5 best NFL teams you’ve seen in your lifetime

[TheBrownBear]

Surprised to see so many say the '98 Vikings.  They went 15-1, but the NFC was weak that year (the Falcons went 14-2 and were just a "good" team as the Super Bowl showed us).

 

I was born in the late 70's, so here's my list:

 

1985 Bears

1989 Niners

1994 Niners

2000 Ravens

2007 Patriots

 

The 1990 Bills from like week 10 through the Super Bowl belong with the teams above if they had sealed the deal against the Giants.  They were totally dominating in the second half of that season.

Just now, Rico said:

I see 2000 Ravens on some lists. That team was 5-4 after week 9 and made the playoffs as a wild-card team. The absolute greatest teams to me dominated their year from start to finish, so they are not in the conversation to me.

Their defense was basically impenetrable late in the season.  They posted 4 shut outs and gave up 3, 10, 3, and 7 points in the postseason.  They are on my list for sure.  No one could do anything against that defense.

[Rico]

4 minutes ago, TheBrownBear said:

Surprised to see so many say the '98 Vikings.  They went 15-1, but the NFC was weak that year (the Falcons went 14-2 and were just a "good" team as the Super Bowl showed us).

 

I was born in the late 70's, so here's my list:

 

1985 Bears

1989 Niners

1994 Niners

2000 Ravens

2007 Patriots

 

The 1990 Bills from like week 10 through the Super Bowl belong with the teams above if they had sealed the deal against the Giants.  They were totally dominating in the second half of that season.

Their defense was basically impenetrable late in the season.  They posted 4 shut outs and gave up 3, 10, 3, and 7 points in the postseason.  They are on my list for sure.  No one could do anything against that defense.

I'll give them one of the top 5 greatest hot streaks to end a season.

[AlCowlingsTaxiService]

3 hours ago, Freddie's Dead said:

If the 1990 Bills had won the Super Bowl, they would be regarded as one of the best teams of all time.  Because they lost, they were relegated to the dust bin of history, right next to Mahogany Rush.

How dare you blaspheme Mahogany Rush 🤘🎸… are you going to throw shade at Iron Butterfly next? 😂

Edited January 7, 2022 by AlCowlingsTaxiService

[Greg S]

What no love for the 84 and 85 Bills?

[stinky finger]

1 hour ago, LABILLBACKER said:

Probably the most accurate list I've seen so far.

 

I have difficulty placing the Pats. A great team, but a different game. They certainly have a place in history so far as their 2 decade long dominance. 

 

I just don't think the '07 team measures up to some of these others.

 

As much as I hate them, I feel I'm being objective.

 

 

[Brand J]

Yeah that 2000 Ravens D was being compared to the 85 Bears, the Steel Curtain, the Purple People Eaters. It was an extremely suffocating defense and a team I’d put among the best I’ve seen since I started watching football. I’m sure there were others that were better, but they were before my time. 

[Amaru523]

A couple teams that aren't on any lists, but deserve honorable mention for me, are the 86 Giants and 13 Seahawks. The 86 Giants only lost 2 games that year by a combined 8 points against a very tough schedule. Absolutely destroyed the 49ers in the playoffs 49-3, shutout the WTF, then ran away from the Broncos in the 2nd half to win the SB. LT MVP.

 

The 2013 Hawks had one of the best defensive backfields of all time and a damn good offense as well. Went 16-3, also against a very tough schedule. The Legion of Boom has to be considered one of the best defenses ever. Obliterated Peyton Manning in the SB.

 

 

 

[Rico]

4 minutes ago, inaugural balls said:

 

I have difficulty placing the Pats. A great team, but a different game. They certainly have a place in history so far as their 2 decade long dominance. 

 

I just don't think the '07 team measures up to some of these others.

 

As much as I hate them, I feel I'm being objective.

 

 

I can't put any team from the post-free agency, watered-down era up there either.

