Of all the Super Bowl winners, explosive offenses, and dominant defenses, who are the 30 best teams in the history of the NFL?
There have been a boat load of amazing teams throughout the course of NFL history. Several Super Bowl winners, and teams that fell just short. Today, we look at the teams that stand above the rest. These are the 30 best teams in NFL history.
Who are the best teams in NFL history?
30. 2004 Pittsburgh Steelers
The 2004 Steelers took the league by storm. Quarterback Tommy Maddox was injured in Week 2 in Baltimore, which thrust a young rookie out of Miami University named Ben Roethlisberger into the starting lineup. After that, the Steelers just decided they weren’t going to lose anymore.
Under Roethlisberger, the Steelers won their remaining 13 games in the regular season. Offensively, they ranked 11th in total yards and they were second in the NFL in rushing yards. Roethlisberger wasn’t asked to do much that season, but he did what was needed to help Pittsburgh continue winning.
Defensively, the Steelers were fantastic. They were the NFL’s top defense, which was a trend that would carry throughout the rest of the decade. They allowed the fewest points in the league, as well as the fewest yards.
Pittsburgh beat the Jets in the Divisional Round of the playoffs and hosted the AFC Championship Game against the defending champion New England Patriots, whom they defeated in the regular season. New England defeated Pittsburgh, but the Steelers would win the Super Bowl the following year. Their 15 wins was the most in franchise history in a single season, and they had found their quarterback of the future.
29. 2014 New England Patriots
This season was more important for the Patriots than people seem to remember. The Patriots had appeared in the Super Bowl in the 2011 season, but they lost to the Giants for the second time in the biggest game of the year, and Tom Brady and Bill Belichick were still sitting at only three rings.
That season, the Patriots finished the year with the fourth most points in the NFL. New England had the fewest turnovers in the league that year.
Defensively, the Patriots allowed the eight fewest yards in the league, but other than that, they were rather average on that side of the ball.
When the playoffs rolled around, the Patriots reminded everyone who they were. They defeated the Ravens 35-31 and then humiliated the Colts 45-7 in the AFC Championship.
Then, the Super Bowl rolled around and it looked as if the Patriots were about to lose another heartbreaker. Jermaine Kearse had just made a circus catch to set up the Seahawks to win their second straight Super Bowl. Instead, Russell WIlson threw the ball and it was intercepted by Malcolm Butler at the goal line. The Patriots won their fourth Super Bowl of the Brady-Belichick era in dramatic fashion, their first since the 2004 season.
28. 2019 Kansas City Chiefs
It was tempting to put the 2018 Chiefs on this list based solely on the fact that Patrick Mahomes had a historic season. That said, their defense was mediocre that season. 2019, everything came together.
Mahomes led the Chiefs offense to score the fifth most points in the NFL, and they topped 6,000 yards offensively which was good for sixth in the league. Their passing game was the fifth best in the NFL. The Chiefs also had the third fewest turnovers in the league in 2019.
Defensively, Kansas CIty had massive improvements from the year prior. They finished seventh in points against and were tenth in the NFL in takeaways.
In the playoffs, things seemed grim for the Chiefs. They were trailing 24-3 to the Texans before storming back and winning 51-31. In the Super Bowl, they pulled off another comeback. They went into the fourth quarter trailing 20-10 to the 49ers before scoring 21 points in the final quarter to claim a Super Bowl victory. The two season run that the Chiefs went on from 2018-19 established Mahomes as the best quarterback in the NFL, and made the Chiefs the team to beat in the NFL.
27. 2002 Tampa Bay Buccaneers
This is a case of the offense not being anything great, but the defense was phenomenal.
Offensively, Tampa Bay was 18th in points and 24th in yards. Again, by no means is that anything to write home about, but the things their defense did were fantastic.
The Buccaneers defense ranked first in nearly every defensive statistical category. They allowed just 196 points all season, and the 4,044 yards they let up was the fewest in all of the NFL. Tampa Bay was also third in the NFL in takeaways and led the league with 31 interceptions.
