My Own List of the Most Dominant Teams in Recent NFL History

Earlier this week, I posted a blog entry about one journalist's list of most dominant teams in NFL history, as I disagreed with almost every ranking that this guy posted.

So, I decided to go ahead and write my own list of dominant teams. I only gave three of them, because there were only three teams that, frankly, felt completely dominant from the beginning of the season to the end. The teams that I felt were dominant on a level that made them unique in history were teams that, you just kind of knew from the beginning, were likely not only to reach the Super Bowl, but to crush the opposition on top of it. And in each case, they did exactly that. Chicago crushed New England, San Francisco crushed Denver, and Washington crushed Buffalo. How they did it, and how they blazed their path to the big game so convincingly, is what I will now discuss in greater detail:

No, I will not mention the 2007 New England Patriots, and for one simple, clearly obvious reason: the Patriots lost the most important game of the season. I think the pressure of their undefeated dominance was catching up with them by that point, because they had looked vulnerable in the playoffs, beating (but not destroying) a rather regular Jaguars team in the divisional round, and then doing just enough to get past the San Diego Chargers in the AFC Championship. But that offense looked vulnerable, even almost pedestrian, against San Diego, as they were held to 14 points until the final quarter. Then, in the Super Bowl, that incredible offense that had set all of those records looked completely ineffective, scoring a grand total of one touchdown until they scored a second with less than three minutes remaining in the game, giving them a 14-10 lead. Even that might have been enough to secure their legacy, had they hung on to win and ice the perfect season. It would take a miracle for the Giants to win, but the miracle happened, particularly on that one famous (or infamous for New England fans) play, when Manning broke out, or spun out, of the grip of what seemed like a sure sack, to complete a suspect looking pass that was caught awkwardly by Dave Tyree off the side of his helmet. Yet, he hung on even while being tackled for the crucial conversion for a first down., A few plays later, the Giants got the winning touchdown, and the Patriots dream season ended in a nightmare. That leaves them out, even if they looked historically dominant as they raced off to a 10-0 start, and were putting up numbers unlike anything that anyone had ever seen, but then cooled considerably after that. They did go 18-0, becoming only the second team in league history to enter the Super Bowl with a perfect record, but losing that biggest of all games obviously hurts their status as one of the most dominant teams. Had they won, sure, it would be impossible to keep them off that list. But since they lost what was clearly the most important game of all, and since that loss is what they are thus best remembered for, they did not qualify for my list of all-time dominant teams.

The Most Dominant Team in NFL History:

