This DLine Might Be the Best Ever.

[den-the-coach]

But what about me! ~ Will Hayes.

Run like Hayes, play like Mays.

 

[Tano]

Run like Hayes, play like Mays.

 

[Classic Rams]

View: https://bleacherreport.com/articles/1040388-power-ranking-the-greatest-defensive-lines-in-nfl-history


*Top 10 D-lines blog (updated). This site is 11 years old and doesn't list all sacks so I filled in a few stats.

*1950 Giants had a 5-man line, and the site had a 1951 player (Krouse) there so I put the correct one in (Baker).

* It's not just most sacks only but more overall.

*Fearsome Foursome could arguably be moved up into top 5, but much of this is that blogger's opinion including the notes.

10. 1967 Los Angeles Rams​

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1. Front 4: Deacon Jones, Merlin Olsen, Roger Brown and Lamar Lundy.
   
   The Statistics: 14.0 points per game, 85.4 rush yards per game, 50 forced turnovers and 43 sacks (39.5 by the 4, Deac 21.5).
   The four players I have listed on this slide combined for 29 Pro Bowl appearances. Yes, 29. There is no reason to back my selection of the Los Angeles Rams 1967 defensive line on this list.
   Their defense yielded just two touchdowns per game, gave up 100 yards rushing only three times during the season and forced multiple turnovers in each outing.
   During a three-game stretch from November to December, the Rams yielded a total of 13 points while forcing 11 turnovers. The reason this unit doesn't get as much credit for being one of the best ever is because of their lack of success in the playoffs.
   The Rams were blown out by Bart Starr and the Green Bay Packers in the divisional playoffs, with Roger Brown acquiring the sole Los Angeles sack of the game.

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9. 1950 New York Giants​

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1. Front 5: Jim Duncan, Arnie Weinmeister, Jon Baker, Al DeRogatis, and Ray Poole.
   
   The Statistics: 12.5 points per game and 55 forced turnovers. Sacks unavailable per PFR.
   Yes, you read that right, 55 forced turnovers. This number was magnified a great deal by their nine-turnover performance against the Pittsburgh Steelers during the opening weekend of the 1950 season. Still, the Giants forced an average of 4.2 turnovers per game during this season.
   What made this defensive line, anchored by Arnie Weinmeister, so great was the fact that it transcended that era of professional football. They were the first to fully utilize the "stunt" pass rush move, revolutionizing the way defense way played.
   Overall, the Giants never yielded more than 21 points in a game that season, giving up single digits a total of six different times. In fact, they held opposing offenses to less than 100 yards rushing five different times. An amazing statistic considering the era this defensive line played.
   Despite losing to the Cleveland Browns in the playoffs, the Giants' defense came up really big during that game. They held Otto Graham's offense to a total of two field goals.

8. 2002 Tampa Bay Buccaneers​

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1. Front 4: Warren Sapp, Simeon Rice, Anthony McFarland and Greg Spires.
   The Statistics: 12.2 points per game, 83.1 rush yards per game, 43 sacks, 51 forced turnovers and 20 fumble recoveries.
   Man, I loved watching this Tampa Bay Buccaneers defensive line play. They might have been one of the best all-around units to ever step on the football field.
   The simple fact that the 2002 Buccaneers won the Super Bowl with Brad Johnson at quarterback should say enough about this unit. However, I plan to get into detail as to why we find them in the top 10.
   They gave up 10 points or less 10 times during the 2002 season, holding opposing quarterbacks to a 48.0 quarterback rating, the lowest since the AFL-NFL merger in 1970. This was in large part due to the play of Warren Sapp, Simeon Rice and Anthony McFarland. Those three combined for 25 sacks and led the league's top rush defense.
   Still, many people didn't give the Buccaneers a chance against the San Francisco 49ers in the playoffs that season because of their lack of offense. They quieted the skeptics really quick, defeating the 49ers 31-6.
   A few weeks later, the Buccaneers, led by former Raiders coach Jon Gruden, defeated Oakland 48-21 in the Super Bowl. The Raiders were held to 11 first downs, they turned the ball over five times and Rich Gannon was sacked five times.