In the NFC Championship Game, they were all but written off because the narrative around them was that they couldn’t play in cold weather. They changed that really quickly by beating the Eagles in the final game at Veterans Stadium. The Buccaneers advanced to the Super Bowl to face head coach Jon Gruden’s former team in Oakland. Gruden and the Bucs knew what the Raiders would do, and they intercepted Rich Gannon three times en route to a win.
Offensively, there was a lot to be desired with the Bucs, but their defense more than made up for their lack of offensive explosiveness.
26. 1992 San Francisco 49ers
Ask any 49ers fan, they will say they should have won the Super Bowl in 1992, which would have given Joe Montana five championships in his 49ers career.
San Francisco went 14-2 in the regular season, and they were the NFL’s best offense. They scored 431 points, which led the NFL and gave them an average of 26.9 points per game. They also led the NFL in total yards with just under 6,200 yards on the season. Their passing offense ranked third in the league, and they threw the fewest interceptions of any team.
The defense for the 49ers allowed the third fewest points in the NFL, totaling 236 points allowed all season. They allowed just five touchdown runs on the year, which was the second fewest in the league.
The 49ers had a first round bye and faced Washington in the Divisional Round. They beat Washington 20-13 to advance to the NFC Championship Game to face Dallas. The game got away from the 49ers, and the Cowboys dethroned the 49ers as the team to beat in the NFC. What could have been another trip to the Super Bowl for the 49ers came up just short, but their offense was fantastic all season and carried them deep into the playoffs once again.
25. 1973 Miami Dolphins
The 1973 Dolphins were coming off a perfect season, and looking to repeat as Super Bowl champions- they did just that.
The Dolphins picked up right where they left off in ‘72. They were fifth in the league in points with 343, and were also top 10 in total offense, accumulating 4,103 yards over the course of the season. They had the fifth fewest turnovers on the year, as well. Miami’s passing offense was pedestrian, but their ground attack was the third best in the game in terms of yardage.
Defensively, the Dolphins allowed the fewest points through the course of the season. They also allowed the third fewest yards in the NFL, and were No. 1 in the league against the pass.
In the playoffs, the Dolphins ran through their competition. They beat the Bengals 34-16 in the Divisional Round, and then topped the Raiders 27-10 in the AFC Championship Game. They faced the Vikings in the Super Bowl, where they repeated as champions by beating Minnesota 24-7. The Dolphins became the second team in the early history of the Super Bowl to repeat as champions, and established themselves as the team of the early 1970s.
24. 2000 Baltimore Ravens
Before you start yelling, yes the Ravens offense wasn’t good. That is fully understood. That said, they fielded the second best defense in NFL history, and that cannot go unrecognized.
So let’s start with the offense, because yes, it wasn’t great. They had the 22nd best passing attack in the league at just over 2,800 yards passing. Their run game, though, was really good. They were the fifth best rushing team in the NFL. They ran for 2,200 yards on the season behind a very solid offensive line.
Now that that’s out of the way, let’s talk about that ungodly defense. They allowed just 165 points throughout the entire season, and led the NFL with a staggering 49 takeaways. There was a four game stretch in which Baltimore held their opponents to point totals of zero, seven, three, and seven points, respectively. That is absurd.
Baltimore played in four playoff games, including the Super Bowl- they allowed a combined 23 points in those four games. They defeated the Giants and won their first Super Bowl in franchise history behind their historic defense. Aside from a defense we will discuss later on, it is the best defense in NFL history.
23. 1966 Green Bay Packers
The Packers team that won the first Super Bowl is one of the best of the Vince Lombardi era.
Green Bay went 12-2 on the season, and were the class of the NFL on both sides of the ball. They scored the fourth most points in the league with 335, and had the eight most yards of any team with nearly 4,300 yards. Their ground attack was one of the best in the NFL. They were third in the league with 18 rushing touchdowns, and had the fewest interceptions of any team.
