Pete Prisco the idiot

[Defensewins]

This is another situation that you can't just look at the stats and say this guys is better than that guys. You have to look at who they played against. During the 80's and 90's that Reed and Monk played the NFC dominated the AFC, it wasn't even close.
Every year Monk was stuck playing against awesome defense in the dominating NFC: Bears, Dallas, 49ers, Giants, Eagles, Packers.
Monk had 6 tough division games against Dallas, Giants and Eagles who traditionally have tough defenses.
Reed faced traditionally weak defense teams like Jet, Miami and Indianapolis.
From 1982 to 1998 (during their careers) the AFC only won one team won SB 1984 Raiders. This was not a luck of the draw thing. The NFC was that much better than the AFC. Kind of like the opposite situation currently of the AFC being better right now.
Stats are not a tell all.