The Quick Introduction
We've crunched the numbers from 46 glorious NFL seasons to identify the 25 Greatest Teams To Not Win The Super Bowl (plus two special mentions)—a list that rewards overall record, per-game point differential, turnover margin, blowout victories, strength of schedule … and any other bits of extra credit that would help vault teams into the countdown. So, in advance, we'd like to apologize to the 1967 Cowboys, 1974 Raiders, 1979 Oilers, 1981 Bengals, 1986 Bears, 1990 49ers, 1991 Lions, 1997 Packers, 2005 Seahawks and 2008 Titans, among others, for bypassing their significant contributions to NFL history.
1. 2007 New England Patriots
Regular Season Record: 16-0
Home: 8-0 … Road: 8-0
Per-Game Point Differential: +19.7
Turnover Margin: +16
Wins Of 10 Points Or More: 12
Losses to sub-.500 teams: 0
Record vs. playoff teams: 5-0
Strength of division (minimum to maximum scale of 1 to 5): 2
Playoff Extra Credit: Lost in Super Bowl (Giants)
OVERVIEW: The Patriots' perfect regular season in 2007 was more than just an unblemished record; it was an across-the-board reckoning for a club that genuinely wanted to win every game 45-7, no exceptions. How else does one reconcile otherworldly production in point differential (19.7), turnover margin (+16), wins by 10 points of more (12) and a 6-0 mark against playoff teams—including three division winners? But alas, there's a fine line between being universally hailed as the greatest club in NFL history (on the precipice of 19-0) … and begrudgingly accepting the National Football Post's award for Best Team To Not Win A Super Bowl. But that's a reality of the ultimate bittersweet season. On the positive side, Tom Brady set an NFL record with 50 TD passes, with Randy Moss collecting an NFL-record 23 touchdown receptions. And realistically speaking, only the Ravens and Giants had fourth-quarter opportunities to spoil the Patriots' run of perfection during the regular season—a stunning achievement in a parity-driven era. But a loss in Super Bowl XLII slightly downgrades New England's once- in-a-generation dominance from September-December … to a mere footnote.
2. 1983 Washington Redskins
Regular Season Record: 14-2
Home: 7-1 … Road: 7-1
Per-Game Point Differential: +13.1
Turnover Margin: +43
Wins Of 10 Points Or More: 11
Losses to sub-.500 teams: 0
Record vs. playoff teams: 5-1
Strength of division (minimum to maximum scale of 1 to 5): 3
Playoff Extra Credit: Lost in Super Bowl (Raiders)
OVERVIEW: Forget the near-meltdown against the 49ers in the NFC title game (up 21-0 in the fourth quarter). Forget the futile showing against the Raiders in Super Bowl XVIII (losing 38-9). From a regular-season perspective, the '83 Redskins trump nearly all comers in this countdown—even the high-powered Vikings of 1998. Looking at the numbers, Minnesota had a better overall record, more points scored and one additional blowout victory. But the Redskins, led by QB Joe Theismann, John Riggins, Art Monk, rookie Darrell Green and head coach Joe Gibbs, prevailed in the end, thanks to an eye- popping turnover margin (+43), a 5-1 mark versus playoff teams, two one-point losses and an actual Super Bowl appearance. There's also this consolation prize: The 1983 Redskins are the greatest defending Super Bowl champs to NOT repeat the following season.
3. 1998 Minnesota Vikings
Regular Season Record: 15-1
Home: 8-0 … Road: 7-1
Per-Game Point Differential: +16.2
Turnover Margin: +14
Wins Of 10 Points Or More: 12
Losses to sub-.500 teams: 0
Record vs. playoff teams: 3-0
Strength of division (minimum to maximum scale of 1 to 5): 3
Playoff Extra Credit: None
OVERVIEW:The Vikings were a viable powerhouse in that 1998 season, amassing a then-NFL record 556 points (predating the '07 Patriots), registering 12 blowout wins and dismantling the opposition by 16.2 points per game. (This explosion coincided with rookie WR Randy Moss's NFL debut: 69 catches, 1,313 yards and 17 TDs.) Perhaps more impressive, the offense didn't supremely click until after backup QB Randall Cunningham (3,704 yards passing, 35 total TDs) took over in Week 3 (due to Brad Johnson's injury). Of course, Minnesota 's championship hopes were dashed by Atlanta in the NFC title game—remember Gary Anderson's only missed field goal in a two-year span?—precluding a titanic clash with the eventual champion Broncos in Super Bowl XXXIII (John Elway's triumphant swan song).
