We hear the adage "defense wins championships" every year. It's used to remind people that touchdowns look great, but the 11 guys trying to ruin offensive highlights can tilt a game's balance when they're in lockstep.
How do we measure defenses?
It's important that a defensive play-caller makes the right decisions. Effective situational football matters. In addition, we're looking at whether a front line is susceptible to endless four- to five-yard runs up the middle and if the secondary can kill a drive with an interception.
Points allowed also holds tremendous weight. If a team surrenders scores in bunches, forget about a comeback.