As good as the Packers offense was, their defense was better. They allowed the fewest points in the league, totaling just 163 points against in 1966. They also allowed the third fewest yards in the league. The defense really played into what the offense was doing. While the Green Bay offense had the fewest turnovers in football, their defense had the most takeaways, constantly putting them in position to win.
Green Bay beat the Cowboys in the NFL Championship Game 34-27 before facing the Kansas City Chiefs in Super Bowl I. They handled the Chiefs in a 35-14 victory, continuing their reign of dominance they established through the decade.
22. 2013 Denver Broncos
2013 was Peyton Manning’s masterpiece. He broke just about every single-season passing record. He threw for 5,477 yards and 55 touchdowns in his second season with Denver.
Needless to say it was a good year for the Broncos offense. They were first in total offense. They racked up a remarkable 7,317 yards of offense, and also led the NFL in points with 606. It was truly something the NFL had never seen before in terms of pure dominance by an offensive unit.
There are a few things keeping the 2013 Broncos from being higher on the list. For starters, their defense was pedestrian. They were 22nd in points allowed with 399, and they were 19th in total yards allowed. They didn’t produce many takeaways either, which really put the load on the Broncos offense to carry Denver to wins.
The Broncos also got embarrassed by Seattle in the Super Bowl by a score of 43-8. It is one of the most disappointing performances in Super Bowl history. That said, the offensive juggernaut that the Broncos were can’t be ignored, and they deserve a spot on the list for that alone. It was the best season of one of the best quarterbacks of all time, and might be the best offense in NFL history.
21. 1979 Pittsburgh Steelers
This team featured arguably the best Steelers offense in team history, which is a statement in itself.
Pittsburgh was the highest scoring offense in the NFL, and they led the league in total offensive yardage. They scored 416 points that season and put up over 6,200 yards of total offense. The running game for the Steelers was very dominant. They ran for just over 2,600 yards and 25 touchdowns on the year.
Defensively, Pittsburgh allowed the fifth fewest points in the league, They yielded just 262 points on the year. On top of that, they were No. 2 in fewest yards allowed with 4,270. The Steelers intercepted 27 passes that season, which was good for fourth in the NFL.
The Steelers dominated in the playoffs. They beat the Dolphins 34-14 and then defeated the Oilers 27-13 in the AFC Championship Game. They faced the Rams in the Super Bowl, with the dagger being a Terry Bradshaw touchdown pass to John Stallworth. Pittsburgh won 31-19, and it would be the final championship of the Chuck Noll era. The Steelers closed the decade as dominant as they were for the previous six seasons- dominant, winning, and recognized as the best team in the league.
20. 1976 Oakland Raiders
When talking about the best teams in Raiders history, the 1976 squad takes the cake. Oakland went 13-1 under John Madden in the regular season, and their offense was one of the best in the league.
Oakland scored the fourth most points in the NFL, totaling 350 throughout the year. They also had the second most yards in the league with 5,190. The Raiders air attack was the staple of their offense. Ken Stabler had the best season of his career, leading the Raiders to having the third most passing yards in the league and the most passing touchdowns with 33.
The Raiders defense was above average, but nothing special. In the playoffs, though, they came alive. In the AFC Championship Game against arch-rival Pittsburgh, they held the Steelers to seven points and advanced to the Super Bowl. They faced the Minnesota Vikings, where their defense took over. This was the sight of the famous “Old Man Willie” call on Willie Brown’s interception return for a touchdown that sealed the win for Oakland. It is the best season in Raiders history, and they finished it off with a Super Bowl victory. It was John Madden’s finest team ever, and that is saying something.
19. 1986 New York Giants
When you have Lawrence Taylor on your team, good things will happen. Whenever Lawrence Taylor wins the NFL MVP, good Lord watch out.
