JAG
02-05-2005, 04:11 AM
I'm sure this column will stir up some good feelings...:)
Best Super Bowl champion? '92 Cowboys
07:34 PM CST on Friday, February 4, 2005
Rick Gosselin
Too bad Jerry Jones and Jimmy Johnson couldn't get along.
Arguably the greatest dynasty in NFL history skidded off track when the owner and coach of the Cowboys decided they could no longer work together in the same building.
So Jones replaced Johnson as head coach of the Cowboys with NFL novice Barry Switzer — and Dallas failed to defend its back-to-back Super Bowl championships, losing to San Francisco in the 1994 NFC title game.
The Cowboys remain the only team to win three Super Bowls in a span of four seasons. But to a man, the 1994 Cowboys believe they'd have won four in a row had Johnson remained.
Four titles in four years would have placed the Cowboys on a plateau above all other champions. Not even Vince Lombardi's Packers or Paul Brown's Browns could accomplish that.
But the Cowboys still have a place at the top.
E-mail [email protected]
1. 1992 Dallas Cowboys
Super Bowl XXVII: Beat Buffalo, 52-17
Record: 13-3
Pro Bowlers: 6
Hall of Famers: 0
Comment: This was the last champion before free agency (1993) and the salary cap (1994) changed the NFL's landscape. Jimmy Johnson built the youngest, fastest, deepest, most talented roster in the NFL with future Hall of Famers Troy Aikman, Emmitt Smith and Michael Irvin all entering their primes. Seventeen players on this team would develop into Pro Bowlers. Jimmy Smith, Leon Lett and Darren Woodson were backups on this team. The Cowboys also led the NFL in defense this season.
2. 1975 Pittsburgh Steelers
Super Bowl X: Beat Dallas, 21-17
Record: 12-2
Pro Bowlers: 11
Hall of Famers: 9
Comment: Half the starters went to the Pro Bowl and nine are in the Hall of Fame. A 10th, end L.C. Greenwood, is on the ballot this weekend. This was the second of Pittsburgh's four Super Bowl champions in the 1970s, so the Steelers realized they were good at this point and had young enough bodies to dominate. Pittsburgh beat three great quarterbacks on the way to the title: Bert Jones, Ken Stabler and Roger Staubach.
3. 1989 San Francisco 49ers
Super Bowl XXIV: Beat Denver, 55-10
Record: 14-2
Pro Bowlers: 6
Hall of Famers: 2
Comment: This season was Joe Montana at his best. He completed a career-best 70.2 percent of his passes and averaged a career-best 9.12 yards per pass. Montana won the NFL passing championship with a career-best 112.4 efficiency rating and also was the league's MVP. The 49ers also fielded a top-five defense.
4. 1972 Miami Dolphins
Super Bowl VII: Beat Washington, 14-7
Record: 14-0
Pro Bowlers: 9
Hall of Famers: 6
Comment: This team was so powerful it won nine of its 14 games in the NFL's only perfect season with a backup QB (Earl Morrall). This was the ultimate Super Bowl formula team, leading the league in both rushing and defense. The ability to control both the clock and the opponent translates into championships.
5. 1977 Dallas Cowboys
Super Bowl XII: Beat Denver, 27-10
Record: 12-2
Pro Bowlers: 8
Hall of Famers: 4
Comment: Only two teams in the Super Bowl era led the NFL in both offense and defense in their championship seasons, the 1972 Dolphins and 1977 Cowboys. The Cowboys also were one of only eight champions to line up a Hall of Fame quarterback (Roger Staubach) and running back (Tony Dorsett) in the Super Bowl.
6. 1998 Denver Broncos
Super Bowl XXXIII: Beat Atlanta, 34-19
Record: 14-2
Pro Bowlers: 10
Hall of Famers: 1
Comment: There have been four 2,000-yard rushers in NFL history but only one of them went on to win a Super Bowl. Terrell Davis rushed for 2,008 yards in 1998 on his way to MVP honors. Davis took the handoffs from Hall of Fame quarterback John Elway, who won Super Bowl MVP honors with 336 yards passing in his final game.
7. 1984 San Franciso 49ers
Super Bowl XIX: Beat Miami, 38-16
Record: 15-1
Pro Bowlers: 10
Hall of Famers: 2
Comment: San Francisco insiders will tell you the 1984 49ers were the greatest team in franchise history — but it's tough picking a greatest team without Jerry Rice on it. He arrived in 1985. This was the last time Joe Montana played a complete 16-game season in a career that would last another 10 years.
