What’s happened to defense in the National Football League, especially at the supposed most critical point of the season?
All of a sudden, the Steelers defense doesn’t look so bad by comparison.
In the biggest game of the year, the Philadelphia Eagles (538) and New England Patriots (618) combined for a Super-Bowl record 1,156 offensive yards and 74 points. What’s more, the teams combined to produce nine plays of at least 25 yards, making for an exciting game but again pointing up the porous defensive performances that have been on display in the postseason.
The Steelers defense was decried for allowing 45 points in a divisional round playoff loss to the Jacksonville Jaguars, and understandably so.