30 greatest defenses in NFL history
22. ’81 Eagles
Under head coach Dick Vermeil, the man who instilled hard work into all his sides, the Eagles defense was one of the best in the league at the turn of the decade. The third season with Vermeil at the helm, the Eagles would go on to a 12-4 record, winning the NFC East ahead of the Dallas Cowboys. Vermeil’s side met the Cowboys in the NFC Championship, winning comfortably 20-7. However, the NFC Champions lost to the Oakland Raiders in the Super Bowl.
Led by an excellent linebacker corps including Frank Le Master and Jerry Robinson, the Eagles limited the opposition to only 222 points in 1980, and then bettered that mark by one the next year. Both years the Eagles’ defense led the league in points allowed and in 1981, the Eagles allowed an outrageous 316 yards less than any other defense.
The hard work ethic that Vermeil had instilled in his side was reflected in the way his defense played. Proficient tacklers, excellent in coverage. In fact, every defensive starter had either an interception or fumble recovery throughout the year. The linebacker quartet forced seven fumbles and five interceptions, and the defense as a whole made the Eagles one of the best teams of the era.
Next: 21. '63 Bears