[BillsPride12]

15 minutes ago, JayBaller10 said:

Yeah that 2000 Ravens D was being compared to the 85 Bears, the Steel Curtain, the Purple People Eaters. It was an extremely suffocating defense and a team I’d put among the best I’ve seen since I started watching football. I’m sure there were others that were better, but they were before my time. 

Top5 all time defense for sure but would not put that overall team as a top 5 team.  Their offense was very average.

[Freddie's Dead]

28 minutes ago, AlCowlingsTaxiService said:

How dare you blaspheme Mahogany Rush 🤘🎸… are you going to throw shade at Iron Butterfly next? 😂

 

Don't hate me man.  It was a Wayne's World 2 reference.  "I feel like I'm in the delete bin of life next to Mahogany Rush."

[Chandler#81]

#5 ‘66 Packers

#4 ’69 Chiefs

#3 ’76 Raiders

#2 ’90 Bills

#1 ‘64 Bills

[filthymcnasty08]

85 Bears

2000 Ravens

07 Pats

89 Niners

One of the early 90's Cowbitch teams that pummeled us...trying not to remember or I'll have to go watch the Gary video

 

Honorable Mention:  90 Bills, 86 Giants, 06 Colts

[Marcus Aurelius]

Don't anyone forget the 1965 Buffalo Bills.

AFL sorry  ...

Edited January 7, 2022 by Marcus Aurelius

[msw2112]

Again, I don't think you can call a team the "best" if they didn't close the deal and win the championship (which would be the Super Bowl in the Super Bowl era).  This is why the 90 Bills and 07 Pats are not on my list.  But, hey, the '65 Bills DID close the deal (although it was a little bit before my time)!

[Talley56]

1. 94 San Francisco

2. 92 Dallas

3. 99 St Louis

4. 14 NE

5. 91 Washington - Yes, this may be an unpopular one but this team just rolled a lot of their competition, including the Lions twice who were the 2nd best team in the NFC.  And then, well, you know, the SB that we shall not speak of.

 

All this keeping in mind I didn't start getting into football until 90 so I missed the 85 Bears and all of the 49ers teams of the 80s.

[The Jokeman]

6 hours ago, Governor said:

Mark Rypien and the Redskins has to be on that list. They destroyed everyone that year.

 

2003 Bucs. I believe the Raiders were actually favored in that SB and Tampa annihilated them.

 

No Bills team could be on that list.

That 1991 Redskins team was great on both sides of the ball. 

[CaptnCoke11]

2008 Lions and the 2017 Bowns.  Very very impressive to go 16 games and not win 1.  

[RichRiderBills]

Folks citing modern teams; no way with the rule changes and style of play and officiating the last 15 years is any team remotely to be considered. 

 

For me the sweet spot is 1985 - 2003 

 

I'm not listing any of the Pats teams from that era. They were never great teams.

 

The 85 Bears were the best. 1988 49ers, 92 Skins, 93 Cowboys.

 

I'd put the 1990 Bills in strong contention. The hall of famers alone justify it. Several other players on the team deserve to be in the hall. 

[Weatherman]

9 hours ago, major said:

What say you? I’ve got:

1. 1985 Chicago Bears

2. 1990 Buffalo Bills

3. 1998 Minnesota Vikings

4. 1994 San Francisco 49ers
5. 1984 San Francisco 49ers

1. 1990 Buffalo Bills

2. 1991 Buffalo Bills

3. 1992 Buffalo Bills

4. 1964 Buffalo Bills 

5. 2021 Buffalo Bills 

Edited January 8, 2022 by Weatherman

[FireChans]

9 hours ago, major said:

What say you? I’ve got:

1. 1985 Chicago Bears

2. 1990 Buffalo Bills

3. 1998 Minnesota Vikings

4. 1994 San Francisco 49ers
5. 1984 San Francisco 49ers

The 2007 Pats were better than the 90 Bills. 
 

unless you died before 2007 and are in fact a ghost, then never mind.

