The thing is, with more and more shytty QBs in the league having a great defense sort of balances it out. That's why Panthers ain't shyt this year. It wasn't cam last year(if y'all still don't understand that you're blind), it was THE DEFENSE being flat out amazing. That's not to say Cam wasn't balling out btw, it's to say defense is what makes great teams, not just having an elite QB.
It certainly wasn't Peyton last year, it was the defense.
Rivers/Brees/Luck/Cam can't do shyt when their teams give up 30+ points on a regular basis.
Chiefs had been doing good these past few years even with Alex Smith being the ultimate game manager and nothing else. Niners fell apart when their defense did. Steelers stopped winning titles when their defense stopped being elite(even with their super offense). Ravens won't do shyt with Flacco without an elite defense. This list is endless.
You can win with an average QB(as long as he isn't turning it over nonstop like Fitz), you'll find it damn near impossible to win a title without a good-great defense, which is what we saw most of Peyton and Marino's careers.
And hopefully the defensive resurgence brings back the running backs too because fukk these 3 hour long games that don't end because incompletions don't keep the clock moving.