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I think it's very difficult to compare defenses from different generations, particularly with the more pass-oriented league and rules favoring the offenses. The 3 best defenses I've ever seen were the '76 Steelers, '86 Bears and 2000 Ravens, all of which preceded those eras. The Steelers and Bears didn't have to deal with the salary cap and free agency in terms of maintaining player continuity across years. They were allowed to get away with things that wouldn't fly today.
I think that this Seattle defense and the 2008 Steelers' defense are the best defenses I've seen since the Ravens in 2000, and belong in the discussion of legitimate "great" defenses. That's enough for me. It will be interesting to see if the Seahawks can keep enough of a nucleus together to put together a multi-year run, which would only increase the rarity of what they have achieved.
Part of the reason why I say there will never be a defense like the 85 Bears or 00 Ravens ever again is because of the differences in eras and the rules are stacked against defenses now. If this Seahawks' defense was playing by the rules of 1985, they might even be better than the 1985 Bears (I tend to really doubt it, but no one really will ever know.