1985 Chicago Bears 

No surprise here, right? Again, we are talking about the most dominant teams in history, from beginning of the season to the end. The Bears were among the very favorites entering the season, and they raced off to an undefeated start. They had a remarkable comeback against Minnesota in week 3 to keep them unbeaten, and this set the tone for the remainder of the season. But by the time that the then 10-0 Bears went to Dallas and destroyed the 7-3 Cowboys, one of the seemingly perennially elite teams in the league, 44-0 (which still ranks as the worst loss in Dallas franchise history), it was clear that these Bears were different. They followed that up with another incredible shutout win, downing Atlanta, 36-0. They did suffer one loss after the 12-0 start, with one bad game to the Miami Dolphins. They consoled themselves by famously making a music video, "The Super Bowl Shuffle,", in which they essentially announced that they were getting to the big game, and nobody, but nobody was going to stop them. Strange, since they had just lost their first game, right? But the Bears backed those claims up, as from that point onward, Chicago showed no weaknesses the rest of the way. The Bears finished with a 15-1 record, and then shut out the rising New York Giants, 21-0, in the divisional round. That is a pretty convincing win, yet it was the closest any team would get to the Bears in those playoffs. The Rams came to Chicago the next weekend for the NFC Championship, and lost, 24-0. The Bears made history with those two consecutive shutout wins in the playoffs. An early turnover in Super Bowl XX gave the Patriots good field position early in the first quarter. But the Bear defense was too much for them, and they ere not able to move the ball. They settled for a field goal and a 3-0 lead, the only lead that any team would have in the playoffs against Chicago. From that point on, the game resembled one of those completely one-sided Mike Tyson fights from early in his career, when an opponent gets up from an early knock down, even though you know he should not bother. Of course, the game had to keep going, but it was over well before the final gun. Hell, it was realistically over before halftime, when the Patriots found themselves down, 23-3, and had a total of -19 yards. Yes, you read that right, New England had lost a total of 19 yards while on offense. That was how good the Bears defense was. The rest of the game was more o the same, with Chicago scoring more touchdowns, until it reached 44-3, which was the most points scored by one team in the Super Bowl against an opponent who had yet to score a touchdown themselves. On the season, Chicago scored 458 points that season, second only to the Miami Dolphins. Meanwhile, they allowed only 198 points with that famous "46" defense. That is a difference of 260 points, which means that the Bears won their games by an average of more than 16 points. Even more impressive, they got better as the season went along. In the playoffs, they only allowed a total of 10 points, all by the Patriots in the Super Bowl, although that one touchdown was basically during garbage time. Those are some numbers that were, and still remain, beyond comparison in NFL history. Frankly, the 1985 Chicago Bears were the most dominant team that I have ever seen in sports. At the time, I could not stand them. Yet, you just knew that not only were they going to win, but they were pretty much going to embarrass them, to boot. As a Giants fan, I was scared when my team had to go to Soldier Field and face this team, and was glad that it was not even worse, despite the fact that they got shut out and lost in a blowout. That's how incredible this team was, and that is why they are remembered so well, even after more than three decades.

The Second Most Dominant Team in NFL History

1989 San Francisco 49ers

What is the most amazing thing about the '89 49ers is that this was how the team concluded their decade of dominance. Bill Walsh had stepped down after the team had just won their third Super Bowl over the Bengals, albeit barely, the year prior. In this season, however, the 49ers left absolutely no doubts. They started off 3-0, before losing at home by one point to their divisional rivals, the Rams. They would win their next six games, before losing another game - an almost shocking upset - to the Green Bay Packers, again at home. These 49ers were amazing on the road, finishing with an incredible 8-0 road mark during the regular season. From 1988 to 1990, San Francisco specialized in road games, earning a still active league record 20 straight road wins. But in 1989, the 49ers hardly needed it, easily earning home field advantage. They were 9-2, and faced the also 9-2 New York Giants on Monday Night Football, in a game that was essentially for home field advantage throughout the playoffs. It was a tough game, 24-24 late, before the 49ers broke through and wound up winning, 34-24. From that point on, San Fran never looked back, and seemed to get better and better each week. They shut out Chicago in the regular season finale, 26-0, and awaited whatever teams would present themselves in the playoffs. San Francisco had the number one offense, scoring over 27 points per game, and they also allowed fewer than all but two teams on defense. But what made them really scary was just how good they were in the playoffs. They crushed Minnesota in the divisional round, 41-13, and then humiliated the LA Rams in the NFC Championship Game, 30-3, punching their way to their second straight Super Bowl. The prohibitive underdog Broncos talked a lot of trash, and made clear that they held San Francisco in little regard prior to the game, claiming that the real upset would be if they, Denver, lost. But the 49ers were on a different plateau, and they took control of the game early. On a day when Montana was virtually perfect, putting on a clinic, he found Jerry Rice early and often, and the 49ers scored two touchdowns in each quarter, while the San Fran defense held Denver to a field goal total output until the Broncos scored a meaningless touchdown late in the third quarter, while already down, 41-3. The 49ers won the Super Bowl, 55-10, and this still holds as the most lopsided outcome in the history of the big game. The level of success that this team enjoyed with a dominant 14-2 regular season marked was not only matched, but even far surpassed, by this historical level dominance displayed in the playoffs, and keep in mind that they had a lot of pressure on them throughout as the defending champions. But there was simply no stopping this team from winning another championship, something that almost everybody saw coming well before the fact! This team was scary good, and the only team that might really have a shot at challenging the '85 Bears for the top spot.