7. 1981 New York Jets​

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1. Front 4: Mark Gastineau, Abdul Salaam, Marty Lyons and Joe Klecko.
   The Statistics: 17.9 points per game, and 40 forced turnovers and 66 sacks (54 from the 4, Klecko and Gastineau had 20 each!)
   
   "The New York Sack Exchange," as they were called, dominated the American Football conference in the year of my birth, 1981. New York led the NFL with 66 sacks, with Gastineau and Klecko bother obtaining over 20.
   The Jets' 38 fumbles on offense during the 1981 regular season led to the downfall of this team. Despite making the playoffs, the Jets couldn't get out of the first round against the Buffalo Bills due to their offense turning it over five times.
   If the rest of the 1981 New York Jets team was up to snuff, this unit would have gotten a lot more play as one of the best ever.

6. 1978 Dallas Cowboys​

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1. Front 4: Ed "Too Tall" Jones, Randy White, Harvey Martin and Jethro Pugh.
   The Statistics: 13.0 points per game, 51 forced turnovers, 28 fumble recoveries and 58 sacks (41 from the 4).
   Jethro Pugh, how great of a name is that? But I digress.
   The 1978 Dallas Cowboys defense gave up just 13 points per game as they dominated the NFC East. Randy White and Harvey Martin both made the Pro Bowl, while Ed "Too Tall" Jones did his thing on the outside.
   It was in the NFC Championship game against the Los Angeles Rams that this unit made a name for itself in the heralded history of the franchise. They forced seven turnovers, sacked Rams quarterbacks a total of seven times and held them to less than three yards per rush.
   In short, it was a completely dominating victory. The Super Bowl was a different story. Terry Bradshaw torched them for four touchdowns, as the Steelers captured another Lombardi Trophy, 35-31.

5. 1969 Kansas City Chiefs​

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1. Front 4: Jerry Mays, Curley Culp, Buck Buchanan and Aaron Brown.
   
   The Statistics: 12.6 points per game, 77.4 rush yards per game, 60 forced turnovers and 48 sacks total (40 from the 4).
   Curley Culp is one of the most underrated defensive players in the history of the NFL. He was an absolutely amazing pass-rushing and run-stopping defensive tackle in the mold of a Haloti Ngata today. Culp and Buck Buchanan combined for a whopping 15 Pro Bowl appearances with the Chiefs.
   However, it was the 1969 season that defined this tandem and the entire Chiefs defense.
   This was truly a dominant unit. Kansas City held opposing teams to single-digit first downs five time, less than 100 rushing yards in all but three games and surrendered over 300 yards in just two games.
   During their playoff run, which led to the franchise's only Super Bowl championship, Kansas City's defense forced 13 turnovers in three games.

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4. 1975 Los Angeles Rams​

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1. Front 4: Jack Youngblood, Merlin Olsen, Larry Brooks, Fred Dryer.
   The Statistics: 9.6 points per game, 15 TDs allowed, 47 forced turnovers and 43 sacks total (38.5 from the 4).
   
   I stated earlier that Curley Culp is one of the most underrated defensive players ever. Well, Jack Youngblood has to be considered right up there with him. He has an unofficial total of 151.5 sacks and made seven Pro Bowls.
   He was joined on the Rams' defensive line with Merlin Olsen, another Hall of Fame player.
   This unit was just as good as Butkus hyped. In the final six games of the 1975 regular season, Los Angeles surrendered a total of 32 points (5.3 per game). The defensive line was instrumental in this, giving up less than 200 total yards on average.
   The reason this unit doesn't find itself any higher on the list is because of their lack of postseason success, much like other Los Angeles Rams teams prior to 1975.

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3. 1975 Pittsburgh Steelers​

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1. Front 4: L.C. Greenwood, Joe Greene, Larry Holmes and Dwight White.
   