4. 1968 Baltimore Colts
Regular Season Record: 13-1
Home: 6-1 … Road: 7-0
Per-Game Point Differential: +18.4
Turnover Margin: +7
Wins Of 10 Points Or More: 11
Losses to sub-.500 teams: 0
Record vs. playoff teams: 1-1
Strength of division (minimum to maximum scale of 1 to 5): 4
Playoff Extra Credit: Lost in Super Bowl (Jets)
OVERVIEW: We could break down the Colts' Super Bowl III loss to the Jets in myriad ways. But it's more fun to wonder how NFL history might have been written if Baltimore had not been party to the most storied upset of all time. Something like …
1) The AFL never earns the pre-merger respect of the NFL.
2) Coach Don Shula never feuds with Colts owner Carroll Rosenbloom and ends up leaving Baltimore for the still-in-expansion-mode Dolphins in 1970. (The Shula-led Colts slumped to an 8-5-1 finish in 1969.)
3) Newly minted celebrity QB Joe Namath never gets the chance to visit Bobby Brady, on his phony death bed, in a campy but memorable episode of TV's The Brady Bunch.
4) Even worse, Namath never inks a landmark deal to endorse pantyhose for Beauty Mist in the mid-70s.
5. 2011 Green Bay Packers
Regular Season Record: 15-1
Home: 8-0 … Road: 7-1
Per-Game Point Differential: +12.6
Turnover Margin: +24
Wins Of 10 Points Or More: 8
Losses to sub-.500 teams: 1
Record vs. playoff teams: 6-0
Strength of division (minimum to maximum scale of 1 to 5): 3.5
Playoff Extra Credit: None (although that will change if the Giants win SB XLVI)
OVERVIEW: The No. 5 ranking seems great … until you realize that heading into December, many pundits were hailing Green Bay as a viable candidate to go 19-0 and assume the mantle of Greatest Team In NFL History. But a Week 15 loss to the lowly Chiefs and Divisional Playoff home defeat to the Giants quickly softened the perception of these Packers, who were an offensive juggernaut throughout the year but mere mortals on the defensive end. Still, what's not to love about 560 seasonal points (just shy of the 2007 Patriots), 11 games of 30 or more points, a stellar turnover differential (+24) and sterling 6-0 mark against 2011 playoff clubs? Of course, that unblemished status doesn't include the devastating postseason loss to the Giants … but the Packers aren't the first dominant team to be snakebitten by New York in the NFL playoffs.
6. 2010 New England Patriots
Regular Season Record: 14-2
Home: 8-0 … Road: 6-2
Per-Game Point Differential: +12.8
Turnover Margin: +28
Wins Of 10 Points Or More: 9
Losses to sub-.500 teams: 1
Record vs. playoff teams: 6-1
Strength of division (minimum to maximum scale of 1 to 5): 3
Playoff Extra Credit: None
OVERVIEW: Tom Brady has reached the Super Bowl five times in his career (including next week's opportunity), but the 2010 Patriots might have been his most complete and balanced club over a 10-year period. Brady threw for 3,900 yards and 36 TDs (against only four INTs) and cruised to NFL MVP honors. Tailback BenJarvus Green-Ellis rushed for more than 1,000 yards and 13 TDs—while deftly sharing the rushing load with Danny Woodhead, Fred Taylor, Sammy Morris and Kevin Faulk. Pass-catchers Wes Welker, Deion Branch, Rob Gronkowski and Aaron Hernandez finished with 700 yards or six touchdowns. And the typically bland New England defense allowed only 313 points—with 7 or fewer points in four of its last five regular-season games. But the true greatness of the 14-2 season lies with Brady, who led the Patriots to 30-plus points in the last eight games—which has to be a consecutive-games record.