The Third Most Dominant Team in NFL History

1991 Washington Redskins

This team often seems to get overlooked by many people. Apparently, people have forgotten just how dominant they were. But as a fan, I remember feeling that this team was virtually unbeatable, and you just kind of knew, entering the playoffs, that nobody could compete with them. During the regular season, they shut out three of their first five opponents. Their first game of the season was a 45-0 destruction of the Detroit Lions, a team they would meet again in the playoffs. They beat the Cardinals, 34-0, two weeks later, and then shut out the tough Philadelphia Eagles, 23-0 two weeks later for that 5-0 start. That undefeated start would last through to 11-0, until they faced that rising Dallas Cowboys, who took many chances and played an unconventional, and unpredictable, game on that day, and squeaked out a narrow win. By the regular season finale, they stood at 14-1, and sat their starters, yet still almost won against Philly. They dispatched with the Falcons in the divisional round, and then crushed Detroit again in the NFC Championship Game, 41-10, to qualify for the Super Bowl, the place that most everyone had expected them to reach from the beginning. Against Buffalo in the Super Bowl, Washington were the clear favorites by a touchdown. They marched down the field, and seemed to score a touchdown, until an instant review overturned it, showing that the receivers toes had hit the out of bounds line. Washington missed a field goal shortly thereafter, and it seemed to be a disastrous start. Usually, a start like that can rock a team, throw them out of sync. But Washington's defense was all over Buffalo, and so Washington was presented more opportunities. And they did capitalize, big time. They dominated the first half, and took a decisive 17-0 lead into the locker room at halftime. In the second half, they managed to take a 24-0 lead, before Buffalo finally got on the scoreboard. Still, Washington was cruising, 37-10 - an accurate indicator of how that game really felt in terms of competitiveness - before the Bills finally began to find some offensive rhythm and scored a couple of largely garbage time touchdowns to make the final score of 37-24 look more impressive on their end than it actually was. In fact, the game was never really in doubt, and Washington simply dominated, much like they had the entire league that year. They had the league's second best defense (divisional rivals Philadelphia were the defensive kings that season) , as well as an explosive offense that averaged 30 points per game. They reached 30 points or more in half of their games, and in their final two postseason games. In their 19 overall games, including the postseason, they held their opponents to 14 points ot less 11 times, and went 11-0 in those games. When they faced Dallas late in the season, in what would really be their only meaningful loss of the entire season, they had a five game lead over the second place Cowboys, and Dallas was the only team in the NFC East that still had a chance to win the division, although realistically, it had been out of reach for some time. Washington simply dominated like few teams ever have dominated. They were not quite as good as either the '85 Bears or the '89 49ers, perhaps being a notch or two down. But there were not three teams that I can think of that were more dominant than this team, which was scary good!

The Fourth Most Dominant Team in NFL History

1984 San Francisco 49ers

This was the first team to finish a 16-game regular season with a 15-1 mark. They had the second most explosive offense, behind Dan Marino's Dolphins, and they had the defense that allowed the fewest total points that season. They started off 6-0, before getting their one and only loss of the season at home to the Steelers, by a field goal. They went undefeated the rest of the way, and won some games with scores of 41-7 and 51-7. This team averaged just shy of 30 points per game, and allowed just over 14 points per game, so they had the complete package. Plus, they already had some serious playoff experience, having won the Super Bowl three seasons earlier, and having reached the NFC Championship Game the season before against Washington. This was going to be their year, although some expected the 14-2 Dolphins to win, and for Marino to eclipse Montana as the premier quarterback of the era. In the NFC playoffs, the Niners got past the up and coming New York Giants, before shutting out the also rising Chicago Bears, 23-0, even though that team was on the verge of breaking out with their historical 1985 season. Still, despite the 15-1 record, and the Niners pasting both New York and Chicago in the postseason, they were only slight favorites going into the big game against the explosive Miami Dolphins. But in the Super Bowl, Miami was able to land the first punches, scoring first and leading after the first quarter, 10-7. But the 49ers took over in the second quarter, scoring three straight touchdowns to take over the game. The Dolphins got a couple of field goals to close to within a 28-16 margin by halftime, but the momentum was clearly with San Francisco. As their defense really started hitting harder and clamping down on Miami, the Fins no longer were able to score. San Fran put this game to bed with 10 unanswered points in the third quarter, which effectively put it out of reach for Shula and the Dolphins. This victory capped a tremendous season for the Niners, who established themselves as one of the leading teams of the eighties. A few years later, they would be back to winning titles, and clinching "Team of the Decade" honors.

