3 Teams That Have Shown They Can Win, Without an Elite QB
- Giuseppe A. Corso
- Aug 1, 2015
- 3 min read
The Buffalo Bills have not made the playoffs since 1999. Their last winning season before 2014 was in 2004, and that record was just 9-7 as well. Here is a list of three teams that had success without an elite QB, but went on to win the Super Bowl.
2000 Baltimore Ravens- Led by emerging star Ray Lewis, the 2000 Baltimore Ravens ranked 2nd in Total Defense. They were ranked 1st against the run. (60.6 yards/gm) The defense was great and more importantly, they were consistent. As impressive as they were on defense, they ranked 5th in the NFL in Rush Offense. (137.4 yards/gm) When it came to passing, that was a different story. Baltimore was in the bottom of the league when it came to passing, ranking 22nd overall. (175 yards/gm) Their passing game, led by Trent Dilfer, combined for just 20 touchdowns and 19 interceptions. A solid defense and a TOP 5 running game proved that old fashioned football can win you The Lombardi Trophy!
2002 Tampa Bay Buccaneers- Warren Sapp and company dominated all year on the defensive side of the ball! Tampa Bay was #1 overall defense in 2002. (252 yards/gm) and were #1 in Pass defense (155 yards/gm) and most importantly #1 in points allowed (12ppg) This Bucs team hardly needed a great offense, just a mediocre one at best when you give up a measly 12 points per game! Their defense carried them all year long, as their offense was ranked towards the bottom of the league in key categories. Tampa Bay ranked 24th in total offense. They were average in pass offense (215 yards/gm), but were 5th worse in the NFL in rush offense. (97.3 yards/gm) Tampa Bay’s quarterbacks combined for just 23 touchdowns, but didn’t turn the ball over that much, throwing only 10 interceptions. Not great, but respectable. In the end, great defense and protecting the ball was the perfect recipe for the success of this team in becoming Super Bowl Champions. Not an elite QB.
2005 Pittsburgh Steelers- Led by Jerome Bettis and Willie Parker, the Pittsburgh Steelers ran their way to the 5th best rush offense. (139 yards/gm) Second year quarterback “Big Ben” was of no help really, as they ranked 24th in the league in pass offense. (182 yards/gm) Overall, the Steelers ranked 15th in total offense in 2005. Their success on offense though, was in large part because of their running game. Pittsburgh rode their defense and running game all the way to The Super Bowl, beating a very well balanced Seattle Seahawks team that went 14-2 in the regular season.
There’s an old saying “Defense wins Championships” While having a great or elite quarterback does help, it’s not imperative to a team’s success. NFL teams have proven time and time again that a great defense and a solid running game can be a recipe for success. If The Buffalo Bills can return to a top 5 running team, which they were just 2 years ago, they will have a great chance to end the post season drought. Just 2 years ago (2013), Buffalo ranked 2nd in the NFL in rush offense. Newly acquired All-Pro RB LeSean McCoy and the current running backs on Buffalo’s roster could easily be a top 5 rushing unit in 2015. Analyzing the 2015 Buffalo Bills, their coaches, and what they proven in the past, look for the Bills to be a real “nightmare” to play against!
Giuseppe A. Corso
Link to: Bills Fanatics FB Group
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