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Super Bowl power rankings: Which winner is the greatest?

By Cody Williams

St. Louis Rams quarterback Kurt Warner looks to make pass in a 23-16 win over the Tennessee Titans in Super Bowl XXXIV on January 30, 2000 at Georgia Dome in Atlanta, Georgia. (Photo by Allen Kee/Getty Images)
St. Louis Rams quarterback Kurt Warner looks to make pass in a 23-16 win over the Tennessee Titans in Super Bowl XXXIV on January 30, 2000 at Georgia Dome in Atlanta, Georgia. (Photo by Allen Kee/Getty Images) /
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PASADENA, CA – JANUARY 26: Joe Morris #20 of the New York Giants carries the ball against the Denver Broncos during Super Bowl XXI on January 26, 1987 at the Rose Bowl in Pasadena, California. The Giants won the Super Bowl 39 -20. (Photo by Focus on Sport/Getty Images)
PASADENA, CA – JANUARY 26: Joe Morris #20 of the New York Giants carries the ball against the Denver Broncos during Super Bowl XXI on January 26, 1987 at the Rose Bowl in Pasadena, California. The Giants won the Super Bowl 39 -20. (Photo by Focus on Sport/Getty Images) /

21. 1986 New York Giants (SB XXI)

There are several great cases in terms of Super Bowl winning teams in terms of records not being a total indication of overall greatness, one of which is the 1986 New York Giants. While they went 14-2 in the regular season before rolling through the playoffs and ultimately becoming champions, this team wasn’t quite as good as all of that might indicate, which is why they just make the top-20 and aren’t higher.

Make no mistake, the 1986 Giants were still a high-quality football team led by the No. 2-ranked defense in the NFL in the regular season behind Lawrence Taylor accruing 20.5 sacks and Leonard Marshall helping lead the way as well. Their offense, however, ranked only eight in the league behind an average Phil Simms performance in the regular season and heavily aided by Joe Morris being a monster in the running attack.

What truly helps the Giants, though, was that they simply got rolling and playing their best football at the end of the regular season and into the postseason. In three postseason games, they combined to put up 105 points while conceding only 23. Had Simms and the offense played that well for the whole regular season, they might’ve been higher on this list. Even still, they’re top-20, which is more than respectable.

Next: No. 20

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