1985 Bears Defense Prevails Again

Analysis: Poll shows the importance of defense still in an age when rules are bent greatly to accomodate offenses or safety.

USA Today

When there is no football or practice occurring, it leaves to much time for introspection.

Studying what the Bears are doing from the 30,000-foot view can lead to lingering questions about whether they made the right coaching choice by taking a defensive coordinator when everyone in today's game seems to lean offense for the head coach.

An article by Pro Football Hall of Fame writer Rick Gosselin, the man who came up with the special teams rating system used by teams across the league for decades, reveals perhaps it's probably not a concern.

In a poll conducted for powerpoll.com, Gosselin asked 163 writers and broadcasters, former players, coaches, officials and talent evaluators which elements they would rather have to take into the 2023 season, a great offense or great defense. The choice was whether they would rather have the 1985 Bears defense or the St. Louis Rams 1999 offense, the "Greatest Show on Turf."

It's actually a nice contrast because both teams won only one championship despite the dominance they showed.

Yes Virginia, there is a need for defense.

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Of the 163 voters, the 1985 Bears appropriately received 85 votes. The Rams offense got 78.

Both Offense and Defense

Study this question further and you'll get the real answer to the question and that is: You need both to win.

The 1985 Bears defense was dominant. Yet, they couldn't become the great Lombardi Trophy-winning team they were until they had enough of a passing attack with Jim McMahon actually healthy, with Willie Gault and Dennis McKinnon as receiver threats combined with Walter Payton and an offensive line that helped them lead the NFL in rushing four times in five years.

Conversely, everyone talks about the "Greatest Show on Turf," but if offense truly was so critical then how did they only win one Super Bowl and more importantly, how did they only win that Super Bowl the way they did?

Was it Kurt Warner throwing all over the field to ring up the win for the trophy?

No. The Greatest Show on Turf won the Super Bowl because linebacker Mike Jones reached out and brought Titans receiver Kevin Dyson to the turf 36 inches from the goal line to end it. The Greatest Show on Turf needed only 23 points to win that Super Bowl because their defense held the Titans to 16.

Well, OK, the Super Bowl that year was just one game. The Greatest Show on Turf had to win to get to the Super Bowl. Yes, they scored 11 points to make the Super Bowl. They beat Tony Dungy, Love Smith and Tampa Bay 11-6. There's your offense.

Even now it's true. Teams must have great defense, either situationally or overall, to win games. They can't beat those defenses without great quarterback play.

The Chiefs have won two the last four Super Bowls, but last year they only got there by holding two talented offenses to 20 points in the playoffs first before they beat the Eagles 38-35. The Super Bowl was high scoring and interesting, but if that Eagles defense which was so great over the course of the season had merely shown up for one last drive, Harrison Butker's game-winning field goal wouldn't have happened. It was a situational win by the Chiefs offense in two-minute drill that won it.

In the divisional playoffs last year, no losing team scored more than 20 points. It was a strong week for defensive play.

What It Means for Bears Now

So what does all this mean for the Bears, who had neither strong defense nor strong offense last year?

Matt Eberflus was a defensive coach but defensive coaches can win Super Bowls.

Bill Belichick was a defensive-side coach. Several of the Super Bowl wins he had were over defensive-side coaches like John Fox, Pete Carroll and Dan Quinn. Those coaches might have been Super Bowl winners had they not been facing Belichick.

You can look back before last year at And Reid's win over the 49ers, Sean McVay's Rams beating Cincinnati and Bruce Arians' Buccaneers beating the Chiefs, and none of their teams allowed more than 20 points in the Super Bowl to win.

So situational defense is necessary at the very least.

Eberflus is a defensive-side head coach but delegates and doesn't call defenses. The Bears aren't tied to winning with defense now.

Their problem last year was they had neither defense nor an offense. They're trying to build both now and it's going to take both to win.

Twitter: BearDigest@BearsOnMaven