Is this fair?: Top 15 in defense=Playoffs plus; Bottom 5 in defense=9 wins or less.

[kennycaine]

Offense does not win you championships alone, its generally offense and some semblance of defense. The top ranked offense in 2008 was the Drew Brees-led New Orleans Saints and he passed for over 5000 yards..no winning record, no playoffs. Why? because the Saints had a putrid defense, which, if it was mediocre at best, the Saints would have been playoff bound. Now, with the season pending my assertion is that with an average defense (read 15th-17th, middle of the pack) then it will be enough coupled with the expected profiency of the offense. Conversely, with a 27th or less rated defense the best we could expect would be 9 wins, given the difficult nature of the schedule. Is that fair or do you think that we can win despite having a less-than-average defense, assuming that happens.

[Peyton]

As the league has gotten parity, we've had more teams in the Super Bowl that were only really good on one side of the ball. It's hard to say how good the defense has to be, I guess that will all depend on the offense being as dominant as we all think it will be.

After the Cardinals made the Super Bowl last year after giving up an astonishing 36 TDs last year and the Colts made the Super Bowl a couple of years ago with the NFLs worst rushing defense, I don't think it's easy to answer a question like this.

[falcoatlantae]

Less than average defense? Decide that at the end of the season.

How your bro, Lido, doin?

[RoastBeeph]

That's probably accurate. With our brutal schedule, we probably need our defense to move up to 15th or better in the league to get into the playoffs IMO. I hope they can do it.