30 greatest defenses in NFL history
24. ’90s Cowboys
America’s Team were exceptional during their dominance of Pro Football during the early ’90s. Made famous by the trio of Troy Aikman, Emmitt Smith and Michael Irvin, behind one of the greatest offensive lines in history and under the orchestration of coach Jimmy Johnson and later Barry Switzer, the Cowboys won three out of four Super Bowls. While their offense garnered all of the attention, the defense was quietly one of the best in the business.
Now, this is not to say the defense was quiet. It consisted of Deion Sanders and Charles Haley, some of the most arrogant, loud and flamboyant players of the time. Sanders called himself ‘Prime Time’ for God’s sake. The defense did not, however, receive the same attention as the dazzling, star-studded offense. It was though, an extremely effective unit, and helped lift the struggling Cowboys to those three Super Bowl victories. In Super Bowl XXVII, the Cowboys forced a record nine turnovers, all on defense, in their demolition of the Buffalo Bills.
On the defensive side of the ball, Charles Haley and Deion Sanders made it to the Hall of Fame. It is the consistent output of this defense that is so impressive. In terms of points allowed, the Cowboys were ranked in the top five on defense for five consecutive years. These five years consisted of all three Super Bowl victories and displayed the quality of such a team.
Next: 23. '03 Patriots