Top 10 NFL "Dynasties" of the Super Bowl Era
By Bryan Hollister, Analyst /Jan 16, 2012
*(note that this was written over 2 years ago)*
Since the first
Super Bowl following the 1966 season, certain clubs have managed to repetitively find themselves in the hunt for the coveted Lombardi trophy. Some have made it to the top only once, others have been crowned champion numerous times, and some, one team in particular, have reached the final game on multiple occasions, only to fall short of the ultimate goal.
Here then, are my choices for top 10 "dynasties" of the Super Bowl Era. The placements on this list were determined by assigning points in four different categories: one point for a postseason appearance; two points for making it to the conference championship; three points for a Super Bowl appearance; and five points for a Super Bowl win (because, after all, the Super Bowl IS the ultimate goal).
The justifications are purely subjective, but you're just gonna have to allow me some artistic license on that.
On we go...
Honorable Mention: Buffalo Bills
Postseason Appearances: 14
Conference Championship Record: 4-1 (4 consecutive)
Super Bowl Record: 0-4 (4 consecutive)
Many of you may be scratching your heads, wondering just what I'm thinking. And you would be justified. The rest of the teams on this list have shown a dominance over the decades that, by comparison, the
Bills just cannot match.
But you still cannot take away from what Jim Kelly and the Bills of the early '90s were able to accomplish.
Making it to the Super Bowl once is tough enough, as many teams who have never made the trip can attest.
Making it twice is worthy of respect.
Making it four times in a row? Now that's doing something that even the
Miami Dolphins of the 1970s couldn't accomplish.
Therefore, the least the Bills deserve is the honorable mention on the list.
Now, on we go to the top 10...
10. Los Angeles/St. Louis Rams
Postseason Appearances: 21
Conference Championship Record: 3-8
Super Bowl Record: 1-2
While many might not consider the
Rams to be a true powerhouse, their record is solid: more than 20 postseason appearances, and a nail-biting Super Bowl win that will forever be defined by the long bomb that scored the game winning touchdown and the game-ending play known as "The Tackle."
I am sure
Titans fans would prefer not to be reminded of that, but the numbers don't lie.
9. Minnesota Vikings
Postseason Appearances: 26
Conference Championship Record: 4-6
Super Bowl Record: 0-4
Try and forget for a minute the failed experiment that was
Brett Favre.
Put out of your mind the futile efforts of
Donovan McNabb.
Worry not about the disappointment of Tarvaris Jackson.
Think instead of Mr. All-Day,
Adrian Peterson.
Hearken back to the days of Hall of Fame quarterback Fran Tarkenton, occasionally referred to as the greatest quarterback to never win the Super Bowl, the man whose free-wheeling, backyard-pickup-game style of play has inspired many a modern day quarterback to run around in the backfield until a receiver opens up.
Through most of the '70s and the '90s, the
Minnesota Vikings stood in the path of anyone wishing to vie for the title. Granted, they didn't stand very firmly, but they were there nonetheless.
8. Miami Dolphins
Postseason Appearances: 22
Conference championship Record: 5-2
Super Bowl Record: 2-3
Yes, the Dolphins went undefeated in 1972.
No, that does not get them special treatment on this list.
Nevertheless, the Dolphins were one of the most feared teams in the '70s and '80s, racking up 12 of their 22 playoff appearances and all of their championships and Super Bowls under the great Don Shula.
While they haven't been great of late, their solid play under legendary coaches Shula and Jimmy Johnson have made them a staple of the postseason nearly since they first joined the league in 1966.
7. Denver Broncos
Postseason Appearances: 18
Conference Championship Record: 6-2
Super Bowl Record: 2-4
Modern day
Broncos fans have
Tim Tebow. But just a few years back, there was another Golden Boy in Denver.
That's right, I'm talking about none other than John Elway.
Elway's effort, desire and toughness are forever exemplified in the image of him diving headlong for a touchdown, getting hit in mid-air, spinning like a propeller across the goal line and scoring.
No one seemed to want to win more than Elway, and his teammates rallied around that.
Starting with two early exits from the postseason in 1983 and 1984, the Broncos began a postseason run that saw them in the playoffs without a gap of more than two years right up until 2005.
From the looks of things, they may be getting ready for another run.
6. New England Patriots
Postseason Appearances: 18
Conference Championship Record: 6-1
Super Bowl Record: 3-3
Granted, most of the
Patriots dominance has occurred since the turn of the century, including their near perfect season of 2007, falling just short in a devastating loss to the
Giants.
Still, what they have done in that time is nothing short of impressive.
Tom Brady is well on his way to the Hall of Fame when he retires, and he continues to shock and amaze nearly every time he gets under center. He is accurate, calculating and smart, dissecting and picking apart defenses every week.
Bill Belichick, while not exactly a fan favorite outside of Foxboro, is just as calculating, running his team with Teutonic efficiency.
The biggest question is, how long will it last? When Tom Brady finally decides to hang up his cleats, who will step in?
Stay tuned...
5. Green Bay Packers
(Sorry,
Aaron Rodgers fans; he is overexposed enough as it is. Even mentioning his name was nearly more than I could bear. Instead, enjoy a picture of a legend.)
