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There are no guarantees in the NFL. The best team doesn’t always win the Super Bowl — let alone make it to the big game. In our minds, these are the 25 Greatest NFL Teams of All-Time. Which teams do you think are rated too high? Who should have made the cut?
25. 1998 Minnesota Vikings
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Season Results: 15-1, Lost in NFC Championship
Throughout the storied history of the NFL, some of the best teams to ever take the field have seen their season end in defeat. One of those teams is the 1998 Minnesota Vikings. En route to a 15-1 regular season, the Vikings averaged 34.8 PPG and held their opponents to 18.5 PPG — the sixth-best mark. Minnesota’s passing offense was historic. Randall Cunningham earned All-Pro honors after passing for 3,704 yards and 34 TDs. His top two targets were future Hall of Famers Cris Carter (78 receptions, 1,011 yards, 12 TD) and then-rookie Randy Moss (69/1,313/17). Defensively, the Vikings featured Hall of Fame defensive end John Randle (10.5 sacks).
Minnesota’s lone defeat in the regular season came by three points — 27-24, Tampa Bay. In the postseason, the Vikings destroyed Arizona 41-21 in the Divisional Round to set up a showdown with the 14-2 Atlanta Falcons. The favored Vikings held a 27-17 lead in the fourth quarter…but ultimately squandered the lead and fell in overtime.
24. 2019 Kansas City Chiefs
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Season Results: 12-4, Won Super Bowl LIV
Is there an offense in league history that could keep up with the ’19 Chiefs? You’d certainly be hard-pressed to find one. Once Patrick Mahomes took over as a starter in Kansas City, the rest of the league immediately knew they were in trouble. Mahomes’ elite arm strength and playmaking ability made a Chiefs offense that featured all-time great TE Travis Kelce and arguably the fastest player ever Tyreek Hill virtually impossible to defend.
KC faced an early 21-point deficit in its first playoff game but showcased its explosiveness by scoring 51 points on the Texans over the final three quarters to move on. The Chiefs would go on to defeat Tennessee in the AFC Championship game setting up a premier matchup against the San Francisco 49ers in the Super Bowl. The 49ers held KC in check for most of the game, but KC’s offense detonated for 21 points in the fourth quarter for the win. Just when you think you had the Chiefs in check, Mahomes would pull a rabbit out of his hat and deliver a big play to the unguardable duo of Kelce and Hill.
23. 1966 Green Bay Packers
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Season Results: 12-2, Won Super Bowl I
Throwing it back to the first-ever Super Bowl champion, the Green Bay Packers lifted the first “Lombardi Trophy” (before it was even called that) with Vince Lombardi himself patrolling the sidelines. Green Bay had just come off winning the 1965 championship and was a heavy favorite to win the Super Bowl against the AFL’s Kansas City Chiefs.
The Packers raced to a 12-2 regular season record thanks to a league-best defense allowing just 11.6 PPG. QB Bart Starr won his only league MVP and led a star-studded offense which included Hall of Famers Paul Hornung, Forrest Gregg and Jerry Kramer. Starr threw for four touchdowns in the championship game versus Dallas and earned Super Bowl MVP honors by throwing for two scores and 250 yards against the Chiefs.
22. 2000 Baltimore Ravens
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Season Results: 12-4, Won Super Bowl XXXV
With the clear shift towards offense in today’s NFL, we may never see a defense quite like the 2000 Ravens again. Led by Ray Lewis and Ed Reed, the Ravens allowed just 10.3 PPG in ’00. Baltimore pitched four shutouts that season and held 15 of its 20 opponents to 10 points or fewer. In the playoffs, the Ravens allowed point totals of 3, 10, 3, and 7 en route to the franchise’s first Super Bowl win.
The defense was able to accomplish these feats while having mediocre QB play on the other side of the ball. Baltimore’s two quarterbacks that season, Tony Banks and Trent Dilfer, combined for 20 touchdowns and 19 interceptions during the regular season. Dilfer threw for just 153 yards in the Super Bowl and didn’t throw for over 200 yards in any of Baltimore’s playoff games. The Ravens’ defense was so elite that the offense had to do just the bare minimum to be competitive.
