Professional Football Researchers Association Forum

Earlier I made a post on the most recent NFL defense that allowed 14 points per game: the 2008 Steelers.

Well here’s the full list of defenses that allowed 14 points per game or less since teams started to play schedules of same length more consistently in 1936 (that was the start of that, correct me if I’m wrong).

Teams with asterisks allowed 11 points per game or less.

1936: Bears*, Lions*, Redskins*, Packers*, Cardinals, Dodgers, Giants

1937: Bears*, Lions*, Giants*, Redskins*, Packers, Pirates

1938: Giants*, Lions*, Packers*, Bears, Redskins

1939: Giants*, Redskins*, Lions, Packers

1940: Dodgers*, Giants, Redskins, Bears, Lions

1941: Giants*, Packers*, Dodgers, Bears

1942: Bears*, Redskins*, Steelers*, Giants

1943: Redskins

1944: Giants*, Eagles

1945: Redskins, Eagles, Rams

1946:
Steelers*, Browns*, 49ers, Yankees

1947:
Browns

1948:
Bears
Eagles
Browns

1949:
Eagles

1950:
Eagles
Browns
Giants

1951:
Browns
Giants

1952: None

1953:
Browns

1954:
Browns

1955: None

1956: None

1957: None

1958: None

1959: None

1960: None

1961: None

1962:
Packers*
Lions

1963:
Bears*

1964: None

1965: None

1966:
Packers

1967:
Rams

1968:
Colts*
Cowboys
Chiefs

1969:
Vikings*
Lions
Chiefs

1970:
Vikings*

1971:
Vikings*
Colts*
Dolphins
Redskins

1972:
Dolphins
Steelers

1973:
Dolphins*
Vikings
Raiders
Rams
Chiefs

1974:
Rams
Steelers
Vikings
Redskins

1975:
Rams*
Steelers
Vikings

1976:
Steelers*
Vikings
49ers
Rams
Cowboys

1977:
Falcons*
Rams*
Broncos*
Redskins

1978:
Steelers
Broncos
Cowboys

1979: None

1980:
Eagles

1981:
Eagles

1982: None

1983: None

1984: None

1985:
Bears

1986:
Bears

1987: None

1988:
Bears

1989: None

1990:
Giants

1991:
Saints
Redskins

1992:
Saints

1993:
Giants

1994:
Browns

1995: None

1996:
Packers
Panthers

1997: None

1998: None

1999:
Jaguars

2000:
Ravens*
Titans

2001:
Bears
Eagles
Steelers

2002:
Buccaneers

2003: None

2004: None

2005:
Bears

2006:
Ravens

2007: None

2008:
Steelers

2009: None

2010: None

2011: None

2012: None

2013: None

2014: None

2015: None

2016: None

2017: None

2018: None

2019: None

2020: None

2021: None

2022: None

2023: None

2024: None

What this chart clearly shows is that the Purple People Eaters were the greatest defense in history over an extended period.

A few things I notice:

In the 1930’s and 1940’s, more defenses allowed fewer points per game on average (I count 49 teams allowing 14 points per game or less in that 14 season span; 21 of which allowed 11 points per game or less). Of course in those years players played both ways as in-game substitutions weren’t officially unlimited until the 1950 season.

Then I see seven team seasons throughout the first half of the 50’s (and therefore the first half decade of unlimited substitutions in the NFL) that got to 14 points per game or less; the Browns and Giants accounting for six of them.

Then we have an eleven season stretch from 1955-1965 where only three defenses, The 1962 Packers and Lions, and the 1963 Bears got to 14 points per game or less; with Green Bay and Chicago both getting under 11.

The 1963 Bears on a side note showed up as the pass defense that allowed the lowest passer rating relative to the average of their opponents when I ran those numbers months back.

Then after two years with one team each crossing the threshold in the 1966 Packers and 1967 Rams, the dam bursts.