8. 1985 Chicago Bears
Super Bowl XX: Beat New England, 46-10
Record: 15-1
Pro Bowlers: 9
Hall of Famers: 3
Comment: The Bears were the closest champion in style to the 1972 Dolphins. Ironically, Chicago suffered its only loss in the 1985 regular season at Miami. The Bears led the NFL in rushing and defense. Chicago had a Hall of Fame running back (Walter Payton) and middle linebacker (Mike Singletary).
9. 1976 Oakland Raiders
Super Bowl XI: Beat Minnesota, 32-14
Record: 13-1
Pro Bowlers: 7
Hall of Famers: 6
Comment: John Madden's Raiders were a truly great team that had the misfortune of competing in the same decade with Don Shula's Dolphins and Chuck Noll's Steelers. The 1970s Raiders were the eighth winningest of any team in any decade, posting a 100-38-6 record, but only reached one Super Bowl.
10. 1978 Pittsburgh Steelers
Super Bowl XIII: Beat Dallas, 35-31
Record: 14-2
Pro Bowlers: 10
Hall of Famers: 9
Comment: The Steelers made the transition from a team that relied on running and defense in the mid-1970s to passing and defense by the end of the decade. Terry Bradshaw was the league's MVP this season and his two wide receivers, John Stallworth and Lynn Swann, would join him in the Hall of Fame.
11. 1994 San Francisco 49ers
Super Bowl XXIX: Beat San Diego, 49-26
Record: 13-3
Pro Bowlers: 10
Hall of Famers: 0
Comment: These 49ers were the biggest favorite in Super Bowl history — 19 points — and whipped the Chargers by 23. Steve Young was more efficient in the West Coast offense than Joe Montana — and this was Young's best season. He won an NFL passing title (a career-high 35 TDs) and the league MVP award.
12. 1993 Dallas Cowboys
Super Bowl XXVIII: Beat Buffalo, 30-13
Record: 12-4
Pro Bowlers: 11
Hall of Famers: 0
Comment: The Cowboys overcame an 0-2 start, thanks to a two-game contract holdout by Emmitt Smith, to become just the fifth franchise to win back-to-back Super Bowls. But Smith was spectacular in his 14 games, winning the rushing title and his only league MVP award. He also was the Super Bowl MVP.
13. 1969 Kansas City Chiefs
Super Bowl IV: Beat Minnesota, 23-7
Record: 11-3
AFL All-Stars: 10
Hall of Famers: 5
Comment: Talk all you want about the Super Bowl defenses of the Bears, Bucs and Ravens — but this KC defense was the only one to statistically lead a league across the board: total defense, run defense, pass defense and scoring defense. LBs Bobby Bell and Willie Lanier and tackle Buck Buchanan became Hall of Famers.
14. 1996 Green Bay Packers
Super Bowl XXXI: Beat New England, 35-21
Record: 13-3
Pro Bowlers: 5
Hall of Famers: 0
Comment: After winning three consecutive MVP awards, Brett Favre gave his career the ultimate stamp of approval with his only Super Bowl win. But this team was more than a franchise QB. The Pack led the NFL in defense, holding nine teams to 10 points or less. Reggie White goes down as the best free-agent signing in NFL history.
15. 1986 New York Giants
Super Bowl XXI: Beat Denver, 39-20
Record: 14-2
Pro Bowlers: 8
Hall of Famers: 1
Comment: Hall of Fame LB Lawrence Taylor became only the third defensive player in history to win NFL MVP honors on the strength of his league-leading 20 1/ 2 sacks. Phil Simms directed a ball-control offense that featured a 1,500-yard rusher (Joe Morris) and a 1,000-yard receiver at TE (Mark Bavaro).
16. 1973 Miami Dolphins
Super Bowl VIII: Beat Minnesota, 24-7
Record: 12-2
Pro Bowlers: 12
Hall of Famers: 6
Comment: A Hall of Fame RB (Larry Csonka) and No-Name defense were enough to deliver the Dolphins a second consecutive Super Bowl. Bob Griese threw only seven passes in the Super Bowl and only 218 during the regular season. He's in the Hall of Fame, but the question remains: Just how good a QB was Bob Griese?
17. 1966 Green Bay Packers
Super Bowl I: Beat Kansas City, 35-10
Record: 12-2
Pro Bowlers: 8
Hall of Famers: 9
Comment: It's a shame the Super Bowl era came around at the close of Lombardi's Packers dynasty. His best teams were in the early 1960s. The 1962 Packers were arguably the greatest team ever assembled. But the Hall of Famers on that team were nearing the end of their careers by the time the NFL started playing the AFL.