The Giants had a fantastic defense in 1986. They allowed the second fewest points in the league with 236 and the second fewest yards with 4,757. They also had 43 takeaways on the season, which ranked fourth in the NFL. And, oh yeah, Taylor had 20.5 sacks and dominated the league all season long.
New York’s offense was also solid in ‘86. They were eighth in points with 371 and 10th in total yards on the year. They were the sixth best rushing team in football, as well. The Giants totaled over 2,200 yards on the ground.
New York raced through the playoffs. They dominated the 49ers 49-3 and then shutout the Washington Football Team 17-0. They faced the Denver Broncos in the Super Bowl and defeated them 39-20. It capped off an amazing defensive year for the Giants, and one of the best individual seasons by a defensive player in NFL history. This was the first of two Super Bowls the Giants would win over the course of five seasons, and is the best season in team history.
18. 2001 St. Louis Rams
The Rams of 2001 aren’t remembered for being the great team they were. Rather, they are remembered for being Tom Brady’s first Super Bowl victim. While they are mostly remembered for the Super Bowl they lost, this Rams team was still dominant.
St, Louis led the NFL in points with 501, good for 31.4 points per game. The Rams were also the NFL’s best offense in terms of total yards. They had 6,690 yards in total, and they were the league’s best passing offense with over 4,600 yards through the air.
Defensively, the Rams allowed the third fewest yards on the season and the seventh fewest points. They were ninth in the league with 34 takeaways.
St. Louis went on a tear at the end of the season. They had five straight games of scoring 30 or more points, including two games in which they scored 40 or more. They blew out Green Bay in the Divisional Round 45-17 off the strength of intercepting Brett Favre six times. The NFC Championship Game against Philadelphia was closer but the Rams still won 29-24.
They were less than two minutes away from overtime against New England in the Super Bowl, but Brady led the Patriots down the field and Adam Vinatieri booted a game-winning field goal to give New England the win.
17. 1971 Dallas Cowboys
The 1970s Cowboys earned the moniker of “America’s Team,” and this was their best team of the decade.
Dallas scored the most points in the NFL in 1971, putting up 406 points in the 14 game season- good for an average of 29 points per game. The Cowboys had the most yards of total offense that season, as well. They put up 5,035 yards in total in the season. Riding Roger Staubach, Dallas had the second most passing yards in the NFL, and were also the league’s third best rushing offense.
The Cowboys defense was no slouch, either. Dallas had 51 takeaways in the season. They led the league with 25 fumble recoveries and were seventh in defensive interceptions with 27. They were the second best defense against the run, allowing just 1,144 yards on the ground.
The Cowboys began the year with consecutive 40 point performances. They beat the Bills 49-37 in Week 1 and pummeled Philadelphia 42-7 in Week 2. In three playoff games, the Cowboys allowed just 18 points. They defeated the Dolphins 24-3 in the Super Bowl, and are one of the best teams in Cowboys history. Of all the years that Staubach was the quarterback, this was the best team he had around him.
16. 2004 New England Patriots
By 2004, it was evident that the Patriots were going to be among the league’s best teams for a long time. They were coming off their second Super Bowl in three seasons and looking for their third to establish themselves as a true dynasty.
Once again, New England was dominant. They went 14-2 throughout the regular season, and were dangerous on each side of the ball. They were the fourth highest scoring team in the NFL, averaging 27.3 points per game. They were the seventh best offense in terms of total yards on the season, and ranked fifth in passing offense.
Defensively, the Patriots allowed the second fewest points in the league, allowing just 260 points all season. They were also top 10 in fewest yards allowed and takeaways.
New England beat up on Peyton Manning and the Colts in the Divisional Round 20-3 before having a rematch with the Pittsburgh Steelers in Heinz Field, where they had lost earlier in the season. The Patriots got their revenge, beating Pittsburgh 41-27 in the AFC Championship Game and advancing to the Super Bowl. The Patriots beat the Philadelphia Eagles 24-21, getting their third championship in four seasons.
