Getting defensive in the Super Bowl

"Defense wins championships."

That's a phrase we hear all the time in sports, typically football and basketball.

If you pay attention, you see that this mantra couldn't be more correct. When most people think about the Golden State Warriors, they think about crossovers and three-pointers. But when you look a little closer, you see that the Warriors have been either the top defensive team in the NBA, or close enough to it.

It really doesn't matter how much you can score if you can't stop the other guy, particularly in crucial moments like the postseason. Just ask Mike D'Antoni.
When it comes to football, it's the exact same thing. There are going to be days where your offense can't get it going; maybe it's pouring rain and the quarterback can't get a good handle on the ball. Maybe it's below freezing and the ball feels like a brick bouncing off the receivers' hands. Or, maybe the offense is just having a bad day.

The reason that defense wins championships is because defenses are generally more reliable and consistent than offenses. One reason they are more reliable is that those variables about the ball don't affect the defense.

But probably the biggest reason is that defense is a lot more about effort. You can try as hard as you can on offense and things still might not go your way. In my many years watching sports, it's been rare that I've seen a team putting in the work on defense get run out of the building.

Which gives us our two teams in the big dance: Carolina and Denver.

While they both have a lot of star power at quarterback, make no mistake: it's the defense that anchored both clubs. Denver and Carolina were 1st and 6th in total defense, respectively.

Keep in mind, it's a lot easier to take risks on your throws when you know you have an elite defense backing you up. A prime example was during Carolina's playoff game against Arizona.

In the second quarter (when the game was still competitive) Cam Newton threw a pick that was returned all the way into the red zone. The Panthers defense picked off Carson Palmer on the very next play, and the romp continued.

Another example would be that Peyton Manning threw more interceptions than touchdowns during the regular season. Yet here the Broncos are in the Super Bowl for the second time in three years, as the AFC's number one seed.

While quarterback play will be important in the Super Bowl, pay attention to the defense. Whether it's Luke Kuechly, Josh Norman, Von Miller or TJ Ward, somebody on the "other" side of the ball is likely to make a huge play.

And whomever makes that play, will probably be holding the trophy later that evening.