The Greatest Teams in NFL History
GREAT�.. BUT OVERRATED
The 1972 Miami Dolphins
The ’72’ Miami Dolphins are the popular choice for the greatest team of all-time. Why? They are the only team to go undefeated within an entire NFL season (14-0 Regular Season and 3-0 Postseason), but of course you knew that. That’s because every time a team gets close to breaking the undefeated record, the Media jumps all over it. Honestly, I do get a little sick of hearing the so-called experts and the ’72’ Dolphin players brag about how dominant they were, when in fact they had one of the weakest schedules that year. Not one team on the ’72’ Miami Dolphin schedule made the playoffs. As a matter of fact, nine of the fourteen regular season games were against teams with a record under .500. We can’t blame the Dolphins for doing what they were supposed to do, but come on. There is no doubt that the Miami Dolphins are one of the greatest teams of all time, but not the greatest. However, Miami Dolphin fans should be honored that their team is the only team to go 17-0 and win the Super Bowl, because it is unlikely that the record will ever be broken.
THE REAL DEAL (In order of strength)
The 1985 Chicago Bears
The first thing that comes to mind when I think of the ’85’ Chicago Bears is defense. This unit, led by linebacker Mike Singletary, allowed the fewest points (198) in the NFL in 1985. In 11 of the 16 games, the Bears didn’t allow their opponents to score more than 10 points. They were more than just a dominant defense, they were nasty. The offense was too shabby either, scoring 456 total points in the regular season (2nd in the league). In the playoffs, the Bears dominated every team on the way to Super Bowl XX, where they completely embarrassed the New England Patriots. The Bears did not go undefeated in 1985 (18-1 record), but their dominance throughout the regular season and the postseason was extraordinary.
The 1991 Washington Redskins
The ’91’ Washington Redskins were another dominant team that ruled for a single season. In 1991, Joe Gibbs led an aging Redskin team to a 17-2 record and a Super Bowl title. The Skins scored the most points (485) and were also second in the NFL with the fewest points allowed (224). Eight of their sixteen games were against playoff teams that had 10 or more wins. Washington shut out three teams in the regular season, including a 45-0 blowout against the Detroit Lions in the first game of the season. For some odd reason, the 1991 Redskins do not get as much recognition when it comes to the greatest teams in history, but they were definitely an elite unit.
The 1999 St. Louis Rams
The ’99’ St. Louis Rams were the one of the most exciting teams I ever saw. They were dubbed the “Greatest Show on Turf” because of their prolific scoring ability. St. Louis soared through the NFL with a 13-3 regular season record and the most points scored in the league (526). The Rams were led by the former grocery store clerk and an Arena Football League champion Kurt Warner, who became the league MVP in 1999. This team was stacked on offense from top to bottom. Marshall Faulk was still in his prime, Isaac Bruce was considered as one of the elite receivers in the NFL, and Torry Holt was just beginning to reach his full potential. Head Coach Dick Vermeil and his St. Louis Rams won Super Bowl XXXIV (Thirty-Four) by beating a tough Tennessee Titan team 23-16.
The 1997 and 1998 Denver Broncos
At one point, it seemed like John Elway and the Denver Broncos would never win a Super Bowl title. Things changed in 1997 when the Broncos made it back to the Super Bowl after a nine year hiatus. In 1997 and 1998, the Broncos were one of the top two teams in scoring. They beat the heavily favored Green Bay Packers in Super Bowl XXXII and then destroyed the Atlanta Falcons in Super Bowl XXXIII. The back-to-back victories cemented John Elway’s legacy and helped him to be considered as one of the greatest Quarterbacks in NFL history.
EVERYONE LOVES A DYNASTY
The Green Bay Packers 1959-1967
From 1959 to 1967, the legendary Vince Lombardi and his Green Bay Packers won five NFL/NFC Championships and two Super Bowl titles. Lombardi turned stars like Bart Starr, Paul Horning, Forrest Gregg, and Ray Nitschke into NFL legends. The guy has the Super Bowl trophy named after him for goodness sakes.
The Pittsburgh Steelers 1972-1979
The 70’s belonged to the Black-n-Gold, because their defense played black-n-blue football. Terry Bradshaw, Franco Harris, and Lynn Swann were great, but the defense kept the Steelers around for so long. Names like Mean Joe Green, Jack Lambert, Mel Blount, and Jack Ham should be forever associated with the word dominating. Oh yeah, and they won FOUR Super Bowls in the 70’s.
The San Francisco 49ners 1981-1990
The most dominating team in the 80’s was the 49ners, led by Hall of Fame coach and NFL legend Bill Walsh. Joe Montana, arguably the greatest quarterback of all time, led his team(s) to 4 Super Bowl titles. It definitely helped that he had Jerry Rice, John Taylor, and Roger Craig on his team as well. Ronnie Lott may be the scariest safety to ever play in the NFL.
The Dallas Cowboys 1992-1995
“How Bout Dem Cowboys”, shouted an elated Jimmy Johnson, after the Cowboys punished the Buffalo Bills 52-17 in Super Bowl XXVII. They went on to win two more Super Bowl titles with Troy Aikman, Emmitt Smith, and Michael Irvin as the triplets.
The New England Patriots 2001-Present
Only time will tell, if the Patriots are done winning Super Bowls. If they are, three titles in four years is impressive. Tom Brady is still young and has a lot of football to play. It’s possible that the Pats can win a couple more before the curtain closes.
CLOSE, BUT NO CIGAR
Teams that could’ve been great, butâÂ?¦âÂ?¦âÂ?¦
The Vikings of the 70’s – And they were so dominant in the NFC back then. In the big game, they choked four times (Dolphins, Steelers, Raiders, Chiefs)
Buffalo Bills 1990-1994 – Buffalo fans can think the NFC East for four straight losses in the Super Bowl (Giants, Redskins, and Cowboys)
The Denver Broncos of the 80’s – The Super Bowl wasn’t kind to Denver in the eighties. First the Giants put up 39 points, then the Skins put up 42 points, and when we thought they suffered enoughâÂ?¦âÂ?¦San Francisco blows them out by scoring 55 points.
Washington Redskins 1983 – They beat the Miami Dolphins the previous year in the Super Bowl, but came out too cocky against the Raiders. The result, an unforgettable Black SundayâÂ?¦..it still hurts.
Minnesota Vikings 1998 – They scored the most points in the league, dominated everyone by finishing the season with a 15-1 record, then they lose at home in the NFC Championship against the Atlanta Falcons. What’s up with that?