15. 1978 Pittsburgh Steelers
The Steelers in 1978 did exactly what they did throughout the decade- played excellent defense and paired it with a balanced offensive attack.
Pittsburgh scored the fifth most points in the NFL in 1978, totaling 356 points on the year. They finished eight in total offense. Terry Bradhsaw had one of the best seasons of his career that season, as well.
The Steelers defense was up to their old antics in 1978. They allowed the fewest points in the NFL, yielding just 195 points all season. The Steel Curtain was also third in terms of the fewest yards allowed in the league, allowing 4,168 yards all year. Pittsburgh’s defense only allowed 10 passing touchdowns throughout the season, the fewest in the league.
The Steelers allowed a total of 15 points in two playoff games prior to their Super Bowl matchup with the Cowboys. They beat the Broncos 33-10 and followed up with a 34-5 win in the AFC Championship Game over the Oilers. They defeated Dallas 35-31 for their third Super Bowl of the decade. Pittsburgh was nearing the end of their dominant run through the 1970s, but they continued to prove they were the best team in the NFL.
14. 1996 Green bay Packers
This was by far the best team of the Brett Favre era in Green Bay. Favre won the MVP and Green Bay was at the top of nearly every statistical category.
The Packers were the league’s highest scoring team, scoring 456 points and averaging 28.5 points per game. They were fifth in the NFL in total offense, and Favre led the NFL in touchdown passes.
Defensively, the Packers were just as dominant. Reggie White found the fountain of Youth and won Defensive Player of the Year. Green Bay allowed just 210 points all season, the fewest in the NFL. They also allowed the fewest yards among all teams with 4,156. They had a three game stretch in which they held teams to six, three, and 10 points, respectively.
The Packers breezed through the playoffs, making their run to the Super Bowl look easier than it ever should be. They defeated the 49ers 35-14 in the Divisional Round, and beat Carolina 30-13 in the NFC Championship Game. They faced the Patriots in the Super Bowl 35-21. The 1996 Packers are one of the most dominant teams of the modern era, and one of the best teams in Packers history.
13. 1968 Baltimore Colts
The 1968 Baltimore Colts are largely remembered for losing to Joe Namath and the Jets in Super Bowl III, but this team was absolutely fantastic.
The Colts scored 402 points in 1968, the second most in the league. They were also fourth in the league in total offense and led the NFL with 28 passing touchdowns. Baltimore had the NFL’s top scoring defense that season. They held opponents to a combined 144 points, and were also second in the league in fewest total yards allowed and had 41 takeaways on the season, which was good for fourth in the league.
The Colts went 13-1 on the season. They beat Minnesota in the Divisional Round, and shut out the Browns 34-0 in the NFL Championship Game. Unfortunately, the Colts couldn’t finish the job against the Jets. Namath guaranteed victory for his Jets, who were heavy underdogs to the NFL powerhouse. The Jets won 16-7, and set in motion the eventual NFL-AFL merger in 1970.
Regardless of the end result of Super Bowl III, the Colts had one of the best all-around seasons in NFL history. In a way, losing to the Jets gave us the NFL we have today, so Colts fans can’t be too upset looking back on everything.
12. 1998 Minnesota Vikings
In terms of the most fun teams in NFL history, the Vikings are in the conversation. Randall Cunningham had a resurrection year, The Vikings had the No. 1 passing offense in the NFL, and oh yeah- Randy Moss had one of the best rookie seasons in NFL history.
With their dynamic quarterback and a great duo at wide receiver, the Vikings led the NFL in points with 556, which was an NFL record at the time. The Vikings were also second in the NFL in total yardage with over 6,200 yards.
The Vikings defense wasn’t anything to write home about. They weren’t great, but they weren’t terrible either. With their offense, though, they didn’t need an All-World defense. Minnesota had a four game stretch in which they scored 46, 48, 38, and 50 points, respectively. They were unlike anything the league had ever seen. Minnesota beat the Cardinals 41-21 in the Divisional Round and advanced to face Atlanta in the NFC Championship game.
