30 greatest defenses in NFL history
15. ’70s Rams
After the dominance of the Fearsome Foursome in the late ’60s, many expected the Rams’ defense to tail off. Not many organizations would be able to reproduce a great defense after losing one of the greatest defensive fronts in history. However, through the mid ’70s, the Rams not only recovered from losing such destructive players, they improved on such a unit. There were some great defenses of the 1970s, many of which feature higher up this list, but the Rams are right up there with the best of them.
In 1973, Ray Malavasi was hired as the new defensive coordinator. Over the next four years, the Rams led the NFL in fewest total yards, fewest points, fewest rushing yards, fewest rushing touchdowns and the most sacks. If you weren’t convinced by the quality of the Rams’ defense amid other units such as the ‘No Name’ defense of Miami and the Steel Curtain of Pittsburgh, then those stats surely dispels any doubts.
With two Hall of Famers, defensive tackle Merlin Olsen, a member of the Fearsome Foursome, and defensive end, Jack Youngblood, the defensive front was stacked with talent. However, the Rams were never able to achieve success on the field. They were dominated by NFC rivals Dallas Cowboys and Minnesota Vikings in the post season, and the only time they made the Super Bowl, the Steelers won in comfortable fashion in 1979. Such is the case, while this defense was excellent in the regular season, year in, year out, the lack of titles limits their comparison with history’s best.
Next: 14. '64-'78 Cowboys