NFL

Ranking the Top 10 Greatest NFL Teams of All Time

by
Sami Haider
September 8, 2021

Since its dawn, the NFL has experienced some tremendous moments through many teams. Therefore, while coming down to the list of the 10 best NFL teams of all time, we had to keep in mind the undefeated season, impressive offensive and defensive statistics, and Super Bowl Championships. Some of the teams had legendary players, while others had mediocre players but still gave everything they got to win the title and entertain the fans.

Comparing different positions of football is always a debatable matter, but when you focus on their achievements and awards, you’ll notice some undeniable facts.

Do you want to know the best NFL team teams that made history? Then without a second thought, start reading the article.

Ranking The 10 Best NFL Siblings of All Time

#10. 1992 Dallas Cowboys

Points: 409

TD: 23

The 1992 Dallas Cowboys were so powerful in both offense and defensive line, that the opponent used to go overwhelmed after witnessing their performance. It was their 33rd season in the National Football League under head coach Jimmy Johnson. The 1992 Cowboys are widely regarded as one of the best NFL teams of all time.

Their defenses were impenetrable. The performance of Emmitt Smith, Troy Aikman, and Michael Irvin was too extraordinary to neglect. Additionally, the supporting players such as Alvin Harper, Jay Novacek, Kelvin Martin, and even Daryl Johnson were the main weapons of the cowboys.

The Cowboys scored 409 points in that particular season, including 1014 offensive plays, 314 completed passes, 3485 YDS, and 23 passing touchdowns. They also threw 13 interceptions, 500 rushing attempts, and 20 rushing touchdowns.

During that season, the 1192 Cowboys secured 4th place in the league in total yards gained. However, that’s not their greatest achievement. They crushed the Philadelphia Eagles and won the Divisional Round by 34-10 and won the Conference Championship by defeating the San Francisco 49ers by 30-20. The Cowboys also won the Super Bowl XXVII, where they punished the Buffalo Bills by 52-17. Their record of 13-3-0 in the 1st NFC East Division is the main thing that made them one of the top football teams.

#09. 1984 San Francisco 49ers

Points: 479

TD: 32

The 1984 San Francisco 49ers were the first team to win consecutive 15 matches in the regular season of the NFL. However, they missed their chance of being the 2nd team to complete a perfect season just because they lost against the Steelers.

The brilliance of 1984 49ers used to lie on their supporting casts such as Earl Cooper, Wendell Tyler, Russ Francis, and Freddie Solomon. They were so talented that regular-season matches were like a child’s play to them. The defensive line was their most dangerous position, where some legendary players like Ronnie Lott, Eric Wright, and Dwight Hicks used to shatter opponent’s offenses.

During their era, the 49ers achieved 479 points with 1057 offensive plays as well as 312 completed passes, 3901 passing yards, 32 passing touchdowns, and 10 interceptions. They also had 594 rushing attempts, 2465 rushing yards, and 21 rushing touchdowns. The team committed a total of 100 penalties.

With a record of 15-1-0, 1984 49ers were placed in the 1st position in NFC West Division. Considered as one of the best teams in NFL history, they won the Divisional Round by 21-10 where they defeated New York Giants, and won the Conference Championship where they defeated Chicago Bears by 23-0. They also defeated Miami Dolphins by 38-16 before winning the XIX Super Bowl Championship.

#08. 1985 Chicago Bears

Points: 456

TD: 17

Although the San Francisco 49ers dominated in 1984, 1985 was the best season for the Chicago Bears. It was their 4th season under Coach Mike Ditka.

There were so many legendary players including Walter Payton, Jim McMahon, and Mike Singletary. The coaching power of Mike Ditka was also amazing. Their 46 defense used to terrorize the opponent quarterbacks. The Bears had the potential to provide better dominating performance in 1986, but McMahon’s injury proved fatal for the team. Additionally, Ryan left and Payton retired, which made them just another good team.

However, the Bears had mesmerizing statistics in 1985. They scored a total of 456 points, 1085 offensive plays, and 237 complete passes. The Bears also gained 3076 passing yards along with 17 passing touchdowns and 16 interceptions. The team had attempts of 610 and 27 rushing touchdowns.