They were leading 27-20 when Gary Anderson came out for a field goal to make it 30-20 with little time remaining. Anderson missed, the Falcons drove down to tie the game, and eventually won in overtime. It is easily one of the most devastating losses in NFL history for a team that had Super Bowl aspirations.
11. 1998 Denver Broncos
1998 would turn out to be John Elway’s final season with the Broncos. He was coming off a year in which he finally led Denver to a Super Bowl victory and was hoping for consecutive championships on his way into retirement.
Denver did more than just win another Super Bowl, they were dominant in doing so. They scored the second most points of any team in the league that season, totaling 501 points for 31.3 points per game. They were third in the NFL in total yardage, as well. Terrell Davis also ran for 2,000 yards in 1998 and was named the MVP of the league.
Denver’s defense was also stellar. They allowed the 11th fewest yards in the league, and were top 10 in fewest points allowed. It was a relative cruise for the Broncos through the playoffs. They destroyed the Dolphins 38-3 in the Divisional Round and beat the Jets 23-10 in the AFC Championship Game.
The Broncos would face Atlanta in the Super Bowl, who was coming off a win over the explosive Vikings in the NFC Championship Game. Denver beat the Falcons 34-19 to send John Elway out on top as a two-time Super Bowl champion.
10. 1994 San Francisco 49ers
Spoiler alert, the 49ers are going to be very prevalent in the top 10 of this list. 1994 was a magical year for the franchise. Steve Young was named MVP, and the 49ers just beat up teams all season.
The 49ers were first in points in 1994, putting up 505 for an average of 31.6 points per game. Their 6,060 total yards were second in the NFL that season, and they had the fourth best air attack in terms of yards. San Francisco had the sixth most rushing yards of any team in the NFL that season, as well. They ran for just under 1,900 yards and 23 touchdowns.
The Niners defense allowed the sixth fewest points per game in the league, and they were top 10 in terms of total yards allowed. Their 35 takeaways were the fifth most in the league that year and they led the NFL with 23 interceptions.
The 49ers had five games of scoring 40 points or more in the regular season, and two in the playoffs. They beat the Bears 44-15 in the Divisional Round and defeated the Chargers in the Super Bowl 49-26, capping off one of the best years in franchise history as Steve Young finally got the monkey off his back.
9. 1992 Dallas Cowboys
Dallas won three Super Bowls in the 1990s- their 1992 team was the best of the three. Dallas went 13-3 in 1992 and were dominant on each side of the ball.
The Cowboys 409 points were the second most in the NFL, giving them an average of 25.6 points per game. Troy Aikman had his best season as a passer at the time as Dallas was the fifth best passing offense in football. Dallas also had the NFL’s fifth best ground attack, totaling over 2,100 yards rushing. Their 20 rushing touchdowns were the second most in the NFL.
Dallas had the No. 1 rushing defense in the league, allowing just 1,244 yards rushing on the year. The Cowboys allowed the fewest total yards, as well. Opponents only netted 3,931 yards on the season.
The Cowboys won in a blowout over the Eagles in the Divisional Round, winning 34-10. They defeated their rivals, the 49ers, in the NFC Championship Game 30-20 to advance to the Super Bowl. Dallas scored the second most points of any team in Super Bowl history, beating the Buffalo Bills 52-17 in one of the most lopsided wins in the game’s history.
8. 1989 San Francisco 49ers
In terms of pure talent, this may be the most stacked team in NFL history. 1989 was the peak season for the Montana-Rice era. On top of that, they had Roger Craig out of the backfield and Ronnie Lott on defense, just to name a few others.
The 49ers led the NFL in points in 1989. They put up 442 points, which was good for an average of 27.6 points per game. The 49ers also put up the most yards of any team that season with 6,268. Their air attack was second in the NFL, and they had the most touchdowns through the air as well with 35.
