Does Defense Still Win Championships in the NFL?

Defense wins championships. This phrase was coined in reference to the history of winning NFL franchises dating back to 1960. This was true for the Packers in the 60’s, the Dolphins and Steelers in the 70’s, and the Bears and Giants in the 80’s. Even in the 2000’s, teams like the Ravens and Giants have found Super Bowl success through defensive efforts. 

So, yes, defense has won championships. As the QB landscape throughout the league begins to change, however, this statement could become a thing of the past. The San Francisco 49ers and New England Patriots are leading the league in defensive effort in 2019. Despite this, the odds are banking on the Baltimore Ravens as Super Bowl favorites. Lamar Jackson has defeated both defenses this season and seems to be an impossible player to stop. Soon, he may not be an anomaly. 

Evolution of Defenses

Traditional floor generals like Peyton Manning, Tom Brady, and Drew Brees are closing out an era. Football began as primarily a running sport. The forward pass seemed novel until defenses caught up. The West Coast offense then took over and succeeded until, once again, defenses evolved. Intelligent play-callers that could adapt within the span of a 40-second play clock then revolutionized the game. Once again, defenses adapted. 

Patrick Mahomes, Deshaun Watson, and Lamar Jackson, amongst others, represent the next step in the game’s evolution. These individuals are intelligent signal-callers who can not only make adjustments prior to the snap, but also in the middle of the actual play. It is unfathomable to even attempt a prediction at how defenses will respond in the future. 

The introduction of the forward pass was countered by the emergence of defensive backs who could catch up to a ball flying in the air. The West Coast offense led to the creation of zone defenses to supplement man defenses as a way to help stop the quick passes. The emergence of intelligent signal callers who could adjust plays at the line of scrimmage led to the growth of defensive pre-snap disguising. What will the emergence of the so-called ‘option’ offenses lead to? Here is one guess: 

The Cover 11 Defense

The Cover 11 defense would involve accepting that it is difficult to react to a play that even the opposing team’s QB is not sure of until it is already happening. Instead of trying to get to the QB, this defense would involve having all 11 defensive players in a combination of zone and man coverage. A defense attempting to run this would have to ditch heavy defensive linemen in favor of athletic linebackers and strong defensive backs.

The problem with this type of defense would be its susceptibility to the running attack. Players like Derwin James do not grow on trees. It would be his exact profile that teams would be lining up for. Having said that, it would be fun to see Lamar Jackson faking a handoff to Mark Ingram and then turning around to find double coverage on every single receiver and two scouts in the middle waiting for him to run. 

Can Defense Win Championships?

Does defense win championships? It has, but maybe not for now. This is tough news for 49ers and Patriots fans to hear. Although if history is any indication, we are on the precipice of a huge defensive revolution that will make this phrase a fact once again. I, for one, hope that Cover 11 is part of that response.