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Reactions: Baltimore's defense

Too early to call the Ravens the best ever

Linebacker Mike Singletary and the 1985 Bears would argue that they had the best defense ever. John Swart/Allsport

The Baltimore Ravens defeated the New York Giants 34-7 in Super Bowl XXXV - a far cry from the low-scoring contest that was predicted before the game. Does this qualify the Ravens D for the title of best-ever defense? Not according to CNNSI.com users. Most rank Pittsburgh's Steel Curtain and the 1985 Chicago Bears unit above the 2000 Baltimore crew. A sample of the responses we received follows:

They rank pretty high but it takes more than one season to prove greatness. They aren't the Steel Curtain or Purple People Eaters yet. Those teams did it for years, not just one season. Let's see if they can do it a few more seasons.
Don Flannagan, Toledo, Ohio

The Steel Curtain was certainly a better defense. Take a look at the quality of their opponents in the majority of their games. The NFL is diluted now and they played a schedule that was very weak. Seven out of their last eight games were against teams that weren't even CLOSE to playoff contention. When the Browns Chargers Jets and Cardinals are your last four opponents (one Super Bowl win between the four EVER), it's easy to pad your numbers a bit. In fact only, two teams on their entire schedule made the playoffs at all -- Miami and Tennesee. I give the Ravens credit for having a GREAT defense. But they come up WAY short of being the best ever. Let's see what this group does next year when they play a harder schedule.
George Kardaras, New York

Multimedia Click the image to launch the clip    Ravens head coach Brian Billick is ready to argue his defense is the best in NFL history.    Ravens QB Trent Dilfer talks about his redemption after a terrible start in Tampa Bay. Super Bowl sights and sounds • Photo Galleries: Pregame | First Quarter | Second | Third | Fourth Inside Game • Monday Morning Quarterback: Lewis a new version of LT • SI's Don Banks: Legendary 'D' • CNNSI.com's John Donovan: Brash as they want to be CNNSI.com Features • SI's Don Banks: What We Learned • Closer Look: A TD flurry • CNNSI.com's Trev Alberts and Ron Meyer: Breaking down the Ravens' win • CNNSI.com's Dan George: Ads had something for everyone • Statitudes: Sour apples | By The Numbers • Ravens Locker Room: Walking the walk • Giants Locker Room: Bum and bummer • Listen Up! Sunday's Quotables • Animated Playbooks: Collins is intercepted again • Complete Coverage: CNNSI.com's Super Bowl XXXV Coverage From The Wires • MVP: Lewis stands out • Notebook: Giants applaud Ravens defense • Typical Trent: Dilfer gives usual performance • Brash Billick: Coach inspires Ravens • Giant struggles: Sehorn suffers reversal of fortunes | Collins flounders • TV: The Eye network | Aerosmith, N'Sync add spice to halftime Instant Poll Will the Ravens repeat as champions? Yes No View Results Your Turn • Reactions: Ravens defense is great, but not the best

I think that the defense of the Ravens is incredible. However, they were not the best defense in football over the course of the season. Look at the stats. Case closed.
Russ Sherman, Nashville, Tenn.

The Ravens definitely have the best defense in 16 years. The '85 Bears would give them a run for their money on the 'Best-of-All-Time' label.
Jon Scroggins, Orlando, Fla.

The Ravens are good, there is no doubting that after this amazing season, but I still believe that anyone would be hard pressed to doubt the '85 Bears as the best ever. The monsters of the midway dominated everyone that they played that year, and should still be listed as the greatest.
Nathan Wilcke, Ames, Iowa

In a word: "Yes". The 2000-01 Baltimore Ravens defense ranks as one of the greatest ever, and is without a doubt the most dominating defense I've seen since Buddy Ryan's Bears D in 1985-86.
Joe Abello, Los Angeles, Calif.

The Ravens have ONE of the best defenses of all time, but come on now, they play Cleveland, Cincinnati, and Pittsburgh twice along with Dallas, San Diego, and Arizona. PLEASE! Give me the Steel Curtain anytime!
Andy Serrano, Denver, Colo.

No team has leveled quality opponents the way the Ravens have. The '78 Steelers and '85 Bears had pretty decent offenses to go along with their great defenses. The '00 Ravens won a championship almost solely on the strength of their defense. No other defense in history can say that. Best ever - for now.
Brad Stover, Bel Air, Md.

Let's see what the Ravens do next season and beyond. Right now I would favor a defense like the Steel Curtain since they did it over a few seasons. Let's see if the Ravens can do it again. With a weak offense, I think that may bring them down next year and make it tougher for them to repeat.
Dennis Helfrich, Philadelphia

As an original Baltimore Colt season ticket holder, I have seen the best defensive teams during the last 50 years - the Packers, Steelers, Bears and of course, the Colts of '58 and '59. The Ravens not only excel individually as stars, but more importantly as a well-coordinated team, where each member is finely-tuned into the other. There are no weaknesses. The defense is so deep that many of the backups could be starters for other teams. The team speed is unparalleled. You can't run through them, around them or past them. Today's players are bigger, stronger, faster and more sophisticated. For a single season, this has been the greatest defensive team of all time. Unfortunately, because of today's cap structure, we may never have an opportunity to give this team its just due as the greatest defense of all time.
Carl M. Caplan, Baltimore, Md.

Without a doubt -- NO. Taking nothing away from Baltimore's great defensive unit, they belong in the top three. But they're not "the" greatest of all time. They are (in this order):
1. 1985 Chicago Bears
2. 1975 Pittsburg Steealers
3. 2000 Baltimore Ravens
But the Ravens possess an advantage over the other two -- next year! Congratulations Baltimore on this year's success! (And next year, may you follow the example of the '76 Steelers and not that of the '86 Bears.)
Rob Blair, Indianapolis, Ind.

No. The Ravens are very good, but not the best ever. As a lifelong Steelers fan, the Steel Curtain of the 70's was the best, bar none. Not so much for what they did in any single year, but for the fact that they maintained that level of performance for several years consecutively. From 1974 through 1980, when you talked about defense in the NFL, the Steelers were the first team on everybody's lips and thirty years later they still are.
Dan Finnegan, Bremerton, Wash.

Baltimore's defense is good...no question. But the best ever?? No way. One thing to keep in mind is that the Ravens got through their season without having to face a powerhouse high-scoring offense. This year pro football just didn't have a dominant offensive team, so the Ravens defense really went untested. In the Super Bowl, Kerry Collins might just as well have handed the Giant's game plan to the Ravens defense, the way he telegraphed each of his passes. Against a Joe Montana or Dan Marino or Troy Aikman, the Ravens would have been truly tested.
Tom

Baltimore's defense is the best ever. Bar None. They have showed it throughout the season by allowing the least points and then showed it in the postseason by holding three of the top offenses (Denver, Tennessee, Oakland) to 10 points or less and one of the hottest offenses (N.Y. Giants) to one touchdown off of a kickoff return. How can you argue that they are not the best?
Dwight Bowman, Baltimore, Md.

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