21. 1993 Dallas Cowboys
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Season Results: 12-4, Won Super Bowl XXVIII
The Cowboys put on an encore performance in ’93 by winning their second consecutive Super Bowl. It would end up being coach Jimmy Johnson’s final season with the team, and what a season it was. Dallas started the year off a bit rocky, losing its first two games of the regular season while the offense committed eight turnovers. In fact, the Cowboys didn’t score over 20 points in a game until Week 5 of the regular season. It seemed for a moment that the Cowboys were experiencing a Super Bowl ‘hangover’, but they were just biding time.
After holding out for the first two games, star RB Emmitt Smith returned to the lineup and completely dominated the league. Smith collected 1,900 yards from scrimmage in just 14 games. Dallas won 15 of its final 17 games, including eight in a row to end the year. An offense led by Smith, Troy Aikman, and Michael Irvin, Dallas’ offense was tough to stop when it got going. The AFC Champion Buffalo Bills put up a good fight in the Super Bowl and even led at halftime, but Dallas pitched a 24-0 second-half shutout en route to a 30-13 win.
20. 2016 New England Patriots
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Season Results: 14-2, Won Super Bowl LI
28-3. That combination of numbers alone will send shivers down the back of any Atlanta Falcons fan. It’s the score that solidified Tom Brady as the greatest quarterback to ever play (if he wasn’t already before). The Patriots had their backs up against the wall in Super Bowl LI. The team was down 25 points midway through the third quarter, only to execute the greatest comeback in Super Bowl history. New England would end up winning in overtime, and Brady had captured his fifth Super Bowl win.
Rewinding a bit, the entire 2016 season was a bit tumultuous for New England. Brady was served a four-game suspension to begin the year following the events of “Deflate Gate.” The game’s best TE, Rob Gronkowski, missed over half the season including the entire playoff run. But, Brady and Belichick were able to come through when it mattered most, etching the 2016 Patriots into football history.
19. 1996 Green Bay Packers
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Season Results: 13-3, Won Super Bowl XXXI
After coming up short in the postseason three years in a row (all losses to the Cowboys), the 1996 Green Bay Packers finally got over the hump to capture the team’s first Super Bowl in 30 years. Led by gunslinging QB Brett Favre, the ’96 Packers were the best team in the league all year long. Green Bay finished first in points scored and allowed while Favre collected his second-straight MVP trophy.
Favre and the Packers easily defeated the 49ers in the divisional round, setting up a blockbuster potential matchup against the rival Cowboys for the Conference Championship. Except, the Cowboys were upset by the Panthers the next day. It probably worked out better for Green Bay (who had lost to Dallas earlier that season 27-6), as the Packers easily defeated Carolina 30-13. In the Super Bowl, the Packers defense picked off New England QB Drew Bledsoe four times en route to a 35-21 victory. The game MVP went to Desmond Howard, who returned a kickoff 99 yards for a touchdown to put the game out of reach in the second half.
18. 1994 San Francisco 49ers
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Season Results: 13-3, Won Super Bowl XXIX
It was unclear if the 49ers would be able to return to the title picture in the post-Montana era. Of course, Steve Young hit the ground running as Montana’s replacement, earning league MVP honors in his first year as San Francisco’s starter in 1992. The team came up short in the postseason in ’92 and ’93, but finally put it all together in a dominant 1994 campaign. After lighting up the scoreboards in the regular season, the 49ers’ offense was clicking on all cylinders entering the postseason.
Young, Jerry Rice and the rest of the San Francisco offense proved to be too much for their playoff competition. The 49ers scored 44 against the Bears in their postseason opener, 38 against the Cowboys in the Conference Championship, and a whopping 49 versus the Chargers in the Super Bowl (third-most in Super Bowl history).
