Super Bowl power rankings: Which winner is the greatest?

14. 1976 Oakland Raiders (SB XI)

If you’re looking in terms of records, it’s hard to argue the greatness of the 1976 Oakland Raiders with John Madden at the helm as they went 13-1 on the regular season. However, this isn’t solely based on the win-loss record of these Super Bowl winners and, when you start digging into it for Madden and his 1976 Raiders team, they don’t fully stand up to the teams that are above them in these rankings.

The success of the Raiders on the year was undoubtedly their offense led by Ken Stabler at quarterback and with Mike van Eeghen, Clarence Davis, and Pat Banaszak in the backfield. However, the Oakland defense was quietly average despite the team’s success on the year. They allowed 16.9 points per game under Madden’s direction, good for only the No. 12-ranked defense in the NFL on the year and largely playing into the perception that their 13-1 record was them playing over their heads in the 1976 season.

None of that should sway people too much in regards to Oakland, though, as the Raiders were still great as you have to be to go 13-1 and win the Super Bowl. After a close victory in their playoff opener in the postseason, they ran over the competition in the AFC Championship game against the Steelers and the Super Bowl against the Vikings, winning by a combined 56-21 in those final two games to capture a title and a place in history.

Next: No. 13