Order has been restored. Defense still wins championships. Well, not yet, of course. Pigskin Pundits and Bobbleheads seemed very much like self-righteous, puritanical church deacons pointing to the fall of those sinners in Green Bay and New Orleans as a sign of what happens to those who ignore the fundamentals of their faith. They will be struck down by God’s own zone blitz.
Perhaps I should say order has nearly been restored. The New England Apostates have yet to be dispatched to Pigskin Purgatory.
There’s only one thing wrong with this supposed return to the way football is supposed to be played in the NFL and it isn’t that Brian Billick thinks it’s true (though that is a strong indicator). The facts simply don’t fit the narrative.
Is 37-20 a score we associate with a defensive struggle? Eli Manning passed for 330 yards and 3 TD in the win over Green Bay. The Giants and Packers combined for over 800 yards of offense; each team had 15 first downs passing. On a bad day for him, Aaron Rodgers still passed for 264 yards and 2 TD. Certainly New York’s defense had something to do with Rodgers poor performance but wasn’t it their offense that won that game?
34 points were scored in the 4th quarter of the Saints-49ers game. Tell me how defense won that game. I’m listening. Hello? Anyone?
I suppose we’re completely discounting the Patriots 45-10 rout of the god-fearing Broncos, a team so old school they have a running quarterback. Filthy (New) Englanders!
Yes, the Texans and Ravens turned in a sloppy performance that had fans from both teams arguing that if only they had a good quarterback the outcome would never have been in doubt.
Defense is back?
Oh, I hope not.
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