The Fifth Most Dominant Team in NFL History

1994 San Francisco 49ers

Even though this is likely my least favorite of all of these teams, and perhaps the least favorite of all-time. I am no fan of the 49ers, but this team in particular irked me. Why? Well, because they personified most of the things that I could not stand about that San Francisco franchise when they were really, really good. They bent, if not outright broke, the new rules in place on the salary cap, and loaded up on talent that, realistically, no team could afford anymore. It was a scheme, where they paid some now and a lot more later, and for them, it worked, particularly in this season. Also, they ran up the score on numerous teams, not satisfied with merely winning. They beat the Raiders, 44-14,  crushed Atlanta, 42-3, Tampa Bay, 41-16, Atlanta again, 50-14, Chicago in the divisional round of the playoffs, 44-15, and in crushing San Diego in the Super Bowl, 49-26, in a game that was not even as close as that score suggests. Yes, those were some of the things that I just hated about them. That said, there was no denying how good this team was - and they were damn good! They got off to a bit of a bizarre start, and after five games, nobody was talking about this team being one of the all-time best. They were 3-2, had lost the big showdown with Joe Montana's Kansas City Chiefs, and had just gotten inexplicably crushed at home, 40-8, to Philadelphia, a team that would not even qualify for the postseason. By that point, I was starting to feel some hope that maybe the 49ers were not as good as many had predicted them to be - and most people had expected them to dethrone the Dallas Cowboys and win it all. So, at 3-2, I was thinking that maybe, just maybe, they were not as good as all of those early projections. After that rough start, however, this team went on an absolute tear! This team scored 500 points, back in an era when that was still extremely rare. They also had an incredible defense, with names like Richard Dent, Ken Norton, Rickey Jackson, Dana Stubblefield, Tim McDonald, and Deion Sanders. Steve Young had a banner year, Jerry Rice was at his prime, still young enough to burn defenses, but old enough to have learned something and benefited from that experience. Ricky Watters was one of the best running backs in the league. George Seifert no longer had to worry about the perception that he had merely inherited the team from Bill Walsh, which is, fair or unfair, how many people interpreted his first Super Bowl title as head coach in 1989, the year after Walsh retired. This 49ers team was so damn good, it was scary. Yet, there was the question as to whether or not they would be able to beat the Cowboys, the team that had haunted them for years. Dallas entered the big regular season showdown at 8-1, but lost that game, 21-14, a result that, for all intents and purposes, gave San Fran home field advantage. The Niners wound up with a league best record of 13-3, and indeed met Dallas again in the postseason, in yet another NFC Championship showdown. They jumped out to an incredible start, scoring 21 points within the first few minutes and seeming to score at will to take a 31-7 halftime lead. The Cowboys rallied a bit in the second half, but the 49ers hung on for the 38-28 win. The Chargers reached their first Super Bowl, but did not belong on the same field as the San Francisco 49ers, who made short work of them. San Diego managed to get two touchdowns and added the two-point conversion each time, which made this game look a lot more respectable than the actual game felt. But this team, like it or not, was one of the most dominant teams that I have ever seen. If not for those early season, almost inexplicable losses that made them look vulnerable for much of the season - particularly the first half - this team would probably rank a bit higher, perhaps even in the top three. As is, they are in the top five, making the 49ers the clearly dominant, continual presence in the most dominant teams list.