7. 1976 Pittsburgh Steelers
Regular Season Record: 10-4
Home: 6-1 … Road: 4-3
Per-Game Point Differential: +12.7
Turnover Margin: +15
Wins Of 10 Points Or More: 9
Losses to sub-.500 teams: 0
Record vs. playoff teams: 0-3
Strength of division (minimum to maximum scale of 1 to 5): 5
Extra Credit, Part I: NFL modern-day record of 5 shutouts
Extra Credit, Part II: Lost to Super Bowl champ (Raiders)
OVERVIEW: At the very least, the 1976 Steelers are the greatest team to start 1-4 in any NFL season. In their final nine games that year—all Pittsburgh victories—the famed Steel Curtain defense surrendered a TOTAL of 28 points (or 3 per game), a ferocious, awe-inspiring run that included three consecutive shutouts (an NFL record). And in the playoffs, the Steelers demolished the Colts in Baltimore, 40-14 … before bowing out to the eventual champion Raiders in the AFC title game, a consequence of playing without injured running backs Franco Harris and Rocky Bleier. Of course, this ranking comes with some controversy, as Pittsburgh is the only club in the countdown to lose every time against playoff competition during the regular season, and it was a pedestrian 4-3 away from the friendly confines of Three Rivers Stadium. But for us, 'tis better to stay on Jack Lambert's good side.
8. 1969 Minnesota Vikings
Regular Season Record: 12-2
Home: 7-0 … Road: 5-2
Per-Game Point Differential: +17.6
Turnover Margin: +12
Wins Of 10 Points Or More: 9
Losses to sub-.500 teams: 2
Record vs. playoff teams: 2-0
Strength of division (minimum to maximum scale of 1 to 5): 4
Playoff Extra Credit: Lost in Super Bowl (Chiefs)
OVERVIEW: The 1969 Vikings achieved the rare triple crown of leading the NFL in points scored (379), points allowed (133) and per-game point differential (17.6). Throw in nine blowout victories, a perfect mark against 1969 playoff teams and three outings of 50-plus points … and we're talking about one of the greatest single seasons in league history. But just like the 1968 Colts, the '69 Vikings will forever be stained by a Super Bowl loss to a seemingly inferior team (Kansas City) from a seemingly inferior league (AFL); and while the Chiefs get full props for taking down the Vikings when it mattered most—65 Toss Power Trap, anyone?—it's important to include one gut-wrenching footnote: In Week 1 of the 1970 season—the first official year of the NFL-AFL merger—Minnesota exacted some revenge on Kansas City, rolling to an emotional 27-10 win in Bloomington.
9. 1984 Miami Dolphins
Regular Season Record: 14-2
Home: 7-1 … Road: 7-1
Per-Game Point Differential: +13.4
Turnover Margin: +8
Wins Of 10 Points Or More: 10
Losses to sub-.500 teams: 1
Record vs. playoff teams: 2-1
Strength of division (minimum to maximum scale of 1 to 5): 2
Playoff Extra Credit: Lost in Super Bowl (49ers)
OVERVIEW: The 1982 Dolphins reached Super Bowl XVII on the strength of a dominating defense, affectionately dubbed The Killer B's. But when Miami reached The Big Game two years later, it had seamlessly morphed into an offensive machine, coinciding with the emergence of receivers Mark Duper, Mark Clayton and QB Dan Marino, who would break new ground with 48 TD passes in 1984 (an NFL record that stood for 20 years). With Marino (the sixth QB taken in Round 1 of the heralded '83 draft) leading the charge, the '84 Fins were virtually unstoppable, notching 10 blowout victories and a sizable point differential (13.4). The only drawbacks: In Week 11, Miami suffered its first loss to an underwhelming San Diego club (in overtime); and in the AFC playoffs, the Dolphins were lucky to avoid the defending champion Raiders (knocked out in the Wild Card round).
10. 2004 Pittsburgh Steelers
Regular Season Record: 15-1
Home: 8-0 … Road: 7-1
Per-Game Point Differential: +7.6
Turnover Margin: +11
Wins Of 10 Points Or More: 8
Losses to sub-.500 teams: 0
Record vs. playoff teams: 3-0
Strength of division (minimum to maximum scale of 1 to 5): 3
Playoff Extra Credit: Lost to Super Bowl champ (Patriots)
OVERVIEW: The NFL has churned out only five 15-1/16-0 teams since the league expanded the regular season to 16 games in 1978. So, the following statement shouldn't be constituted as a slap in the face to the Steel City faithful: The '04 Steelers are the worst 15-win team of the bunch. (how droll) With that said, there aren't enough superlatives to describe the balance between the Pittsburgh defense, ranked No. 1 in scoring that season, and the offense helmed by rookie QB Ben Roethlisberger (2,621 yards passing, 18 total TDs) and veteran RB Jerome Bettis (13 TDs). Following a Week 2 defeat to Baltimore, Big Ben and Co. ripped off 14 straight victories to finish the regular season. The Steelers were similarly stellar in three major areas: Turnover margin (+11), blowout wins (8) and 3-0 against playoff teams. And just like the 1979 Chargers, Pittsburgh posted easy regular-season wins against the future Super Bowl combatants—New England and Philadelphia (back-to-back weeks).