The 49ers defense allowed the third fewest points in the league. They allowed 253 points, and also allowed the fourth fewest total yards in the NFL. Their playoff run might be the greatest in NFL history. In three games, they outscored their opponents 126-26.
They capped off their incredible 14-2 season with a 55-10 win over the Broncos in the Super Bowl- the most points scored by one team in Super Bowl history. It would be the final Super Bowl win for the 49ers under Joe Montana, and what a win it was.
7. 1991 Washington Football Team
Washington was an incredibly fun team in 1991, and they were also very well balanced.
Washington had the NFL’s fifth best passing offense. Mark Rypien threw for over 3,600 yards and 30 touchdowns. Washington also had the seventh most rushing yards in 1991, as well. They ran for 2,049 yards, and their 21 touchdowns on the ground led the NFL.
Washington’s defense was third in the NFL in takeaways, forcing 41 turnovers on the year. Their 27 interceptions were third in the NFL. They also allowed the second fewest points of any team with 224.
When put all together, this helped Washington go 14-2 on the season. They had three shutouts on the year, including a 45-0 win in Week 1 over the Detroit Lions. They blew through the playoffs, as well. Washington defeated Atlanta 24-7 in the Divisional Round and put another 40-point beating on the Lions in the NFC Championship Game, winning 41-10.
They capped off the season by defeating Buffalo 37-24 in the Super Bowl. While they get lost in the conversation of the greatest teams ever due to their lack of flashy stars, Washington’s production on both sides of the ball, capped off with a Super Bowl win, earns them a spot in the top 10.
6. 1975 Pittsburgh Steelers
Of all the Steelers teams to win Super Bowls in the 1970s, the 1975 team was the best.
Pittsburgh had 11 Pro Bowlers on their roster in 1975, and were explosive on both sides of the ball.
The Steelers offense ranked 5th in the NFL, averaging 26.6 points per game. They fielded the league’s second best ground attack on the season, as well. Pittsburgh racked up over 2,600 yards on the ground, along with 22 touchdowns.
On defense, this was the peak of the Steel Curtain. Pittsburgh allowed just 17 touchdowns all season long. They ranked second in the league in points allowed with 162, an average of just 11.6 points per game. Pittsburgh held teams to single-digit point totals in seven of their regular season games.
Pittsburgh’s defense didn’t let up in the playoffs, either. They allowed just over 12 points per game in their three playoff games. They defeated Dallas in Super Bowl X, making it their second consecutive world championship. This was the game in which Lynn Swann made his two infamous catches against the Cowboys, along with a long touchdown to help the Steelers get the win. It was the best season for the best team of the 1970s.
5. 1999 St. Louis Rams
The Greatest Show on Turf was the most surprising development of the 1999 season. After losing Trent Green to a season ending injury, the Rams seemed dead in the water without their starting quarterback. Instead, they rallied behind Kurt Warner, who threw 41 touchdowns and was named NFL MVP.
With Warner, along with the likes of Issac Bruce, Torry Holt, and Marshall Faulk, the Rams led the NFL in points scored with 526. The Rams were also the No. 1 offense in terms of total yardage, piling up over 6,400 total yards.
The Rams defense deserves a lot of credit, as well. They allowed the fourth fewest points in the league, holding opponents to just 15.1 points per game. St. Louis also allowed the sixth fewest yards in the league, as well.
The Rams high-scoring offense , paired with their defense that didn’t allow a ton of points, took them to the Super Bowl to face the Titans. The Rams won 23-16, with linebacker Mike Jones tackling Kevin Dyson on the final play of the game to secure the win. From seemingly being left for dead, to Super Bowl champions, the Rams cemented themselves as one of the best teams in history.
4. 1984 San Francisco 49ers
The 49ers won the Super Bowl a few seasons prior, but they really came to life in 1984. San Francisco went 15-1 in the regular season.
