Team Aggregate Opponents PPG Opponent PPG Std Dev 1985 Bears 21.2 12.4 -3.3 2013 Seahawks 22.1 14.4 -2.5

Up to this point, we have been comparing the two defenses performance against league averages. But neither the Seahawks nor the Bears played every opposing offense in the league. We need to get specific about which offenses they played, and how they did relative to the averages of those offenses.

The Bears 16 regular season opponents scored an average of 21.2 points per game, nearly identical to the league average (21.5). Seattle faced opponents who averaged slightly below the league average (23.4). Chicago destroyed their competition, and left Seattle in the dust as well by this measure. Not only were they more efficient when comparing to the standard of the year they played in, but they were more efficient against the specific teams they played, and by a sizable margin.

Let’s step away from the regular season for a moment though and just see how both teams did against the best offenses in the league that year. The best versus the best.

Team GMs VS TOP 10 OFF (incl playoffs) +/- Opp Avg 1985 Bears 6 -12.6 2013 Seahawks 3 -19.9



Chicago faced six of the best offenses in the league, including the 4th-ranked Dolphins, 5th-ranked 49ers, 6th-ranked Giants (playoffs), 7th-ranked Jets, and the 10th-ranked Patriots twice (once in the Super Bowl). They held those two teams to a combined 11.8 points per game, less than they regular season average. When the Bears played the best offenses in the league, their defense played even better. That is a testament to their dominance, talent, and competitive nature. Chicago faced six of the best offenses in the league, including the 4th-ranked Dolphins, 5th-ranked 49ers, 6th-ranked Giants (playoffs), 7th-ranked Jets, and the 10th-ranked Patriots twice (once in the Super Bowl). They held those two teams to a combined 11.8 points per game, less than they regular season average. When the Bears played the best offenses in the league, their defense played even better. That is a testament to their dominance, talent, and competitive nature. The Seahawks faced the top-ranked, highest scoring offense in the history of football in the Super Bowl, and held them to 8 points. If this was versus the top eleven offenses instead of the top ten, the Seahawks would have had six games against those teams, closing the gap with the Bears. The Bears game up a total of 10 points in the playoffs. They shutout the Giants and the Rams before bludgeoning the Patriots in the Super Bowl 46-10. Seattle faced higher-powered offenses in the playoffs, and stepped up their game against the best offenses they played. Still, the Bears regular season performance relative to their competition and dominant playoff run gives them another win in this round.

Round 4: Takeaways

Team League Avg Takeaways/Game Takeaways/Game Std Dev League Rank 1985 Bears 2.4 3.38 2.55 1 2013 Seahawks 1.6 2.4 2.29 1



Both teams led their league in takeaways. In fact, these are among the rarest of defenses that finished the season ranked #1 in points allowed, yards allowed and takeaways. Seattle was the first to accomplish that since the ’85 Bears. Even though the league averaged significantly more takeaways in 1985, the Bears were the more dominant defense in terms of taking the ball from the opponent. Seattle is in in the range from a standard deviation perspective, but there is no doubt the Bears win this round.