[Jeffalo]

1. The 1972 Dolphins 17-0

Edited January 8, 2022 by JV14

[Richard Noggin]

You can really gauge each poster's age by the composition of their list.

 

Lots of recency bias in the first page or two, but some solid all-time lists emerging in the last two pages. Difficult to judge the validity of anything comparing eras.

[HerdMentality]

'83 Redskins deserve some love++. Thiessman, Riggins, The Hogs. Dominant.

[ganesh]

The Greatest show on Turf has to be part of this list any given time.

[JMF2006]

1990 Bills

1991 Bills

1992 Bills

1993 Bills

2021 Bills

 

Sure some NFCE teams might have won the SB but as a Bills fan I am not acknowledging them

[stinky finger]

20 hours ago, The Frankish Reich said:

I can only disagree because you don't include the perfect 1972 Miami Dolphins. They didn't have a lot of blowout victories, but I never had the feeling that the conclusion of the season was seriously in doubt - they were just superb in execution in all phases of the game, and they did have their stars - Griese, Csonka, Warfield, Buoniconti, that incredible O line. I hope the only reason nobody's mentioned them is it's before most people's time ...

Yep. You got it!

 

Griese was a star? 

[Ethan in Cleveland]

22 hours ago, Nextmanup said:

I will forever remember watching Bears games that year and thinking the Bears actually had the advantage on defense...like no one could really move the ball on them at all.

 

That's probably not quite right, but I don't ever recall a more dominating defense that literally controlled play and dictated the outcome of games.

 

 

What about the 2000 Ravens defense? I think they were nearly as dominant though I feel like the Bears team was more physically imposing. Different eras of course

[stinky finger]

19 hours ago, Amaru523 said:

A couple teams that aren't on any lists, but deserve honorable mention for me, are the 86 Giants and 13 Seahawks. The 86 Giants only lost 2 games that year by a combined 8 points against a very tough schedule. Absolutely destroyed the 49ers in the playoffs 49-3, shutout the WTF, then ran away from the Broncos in the 2nd half to win the SB. LT MVP.

 

The 2013 Hawks had one of the best defensive backfields of all time and a damn good offense as well. Went 16-3, also against a very tough schedule. The Legion of Boom has to be considered one of the best defenses ever. Obliterated Peyton Manning in the SB.

 

 

 

 

I like your '86 Giant call. Worthy mention, imo.

[May Day 10]

Lifetime would include my memory-on

 

It starts with the 85 Bears.

07 Patriots

91 Redskins 

89 49ers

92 Cowboys

 

[Ethan in Cleveland]

22 hours ago, WotAGuy said:

Honestly, I can’t remember individual teams, but by decade:

1960s Green Bay

1970s Pittsburgh

1980s San Francisco

1990s Buffalo

2000s New England

 

Interesting way of looking at it.  With 3 SB titles I think you have to give the 1990s to the Cowboys, with honorable mention to Elway and the Broncos.

[The Frankish Reich]

32 minutes ago, inaugural balls said:

 

Griese was a star? 

He's in the Hall of Fame.

In a larger sense, you are correct. Those Dolphins teams were unusual. The QB was never the big star - Csonka probably got more attention than Griese. And nobody ever really considered Griese the best QB of his time. In the early years most people probably (incorrectly in retrospect) rated Namath higher, then Staubach/Bradshaw with others mixed in (Tarkenton), and several others. And the Dolphins were so run heavy (it was a different era!) that Griese only completed 142 passes in 1970 - the year the Dolphins really got good - playing all 14 games. So 10 completions per game. Today he might be called a game manager. But a helluva game manager.

Just some perspective for our younger commenters ...

[mannc]

4 minutes ago, The Frankish Reich said:

He's in the Hall of Fame.

In a larger sense, you are correct. Those Dolphins teams were unusual. The QB was never the big star - Csonka probably got more attention than Griese. And nobody ever really considered Griese the best QB of his time. In the early years most people probably (incorrectly in retrospect) rated Namath higher, then Staubach/Bradshaw with others mixed in (Tarkenton), and several others. And the Dolphins were so run heavy (it was a different era!) that Griese only completed 142 passes in 1970 - the year the Dolphins really got good - playing all 14 games. So 10 completions per game. Today he might be called a game manager. But a helluva game manager.