During the season, Bears won the Divisional Round by defeating New York Giants (21-0) and won the Conference Championship where they defeated Los Angeles Rams by 24-0. They also won Super Bowl XX against the Patriots with a record of 15-1-0 in the NFC Central Division. Despite these humongous achievements, the Bears won the NFL Championship 9 times.

#07. 1966 Green Bay Packers

Points: 335

TD: 18

The 1966 Packers were the first team to win the Super Bowl. Under the coaching of Vince Lombardi, the Packers were very close to being a perfect team. Their defensive and offensive powers were too strong to penetrate.

The effort of Ray Nitschke, Bart Starr, and Forrest Gregg helped the Packers to dominate the field with a full aggressive attitude. However, their golden age eventually ended a few seasons later due to the retirement of maximum legendary players.

The 1966 Packers were pretty much a hardcore team. They scored 335 points, 824 offensive plays, and 193 complete passes. Further, the team had 2602 YDS, 18 passing touchdowns, and 5 interceptions. They also gained 1673 rushing yards, 475 rushing attempts, and committed 57 penalties. So, when you hear about the 1966 Green Bay Packers, don’t forget that they are one of the greatest NFL teams of all time.

The Packers had a record of 12-2-0 which made them 1st in the NFL West Division. They won the first Super Bowl I against the Kansas City Chiefs (35-10) and the NFL Championship against Dallas Cowboys, where they scored 34-27.

#06. 1991 Washington Redskins

Points: 485

TD: 30

The 1991 Washington Redskins was not a dominating team, but a strategic one. And their coach Joe Gibbs was the mastermind behind their success.

With some great performances from talented players such as Darrell Green, Art Monk, Charles Mann, and Joe Jacoby, Redskins achieved their golden age in 1991. Additionally, the other original hogs such as Mark Rypien, Gary Clark, Brian Mitchell, and many others are considered as the greatest players in NFL history.

In 1991, Redskins scored 485 points. 996 offensive plays, 261 completed passes out of 447 attempts. They also gained 3692 passing yards, 30 touchdowns, and 11 interceptions. If we consider the rushing statistics, then the Redskins gained 2049 rushing yards, 240 attempts, and 21 touchdowns. However, the team committed 96 penalties.

The Redskins had a brilliant record of 14-2-0 in the NFC East Division. They won the Divisional Playoffs against Atlanta Falcons (24-7), NFC Championship against Detroit Lions (41-10), and the Super Bowl XXVI against Buffalo Bills (37-24).

#05. 1978 Pittsburgh Steelers

Points: 356

TD: 28

Do you know why the NFL changed between 1975 and 1978? Under the coaching of Chuck Noll, in 1978 Pittsburgh Steelers was the first franchise in NFL history to win three Super Bowl titles. The Steelers had such a strong defense that the league made drastic changes in rules to give the opponent’s offense a chance to penetrate. However, the new rules ended up helping Lynn Swann and John Stallworth.

In 1978, Steelers scored 356 points and 1046 offensive plays, 212 complete passes out of 380 attempts. They also gained 2699 passing yards, 28 passing touchdowns, and 22 interceptions. Additionally, they gained 2297 rushing yards, 641 rushing attempts, and 16 touchdowns.

The Steelers had a record of 14-2-0 in the AFC Central Division. They defeated the Denver Broncos by 33-10 to win the Divisional Round and defeated Houston Oilers by 34-5 to win the AFC Championship. They also won the Super Bowl against the Dallas Cowboys by a small margin (35-31).

#04. 1989 San Francisco 49ers

Points: 442

TD: 35

This is the team that introduced Steve Young. This was the team that made Jerry Rice and John Taylor famous. This was the team that had legendary players like Brent Jones, Roger Craig, and Tom Rathman.

George Seifert gave unprecedented opportunities to this team including Mike Holmgren as an offensive coordinator. Every franchise in the NFL used to copy strategies developed by 1989 San Francisco.