The Sixth Most Dominant Team in NFL History

1996 Green Bay Packers

This team was overdue, and you could just feel that they were destined to win it all this season. Mike Holmgren had taken over as head coach a few years before, and Brett Favre was at the height of his powers. They had been getting better and better each season, qualifying for the postseason in 1993, and winning a Wildcard, then following that up with another playoff appearance and win in 1994. Then, they really started getting elite in 1995, going 11-5 and looking to many like a team that might be the second best team in the league, even though that was the era when the Dallas Cowboys and San Francisco 49ers had their tremendous rivalry. Brett Favre earned NFL MVP honors. Green Bay won their division and easily beat Atlanta in the Wild Card, and then proved many people right by beating the favored 49ers in San Francisco, before falling just short against Dallas in the NFC Championship. But 1996 would be their year. They raced out to an impressive 8-1 start, before dropping two games in a row, at KC and at Dallas. But from that point onward, it was lights out. They got better and better each week, winning the rest of their games by double digit margins, finishing the season at 13-3, and earning home field advantage throughout the NFC playoffs. They handily beat the 49ers again in the playoffs, 35-14, and then pasted the Panthers in the NFC Championship, 30-13, to earn the franchise's first Super Bowl appearance in nearly three decades. In the Super Bowl, they raced out to a 10-0 lead, before Parcells and the Patriots got a bit of a run going, and took a 14-10 lead. But the Pack recovered and worked to earn a 27-14 halftime lead. New England scored a touchdown to seemingly make it a close game, but that was when Desmond Howard broke free for a 99-yard kickoff return for the touchdown, which effectively killed New England's momentum, and iced the game in favor of Green Bay. Howard won Super Bowl MVP honors, but Favre won the league MVP honors for a second year in a row. He would win it a third time the next year, too. Ultimately, the Packers just clearly emerged as the dominant team in the league in 1996. They were so good, that almost everyone - including many Packers themselves - believed that this team was surely going to be a dynasty. They would qualify for the Super Bowl the next season, but suffered a stunning defeat seemed to derail them, and they never recovered. Favre would never reach another Super Bowl, and although Homlgren would, it was with another team, and they lost, too. But that does not detract from just how amazing the 1996 Green Bay Packers were!

The Seventh Most Dominant Team in NFL History

1986 New York Giants

Like the 1985 Chicago Bears and the 1996 Green Bay Packers, the 1986 New York Giants had been building up for years, getting better and better each season, but were looking to end a long championship drought. They had gone 9-7 in 1984, winning a road playoff game against the LA Rams, before losing to the eventual Super Bowl champion San Francisco 49ers. They went 10-6 in 1985, and soundly beat those 49ers, 17-3, in a home Wildcard Game, but then were blanked by the dominant 1985 Chicago Bears. But entering the 1986 season, many expected New York to finally emerge and show their full potential. Yet, they got off to a rocky start, falling short to Dallas on the opening Monday Night Football game. They won the next five games, and then lost in Seattle. They then began a massive winning streak, although the first few games were close. They beat Washington, Dallas, and Philly, then just edged the Vikings and the Broncos. They overcame a 17-0 49ers lead to win, 21-17, on a Monday Night, and this seemed to kick them into a higher gear. In a huge divisional showdown at Washington, in a battle of 11-2 teams, the Giants won 24-14, and it was even more convincing than that! They blasted the St. Louis Cardinals, 27-7, and then blew out the Green Bay Packers, 55-24, in the regular season finale, to earn home field advantage in the NFC playoffs. In the divisional round, they humiliated the "Team of the Decade" 49ers, 49-3, and then shut out Washington in the NFC title game, 17-0. In Super Bowl XXI, Denver got off to a very decent start, taking a 10-7 lead in the first quarter. But the Broncos missed a couple of field goals and other opportunities to capitalize and build their lead, and the G-Men got a safety to close it to within 10-9 by halftime. There was a sense that the Giants had not played their best in the first half, and that the avalanche was about to fall on Denver. Indeed, the Giants did get that avalanche of points with a record 30 points in the second half, ultimately whipping Denver, 39-20, and ending their 30-year championship drought with their first Super Bowl title. The dominance that this team displayed in their playoff run, winning by margins of 46, 17, and 19, ranks them as one of the more dominant teams that I have ever seen.