11. 1992 San Francisco 49ers
Regular Season Record: 14-2
Home: 7-1 … Road: 7-1
Per-Game Point Differential: +10.4
Turnover Margin: +7
Wins Of 10 Points Or More: 8
Losses to sub-.500 teams: 0
Record vs. playoff teams: 5-1
Strength of division (minimum to maximum scale of 1 to 5): 3
Playoff Extra Credit: Lost to Super Bowl champ (Cowboys)
OVERVIEW: The 1992 Niners were as dynamic as their dynastic forebears of the 1980s, with Steve Young succeeding Joe Montana at quarterback and George Seifert seamlessly handling the coaching reins after Bill Walsh retired from the pro game in February 1989. Looking at the numbers, the '92 Niners earned strong marks in point differential (10.4), turnover margin (7), blowout wins (8) and overall record against playoff teams (5-1). For good measure, Young and Co. capped the regular season with eight straight victories—a necessity for holding off the eventual champion Cowboys in the race for home-field advantage throughout the NFC playoffs. Not that Dallas needed it to capture its first Lombardi trophy in 15 years.
12. 1990 Buffalo Bills
Regular Season Record: 13-3
Home: 8-0 … Road: 5-3
Per-Game Point Differential: +10
Turnover Margin: +14
Wins Of 10 Points Or More: 9
Losses to sub-.500 teams: 0
Record vs. playoff teams: 4-2
Strength of division (minimum to maximum scale of 1 to 5): 3
Playoff Extra Credit: Lost in Super Bowl (Giants)
OVERVIEW: The 1990 Bills ruled the AFC through fear … and a devastating, quick-strike offense (27 points per game) that had no peer. Behind Hall of Famers Jim Kelly, Thurman Thomas and Bruce Smith (sorry, Andre Reed—for now), the '90 Bills enjoyed a problem-free run to the East title and AFC championship, thumping the Dolphins and Raiders in the playoffs before suffering a gut-wrenching loss to the Giants in Super Bowl XXV. But that franchise-defining defeat—capped by kicker Scott Norwood's wide-right miss at the gun—doesn't obscure double-digit excellence in point differential and turnover margin, the nine blowout victories or a 4-2 mark against playoff teams (including the Giants in December). Unfortunately, New York got its revenge in January.
13. 1998 Atlanta Falcons
Regular Season Record: 14-2
Home: 8-0 … Road: 6-2
Per-Game Point Differential: +8.6
Turnover Margin: +20
Wins Of 10 Points Or More: 8
Losses to sub-.500 teams: 0
Record vs. playoff teams: 2-2
Strength of division (minimum to maximum scale of 1 to 5): 3
Playoff Extra Credit: Lost in Super Bowl (Broncos)
OVERVIEW: There's plenty to love about the 1998 Falcons, from their perfect home record and monster turnover margin (+20) … to the eight decisive victories against top-notch competition. Throw in a major upset win in the NFC title game (over the juggernaut Vikings) and a respectable loss to John Elway's greatest Broncos team in Super Bowl XXXIV … and you have one of history's most undervalued clubs. How unsung was this group? The team's three biggest offensive weapons were QB Chris Chandler (3,154 yards passing, 25 TDs), RB Jamal Anderson (2,165 total yards, 16 TDs) and WR Tony Martin (1,181 yards, 6 TDs).