17. 1977 Dallas Cowboys
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Season Results: 12-2, Won Super Bowl XII
The 1977 Cowboys roster is a who’s who of all-time great players. Staubach, Dorsett, Pearson, DuPree…and that’s just the offense. Defensively, the Cowboys had arguably the best defensive line ever consisting of Too Tall Jones, Randy White and Harvey Martin — while also boasting an all-time great safety duo of Charlie Waters and Cliff Harris. Dallas bashed its opponents in the playoffs, outscoring the Bears, Vikings and Broncos by a score of 87-23. Dallas’ defense picked off nine passes and forced a total of 19 turnovers in those three postseason games. QB Roger Staubach earned his second Super Bowl win while White and Martin split game MVP honors.
16. 2004 New England Patriots
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Season Results: 14-2, Won Super Bowl XXXIX
Going back to the start of Tom Brady’s ascension into superstardom, the Patriots of the early ‘00s weren’t exactly viewed as an offensive powerhouse. Bill Belichick’s defense had done most of the heavy lifting en route to two Super Bowl wins by that point. That shifted a bit in ’04 as Brady began truly hitting his stride.
New England finished fourth in points scored that year (and second in points allowed), and hung up 41 points on Pittsburgh’s No. 1 ranked defense in the AFC Conference Championship game. The Pats would go on to defeat Donovan McNabb and the Philadelphia Eagles in the Super Bowl, capturing the team’s third ring in four years.
15. 2013 Seattle Seahawks
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Season Results: 13-3, Won Super Bowl XLVIII
Led by the vaunted Legion of Boom secondary, the 2013 Seattle Seahawks boasted one of the best defenses in modern history. Earl Thomas, Kam Chancellor and Richard Sherman comprised the defensive backfield for Seattle, which also boasted two excellent talents at linebacker between Bobby Wagner and K.J. Wright.
Unlike some of the other great defenses in history, Seattle’s offense didn’t hinder them with Marshawn Lynch carrying the rock and Russell Wilson blossoming into a star. The Seahawks put a stamp on a historic season by dismantling the No. 1 scoring offense in league history in the Super Bowl. Seattle held Peyton Manning and the Broncos to just one touchdown in a 43-8 beat down in Super Bowl XLVIII.
14. 1991 Washington Redskins
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Season Results: 14-2, Won Super Bowl XXVI
Washington’s most recent title-winning team is perhaps the best in the franchise’s history. After winning a pair of Super Bowls in the ’80s, Washington and head coach Joe Gibbs were approaching the end of an era. Not much was expected out of the team in 1991 while led by a sixth-round pick QB in Mark Rypien. However, Washington quickly silenced all doubters during an emphatic 14-2 regular season.
Entering the playoffs, the team had become a heavy favorite to win the Super Bowl. Washington dispatched the Atlanta Falcons 24-7, crushed the Detroit Lions 41-20, and then defeated the Buffalo Bills 37-24 to hand them their second-straight Super Bowl defeat. Gibbs would retire following the conclusion of the next season (and would later return in 2004), and it’s hard to argue that ’91 wasn’t his crowning achievement.
13. 1986 New York Giants
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Season Results: 14-2, Won Super Bowl XXI
The 1986 Giants were a defensive powerhouse that ran roughshod through the NFL. Led by all-time great linebacker Lawrence Taylor, the Giants overwhelmed teams with their athleticism and tenacity. New York’s final loss of the season came in Week 7, as the Giants won their final 12 games of the year en route to a Super Bowl win. That stretch included three wins over Washington and a pair of wins over San Francisco – two of the very best teams in the NFC at the time.
In the playoffs, the Giants outscored their opponents 105-23 and forced seven turnovers. After a couple of modest performances in the NFC Playoffs, QB Chris Simms exploded in Super Bowl XXI completing 22-of-25 passes for three touchdowns and zero interceptions.
