Cup of Joe: Starkey on sports in 350 words or less
This part of Dan Graziano’s Super Bowl piece on ESPN.com stood out, in the context of Art Rooney II wanting to bring Mike Tomlin back after nine years of not coming close to a playoff win (before Tomlin fired himself):
“(The Seattle Seahawks) moved on from a legendary, Super Bowl-winning coach after 11 winning seasons in the previous 12 because they felt they needed fresh defensive ideas to keep up with the high-powered offenses in their division.”
Hmmm. Moving on from a winning coach? Fresh defensive ideas?
That’s allowed?
Tomlin bragged about his defense (the NFL’s highest-paid in each of the past four years) in camp, saying it could be historically great. It finished 26th. Its two highest-profile players, T.J. Watt and Cam Heyward, have combined to play 15 playoff games with two total sacks, or as many as Seattle’s Derik Hall and Bryon Murphy II each had Sunday.
The Seahawks, with one of the NFL’s lower-paid defenses, proved that what was true in 1974 remains so: Great defense wins championships. And it begins up front.
Actually, it begins with a mentality and great coaching. As “Good Morning Football” researcher Dante Koplowitz-Fleming tweeted: “There have only been 3 coaches to: 1) lead a No. 1 scoring defense as a coordinator. 2) lead a No. 1 scoring defense as a head coach. 3) win a Super Bowl as a head coach: Bill Belichick. Chuck Noll. Mike Macdonald.”
But it also begins up front, going back to the Steel Curtain and winding through so many Super Bowl performances, including these of recent vintage:
• The Giants’ front wrecking Tom Brady’s perfect season.
• The Broncos’ front wrecking MVP Cam Newton.
• The Seahawks wrecking Denver’s prolific, Payton Manning-led offense.
• The Eagles and Bucs wrecking Patrick Mahomes’ lines.
• The Aaron Donald-led Rams sacking Joe Burrow seven times.
We often discuss the Steelers’ quarterback issues. We should talk more about a defense that hasn’t played a good playoff game since 2016 and hasn’t played one against a really good quarterback since … when?
Great defense still wins championships.