14. 1967 Los Angeles Rams
Regular Season Record: 11-1-2
Home: 5-1-1 … Road: 6-0-1
Per-Game Point Differential: +14.4
Turnover Margin: +16
Wins Of 10 Points Or More: 10
Losses to sub-.500 teams: 0
Record vs. playoff teams: 2-0
Strength of division (minimum to maximum scale of 1 to 5): 4
Playoff Extra Credit: Lost to Super Bowl champ (Packers)
OVERVIEW: The 1967 Rams, led by QB Roman Gabriel and the Fearsome Foursome (Lamar Lundy, Roger Brown and Hall of Famers Merlin Olsen and Deacon Jones), enjoyed a sublime regular season—10 blowout victories, one signature win over the eventual champion Packers, plus impressive margins with point differential (14.4) and turnovers (+16). Simply put, this might have been the Rams' second-greatest team of their 48-year tenure in Los Angeles (after the 1951 NFL champions—led by the immaculate QB tandem of Norm Van Brocklin and Bob Waterfield).
15. 1999 Jacksonville Jaguars
Regular Season Record: 14-2
Home: 7-1 … Road: 7-1
Per-Game Point Differential: +11.2
Turnover Margin: +12
Wins Of 10 Points Or More: 10
Losses to sub-.500 teams: 0
Record vs. playoff teams: 0-2
Strength of division (minimum to maximum scale of 1 to 5): 3
Playoff Extra Credit: None
OVERVIEW: It's not a stretch to draw eerie parallels between the 1999 Jaguars and 2007 Patriots, the kingpins of this countdown. Both clubs proffered double-digit excellence in point differential and turnover margin, while winning at least nine games by 10 points or more. The two head coaches, Tom Coughlin (Jags) and Bill Belichick (Patriots), were direct descendants of the Bill Parcells coaching tree. And both teams, excruciatingly, lost to only one franchise during their near-flawless campaigns. Of course, New England lost to the Giants in the waning moments of Super Bowl XLII … whereas Jacksonville went 0-for-3 against division rival Tennessee. That, in a nutshell, explains why the Jags aren't sitting at No. 2.
Head over to Page 2 for more!
16. 2006 San Diego Chargers
Regular Season Record: 14-2
Home: 8-0 … Road: 6-2
Per-Game Point Differential: +11.8
Turnover Margin: +13
Wins Of 10 Points Or More: 7
Losses to sub-.500 teams: 0
Record vs. playoff teams: 1-2
Strength of division (minimum to maximum scale of 1 to 5): 4
Playoff Extra Credit: None
OVERVIEW: The planets were aligned for head coach Marty Schottenheimer to experience a career breakthrough in 2006. The Chargers had a top-flight quarterback (Philip Rivers), formidable defense, supremely talented kicker (Nate Kaeding), the NFL's single greatest weapon (LaDainian Tomlinson), home-field advantage in the AFC playoffs and a path to the Super Bowl that didn't involve the notoriously stingy Ravens, who were upset by the Colts in the Divisional Playoff round. But a soul-crushing loss to the Patriots in the Divisional Playoff round—where the Chargers couldn't retain possession of a crucial Tom Brady interception in the game's final moments—forever (and unfairly) sealed Schottenheimer's fate as a Coach Who'll Never Win The Big One. But that's a shallow perspective for this survey, given the Chargers' 14-2 mark, seismic margins in point differential and turnovers and plum spot atop the highly competitive AFC West. Aside from the 2007 Patriots, no team in this century deserved a title more than the '06 Chargers.
17. 1967 Baltimore Colts
Regular Season Record: 11-1-2
Home: 5-1-1 … Road: 6-0-1
Per-Game Point Differential: +14
Turnover Margin: +15
Wins Of 10 Points Or More: 7
Losses to sub-.500 teams: 0
Record vs. playoff teams: 2-1-1
Strength of division (minimum to maximum scale of 1 to 5): 4
Playoff Extra Credit: None
OVERVIEW: I was all set to include the vaunted '67 Colts into the Top 15. But my attitude subtly changed after reading Instant Replay, the seminal book co-written by the iconic Dick Schaap, depicting the daily life and times of Green Bay great Jerry Kramer during the Packers' title-winning season of 1967. In the book, Kramer respects the Johnny Unitas-led Colts, of course; but doesn't view the Horseshoes as a legendary team. (Ironically, Baltimore defeated Green Bay during the regular season.) Still, the 1967 Colts did not lose a game until the season finale—a 34-10 defeat to the Rams that decided the NFL's Coastal Division title and sealed the Colts' fate as the greatest team in the Super Bowl era to NOT reach the postseason.