18. 2003 New England Patriots
Super Bowl XXXVIII: Beat Carolina, 32-29
Record: 14-2
Pro Bowlers: 3
Hall of Famers: 0
Comment: These Patriots won their final 15 games — then stretched that streak to 21 in 2004. Tom Brady emerged as the best big-game QB in today's NFL and Adam Vinatieri the best clutch kicker, winning a second Super Bowl with a long field goal in the closing seconds.
19. 1999 St. Louis Rams
Super Bowl XXXIV: Beat Tennessee, 23-16
Record: 13-3
Pro Bowlers: 8
Hall of Famers: 0
Comment: The self-proclaimed Greatest Show on Turf authored one of the top offensive seasons in history, scoring 63 TDs (second-best) and 540 points (third best). Kurt Warner was the NFL passing champion and league MVP. On so many, Sundays, the Rams' offense gave their defense the day off.
20. 1991 Washington Redskins
Super Bowl XXVI: Beat Buffalo, 37-24
Record: 14-2
Pro Bowlers: 8
Hall of Famers: 0
Comment: They won their first 11 games with unheralded Mark Rypien having a career year (3,564 yards, 28 TDs). But has there ever been an easier path to a Super Bowl — home playoff games against Atlanta and Detroit? Veteran backups like Matt Millen, Russ Grimm and Ricky Sanders gave Joe Gibbs a deep, talented roster.
21. 1968 New York Jets
Super Bowl III: Beat Baltimore, 16-7
Record: 11-3
AFL All-Stars: 13
Hall of Famers: 2
Comment: Joe Namath guaranteed the victory, but Matt Snell delivered it. He should have been the MVP in the upset of Baltimore with a 121-yard rushing game. The Jets showed the NFL something the older league wasn't ready to see — the high quality of football being played in the AFL.
22. 1974 Pittsburgh Steelers
Super Bowl IX: Beat Minnesota, 16-6
Record: 10-3-1
Pro Bowlers: 6
Hall of Famers: 9
Comment: Future Hall of Famers Lynn Swann and John Stallworth weren't on the field yet as starters, but the Steelers really didn't need them. Not with a Steel Curtain in place on defense and Franco Harris bashing away on offense. A defense led by Joe Greene held eight of the 14 regular season opponents to 10 points or less.
23. 1981 San Francisco 49ers
Super Bowl XVI: Beat Cincinnati, 26-21
Record: 13-3
Pro Bowlers: 6
Hall of Famers: 2
Comment: This was most fun of the 49ers' championship teams in the 1980s because even the 49ers didn't realize how good they were — or how good they'd become. Has there ever been a worse starting running back tandem in a Super Bowl backfield than Ricky Patton and Earl Cooper? They ranked 13th in the NFL in offense.
24. 1979 Pittsburgh Steelers
Super Bowl XIV: Beat LA Rams, 31-19
Record: 12-4
Pro Bowlers: 10
Hall of Famers: 9
Comment: Like the 1960s Packers, a great collection of Steelers were nearing the end of the line at the end of this decade. Terry Bradshaw, Joe Greene, Jack Ham, L.C. Greenwood and Mel Blount were all in their 30s. Pittsburgh would miss of the playoffs the following two seasons.
25. 1983 Los Angeles Raiders
Super Bowl XVIII: Beat Washington, 38-9
Record: 12-4
Pro Bowlers: 8
Hall of Famers: 4
Comment: Los Angeles showed the NFL a new winning formula — a great runner and shutdown corners. With Marcus Allen rushing and Mike Haynes and Lester Haynes smothering the game's best receivers, the Raiders won three playoff games by a combined score of 106-33. But at 35, Jim Plunkett was just a caretaker QB.
26. 1995 Dallas Cowboys
Super Bowl XXX: Beat Pittsburgh, 27-17
Record: 12-4
Pro Bowlers: 10
Hall of Famers: 0
Comment: Two Hall of Famers had joined the Dallas lineup by 1995, guard Larry Allen and CB Deion Sanders, but the salary cap had gutted the Cowboys of their depth. Had Pittsburgh not suffered first-quarter stage fright in the Super Bowl, falling behind 13-0, the Dallas dynasty might have ended with back-to-back titles.
