Operation Sports Forums - Top 10 Defenses of All-Time

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1976 Pittsburgh Steelers
The Steelers' defense in the 1970s was known as the Steel Curtain -- and for good reason. It was easily the most formidable, toughest-to-play D in the history of the NFL. If you’ve ever seen the famous photo of linebacker Jack Lambert, glaring and missing his front teeth, you’d know this was one mean hombre. However, Lambert was just one cog in Pittsburgh’s defensive wheel, and was joined by fellow Hall of Famers “Mean Joe" Greene, Mel Blount and Jack Ham -- four of the eight Pittsburgh defenders named to the Pro Bowl in 1976. This team made it one game from the Super Bowl thanks to its ridiculous defense down the stretch. Over the final eight games of ‘76, opponents averaged just 3.1 points a game against the Steel Curtain.
1985 Chicago Bears
Running back Walter Payton helped carry the 1985 Bears to Super Bowl glory, but a frightening defense in the Windy City was good enough to overshadow the NFL’s top rusher. Chicago went 15-1 in ’85 thanks to a shut-down defense that blitzed like crazy. For linebacker, the Bears boasted Mike Singletary, one of the best ever at his position. Up front, the defensive line was anchored by 380-pound William Perry and "sackmaster" Dan Hampton. In seven games, the opposition scored less than 10 points against Chicago, but it was during the playoffs that the defense really shone. They pitched shutouts in the Divisional and Conference games, and allowed 10 points in the Super Bowl.
1971 Minnesota Vikings
With a defensive motto of “meet at the quarterback,” we’d be remiss if we didn’t include the group known as the Purple People Eaters. Sacking, run stuffing and all-out stingy, this defense was shored up by Alan Page, who won defensive MVP and league MVP honors in 1971. Minnesota gave up just 9.9 points per game, on average, and held quarterbacks to an efficiency rating of 40.4 -- a number that meant each QB was in for a long afternoon against The Vikes.
2000 Baltimore Ravens
When the ferocious Ray Lewis is the poster boy of your defense, you know you’re in good shape. The Lewis-led Ravens of 2000 overcame a pitiful offense to go 12-4 and handily win the Super Bowl. So miserable was this team’s offense that during its four losses, the opposition averaged only 13 points. The Ravens’ defense was another story -- on four occasions, Baltimore shut out its opponent, and in four playoff wins, gave up scores of just 3, 10, 3, and 7 points. Over the course of the season, the Ravens surrendered 10.3 points a game.
1990 New York Giants
Few defenders in NFL history have been as feared as Giants linebacker Lawrence Taylor, and it was Taylor who was the stalwart of a 1990 New York club that won the Super Bowl. The Giants won its first 10 games and went 13-3 despite a challenging schedule that included contests against seven playoff-bound teams. However, it was the defense in the playoffs that allowed the Giants to be considered one of the NFL’s best ever. They surrendered just three points in the Divisional playoff game, held the exciting 49ers to 13 points in the NFC Championship and gave up 19 points in a Super Bowl victory.
2002 Tampa Bay Buccaneers
In 2002, the Bucs became the second team to ever lead the NFL in total defense, points allowed and interceptions; and that year’s defensive roster read like a who’s who of stars on D. The team was led by a number of probable future Hall of Famers, including Warren Sapp, Derrick Brooks, John Lynch, and Ronde Barber. In four straight games, this defense scored touchdowns, and during a 12-4 season, Tampa Bay held its opponent to 10 or fewer points nine times. It was fitting that after the Bucs' 48-21 routing of Oakland in the Super Bowl, a defensive player -- safety Dexter Jackson -- was named the game’s MVP.
1962 Green Bay Packers
The 1962 Packers defense was so good that it produced Hall of Famers on the defensive line at linebacker, safety and cornerback. Opponents knew better than to take Green Bay’s defense lightly, thanks in part to a tough reputation and play to back it up. No player was tougher than Ray Nitschke, a seven-time All-Pro and the only linebacker to be named to the NFL’s 50th and 75th anniversary teams. The Packers lone blip on an otherwise perfect NFL championship game was a Giants’ blocked punt for a touchdown -- other than that, this fearsome defense kept New York from scoring a single point on offense.
1975 Los Angeles Rams
Several teams in NFL history have had a defensive line nicknamed the "Fearsome Foursome," but no team lived up to this moniker better than the ’75 Rams. Led by terrifying tackler Jack Youngblood, the Rams cruised to a 12-2 record -- all the while allowing an average of just 9.6 points a game, one of the top marks in NFL history. Over the final six regular season games, Los Angeles’ opponents scored an average of just 5.3 points a game.
1972 Miami Dolphins
The 1972 Dolphins were the first team in NFL history to go undefeated, and much of that success was due to a stellar offense. However, Miami’s aptly nicknamed "No-Name Defense" was just as responsible for the team’s success. That defense was the NFL’s best in 1972, and was anchored by Hall of Fame linebacker Nick Buoniconti. Other defensive standouts were Dick Anderson and Jake Scott, but what this squad lacked in individual star power, it more than made up for by being a cohesive unit.
1969 Kansas City Chiefs
Buck Buchanan, Bobby Bell and Willie Lanier aren’t household names today, but in 1969, they helped the Chiefs to an 11-3 record and eventual Super Bowl win. This squad earned shutouts in two games, and in seven games they kept opponents to 10 points or fewer. In three playoff wins, the Chiefs allowed a total of just 20 points. All year long, the defense frustrated its opponents, which averaged less than two touchdowns a game against Kansas City.

AskMen.com - Top 10: All-Time NFL Defenses

For my money the 2000 Baltimore Ravens are easily the best defense in the history of the NFL.