18. 2001 St. Louis Rams
Regular Season Record: 14-2
Home: 6-2 … Road: 8-0
Per-Game Point Differential: +14.4
Turnover Margin: -10
Wins Of 10 Points Or More: 9
Losses to sub-.500 teams: 1
Record vs. playoff teams: 6-1
Strength of division (minimum to maximum scale of 1 to 5): 3
Playoff Extra Credit: Lost in Super Bowl (Patriots)
OVERVIEW: Believe me, I'd love to reward the 2001 Rams (1st in scoring, 1st in point differential, 8-0 road record, 6-1 against playoff teams) with a top-10 ranking here … but it's very hard to look past the club's minus-10 output in turnovers. When grading the NFL's greatest teams of the Super Bowl era without a curve, you won't find another one that invoked such a sloppy approach to closing out games—while playing in a bone-dry dome, no less. Yes, QB Kurt Warner (4,830 yards passing, 36 TDs), RB Marshall Faulk (2,147 total yards, 21 TDs), WR Torry Holt (81 catches, 1,363 yards, 7 TDs) and WR Isaac Holt (64 catches, 1,106 yards, 6 TDs) tallied monster numbers in Mike Martz's explosive offense; but there's really no defense for 38 forced fumbles and 22 Warner interceptions. I'll probably catch hell for being so nitpicky … but the 2001 Rams are only a cut above the top 20.
19. 2005 Indianapolis Colts
Regular Season Record: 14-2
Home: 7-1 … Road: 7-1
Per-Game Point Differential: +12
Turnover Margin: +12
Wins Of 10 Points Or More: 9
Losses to sub-.500 teams: 0
Record vs. playoff teams: 5-1
Strength of division (minimum to maximum scale of 1 to 5): 3
Playoff Extra Credit: Lost to Super Bowl champ (Steelers)
OVERVIEW: Sure, the Colts captured the Super Bowl crown one year later. But the 2005 club, in my opinion, stands out as Indy's best team of the Peyton Manning era. Indy opened that season with 12 straight wins, posted a 5-1 mark against playoff teams, tallied nine blowout victories and enjoyed a symmetrical bonanza in point differential (+12) and turnover margin (+12). The only things missing from that special season: A battle-tested kicker (Mike Vanderjagt) and a bit of good luck after goal-line fumble recoveries.
20. 1975 Minnesota Vikings
Regular Season Record: 12-2
Home: 7-0 … Road: 5-2
Per-Game Point Differential: +14.1
Turnover Margin: +16
Wins Of 10 Points Or More: 8
Losses to sub-.500 teams: 0
Record vs. playoff teams: 0-0
Strength of division (minimum to maximum scale of 1 to 5): 2
Playoff Extra Credit: None
OVERVIEW: At first blush, the '75 Vikings got the short end of the stick in this countdown. Is a No. 18 ranking really commensurate for a Minnesota squad that started the season 10-0 and allowed no more than 22 points just once that year? In this case, yes. As an unabashed devotee of NFL Films, I respect Jim Marshall (how is he NOT in the Hall of Fame?), Carl Eller and Alan Page for saying the 1975 team was the franchise's best during an unprecedented run of awesomeness from 1969-78 (9 division titles, 4 Super Bowl berths and 87 regular-season victories) … but there are a few knocks here: The '75 Vikings played in a noticeably weak NFC Central and faced zero playoff opponents that regular season. It also doesn't help that Minnesota got booted from the playoffs by 10-4 Dallas, via the famous Hail Mary play. What a shame. In my mind, the 1975 Vikings could have gotten revenge on the Steelers in Super Bowl X … but we'll never know.