Just some perspective for our younger commenters ...

Did not know Griese is in HoF.  I’m sure his numbers would look pretty pathetic by today’s standards…it was a different game back then.

[Ethan in Cleveland]

1 minute ago, The Frankish Reich said:

He's in the Hall of Fame.

In a larger sense, you are correct. Those Dolphins teams were unusual. The QB was never the big star - Csonka probably got more attention than Griese. And nobody ever really considered Griese the best QB of his time. In the early years most people probably (incorrectly in retrospect) rated Namath higher, then Staubach/Bradshaw with others mixed in (Tarkenton), and several others. And the Dolphins were so run heavy (it was a different era!) that Griese only completed 142 passes in 1970 - the year the Dolphins really got good - playing all 14 games. So 10 completions per game. Today he might be called a game manager. But a helluva game manager.

Just some perspective for our younger commenters ...

He doesn't belong in HOF but I also think 25 percent or more of the guys they let in dont belong in the HOF. You can't write history of NFL without 72 Dolphins but you can without Griese as their QB. He only played 6 of the 17 games.  

[The Frankish Reich]

2 minutes ago, Ethan in Portland said:

He doesn't belong in HOF but I also think 25 percent or more of the guys they let in dont belong in the HOF. You can't write history of NFL without 72 Dolphins but you can without Griese as their QB. He only played 6 of the 17 games.  

Probably true. They were just as good with Earl Morrall (38 year old thought to be washed up QB) playing with Griese injured. But the line and the running game were soooo good it just didn't matter. That undefeated team still ranked #1 in offense.

Does he belong in the HOF? Not by stats. But the QB of the only perfect-record team in NFL history who also had a long and very good career is deserving by other standards.

[Ethan in Cleveland]

I've seen lots of great players live but sadly the only two teams people have mentioned that I have seen live is the 1990' era Bills and the 2013 Seahawks.  I was at the NFC Championship game. I saw 1979 Steelers as well but that was probably not their greatest team.

[WotAGuy]

29 minutes ago, Ethan in Portland said:

Interesting way of looking at it.  With 3 SB titles I think you have to give the 1990s to the Cowboys, with honorable mention to Elway and the Broncos.

Never!! 

[Buffalo Junction]

21 hours ago, BillsPride12 said:

Agree with this but Dallas's run was also the reason the Niners didn't win 8 or 9

That and the Packers peaking right after Dallas and knocking the 49ers out three years in a row. 

[BillsPride12]

28 minutes ago, Buffalo Junction said:

That and the Packers peaking right after Dallas and knocking the 49ers out three years in a row. 

They didn't have the longevity and pissed away their shot at repeating as Champs against a great Broncos team but people forget how great the Packers were for a couple years

[major]

16 hours ago, FireChans said:

The 2007 Pats were better than the 90 Bills. 
 

unless you died before 2007 and are in fact a ghost, then never mind.

Due to their scandals in the past I don’t trust their success level👻

[stinky finger]

2 hours ago, The Frankish Reich said:

He's in the Hall of Fame.

In a larger sense, you are correct. Those Dolphins teams were unusual. The QB was never the big star - Csonka probably got more attention than Griese. And nobody ever really considered Griese the best QB of his time. In the early years most people probably (incorrectly in retrospect) rated Namath higher, then Staubach/Bradshaw with others mixed in (Tarkenton), and several others. And the Dolphins were so run heavy (it was a different era!) that Griese only completed 142 passes in 1970 - the year the Dolphins really got good - playing all 14 games. So 10 completions per game. Today he might be called a game manager. But a helluva game manager.

Just some perspective for our younger commenters ...

 

Good post. The fact he's a HOFer always befuddled me. And you're right, a different era.