From 1968-1977 (a period that I consider the golden age of NFL defense; if not defensive stats at the very least), a total of 34 teams in ten seasons allowed 14 points per game or less, with eleven getting to 11 points per game or less.

Six franchises had three or more teams allow 14 points per game or less in that decade (Vikings, Rams, Chiefs, Steelers, Dolphins, and Redskins).

Also, shoutout to the Gritz Blitz Falcons for allowing the fewest points per game in the NFL in the era, the 1971 Colts for allowing the fewest first downs in the 70’s, and getting to an AFC Championship Game with a 38 year old Johnny Unitas at quarterback, and the 1976 49ers for getting 61 sacks in a 14 game season; including having three defensive linemen getting 10+ sacks each. That was the most in this period.

All told, that ten year stretch accounts for nearly half (34/72) of the defenses in the 75 seasons since unlimited substitutions began in the 1950 season that allowed 14 points per game or less, and 11 of the 14 teams that allowed 11 points per game or less.

I say 1977 is the end of the era because of the Mel Blount rule and increased protection for the quarterback. Admittedly 1978 has three teams that get 14 points per game or less too, but none got to 11 or less unlike 1977.

Not to rag on the rules changes or anything (my ideal football game would probably have more scoring than a lot of games these teams played and that’s not really possible without the Mel Blount rule), but I feel that they mark the end of that era.

Since 1978, there have been 26 teams that have allowed 14 points per game or less while having to contend with the Mel Blount rule.

In the 1980’s, only two Eagles teams at the start of the decade, and three seasons from the 1980’s Bears (85 Bears won a title obviously, and the 86 edition allowed even fewer points per game, and 88 was below 14 points per game too).

Then in the first half of the 90’s, we see six team seasons of 14 points per game or less; two from the Giants.

We see three in the second half (including the 96 Packers and Panthers who played each other in an NFC Championship Game).

And in the early 2000’s we see another cluster of six teams.

Notably the 2000 Ravens being the only defense post Mel Blount to allow under 11 points per game, and the 2001 season is the only one after 1978 where three teams allowed 14 points per game or less.

Then after strictly enforced illegal contact begins in the 2004 season, the 2005 Bears, 2006 Ravens, and 2008 Steelers are the only three teams to allow 14 points per game or less.

And no team since 2008 has allowed 14 points per game or less; though the 2013 Seahawks and 2019 Patriots came extremely close.

If anything, this illustrates how the rules can change the statistical standards of the era they are in.

JohnH19 wrote: ↑Mon Jul 21, 2025 2:00 am What this chart clearly shows is that the Purple People Eaters were the greatest defense in history over an extended period.

I don’t know if I’d necessarily go that far (as stated in my second post here, the rules that accelerated offense weren’t implemented yet).

That said, credit the Purple People Eater defense for having seven seasons where they allowed 14 points per game or less; more than anyone else in that generation and given that it had the most overall post unlimited substitution, that’s saying something.

If you omit the four touchdowns the 1969 Vikings gave up via turnovers or special teams returns, their points surrendered per game falls to 7.5.

Citizen wrote: ↑Mon Jul 21, 2025 8:15 am If you omit the four touchdowns the 1969 Vikings gave up via turnovers or special teams returns, their points surrendered per game falls to 7.5.

If you remove non offensive touchdowns, then the 1970 Vikings, 1968 Colts and 1971 Colts are all in single digits.

The Vikings defense does deserve credit but there is a reason it was called the black and blue division. Not much offense from any team.

Brian wolf wrote: ↑Mon Jul 21, 2025 12:18 pm The Vikings defense does deserve credit but there is a reason it was called the black and blue division. Not much offense from any team.

All of the defenses deserve credit for executing the performances they put up. Though playing weaker offenses on their schedules definitely helped.

That said, your division in and of itself is not your entire schedule.

Easier schedules or not, the six teams I listed who were able to get to 14 points per game three times or more in the stretch can say they did it over longer samples and there's something to be said for that too.