12. 1962 Green Bay Packers
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Season Results: 13-1, Won NFL Championship
The Vince Lombardi-led Packers looked virtually unstoppable throughout the early ’60s. After demolishing the Giants 37-0 in the 1961 title game, the Packers were on a mission to defend their crown. Green Bay won its first 10 games in ’62 by a combined score of 309-74. The Packers would finish the season as the No. 1 ranked offense and No. 1 ranked defense en route to a 13-1 record.
In the Championship game, the Packers would once again meet the New York Giants. Green Bay would once again hold New York’s offense scoreless (New York’s lone score came on a blocked punt), as the Packers would go on to celebrate their second title under Lombardi’s watch.
11. 1975 Pittsburgh Steelers
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Season Results: 12-2, Won Super Bowl X
The Pittsburgh Steelers entered the 1975 season looking to defend their crown after defeating the Minnesota Vikings 16-6 in Super Bowl IX. As all football fans know, the ’75 Steelers featured numerous Hall of Famers on both sides of the ball (and on the sidelines with coach Chuck Noll). The Steelers lost two games all season — Week 2 and Week 14, the final week of the regular season. Offensively, Pittsburgh was led by the Hall of Fame trio of QB Terry Bradshaw (2,055 yards, 18 TDs), RB Franco Harris (1,246 yards, 10 TDs) and WR Lynn Swann (781 yards receiving, 11 TD). The team finished fifth in points per game (26.6). Then, there was the Steel Curtain.
The ’75 Steelers allowed 11.6 PPG and trotted out Hall of Famers at all three levels led by DT Mean Joe Greene, LBs Jack Ham and Jack Lambert, and CB Mel Blount. After defeating the Colts and Raiders to return to the Super Bowl, the Steelers overcame a three-point deficit in the fourth quarter to upend the Cowboys.
10. 1976 Oakland Raiders
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Season Results: 13-1, Won Super Bowl XI
From 1967-1975, the Oakland Raiders were a rather tortured franchise. In ’67, the Raiders lost Super Bowl II. The following three seasons, Oakland lost in the AFL Championship Game twice and in the AFC Championship (’70). Between ’72-75, the Raiders were eliminated by the Steelers three times — including back-to-back years in the AFC Championship. Finally, in ’76, the Raiders got their revenge.
Hall of Famer Kenny Stabler tossed a league-high 27 TD passes. The offense featured five additional Hall of Famers in TE Dave Casper, WRs Cliff Branch and Fred Biletnikoff, and linemen Art Shell and Gene Upshaw. In the Divisional Round, the Raiders avenged their lone loss of the season by knocking off the Patriots 24-21. In the AFC Championship, Oakland ended Pittsburgh’s quest for a three-peat with a 24-7 victory. The Super Bowl was a crowning moment, as the Raiders easily dispatched the Vikings 32-14.
9. 1998 Denver Broncos
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Season Results: 14-2, Won Super Bowl XXXIII
Another team from the 1998 NFL season, but this time we have the Super Bowl champs. In 1997, the Denver Broncos went 12-4 and knocked off the Packers 31-24 in the Super Bowl. Entering ’98, it was known that John Elway’s career may be coming to a close. So, it was only right that the Broncos made one last run. Led by the league’s leading rusher and MVP Terrell Davis — 2,008 yards and 21 TDs — the Broncos finished 14-2 and had the league’s second-best offense behind the Vikings.
Denver began the season 13-0 before dropping back-to-back games, but it stepped on the gas in the playoffs. Davis, Elway and the receiving combo of Shannon Sharpe and Ed McCaffrey was too difficult to stop. The Broncos pasted Miami 38-3, overcame a 10-0 deficit to ground the Jets 23-10, and busted up the Falcons 34-19 to go back-to-back.