The 49ers finished with the NFL’s second best offense. They scored 475 points in the season, good for 29.7 points per game. Joe Montana was a Pro Bowler, throwing 28 touchdowns to just 10 interceptions. Defensively, the Niners allowed the fewest points in the league. Their 227 points allowed were good for an average of just 14.2 points per game. San Francisco allowed nine or fewer points on six occasions in 1984.
They met the NFL’s top offense in the Super Bowl when they faced the Dolphins. Dan Marino was coming off his historic season, throwing for over 5,000 yards and 48 touchdowns. The 49ers held the Dolphins to 16 points, and they ran away with their second Super Bowl of the decade, winning 38-16.
The 49ers were the team of the decade. While Montana and Jerry Rice would take the league by storm later on in the decade, 1984 was the best team of all the 49ers Super Bowl teams in the 1980s., and served as a precursor for things to come.
3. 1972 Miami Dolphins
The 1972 Dolphins are the only team in NFL history to complete a perfect season, going 17-0. So why are they only No. 3 on the list and not No. 1?
While, yes, Miami won every game, they didn’t exactly have a daunting schedule to go through. That’s not to take anything away from what seemed like an impossible accomplishment, but they had a very weak regular season schedule in 1972.
The Dolphins only faced two teams that finished with a winning record in 1972, and they weren’t exactly dominant throughout the year. Sure, they had a 52-0 win over New England and a 23-0 win over the Colts, but by and large their games were mostly competitive.
Let’s focus on the good, though. The Dolphins finished with the NFL’s best offense and best defense. They allowed only 171 points all year, while scoring 385 points offensively. They defeated the Browns and Steelers in the playoffs before beating Washington in one of the more forgettable Super Bowls of all time.
Miami pulled off something that hasn’t been done in the years since, which is a perfect season. That said, another team won more games in a season than they did (which we will get to), and it was done against bad teams. A remarkable accomplishment, but one that needs context to paint the bigger picture.
2. 1985 Chicago Bears
The 1985 Bears had by far the best defense in NFL history, which they rode to a Super Bowl victory over the New England Patriots by a score of 42-10.
The Bears had 54 takeaways in 1985- 54 takeaways. That’s more than three takeaways per game. From November 10th- November 24th, the Bears allowed a total of three points in a three game span.
They defeated the Lions 24-3 and followed that win with a 44-0 win over Dallas and a 36-0 win over Atlanta. The Bears allowed just 198 points all season, and that three game stretch is the best run any defense has gone on in that span.
While the Bears defense was the main attraction in the Windy City, the Chicago offense was also fantastic. They ranked fourth in total offense on the season, and their 456 points ranked second in the NFL. The Bears also fielded the NFL’s greatest rushing attack. Chicago ran for over 2,700 yards as a team, along with 27 touchdowns.
The Bears finished the regular season with a 15-1 record and shut out the Giants and Rams in the playoffs en route to their Super Bowl victory.
1. 2007 New England Patriots
The comments are manifesting as this is being written. “How can a team that didn’t win the Super Bowl be the greatest team of all time?!”
Punishing the Patriots for going 18-1 would be like punishing Simone Biles for a bad landing after she did 30 flips and twists through the air. New England may not have stuck the landing, but they still did things that no team has done before or since.
New England scored 589 points in 2007 and had over 6,500 yards of offense- both are NFL records. Tom Brady threw for 50 touchdowns and Randy Moss caught 23 of those touchdowns- each of those were also NFL records. Throughout the regular season, they scored 30 or more points 12 times, 40 or more points four times, and 50 or more points twice.
This is easily the greatest offense in NFL history, and the defense was great, as well. They had 31 takeaways and allowed only 288 yards per game. Even though they didn’t complete the perfect 19-0 season, this team would chew up and spit out several other teams that did win the Super Bowl. Like it or not, the 2007 Patriots are the best team to ever step foot on an NFL field.