The Eighth Most Dominant Team in NFL History

1992 Dallas Cowboys

There was a question about which Dallas team in the nineties would be on this list. I knew it would not be the 1995-96 Cowboys, because they clearly felt like the weakest of those championship teams. But would it be the 1992 Cowboys, or the 1993 Cowboys? Ultimately, I picked the '92 Cowboys, because they were the youngest and hungriest of the teams. Don't get me wrong: I thought about the 1994 Dallas juggernaut. What they had was a certain swagger and dominance, and the expectations of them winning it all were there. There is something to be said about how good a team is when they are expected to win, and they dominate, the way that the '93 Cowboys did. Yet, the 1992 Dallas team was hungrier. It was not immediately obvious that they could be serious title contenders at the beginning of the season, but they clearly emerged as such as the season wore on. They finished with a 13-3 regular season mark, good enough for the second seed in the playoffs. They dominated the Philadelphia Eagles in the divisional round, and then had that huge showdown against the favored San Francisco 49ers, in what would be the first meeting of what would be the best rivalry of the nineties, when the winner of that rivalry in any given season was automatically going to win the championship. That was pretty much how it worked back then, and it started with that '92 season. And Dallas won that game, and more convincingly than the score would suggest. They dominated the second half, breaking a game that was deadlocked in a 10-10 tie up to that point. Then, they were in Super Bowl XXVII, and entered as easy favorites. Early on, it looked like that status might come back to bite them, as the Bills got an early blocked punt and capitalized with a touchdown shortly thereafter. In fact, for much of the first half, it was a close game, and Dallas was hardly looking like one of the most dominant teams ever. But late in the first half, they were able to get a touchdown, and then forced a Buffalo turnover before quickly capitalizing with yet another touchdown. And just like that, a relatively close, 14-10 game went to 28-10 in favor of Dallas by halftime. In the second half, Dallas dominated like few teams ever do in the Super Bowl, as they captured their first Super Bowl title of the nineties, 52-17. You could make a legitimate argument that they were not as good as they would be the next season, although that is hard to quantify, one way or the other. However, this was a team that was absolutely loaded with talent, and incredibly hungry for a championship. In his book, "Turning the Thing Around," head coach Jimmy Johnson explained that he promised that this team would get better as the season went along, and that their best game would be their last game. Indeed, this team did seem to get better as the season wore along. This same team that got it's but kicked by Philly early in the season completely dominated the Eagles in the divisional round. They soundly beat the 49ers in the NFC Championship Game, and blew out the Bills in Pasadena. This team was just not going to be denied, and they also were at full strength, as this season came before the salary cap, and before this team began getting decimated with other teams picking the talent apart.