8. 1999 St. Louis Rams
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Season Results: 13-3, Won Super Bowl XXXIV
“The Greatest Show on Turf.” The story of the 1999 St. Louis Rams starts with an injury to Trent Green. With Green injured, the Rams needed a new QB1 — enter, Kurt Warner. As the story goes, Warner went from bagging groceries to winning the MVP and Super Bowl in 1999. Warner led an elite offense that led the league in scoring with 32.9 PPG. Of course, he had a ton of help. Star running back Marshall Faulk rushed for 1,381 yards, caught 87 passes for 1,048, and scored 12 TDs. Hall of Famer Isaac Bruce finished with over 1,100 yards and 12 TDs.
St. Louis also had a great defense. For the year, the team allowed 15.1 PPG — the fifth-best mark in the league. After taking out the Vikings and Buccaneers to reach the Super Bowl, the Rams outlasted the Tennessee Titans in the Super Bowl by one yard (we all know the play) to win 23-16. The ’99 Rams had an all-time offense, but their defense was also very, very good.
7. 1992 Dallas Cowboys
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Season Results: 13-3, Won Super Bowl XXVII
Dallas had its 1991 season end abruptly and embarrassingly. The ’91 Cowboys were eliminated in the Divisional Round by Detroit by the score of 38-6. In ’92, however, the Cowboys were historically good. Led by coach Jimmy Johnson, Dallas rattled off 13 wins in the regular season. Hall of Fame back Emmitt Smith led the NFL with 1,713 yards rushing and 18 TDs. Hall of Fame QB Troy Aikman threw for over 3,400 yards with 23 TDs. Wideout Michael Irvin, yet another HoF player, finished with 1,396 yards receiving. Dallas’ offense finished second in PPG (25.6), and its defense was fifth in points against (15.2).
Dallas’ defense was led by a monstrous three-headed pass rush led by Hall of Fame DE Charles Haley. The Cowboys knocked off Philadelphia and San Francisco en route to the Super Bowl — and then they bulldozed the Buffalo Bills 52-17. One of the biggest beatdowns of all-time.
6. 2007 New England Patriots
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Season Results: 16-0, Lost Super Bowl XLII
Only one team in NFL history has finished a season with a perfect record. In 2007, the New England Patriots nearly became team No. 2. After winning three-of-four Super Bowls in the early 2000s, the Patriots had fallen short of the big game in both ’05 and ’06. So, the Pats added some talent to the squad ahead of the ’07 season — headlined by Randy Moss. Moss and Tom Brady instantly became an unstoppable duo. Moss caught 98 passes for 1,493 yards and 23 TDs. Brady, the league MVP, threw for 4,806 yards and 50 TDs.
New England led the league in scoring (36.8 PPG) and was fourth in points allowed (17.1). Through eight games, the Patriots had outscored their opponents by 204 points. After completing a perfect regular season, New England eliminated Jacksonville and San Diego to reach the Super Bowl. There, the Patriots were stunned by the New York Giants — a No. 5 seed who finished 10-6 — 17-14. Still a historic team, but instead of being known as the greatest of all-time, the Pats rank No. 6.
5. 1978 Pittsburgh Steelers
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Season Results: 14-2, Won Super Bowl XIII
The Steelers were a dominant force in the 1970s. They reached the postseason eight-straight years to close the decade and won four Super Bowls during their run. Pittsburgh fielded many great teams, but the 1978 Steelers were the best of the bunch. En route to capturing their third Super Bowl of the decade, the Steelers went 14-2 thanks to an outstanding effort from both sides of the ball.
Pittsburgh had the league’s best defense (12.2 PPG) — surrendering 20+ points three times all year — and the fifth-best offense (22.3 PPG). The defense featured numerous Hall of Famers including Donnie Shell, Mel Blount, Jack Lambert, Jack Ham, and Mean Joe Greene. In a memorable 35-31 win over Dallas in the Super Bowl, Terry Bradshaw threw for 318 yards and four TDs.