   The Statistics: 11.6 points per game, 17 TDs allowed, 50 forced turnovers and 43 sacks total (25 from the 4).
   In reality, I could have put any one of six or seven different Steelers defensive lines on this list, but I decided to go with this one, and for good reason.
   Not only did the 1975 Pittsburgh Steelers dominate during the postseason, they did it all year long. You are looking at a unit that gave up 20 first downs just once, forced four or more turnovers seven times and held quarterbacks to less than 100 yards another six times.
   Pittsburgh's defense was so good in 1975 that they finished sixth in the AFC in scoring offense, but they outscored their opponents by 211 points. For all intents and purposes, they were the reason that the Steelers won the Super Bowl.
   The Super Bowl against the Dallas Cowboys will be remembered for Lynn Swann's acrobatic fourth-quarter touchdown, but the defense is the reason Pittsburgh was in position to win the game. They intercepted Roger Staubach three times while holding the Robert Newhouse/Preston Pearson combo to less than 80 yards on 21 rushes.
   Who could possibly be higher on this list if the Pittsburgh Steelers are No. 3? Well, that is what slideshows are for. So just hit next!

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2. 1971 Minnesota Vikings​

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1. Front 4: Carl Eller, Alan Page, Gary Larsen, Jim Marshall.
   The Statistics: 9.9 points per game, 12 TDs allowed, 45 forced turnovers and 27 sacks total (25.5 from the 4).
   The "Purple People Eaters." This was the name of the Minnesota Vikings' defensive line of the 1970s. Yes, it was a confusing time for not just America but football as well. Despite the nickname that seemed to fit in Yellow Submarine, this unit was absolutely dominating.
   Carl Eller and Alan Page were not only Pro Bowl performers during their stints with the Minnesota Vikings, they were Hall of Fame players in every possible way. Jim Marshall, Roy Winston and Gary Larsen were also perfect complements to those two extraordinary players.
   Probably the best season that this group had was in 1971. They gave up 10 points or less 10 times, averaged single digits against and completely dominated their opponents in the regular season.
   One of the most dominating performances in the modern history of the NFL came against the Buffalo Bills in Week 3. The Vikings held Buffalo to eight passing yards, sacked Dennis Shaw seven times and yielded just seven first downs. O.J. Simpson also tallied only 45 yards in that game.
   It was the 1971 season in which the Minnesota Vikings' defense took the next step to "elite status." In the six-year span from 1971-1976, their defense gave up 11.2 points per game. One of the most dominating stretches you will ever see.

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1. 1985 Chicago Bears​

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1. Front 4: Richard Dent, Dan Hampton, Steve McMichael and William Perry.
   The Statistics: 12.4 points per game, 75.6 rush yards per game, 64 forced turnovers and 64 sacks (36.5 from the 4).
   Henry David Thoreau once said the following about greatness:
   "Since most of us spend our lives doing ordinary tasks, the most important thing is to carry them out extraordinarily well."
   There was nothing great about the Chicago Bears' defensive linemen when they came into the league. Richard Dent was an eighth-round pick in 1983 and Steve McMichael was a third-round pick in 1980. What the scouts didn't see in them was a passion to succeed, what scouts call today "all-out motors."
   Their dominance during the 1985 season is unmatched in the history of the NFL. They gave up 10 points or less 13 different times en route to a 15-1 regular season.
   However, it was in the playoffs that the 1985 Chicago Bears defensive line made their mark. They became the first team in the modern history of the league to compile two consecutive postseason shutouts against the New York Giants and Los Angeles Rams. In those two games, Chicago allowed a total of 311 yards and compiled 10 sacks.
   Pretty much everyone knew that the Super Bowl matchup against the New England Patriots would end in a lopsided manner, and boy, did it. Chicago's defense yielded just 123 total yards and forced six Patriots turnovers. Their defense sacked Steve Grogan a total of seven times and held New England to seven yards on 11 rushes.
   Simply amazing!

 

[Loyal]

Of that list, the 1975 Rams allowed the fewest points of any of the listed teams. The author said he punked them due to their playoff results, the bastid.

 

[LARAMSinFeb.]

We have always been blessed on the lines. Definitely the most iconic front four in league history.

Both lines, too. Our OLs were dominant late 60s and 70s, and to some degree in the 80s. Strong running game used to be a Rams staple.

 

[Classic Rams]

Of that list, the 1975 Rams allowed the fewest points of any of the listed teams. The author said he punked them due to their playoff results, the bastid.

Yeah he docks the Rams for playoff woes, but that 1971 Viking team lost to Dallas in the playoffs. He appears to credit all those Viking lines under 1 year. This list is somewhat flawed. I'd move Rams 1975 up for that since they won a playoff game. It should be the Bears, Steelers then those Rams. THEN Vikings.