27. 1997 Denver Broncos
Super Bowl XXXII: Beat Green Bay, 31-24
Record: 12-4
Pro Bowlers: 5
Hall of Famers: 1
Comment: The Broncos became just the second wild-card team to win a Super Bowl - giving Hall of Fame quarterback John Elway his first championship ring in four tries. Denver won with a balanced offense that featured a 1,700-yard rusher (Terrell Davis) and two 1,000-yard receivers (Rod Smith, Shannon Sharpe), plus a Top 5 defense.
28. 2000 Baltimore Ravens
Super Bowl XXXV: Beat NY Giants, 34-7
Record: 12-4
Pro Bowlers: 5
Hall of Famers: 0
Comment: The Ravens allowed the fewest points (165) in the NFL's 16-game era, breaking the record of the 1985 Bears. When Trent Dilfer is your QB, you'd better hold the opposition down. The Ravens were another formula champion, running the ball with Jamal Lewis and playing suffocating defense with Ray Lewis and Rod Woodson.
29. 2002 Tampa Bay Buccaneers
Super Bowl XXXVII: Beat Oakland, 48-21
Record: 12-4
Pro Bowlers: 7
Hall of Famers: 0
Comment: Like the 2000 Ravens, the Bucs won a championship playing defense, defense and more defense. Tampa Bay fielded the worst offense ever to win a Super Bowl, ranking 24th in the NFL. But Derrick Brooks, Warren Sapp and John Lynch were the backbone of a defensive unit that allowed the fewest yards and points in the NFL that season.
30. 1970 Baltimore Colts
Super Bowl V: Beat Dallas, 16-13
Record: 11-2-1
Pro Bowlers: 3
Hall of Famers: 3
Comment: Johnny Unitas, the game's greatest quarterback, won his only Super Bowl at the age of 37. But he completed only three of nine passes before leaving the game in the second quarter with a rib injury. Earl Morrall relieved him and the Colts eventually beat the Cowboys on a field goal with five seconds left in the fourth quarter. A better Colts team in 1968 lost a Super Bowl.
31. 1982 Washington Redskins
Super Bowl XVII: Beat Miami, 27-17
Record: 8-1
Pro Bowlers: 5
Hall of Famers: 1
Comment: It's hard to get a read on just how good this Washington team was because it played so few games. A player strike limited the NFL season to only nine games. For the first and only time in history a kicker - Washington's Mark Moseley - was the NFL's MVP. Redskins coach Joe Gibbs won Super Bowls in both seasons shortened by NFL strikes.
32. 1990 New York Giants
Super Bowl XXV: Beat Buffalo, 20-19
Record: 13-3
Pro Bowlers: 7
Hall of Famers: 1
Comment: The Giants benefited from great defense (Lawrence Taylor, Carl Banks, Leonard Marshall) and defensive coaching (Bill Belichick). New York prevailed with a backup quarterback (Jeff Hostetler) after Phil Simms went down in December. But if Scott Norwood hits the game-ending field goal, Bill Parcells is a one-time Super Bowl winner.
33. 1971 Dallas Cowboys
Super Bowl VI: Beat Miami, 24-3
Record: 11-3
Pro Bowlers: 8
Hall of Famers: 7
Comment: The Cowboys won their first Super Bowl with a roster laden with Hall of Famers - and age. Lance Alworth, Mike Ditka and Herb Adderley all built Hall of Fame careers elsewhere but collected Super Bowl rings as going-away presents from the Cowboys. Bob Hayes, Bob Lilly, Chuck Howley and Cornell Green also were nearing the end.
34. 1988 San Francisco 49ers
Super Bowl XXIII: Beat Cincinnati, 20-16
Record: 10-6
Pro Bowlers: 6
Hall of Famers: 2
Comment: No team ever won a Super Bowl with more losses than the 1988 49ers. Hard to believe any team quarterbacked by Joe Montana could lose that many times in a single season. Even the Phoenix Cardinals defeated the 49ers in 1988. Roger Craig was San Francisco's best player with 1,502 yards rushing and a team-leading 76 receptions.
35. 1980 Oakland Raiders
Super Bowl XV: Beat Philadelphia, 27-10
Record: 11-5
Pro Bowlers: 5
Hall of Famers: 3
Comment: The Raiders reached the playoffs as a wild card and became only the second non-division winner to capture a Super Bowl. Aging legs prevailed for the Raiders: Jim Plunkett, Cliff Branch, Art Shell, Gene Upshaw, Ted Hendricks, Ray Chester and Ray Guy were all in their 30s. Oakland ranked 16th in the NFL in offense and 11th in defense.
