Four games into the NFL playoffs, it remains unclear what will win the championship — offense or defense. The final eight teams vying for Super Bowl XLVI include the top three offenses and three of the top four defenses. So much for the adage “offense sells tickets, but defense wins championships.” Maybe that’s true, and maybe that’s not.
New Orleans couldn’t stop scoring against Detroit. Indeed, every winning team in the wild-card round scored at least 24 points.
But the New York Giants shut out Atlanta, which managed only a safety Sunday. Houston held Cincinnati to 10 points.
The only thing consistent in the opening round was the home teams won all four games. That may continue next weekend, when New Orleans may be the only visitor to win when it goes to San Francisco.
In the end, it’s looking like Green Bay-New Orleans in the NFC and New England-Baltimore in the AFC. Plenty of preseason pundits picked those matchups.
That NFC showdown would match the Nos. 1 and 3 offenses and the Nos. 24 and 32 defenses in the Saints and Packers, respectively. The AFC would see Baltimore’s No.?3 defense against New England’s No. 2 offense. The Ravens also have the No. 15 offense vs. the Patriots’ No.?31 defense.
Everybody yaks about needing a franchise quarterback, but Baltimore, Houston and San Francisco don’t have one.
None of these defenses is the second coming of the 1985 Chicago Bears. In fact, Green Bay allowed the most yards in the NFL despite finishing with the best record at 15-1. The stat is a little skewed because the Packers often were so far ahead they could play prevent defense in the first half. New England scored 30 or more points 10 times, so it also played a little looser defensively.
The offense vs. defense debate continues into the draft. The Washington Redskins desperately need a quarterback, but passing on a defensive playmaker might be foolish.
Houston general manager Charley Casserly chose linebacker Mario Williams over running back Reggie Bush as the first pick in 2006. It was such an unpopular selection it might have cost Casserly his job.
Williams was the better choice. He had 53.5 career sacks before missing the final 11 games this season with an injury. Bush is on his second team after a spotty five years with New Orleans. He did have 1,086 yards rushing this season with Miami but never made that kind of impact for New Orleans.
With New Orleans’ Drew Brees and New England’s Tom Brady both surpassing 5,000 yards passing this season and Green Bay’s Aaron Rodgers’ 122.5 rating possibly making him the NFL MVP, it’s easy to believe offense will lead a team to the Lombardi Trophy.
Yet it could just as easily be New York Giants defensive end Jason Pierre-Paul, Baltimore linebacker Ray Lewis or San Francisco linebacker Patrick Willis hoisting the trophy.
Offense vs. defense — the debate surely wasn’t decided this season.
Examiner columnist Rick Snider has covered local sports since 1978. Read more on Twitter @Snide_Remarks or email [email protected].
