Is there a defensive trend? And if so, is it good for football?

Merril Hoge

I don't think we're seeing a defensive trend. Because the Ravens won the Super Bowl, people want to say there is a defensive trend, but I disagree 100 percent. For example, the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, who have a great defense, have focused on offense in the offseason. Teams are evaluating how they can win championships. In back-to-back years, the Rams have done it offensively and the Ravens defensively. Teams realize they can only focus on one side of the ball in terms of how much money they can spend. If more money is wrapped up in offense, they will focus on making it as explosive as possible. If it's defense, teams will try to make their defenses as dominating as possible. I don't think the teams are changing toward defense. If there is a trend, why haven't the Vikings changed their thought process? Because they have Daunte Culpepper, Randy Moss and Cris Carter. Offense is their strength and where they have invested their money.

Sean Salisbury

When the 49ers won Super Bowls, everybody wanted to do what they did. When the Cowboys won Super Bowls, everybody wanted the big three offensive players. When the Rams won the Super Bowl, everybody wanted three wideouts and speed. Despite what the Ravens did on defense, I don't think offense is ever going away. Why do you think Brian Billick went out and upgraded the QB position? He knows teams have to score points. Plus, as good as the Ravens defense is, I can't fathom anyone playing 19 games like they did last year. That's a lot of pressure to put on a team. Most GMs and coaches, I believe, would rather have the Rams' offense and a good defense. If a team has a great defense and a sorry offense, I don't believe a team can continue to win Super Bowls. Yes, people will look at the Ravens and want to do what they did. But which other team can have the same defensive personnel as the Ravens? Teams can build a defense, but they are hard-pressed to make it that dominating. Teams want the explosiveness on offense. In terms of entertainment, purists want to see a defensive game. Most fans want to see touchdowns. For my money, I'd like a great offense and a good defense.

Mike Golic

I don't know if it's a defensive trend as it is a trend toward one side of the ball. In terms of dollars that teams can spend, they are forced into a choice at times. What are we going to do with the money we have? Are we going to improve the offense or the defense? Or should we make one side of the ball great and the other side merely palatable? Initially, teams choose which side of the ball they will dominate on, and then they will try to build up the other side. The Rams chose offense, but now they are trying to upgrade their defense through draft picks and trades. Baltimore chose defense, and then got Elvis Grbac in the offseason. The Ravens may end up switching their emphasis down the line. The Colts have the offense, but they are trying to build up the defense. Teams have to go with the talent they have. If they have better offensive personnel, they will want to load up on offense, score a lot of points and then try to stop the other team.

Andrea Kremer

Two years ago the Rams won with offense and everybody thought the trend in the league would be toward high-flying offenses with multiple receivers and all-purpose backs offense. Then the Ravens won with a totally different style. The thing about winning defensively is you must have the personnel to do it. It's reminiscent of Buddy Ryan's "46" defense. Everybody wanted to run his defense, but other teams didn't have personnel as good as the '85 Bears. It's the same thing for the Ravens. They run a very simple scheme, but they have Ray Lewis and some of the best athletes on defense in football. The way they play defense is exciting and entertaining. I don't think it's bad for football to win with defense. But on the other hand, the Ravens went as far as they could pre-Jamal Lewis injury to beef up their offense by getting Elvis Grbac. All I look at is how was the Super Bowl won last year. And the NFL is a copycat league. Looking at the number of true contenders, defense is either the strength of the team or the area that teams tried to beef up in the offseason. The Broncos, for example, really built up the defense with free-agent acquisitions. Then there are the Saints, Eagles, the Bucs. All defensive-oriented. Most teams realize the Ravens were the exception of winning first with defense. But teams need a good solid defense in order to win.

Mark Malone

I don't know if there is a defensive trend as much as it has become a situation based the personnel a team has and salary cap restrictions. No team is financially capable of building both a point-scoring machine like the St. Louis Rams and a dominating defense like the Baltimore Ravens. Great players cost a lot of money; once a team has success for a year or two, the backups are gone. We are seeing teams making a choice. Indianapolis is a prime example. The Colts are a good playoff team that came up short because they couldn't stop the run. What did they do in the offseason? They drafted a receiver, Reggie Wayne, in the first round, another weapon for Peyton Manning. They are a team that knows it can't afford to have a great defense. They put all their eggs in the offensive basket. They are going to go out, much like St. Louis, and try to outscore people. That's what we are seeing more than anything else.

Mark Schlereth

I definitely see a defensive trend. The NFL is a copycat league. When a team has success doing something, every team will try to copy it. I see a change to get incredibly big, strong defensive linemen to tie up offensive linemen and clog holes and get very athletic linebackers to run and make tackles. People feel it's the way to stop the running game without having to bring safeties down into the box. They can also play great zone defense and have great coverage at the same time. The Ravens perfected it last year, and it will be a trend that continues until someone finds a way to expose it. However, an organization can only do so much with its money and has to play to its strength. Each coach will evaluate the talent, where they are strong, and develop it -- like the Vikings with their unbelievable offense and suspect defense. They go after offensive talent and outscore people. The Ravens have built an unbelievable defense and have been offensively suspect. Teams will generally focus on one area of the football and be incredibly strong. And then they will try to mix and match and build an offense or defense compatible with their strengths.