passing yards and touchdown passes in what was the best statistical season of his Hall of Fame career. Denver averaged 37.9 points per game during the regular season while Seattle allowed just 14.4 points per game. Per Chase Stuart of footballperspective.com, that is the greatest disparity between Super Bowl teams in NFL history.
It’s not too often that the No. 1 defence and No. 1 offence end up facing off in the Super Bowl. In fact, this will only be the fifth occasion—the last when Bill Belichick’s New York Giants defence stifled the Buffalo Bills at the end of the 1990 season.
The defensive teams have had the advantage so far with victories by the 1978 Steelers, 1984 49ers and 1990 Giants while only the 1989 49ers bucked the trend by beating Denver 55-10.
We dug into the past matchups to see what stood out in the four times the No. 1 offence squared off against the No. 1 defence in the Super Bowl:
Super Bowl XLV: Giants 20, Bills 19
Notable stats: Jim Kelly, BUF (18-30, 212 passing yards, 0 TD), Thurman Thomas, BUF (15 rushes for 131 yards, 1 TD), Ottis Anderson, NYG (21 rushes, 102 yards, 1 TD).
The skinny: This Super Bowl is remembered for Scott Norwood’s missed field goal but not enough has been said about the excellent game plan by Bill Parcells and the Giants. New York ran the ball 39 times in order to run the clock and keep the high-flying Bills offence off the field. Kelly threw for just 212 yards and never got into a rhythm. The Seahawks could look at a similar strategy and control the time of possession with Marshawn Lynch. The Seahawks ranked 31st in the regular season in pass attempts and will want to keep Manning on the sidelines as much as possible.
Super Bowl XXIV: 49ers 55, Broncos 10
Notable stats: Joe Montana, SF (22-29, 297 passing yards, 5 TDs), Jerry Rice, SF (7 catches, 148 yards, 3 touchdowns), John Elway, DEN (10-26, 108 yards, 0 TDs, 2 INTs).
The skinny: The ’89 49ers are considered to be one of the best teams ever assembled so it’s no surprise they were the only No. 1 offence to prevail over the No. 1 defence in the Super Bowl. San Francisco had a top-five defence as well and they completely dominated John Elway (now vice president of football operations for the Broncos) in the blowout victory. This 49ers squad, which included now-Seahawks linebackers coach Ken Norton Jr., may be the best historic example for the Broncos to compare themselves to. They have the top offence led by a Hall of Fame quarterback, a dominant group of receivers and a solid defence to rely on, too.
Super Bowl XXIV: 49ers 38, Dolphins 16
Notable stats: Joe Montana, SF (24-35, 331 passing yards, 3 TDs), Roger Craig, SF (15 rushes, 58 yards, 7 catches, 77 yards, 3 TDs), Dan Marino, MIA (29-50, 318 yards, 1 TD, 2 INTs).
The skinny: On this occasion, the top defence prevailed. The second-year quarterback, Marino, was unable to score a touchdown after the first quarter as a much more experienced 49ers squad pulled away from Miami. Marino was sacked four times and threw two interceptions in his only Super Bowl appearance.
Super Bowl XIII: Steelers 35, Cowboys 31
Notable stats: Terry Bradshaw, PIT (17-30, 318 passing yards, 4 TDs, 1 INT), Lynn Swann (7 catches, 124 yards, TD), Roger Staubach, DAL (17-30, 228 yards, 3 TD, 1 INT).
The skinny: The first matchup between No. 1 defence and No. 1 offence turned into a shootout. The two quarterbacks combined for seven touchdown passes and Terry Bradshaw was named Super Bowl MVP. The Steelers defence did have a strong impact though, as Staubach was sacked five times and threw an interception to Mel Blount. The Steelers won four Super Bowls in the 1970s and the bedrock of their success was a top-ranked defence. They were built very similarly on that side of the ball to the current Seahawks.