The Ninth Most Dominant Team in NFL History

1999 St. Louis Rams

This was a team that seemed to emerge out of nowhere to dominate the 1999 season. Their offense was one of the most dominant that the league had ever seen, as Kurt Warner stepped up in a huge way to become not only the starter, but a star in his own right. They had a strong offensive line, and Marshall Faulk was a threat on the ground, and in the air as a receiver. This was the first of three straight seasons where the Rams would score at least 500 points, as they earned the moniker "Greatest Show on Turf." They raced out to a 3-0 start before what most people thought would be their first serious test against the traditional powerhouse within the NFC West, the San Francisco 49ers. But the Rams won in a blowout, 42-20, and never looked back. They started off 6-0 before losing to Tennessee, in a Super Bowl preview. For the most part, the Rams blew away most of their competition, and earned home field advantage throughout the NFC playoffs with a 13-3 record. In the playoffs, however, they looked a bit less dominant. Their offense was hot in the divisional round, beating Minnesota, 49-37. But Tampa Bay really grounded the Rams offense in the NFC Championship Game, and the Rams were trailing, 6-5, late in the fourth, before the Rams got their first, and only, touchdown, and eked by with an 11-6 win. In the Super Bowl, the offense produced a lot of yards, but not a lot of points. But the Rams defense did step up and made the limited offensive production stand for a 9-0 halftime lead, and a 16-0 lead in the third, before the Titans finally started to come alive. Tennessee had a furious rally to tie it at 16-16, and it looked like they might win. To their credit, however, the Rams offense answered, as Warner found Isaac Bruce for a quick strike, 73-yard touchdown bomb, and a late 23-16 lead. The Titans came close to responding themselves very late, but Kevin Dyson's attempt to break the plane of the end zone to tie the game and force overtime fell one yard short when he was tackled by Mike Jones, thus preserving the Rams Super Bowl season. Despite the tough time that this team had in the playoffs, they looked incredible throughout most of the season, and got to hoist the trophy at the end. that is why I have them as one of the most dominant teams in recent NFL history.

The Tenth Most Dominant Team in NFL History

2000 Baltimore Ravens 

This team was really, really special on the defensive side. Frankly, I think that this was the best defense in NFL history, period. If their offense had been just a bit better, they probably would rank higher on this list, and quite possibly much higher. Their offense scored about 20 points per game, but it was their defense that really qualifies as the elite unit, allowing a still NFL record low 165 points per game this season. In other words, they averaged slightly more than 10 points per game, which means that this was a killer defense to have to go against. Yet, in the playoffs, they were even more dominant, allowing a total of 16 points in four games. That means that, on average, they allowed a mere four points per game during their playoff run, as they suffocated some of the elite offenses of that time. The Broncos, a team that had won back-to-back Super Bowls just a couple of years before, scored one field goal. The Raiders, one of the hottest offenses as well, also were relegated to a field goal. The win over Oakland earned the Ravens the right to play in the Super Bowl. I remember when quarterback Trent Difler was asked how many points the Ravens would need to win the Super Bow, and he said three, suggesting that Baltimore's defense was capable of shutting out the Giants! The Giants offense probably had the worst performance of any offense in Super Bowl history, producing zero points and five turnovers, including four interceptions by quarterback Kerry Collins. The only score - a touchdown - that the Giants did get was a kickoff return for a touchdown. Otherwise, this very likely might have been the first shutout in Super Bowl history.As a Giants fan, it was rough to watch, but you had to admire just how great that Baltimore defense was. They were a real buzzsaw! Indeed, the Ravens left no doubt that they were the best team that season, and probably the best defense ever, and this in an era already favoring offenses! It is almost scary to think about how unbelievable that defense was, and this was an old school type of football team. Their offense might not have been much, but the defense more than made up for it, and was probably the very best defense that the league has ever produced!

Honorable Mentions:

1998 Denver Broncos - People seem to forget about these guys, but they were really, really good! They raced off to an impressive 13-0 start, which was much more of a rare feat at the time than it has since become. That allowed them to tie an NFL record 18 straight wins, although they fell just short of setting the new record when they lost to the Giants. Still, the Broncos ended with an impressive 14-2 mark, and easily took the top seed in the AFC. They dominated Miami in the divisional round, and soundly beat Parcells and the Jets in the AFC title game, then blew past the Falcons in the Super Bowl, 34-19, in a game that was nowhere near as close as the final score would suggest. Denver had one of the most explosive offenses, and one of the better defenses. They were the defending champions, and managed to repeat with surprising ease. But perhaps it is understandable, as this team still had John Elway at the helm, and Terrell Davis was at his best. Their offensive line was impressive, as were their receivers. And the defense was underrated, but a strength for this team. They often get overlooked, but this was one of the best teams of the nineties, easily! 