They scored 442 points in 1989, including 1021 offensive plays, 349 complete passes out of 483 attempts, and 6.1 Y/P. They also gained 4302 passing yards, 35 touchdowns, and 11 interceptions as well as 1966 rushing yards and 493 rushing attempts. With a rushing touchdown of 14, the team committed 109 penalties.

The 49ers had a score of 14-2-0 in the NFC West Division. They won the Divisional Round by defeating the Minnesota Vikings (41-13) and won the NFC Championship by defeating Los Angeles Rams (30-3). The 49ers won Super Bowl XXIV against the Denver Broncos by 55-10.

#03. 2007 New England Patriots

Points: 589

TD: 50

After losing the Super Bowl to the Giants, the 2007 Patriots gained enraged motivation and confidence. Their performance was not great in 2005 and 2006, but they bounced back in 2007 under Bill Belichick as the head coach.

Their offense with Randy Moss, Wes Welker, and Donte Stallworth was a pure carnage in the NFL. It was a solid reply to those who doubted them.

The Patriots scored 589 points, 1058 offensive plays, and 403 complete passes out of 586 attempts. Additionally, they gained 4731 yards, 50 passing touchdowns, and 9 interceptions. They had 7.8 NY/A. In rushing, the Patriots had 451 rushing attempts, 1849 YDS, and 17 touchdowns including 78 penalties.

With a record of 16-0, they secured 1st position in the AFC East Division. They also won the Divisional Playoffs against Jaguars (31-20) and AFC Championship against Chargers (21-12). However, the Patriots failed to win the Super Bowl XVII, where they were defeated by the New York Giants (14-17).

#02. 1972 Miami Dolphins

Points: 385

TD: 26

If you briefly study football history, you will know why the undefeated 1972 Dolphins can’t be considered as the greatest NFL team of all time. Instead of comparing them with the 2007 New England Patriots, it’s better to compare them with the 1973 Dolphins.

With the help of some legendary players like Earl Morrall, Bob Griese, Jim Del Gaizo, and Marlin Brisco, the 1972 Dolphins became unbeatable in passing. The rushing and receiving of them reached a whole new level because of some legendary players like Mercury Morris, Huber Ginn, and Charlie Leigh.

The Dolphins scored 385 points including 893 offensive plays, 144 complete passes out of 259 attempts. Not to mention they gained 2076 passing yards, 17 passing touchdowns, and 12 interceptions. They also scored 613 rushing attempts, gained 2960 rushing yards as well as 26 rushing touchdowns, and 4.8 Y/A. However, the Dolphins committed 68 penalties.

With an undefeated record of 14-0-0, the Dolphins came 1st in the AFC East Division. They won the Divisional Round against Cleveland Browns with a score of 20-14 and won the Conference Championship against Pittsburgh Steelers where they scored 21-17. The Dolphins also won Super Bowl VII against the Washington Redskins with a 14-7 score.

#01. 1962 Green Bay Packers

Points: 415

TD: 36

The 1962 Green Bay Packers started their journey by winning four consecutive games. Then their confidence reached sky-high. There were some of the best Packer players including Ray Nitschke, Jim Ringo, Herb Adderly, and Willie Davis. The team only faced one defeat against the Lions on thanksgiving.

This team is the best football team ever and a reflection of perfect teamwork. The Packers dominated for many years, but their performance in 1962 will stay the greatest of all time.

The Packers scored 415 points during that season with 865 offensive plays. They also completed 187 passes out of 311 attempts along with 2331 gained passing yards, 14 passing touchdowns, and 13 interceptions. They were so dominating at rushing that they scored 518 rushing attempts, gained 2460 rushing yards, 36 rushing touchdowns, and 4.7 Y/A. By the end of the season, the Packers committed 59 penalties.

The Packers came 1st in the NFL West Division with a record of 13-1-0. The biggest achievement of the Packers is the NFL Championship, which they won against the New York Giant after crushing them with a final score of 16-7.

These are the top 10 best of best NFL teams of all time. These are the teams that changed the whole NFL history. So, no matter what happens, these teams will stay at a legendary level for the next generation and will always evoke respect.