Postseason Appearances: 18
Conference Championship Record: 5-2
Super Bowl Record: 4-1
Title Town? Not quite, at least by my numbers. Considering that many of the titles that are used to justify the moniker occurred WELL before there was any significant league organization, a playoff system or even the forward pass, and championship games that did not always involve the top two teams in the league (legend has it that the championship games in the earliest days of the
NFL were entered into under some sort of "gentlemen's agreement"), I think we can safely say that Title Town is a bit of a misnomer.
Not to take away from the significance of the
Packers in the grand scheme of things, mind you. They did, after all, win the first two Super Bowls under Vince Lombardi, whose name now adorns the league championship trophy.
And while they were conspicuously absent from the playoffs for the better part of two decades, a young gunslinger by the name of Brett Favre came along in the '90s and led the Packers back to postseason glory, appearing in two Super Bowls and winning one.
Yes, I know Rodgers won a Super Bowl too. Fine, I'll acknowledge that for the most part, Aaron Rodgers has established himself as a top-tier quarterback. (Happy now?)
In fact, Rodgers and Co. are likely to continue to be a playoff staple for some time, barring, of course, injury, poor drafting and play stoppage due to a strike.
But let's hope for the best, shall we?
4. Oakland Raiders
Postseason Appearances: 21
Conference Championship Record: 5-10
Super Bowl Record: 3-2
Oakland who?
You heard me, the
Oakland Raiders. Owned from the very beginning by the late, legendary
Al Davis, the Oakland Raiders were once a considerable force in the NFL before becoming a sort of "Elephant Graveyard" for players who stayed in the game a bit past their prime (Jerry Rice, Trace Armstrong, Bill Romanowski, etc.).
Although their last playoff appearance came in 2002, through most of the '70s and '80s they were as feared a team as there was in the NFL. Had it not been for one Immaculate Reception, they might even be a few spots higher on this list.
3. San Francisco 49ers
Postseason Appearances: 22
Conference Championship Record: 5-7
Super Bowl Record: 5-0
The West Coast Offense. Originally formulated by Bill Walsh while an assistant coach for the
Cincinnati Bengals, this "spread" offense was run efficiently and effectively all through the '80s and '90s by Joe Montana, then Steve Young, while under center for the San Fransisco
49ers.
Five Super Bowl appearances.
Five Super Bowl Victories.
The Catch.
After an eight-year absence from the postseason, the 49ers are back in the hunt to add to their trophy count, matching only the
Steelers with six Lombardis on the shelf.
2. Dallas Cowboys
Postseason Appearances: 30
Conference Championship Record: 8-10
Super Bowl Record: 5-3
No other team has been in as many postseason games or made as many conference championship appearances as the
Dallas Cowboys.
While they experienced a five-year hiccup in the latter half of the '80s, they quickly righted their ship and reeled off three Super Bowls in five years under the tutelage of Jimmy Johnson and the on-field leadership of Troy Aikman.
So why aren't they on top?
Head-to-head, that's why.
The team in front of them holds a 2-to-1 margin in head-to-head matchups in the big game. Had it not been for the errant passing of the opposing team's quarterback, this wouldn't have even been close.
As it is, this was a razor-thin margin of victory. In fact, it truthfully could go either way. But if the Super Bowl is the penultimate goal of every team, and the Cowboys have lost in the Super Bowl more than they have won against the team atop this list, then the decision is pretty simple.
Therefore, with no further ado, I give you...
1. Pittsburgh Steelers
Postseason Appearances: 26
Conference Championship Record: 8-7
Super Bowl Record: 6-2
No team has held the Lombardi Trophy aloft more often than the Steelers. And with the possible exception of the Dallas Cowboys, no other team has been quite the model of consistency.
Since the Super Bowl era began, the Steelers have had only four coaches: Bill Austin for the first three years; the legendary Chuck Noll for 23—under whom the Steelers racked up four Super Bowl titles; the equally legendary Bill Cowher for 15—under whom they made two more appearances and gained another win; and the soon-to-be-legendary
Mike Tomlin, who has led the Steelers to two Super Bowl appearances and another win.
Players such as Terry Bradshaw, Franco Harris, Lynn Swann, Jack Lambert, Greg Lloyd, Jerome Bettis, Carnell Lake, Rod Woodson,
Troy Polamalu,
Ben Roethlisberger, etc., have given the Steelers their much deserved reputation as a hard-nosed, no-nonsense, smash-mouth football team with an intensity that few teams can consistently match and which all fans can at least appreciate.
Even through the Bubby Brister/Scott Campbell/Mark Malone/Rick Strom years, the Steelers made consistent appearances in the playoffs.
Were it not for the errant passing of one Neil O'Donnell, this comparison wouldn't have even been close.
Well, not exactly. In fact, had the Steelers won Super Bowl XXX, the points differential between these two teams would be exactly the same, but in reverse order.
But with a win in Super Bowl XXX, the Steelers would hold seven trophies...which would make the question moot.
As it stands, however, the Steelers hold the top spot based on their success against the Cowboys in the Big Game. Change the results of Super Bowl XXX, and there is no question as to who is the greatest dynasty of the Super Bowl era.
But we all know it doesn't work that way, don't we?
AP
