Originally posted by Sims19849ers:
Most of the SBs since 2000 were won BECAUSE of the defense. All three of Brady's first three were because of their defense. Baltimore's defense dominated. Tampa Bay's defense dominated. The Saints defense won them the SB vs Peyton with that pick 6. The Giants won both vs NE because of their defense. The Seahawks beat the Broncos because of their defense. The Patriots held on to win vs Seattle because of their defense. The broncos destroyed Carolina because of their defense.
Without their respective offenses, most of those teams don't get to the SB. The Ravens had the lowest ranked offense at 19th. You're trying to act as if offense is largely irrelevant and that any middling offense can win a SB but the statistics show that doesn't add up. The Giants could have played the best defense in the world against the Patriots but without Eli making big clutch passes in both SB's(255 yards passing and 2 TD's in the first, 300 yards passing and a TD in the second), they don't win. The Saints don't win without Drew Brees having a good game and throwing for 300 yards. The Ravens don't beat the 49ers without Flacco throwing for 280+ yards and 3 TD's. Pittsburgh doesn't beat the Cards without Big Ben leading a clutch drive down the field for the game winning TD after Warner torched the Steelers defense for almost 400 yards.
The logic you're trying to employ of giving all the credit to one side doesn't add up. New England beat Seattle with Brady throwing for 328 yards, without that 328 yards, Malcolm Butler never has a chance to make a play to seal the win at the end. Historically the vast majority of SB teams have had a very good offense and a very good defense.
Those percentages you put up were based off of rankings going into that game which is fair, but certainly doesn't explain how the game played out and what the deciding factor was into the game being won or lost.
I have seen more elite QBs lose or not win a SB, period than I have the best defense in the league lose it.
It shows that most SB team had top offenses AND defenses and that virtually every single SB team has had a top offense, a top defense or both and when those teams went head to head, the result was largely a stalemate historically speaking.
My point still stands. You need an offense and a defense. The most important player on any roster is generally going to be the QB because they have the largest effect on the game as a whole.
No QB in the NFL would've stood a chance vs the Broncos pass rush, right or wrong?
The Steelers without Antonio Brown had the lead and lost after fumbling the football deep in Denver's territory.
Tom Brady in spite of that pass rush threw for 300+ yards and the Patriots were a 2 point conversion away from overtime.
To say that "nobody would've stood a chance" isn't exactly accurate.
[ Edited by Phoenix49ers on Feb 27, 2016 at 9:09 PM ]