21. 1976 New England Patriots
Regular Season Record: 11-3
Home: 6-1 … Road: 5-2
Per-Game Point Differential: +10
Turnover Margin: +14
Wins Of 10 Points Or More: 8
Losses to sub-.500 teams: 2
Record vs. playoff teams: 3-1
Strength of division (minimum to maximum scale of 1 to 5): 3.5
Playoff Extra Credit: Lost to Super Bowl champ (Raiders)
OVERVIEW: Ah, the 1976 Patriots … the juggernaut that history forgot. Perhaps that's because New England averaged only four victories from 1965-75 and featured a starting QB (Steve Grogan) who threw more INTs than touchdowns his first four years in the league (1975-78). Did we forget to mention that Grogan succeeded Jim Plunkett, who was deemed an NFL washout after claiming the Heisman Trophy in 1970 before struggling as the Patriots' franchise 'savior' from 1971-74? But enough of the negatives. For one amazing season, the '76 Patriots steamrolled the Dolphins, Steelers and Raiders during a three- week stretch in September and cruised to the AFC East title. The peripherals were similarly remarkable, with double-digit margins in point differential and turnovers … and eight victories of 10 points or more, while playing in a top-notch division. How good were the '76 Pats? The Raiders, who lost only one game during that Super Bowl season (to New England), were VERY LUCKY to survive the Pats in the AFC playoffs. Here's the scene: New England led Oakland 21-17 in the waning moments of the Divisional Playoff round and should have had the Raiders in a 4th-and-long foxhole; but a suspect roughing-the-passer penalty on defensive end 'Sugar Bear' Hamilton gave Kenny Stabler and the Raiders a fresh set of downs—and the opportunity to post the game-winning touchdown. I have no ties to the New England area, or the Patriots; but who am I to deny the 1976 team from their rightful spot in this countdown?
22. 1979 San Diego Chargers
Regular Season Record: 12-4
Home: 7-1 … Road: 5-3
Per-Game Point Differential: +10.3
Turnover Margin: +11
Wins Of 10 Points Or More: 9
Losses to sub-.500 teams: 1
Record vs. playoff teams: 3-1
Strength of division (minimum to maximum scale of 1 to 5): 5
Playoff Extra Credit: None
OVERVIEW: With Dan Fouts (4,082 yards passing, 24 TDs), TE Kellen Winslow, receivers Charlie Joiner and John Jefferson (1,090 yards, 10 TDs) executing the high-powered Air Coryell offense, the 1979 Chargers are easily this countdown's hippest team. But they also had substance—notching nine blowout wins, scoring at least 26 points in 10 games and sporting a plus-11 turnover margin. Oh, and did we mention the Bolts whipped that year's Super Bowl combatants—the Steelers and Rams—by a combined score of 75-23 during the season? Of course, it's fair to wonder how San Diego fell at home to Houston in the Divisional Playoff round? Try as they might, modern-day Chargers fans cannot blame the '79 flameout on Marty Schottenheimer, a then-unknown linebackers coach with the Detroit Lions.
23. 2011 San Francisco 49ers
Regular Season Record: 13-3
Home: 7-1 … Road: 6-2
Per-Game Point Differential: +9.4
Turnover Margin: +28
Wins Of 10 Points Or More: 6
Losses to sub-.500 teams: 1
Record vs. playoff teams: 5-1
Strength of division (minimum to maximum scale of 1 to 5): 2
Playoff Extra Credit: None
OVERVIEW: If we were to peruse every Sports Illustrated NFL preview from 1966 to the present … it's possible the 2011 Niners would be the likeliest squad to finish 3-13 than 13-3 in preseason prognostications. But hey, that's why they play the games; and that's why San Francisco deserves major props for realizing its dream season without the benefit of mini-camp practices … or some valuable winter/spring time to adjust to new head coach Jim Harbaugh. Yes, we could lament the giant step forward for QB Alex Smith (3,144 yards passing, 19 total TDs) or bankable production from RB Frank Gore (1,325 total yards, 8 TDs); but the story of the 2011 49ers begins and ends with the defense—a group of fierce tacklers and menacing ball-hawkers who allowed only one 100-yard rusher all season (Seattle's Marshawn Lynch), two total rushing TDs and posted a league-high turnover margin (+28). Add in a supreme record against eventual playoff teams (5-1) … and it's easy to see how the 49ers are stalwarts for this survey.
