Top 3 NFL defenses in the last ten years
The offensive boom in the NFL over the past 10 years led to some teams building defenses that rank among the greatest in league history.
There have been a lot of great defensive units over the last decade but the three we have listed below stand out amongst the lot.
Here are the top three defenses of the last ten years.
Best NFL defenses of the last decade
#1 - 2015 Denver Broncos
The 2015 Denver Broncos' defense carried the team during Peyton Manning's final year in the league. During the season, the quarterback suffered an injury to his foot and missed a large part of the season.
The defense was so dominant that despite Brock Osweiler filling in for Manning, they still racked up victories. The defense featured Von Miller, DeMarcus Ware, Malik Jackson, Danny Trevathan, Aqib Talib, Chris Harris Jr. and T.J. Ward, among others.
The 2015 Denver Broncos' defense carried the team to victory in Super Bowl 50 as the underdogs.
Going into the game, Cam Newton and the Carolina Panthers were riding high after a near-perfect season. However, the Denver Broncos' defense was able to force two critical turnovers to seal the victory.
The Denver Broncos offense ranked 16th that season and remains the lowest-ranked offense to win a Super Bowl.
#2 - 2013 Seattle Seahawks
Like the Denver Broncos, the Seattle Seahawks had a sub-par offensive unit. While the offense was good enough to put together scoring drives late in games, they struggled to move the ball consistently for the first three quarters. To negate their offensive woes, the team formed a defense that is now immortalized as the "Legion of Boom".
It featured Bobby Wagner, K.J. Wright, Richard Sherman, Kam Chancellor and Earl Thomas, among others. They quickly became one of the scariest defenses to face, especially in Seattle.
Their best performance came when they faced the Denver Broncos in Super Bowl 48. The Peyton Manning-led Broncos offense was the highest-scoring in NFL history. The quarterback also set the record for most touchdown passes in a single season with 55.
The Seattle Seahawks came into the game as underdogs but dominated the Denver Broncos. The Seahawks won the game 43-8.
#3 - 2020 Los Angeles Rams
The 2020 Los Angeles Rams' defense put up similar numbers to those of the 2013 Seattle Seahawks and the 2015 Denver Broncos.
While the 2020 Los Angeles Rams did not win a championship or stop one of the best offenses of all time, they were as dominant as any other defense in the league at any time.
The 2020 Los Angeles Rams featured Aaron Donald, Jalen Ramsey, Darious Williams, Leonard Floyd and Michael Brockers. Defensive coordinator Brandon Staley's incredible work with the Rams' defense landed him the head coach position of the Los Angeles Chargers.