2002 Tampa Bay Buccaneers - Like the Ravens, this team was lopsidedly good in favor of the defense. They had a great era of defense, from about 1997 until this championship season, when they really put everything together. They did not have a great offense, but they had the best defense in the league. they finished the season with a 12-4 record, good enough for the second seed in the NFC. But once the playoffs started, Tampa Bay really began to crush the competition, starting with a 31-6 demolition of San Francisco, followed by a decisive road win at Philadelphia, winning 27-10. In the Super Bowl, they met coach Jon Gruden's old team, the Oakland Raiders, who were slightly favored. They should not have been, as Tampa exploded, taking a commanding 20-3 lead into the locker rooms for halftime, and then expanding it to a 34-3 lead in the third quarter. The Raiders tried to claw their way back into this one, but the final score of 48-21 pretty well displayed the Buccaneers dominance throughout. This was probably the most dominant playoff run of the 21st century so far, in terms of average margin of victory. They beat San Fran by 25, Philadelphia by 17, and Oakland by 27, for an average margin of victory of 23 points, en route to this franchise's first, and so far only, Super Bowl title.


2004 New England Patriots - This was the year when the New England Patriots clearly and unequivocally established themselves as a dynasty. They had won the last 15 games in the prior season, and their 6-0 start in 2004 allowed them to establish an NFL record 21-game win streak, which still stands as the longest winning streak in NFL history to this day. They lost to the Pittsburgh Steelers then, but would convincingly dominate the Steelers in their return trip to Pittsburgh in the AFC title game. Their only other loss was a fluke collapse against the Miami Dolphins, when they gave up two touchdowns in the final minutes of the fourth quarter, to suffer a stunning defeat. But they obviously did not let that bother them. They convincingly beat the Colts and the Steelers in the AFC playoffs, and then held off the Eagles, in a game that did not feel as close as the score suggests in the Super Bowl. Their offense was the fourth highest scoring in the league, and their defense allowed the second fewest amount of points, showing great balance. There was just a sense that they were destined to win it all that season, and when the dust settled, this became the first time that we saw the Patriots wind up on top when many, if not most, expected it from the beginning.

2013 Seattle Seahawks -  It felt like there was a lot of buzz about this team entering the season. They were clearly a rising force in the NFL, and the real question was whether or not they could beat out the 49ers in the NFC West. There was just a sense that this was a team to watch, and they showed it all season. They had one of the best rated offenses, which averaged roughly 26 points per game. But the real strength of this team was their defense, which was the top-rated unit in the league, averaging less than 15 points per game. They got off to an 11-1 start, and had almost everything wrapped up, before losing at San Francisco. But they still finished 13-3, and soundly beat both New Orleans and San Francisco in the NFC playoffs. Then, in the Super Bowl against the most explosive offense in NFL history, the Seahawks defense physically manhandled the overmatched Broncos, holding them to a mere touchdown, and that came right at the end of the third quarter. Otherwise, Denver was never in the game, as the Seahawks absolutely rolled to their first Super Bowl win. 

2016 New England Patriots - They averaged 27.6 points per game, and allowed an average of 15.6 points per game, which means that they won by roughly 12 points, on average.This team went 14-2,  easily the best record in the league, and probably could have been better, as they played their first four games without Tom Brady, who was serving a suspension. They went 3-1 in those games, and 14-1, including the playoffs, with Brady in the lineup. They won their last 10 games combined, including the postseason. They had one of the hottest offenses, plus the best defense, in terms of fewest points allowed. They dominated both Houston and Pittsburgh in the postseason, and then, after having a very bad start and falling behind, 28-3, in the Super Bowl, they staged the most memorable comeback in recent years, tying the game to force overtime, and then ultimately winning the first overtime game in Super Bowl history.