24. 2011 New Orleans Saints
Regular Season Record: 13-3
Home: 8-0 … Road: 5-3
Per-Game Point Differential: +13
Turnover Margin: -3
Wins Of 10 Points Or More: 9
Losses to sub-.500 teams: 2
Record vs. playoff teams: 4-1
Strength of division (minimum to maximum scale of 1 to 5): 3
Playoff Extra Credit: None
OVERVIEW: In a bit of total honesty, I wanted to rank the 2011 Saints ahead of the 49ers, even though San Francisco had a better playoff seed and knocked out New Orleans in the Divisional Playoff round. But in the end, I caved to the pressure of common sense and deductive reasoning when comparing apples to apples. However, there's plenty to love about the latest incarnation of the Saints—from Drew Brees's record-breaking feat in passing yards (5,476) and absurd number of TD passes (46) … to the team's nine victories of 10 points or more and 10 outings of 30-plus points. Throw in a stellar record against playoff teams, an unsurpassed home-field advantage and a blitz-happy defense that tallied 33 sacks … and it's fun to dream these Saints—in any other season—might have cruised to the Super Bowl. But alas, that's not how life in the NFL works sometimes.
25. 1978 Dallas Cowboys
Regular Season Record: 12-4
Home: 7-1 … Road: 5-3
Per-Game Point Differential: +11
Turnover Margin: +1
Wins Of 10 Points Or More: 8
Losses to sub-.500 teams: 0
Record vs. playoff teams: 3-3
Strength of division (minimum to maximum scale of 1 to 5): 3
Playoff Extra Credit: Lost in Super Bowl (Steelers)
OVERVIEW: The 1970s belonged to the Steelers, Raiders, Dolphins and Cowboys; and for Dallas, Roger Staubach's full-time promotion ahead of QB Craig Morton in 1971 played a huge role in the team's transformation from Next Year's Best Team to two-time champions for that decade. Including the '71 and '77 title-winners, one could argue the '78 Cowboys were the most prolific squad of the Staubach starting era. Of the 26 teams on this list, Dallas ranks third amongst Super Bowl champions that fell short in bids to repeat the following season. At the time, the Cowboys also missed out on becoming just the fourth franchise to post back-to-back Super Bowl titles—eventually bequeathing that honor to the (1978/79) Steelers, who outlasted the Cowboys in an epic Super Bowl XIV. The peripherals stand tall for the Cowboys 34 years later, going 12-4 amidst a brutal schedule and posting eight victories of 10 points or more. The only drawback: A pedestrian turnover margin of plus-1.
Special Mention: 2004 Philadelphia Eagles
Regular Season Record: 13-3
Home: 7-1 … Road: 6-2
Per-Game Point Differential: +7.9
Turnover Margin: +6
Wins Of 10 Points Or More: 9
Losses to sub-.500 teams: 0
Record vs. playoff teams: 2-1
Strength of division (minimum to maximum scale of 1 to 5): 1.5
Playoff Extra Credit: Lost in Super Bowl (Patriots)
OVERVIEW: The 2004 Eagles played in a haggard NFC East that season, and their ratios with point differential (7.9) and turnovers (+6) were anything but stellar. But there's no disputing Philly's greatness with both RB Brian Westbrook (1,515 total yards, 9 TDs) and Terrell Owens (77 catches, 1,200 yards, 14 TDs) in the starting lineup—try 13-1. And it could have easily been 15-1 if a broken leg hadn't shelved Owens for most of December and all of January—but not the Super Bowl in February, as T.O. defied standard recovery timelines and caught nine balls for 122 yards in the Eagles' loss to the Patriots.
Special Mention: 1986 Cleveland Browns
Regular Season Record: 12-4
Home: 6-2 … Road: 6-2
Per-Game Point Differential: +5
Turnover Margin: +13
Wins Of 10 Points Or More: 5
Losses to sub-.500 teams: 1
Record vs. playoff teams: 1-1
Strength of division (minimum to maximum scale of 1 to 5): 3
Playoff Extra Credit: None
OVERVIEW: Cleveland ranked only fifth in scoring, 11th in scoring defense, sixth in per-game point differential and fourth in turnover margin for that gleeful 1986 season—average marks for this countdown. But the Browns warrant an honorable-mention slot based on one undeniable truth: In the Super Bowl era, no team has ever experienced a bigger punch-in-the-gut playoff defeat than the Browns in the AFC championship game … surrendering a 98-yard touchdown drive in the final minute to John Elway's Broncos to force overtime. Soon after that, Browns fans had to endure the sight of Rich Karlis's game-winning field goal for Denver—although no hard video evidence confirms the ball sailing through the uprights.
Follow Jay on Twitter: @ATL_JayClemons
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