36. 2001 New England Patriots
Super Bowl XXXVI: Beat St. Louis, 20-17
Record: 11-5
Pro Bowlers: 4
Hall of Famers: 0
Comment: These Patriots fielded the worst defense ever to win a Super Bowl, ranking 24th in the NFL. The offense wasn't much better, ranking 19th. New England prevailed with a first-year quarterback (Tom Brady) but arguably the best coaching the NFL has seen since Vince Lombardi. Bill Belichick was - and is - a difference-maker on the sideline.
37. 1987 Washington Redskins
Super Bowl XXII: Beat Denver, 42-10
Record: 11-4
Pro Bowlers: 3
Hall of Famers: 0
Comment: These Redskins were the only team to win a Super Bowl in the last 25 years with a negative takeaway/giveaway ratio, committing 17 more turnovers than they forced. This is another Washington team difficult to get a read on because it used a 3-0 strike record with replacement players as propulsion for an NFC East-winning 11-4 record.
38. 1967 Green Bay Packers
Super Bowl II: Beat Oakland, 33-14
Record: 9-4-1
Pro Bowlers: 5
Hall of Famers: 7
Comment: Vince Lombardi walked away from the Packers after this game. He knew the dynasty was done. Jim Taylor and Paul Hornung were already gone and Bart Starr, Forrest Gregg, Ray Nitschke, Willie Wood, Jerry Kramer, Willie Davis, Henry Jordan, Fuzzy Thurston were all in their 30s. The Packers finished 6-7-1 the next season.
Best Super Bowl champion? '92 Cowboys
07:34 PM CST on Friday, February 4, 2005
Rick Gosselin
Too bad Jerry Jones and Jimmy Johnson couldn't get along.
Arguably the greatest dynasty in NFL history skidded off track when the owner and coach of the Cowboys decided they could no longer work together in the same building.
So Jones replaced Johnson as head coach of the Cowboys with NFL novice Barry Switzer — and Dallas failed to defend its back-to-back Super Bowl championships, losing to San Francisco in the 1994 NFC title game.
The Cowboys remain the only team to win three Super Bowls in a span of four seasons. But to a man, the 1994 Cowboys believe they'd have won four in a row had Johnson remained.
Four titles in four years would have placed the Cowboys on a plateau above all other champions. Not even Vince Lombardi's Packers or Paul Brown's Browns could accomplish that.
But the Cowboys still have a place at the top.
E-mail [email protected]
1. 1992 Dallas Cowboys
Super Bowl XXVII: Beat Buffalo, 52-17
Record: 13-3
Pro Bowlers: 6
Hall of Famers: 0
Comment: This was the last champion before free agency (1993) and the salary cap (1994) changed the NFL's landscape. Jimmy Johnson built the youngest, fastest, deepest, most talented roster in the NFL with future Hall of Famers Troy Aikman, Emmitt Smith and Michael Irvin all entering their primes. Seventeen players on this team would develop into Pro Bowlers. Jimmy Smith, Leon Lett and Darren Woodson were backups on this team. The Cowboys also led the NFL in defense this season.
2. 1975 Pittsburgh Steelers
Super Bowl X: Beat Dallas, 21-17
Record: 12-2
Pro Bowlers: 11
Hall of Famers: 9
Comment: Half the starters went to the Pro Bowl and nine are in the Hall of Fame. A 10th, end L.C. Greenwood, is on the ballot this weekend. This was the second of Pittsburgh's four Super Bowl champions in the 1970s, so the Steelers realized they were good at this point and had young enough bodies to dominate. Pittsburgh beat three great quarterbacks on the way to the title: Bert Jones, Ken Stabler and Roger Staubach.
3. 1989 San Francisco 49ers
Super Bowl XXIV: Beat Denver, 55-10
Record: 14-2
Pro Bowlers: 6
Hall of Famers: 2
Comment: This season was Joe Montana at his best. He completed a career-best 70.2 percent of his passes and averaged a career-best 9.12 yards per pass. Montana won the NFL passing championship with a career-best 112.4 efficiency rating and also was the league's MVP. The 49ers also fielded a top-five defense.
4. 1972 Miami Dolphins
Super Bowl VII: Beat Washington, 14-7
Record: 14-0
Pro Bowlers: 9
Hall of Famers: 6
Comment: This team was so powerful it won nine of its 14 games in the NFL's only perfect season with a backup QB (Earl Morrall). This was the ultimate Super Bowl formula team, leading the league in both rushing and defense. The ability to control both the clock and the opponent translates into championships.
