High powered offense, stone cold defense, what would you rather have?

[raptorsfan29]

just a question i wanted to ask, if you could have either one, what would you rather have (can't have both), A offense that could score avalanches of points or a defense that could shut down other offenses.

[StL FinFan]

Defense wins championships.

[YoFuggedaboutit]

Defense wins championships.

QFT

[Thundergod]

Gimme a high powered offense. Without points, you don't win. 

Baltimore has a great D, I'll be VERY surprised if they win the whole thing with that weak offense.

[Sunstroke]

Give me the ferocious clamp down point-miser defense, and I'll find a way on offense to scrap together the points I need.

[SCFinfan]

I'll take both.

[Spider-Dan]

Great defenses can score on their own.

Great offenses are at the mercy of the clock.  Someone has to have the ball last.

[Brian Fein]

Look at the teams still in the playoffs...

Pittsburgh
Tennessee
Carolina
NY Giants
Philadelphia
Baltimore
Arizona
San Diego

Now, let's look at the NFL Defensive rankings

1.) Pittsburgh
2.) Baltimore
3.) Philadelphia
4.) Washington
5.) NY. Giants
6.) Minnesota
7.) Tennessee
18.) Carolina
19.) Arizona
25.) San Diego

Do you think there's a coincidence that 5 of the top 7 defenses in the regular season are still alive in the playoffs?

[MaineDolFan]

I'll take St. Louis' offense the year they won, combined with Baltimore's defense the year they won, add in Tampa Bay's special teams the year THEY won....

And some popcorn.

Because that team would win 100 games back to back by a general margain of 174 to neg -8.

[bsfins]

For a 1 year run at the super bowl,Bone crushing Defense,for long term success I want the great franchise QB,and high powered offense....

[Dave Gray]

Of course Defense is the right answer.

However, the NFL is changing.  The rule set is becoming more and more tilted to high powered offenses.

[fyo]

Of course Defense is the right answer.

However, the NFL is changing.  The rule set is becoming more and more tilted to high powered offenses.

They did do away with the force-out rule for this season, so that helped a bit. I also think the PI and illegal contact calls that we were getting ALL the time a few years ago have kind of died out a bit. I think the NFL realized they had gone too far with their new stricter interpretation and decided to ease off a bit. Kind of like with the "throwing the ball away" delay of game penalty last year.

[Brian Fein]

I think getting rid of the force out rule actually leans the game toward defenders by taking away a lot of out routes and passes up the sideline.  All the corner has to do is shove a guy out of bounds where, if there force-out rule is in effect, they'd actually have to make a play on the ball.

I don't see how abolishing the force-out rule helps offense.

[fyo]

I don't see how abolishing the force-out rule helps offense.

Which was my point.

I was providing a counter-example. There's NO question the force-out rule favored the offense (and so abolishing it favored defenses). I thought it was obvious enough not to require clarification... but I guess anything can be misinterpreted.

[Phishfan]

Look at the teams still in the playoffs...

Pittsburgh
Tennessee
Carolina
NY Giants
Philadelphia
Baltimore
Arizona
San Diego

Now, let's look at the NFL Defensive rankings

1.) Pittsburgh
2.) Baltimore
3.) Philadelphia
4.) Washington
5.) NY. Giants
6.) Minnesota
7.) Tennessee
18.) Carolina
19.) Arizona
25.) San Diego

Do you think there's a coincidence that 5 of the top 7 defenses in the regular season are still alive in the playoffs?

I don't disagree with the fact that defense is a foundation for championships, but 5 of the top 7 scoring offenses are also still alive in the playoffs.