4. 1989 San Francisco 49ers
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Season Results: 14-2, Won Super Bowl XXIV
While the 1970s belonged to the Pittsburgh Steelers, the ’80s were ruled by the San Francisco 49ers. In 1989, the Niners claimed their fourth Super Bowl of the decade. San Francisco’s two losses came by a combined five points. The champs fielded the league’s top-scoring offense (27.6 PPG) and the third-stingiest defense (15.8 PPG). Joe Montana won his first MVP, and Jerry Rice dominated the league to the tune of 1,483 yards and 17 scores. Fellow wideout John Taylor contributed over 1,000 yards and 10 TDs, as well. Defensively, Hall of Famers Ronnie Lott (five interceptions) and Charles Haley (10.5 sacks) were unstoppable. Speaking of unstoppable, let’s look at San Francisco’s postseason.
Divisional Round vs. Minnesota Vikings: 41-13
NFC Championship vs. Los Angeles Rams: 30-3
Super Bowl vs. Denver Broncos: 55-10
3. 1984 San Francisco 49ers
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Season Results: 15-1, Won Super Bowl XIX
The 1989 Niners were incredible, but the ’84 team was just a bit better. Except a three-point loss to the Steelers, the Niners were perfect. The offense, ranked No. 2 in the NFL, was led by Joe Montana — who would capture his second Super Bowl MVP — running backs Wendell Tyler and Roger Craig who both topped 1,300 yards from scrimmage, and wideouts Freddie Solomon and Dwight Clark. Defensively, San Francisco was elite. Ronnie Lott, Eric Wright, Dwight Hicks and Carlton Williamson — all members of the secondary — made the Pro Bowl.
The defense allowed a league-best 14.2 PPG. In the postseason, three opponents combined to score 26 points. San Francisco saved its best performance for last, as well. Facing Dan Marino’s Dolphins — the No. 1 ranked offense — in the Super Bowl, San Francisco held Miami to 16 points…half of its season average. The defense picked off Marino twice, and Montana threw three touchdown passes.
2. 1972 Miami Dolphins
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Season Results: 14-0, Won Super Bowl VII
Six Hall of Famers. Top-ranked offense. Top-ranked defense. Two 1,000-yard rushers. The only perfect season in NFL history. The 1972 Miami Dolphins are iconic, but that doesn’t mean we have to consider them the greatest team of all-time. Miami had two quarterbacks — Earl Morrall and Bob Griese — start games in ’72. Larry Csonka and Mercury Morris each rushed for over 1,000 yards and combined to score 18 TDs. In the postseason, Miami eked by its opponents. To reach the Super Bowl, Miami beat Cleveland (20-14) and Pittsburgh (21-17). To cap off their perfect season, the Dolphins took down the Redskins by one score, 14-7. Miami would go on to win the Super Bowl in ’73, as well.
1. 1985 Chicago Bears
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Season Results: 15-1, Won Super Bowl XX
The 1985 Chicago Bears are the greatest team in NFL history. Led by legendary coach Mike Ditka, the Bears steamrolled the competition en route to the franchise’s only Super Bowl victory. The ’85 Bears trotted out the greatest defense the league has ever seen. Playing in Buddy Ryan’s famous “46” defense were Hall of Famers such as Richard Dent, Dan Hampton, and Mike Singletary. In total, 9-of-11 defensive starters were named to the Pro Bowl in ’85. Dent led the league with 17.0 sacks and won Super Bowl MVP. Singletary was named the Defensive Player of the Year. The group led the NFL with 54 takeaways.
How about the offense? Oh, it ranked second in the NFL in scoring? The defense understandably receives all the praise, but Chicago’s offense generated 28.5 PPG. Hall of Fame running back Walter Payton rushed for 1,551 yards and nine scores…and finished with nearly 500 receiving yards. 12 of their 15 wins in the regular season were by double-digits. In the postseason, the Bears were otherworldly. Chicago shutout both NFC opponents — beating the Giants and Rams, 21-0 and 24-0, respectively. In the Super Bowl defensive tackle William “Refrigerator” Perry rushed for a touchdown — his third of the year — and the Bears smoked New England, 46-10. The Dolphins were perfect, but the Bears were better.
