Ranked defensively, four out of the top-5 NFL teams during the 2017 regular season played either in the conference championship games (Minnesota Vikings and Jacksonville Jaguars), the Super Bowl (Philadelphia Eagles and New England Patriots), or both. This fact alone speaks to the continued importance of defensive football. But on the other hand, Super Bowl 52—arguably featuring the league’s two strongest teams—was more like a track meet than a defensive showcase. The Pats and Eagles combined for a total of 1,151 yards of offense, putting 74 points on the scoreboard in a game which featured only a single punt (by the Eagles).
Team Defense: How crucial is it in today’s NFL?
