Defense Wins Championships: Broncos Over Panthers

(updated on 01.08.16  15:55 hrs)

Offense wins the games, sells the tickets and gets the glory but it is the defense that wins the championship.   That meta-cliche is a grand collection of many other similar cliches


Denver Broncos 24   Carolina Panthers 10.


The Bottom Line
The total score of the game went under the projected 45.5 or 46 points.  Those who understand the content of strategic competition and recognize the history of various sporting games, usually wagered on the best defensive teams.

The Details
After that major loss to the Seahawks in 2014's  Super Bowl,  John Elway, the general manager of Denver Broncos believed in the notion that defense wins championship and decided to pursue a slew of defensive players by draft and by free agency.

Other Perspectives 
Click here on this ESPN writer's perceptive on why defense wins championships.

Of course, some people (i.e.,  Freakonomics people, a SB Nation writer , a certain Washington Post reporter etc.)  do not believe in it. I think that they are moderately correct in their logic.

Some statistical professionals have a tendency to look at data from an "absolute outcome" perspective where our associates and I preferred to view and explain the results of events and the output of objects in terms of specificity from the tectonic level.

Defense wins on the long run when it stays consistently positive in all of its games.

The key assessment point is not to lose in playoff games and to study their last six games against high scoring teams.

Click here on the NFL view of that notion.

Click here on our previous projection of the game.

Revising the Cliche 
Offense sells tickets and t-shirts.  But, defense usually win games when it stops opposing offensive drives,  creates turnovers and scoring opportunities for offense.  Doing it consistently wins the Championships.

Does that cliche sounds too long?

Congratulations to the Denver Broncos.


Side Notes
Regardless of the score of the game, the Denver's offense was quite deficient.  Their defense prevented the opposing offense from securing yardage with four man pressures and deceptive blitzes.

They were able to secure short field positions that enabled the offense to score.

Study the stats and the play by play drive.  Assess the context behind the specifics.  One would agree with that the Denver defense saved the offense.