5. 1977 Dallas Cowboys
Super Bowl XII: Beat Denver, 27-10
Record: 12-2
Pro Bowlers: 8
Hall of Famers: 4
Comment: Only two teams in the Super Bowl era led the NFL in both offense and defense in their championship seasons, the 1972 Dolphins and 1977 Cowboys. The Cowboys also were one of only eight champions to line up a Hall of Fame quarterback (Roger Staubach) and running back (Tony Dorsett) in the Super Bowl.
6. 1998 Denver Broncos
Super Bowl XXXIII: Beat Atlanta, 34-19
Record: 14-2
Pro Bowlers: 10
Hall of Famers: 1
Comment: There have been four 2,000-yard rushers in NFL history but only one of them went on to win a Super Bowl. Terrell Davis rushed for 2,008 yards in 1998 on his way to MVP honors. Davis took the handoffs from Hall of Fame quarterback John Elway, who won Super Bowl MVP honors with 336 yards passing in his final game.
7. 1984 San Franciso 49ers
Super Bowl XIX: Beat Miami, 38-16
Record: 15-1
Pro Bowlers: 10
Hall of Famers: 2
Comment: San Francisco insiders will tell you the 1984 49ers were the greatest team in franchise history — but it's tough picking a greatest team without Jerry Rice on it. He arrived in 1985. This was the last time Joe Montana played a complete 16-game season in a career that would last another 10 years.
8. 1985 Chicago Bears
Super Bowl XX: Beat New England, 46-10
Record: 15-1
Pro Bowlers: 9
Hall of Famers: 3
Comment: The Bears were the closest champion in style to the 1972 Dolphins. Ironically, Chicago suffered its only loss in the 1985 regular season at Miami. The Bears led the NFL in rushing and defense. Chicago had a Hall of Fame running back (Walter Payton) and middle linebacker (Mike Singletary).
9. 1976 Oakland Raiders
Super Bowl XI: Beat Minnesota, 32-14
Record: 13-1
Pro Bowlers: 7
Hall of Famers: 6
Comment: John Madden's Raiders were a truly great team that had the misfortune of competing in the same decade with Don Shula's Dolphins and Chuck Noll's Steelers. The 1970s Raiders were the eighth winningest of any team in any decade, posting a 100-38-6 record, but only reached one Super Bowl.
10. 1978 Pittsburgh Steelers
Super Bowl XIII: Beat Dallas, 35-31
Record: 14-2
Pro Bowlers: 10
Hall of Famers: 9
Comment: The Steelers made the transition from a team that relied on running and defense in the mid-1970s to passing and defense by the end of the decade. Terry Bradshaw was the league's MVP this season and his two wide receivers, John Stallworth and Lynn Swann, would join him in the Hall of Fame.
11. 1994 San Francisco 49ers
Super Bowl XXIX: Beat San Diego, 49-26
Record: 13-3
Pro Bowlers: 10
Hall of Famers: 0
Comment: These 49ers were the biggest favorite in Super Bowl history — 19 points — and whipped the Chargers by 23. Steve Young was more efficient in the West Coast offense than Joe Montana — and this was Young's best season. He won an NFL passing title (a career-high 35 TDs) and the league MVP award.
12. 1993 Dallas Cowboys
Super Bowl XXVIII: Beat Buffalo, 30-13
Record: 12-4
Pro Bowlers: 11
Hall of Famers: 0
Comment: The Cowboys overcame an 0-2 start, thanks to a two-game contract holdout by Emmitt Smith, to become just the fifth franchise to win back-to-back Super Bowls. But Smith was spectacular in his 14 games, winning the rushing title and his only league MVP award. He also was the Super Bowl MVP.
13. 1969 Kansas City Chiefs
Super Bowl IV: Beat Minnesota, 23-7
Record: 11-3
AFL All-Stars: 10
Hall of Famers: 5
Comment: Talk all you want about the Super Bowl defenses of the Bears, Bucs and Ravens — but this KC defense was the only one to statistically lead a league across the board: total defense, run defense, pass defense and scoring defense. LBs Bobby Bell and Willie Lanier and tackle Buck Buchanan became Hall of Famers.
14. 1996 Green Bay Packers
Super Bowl XXXI: Beat New England, 35-21
Record: 13-3
Pro Bowlers: 5
Hall of Famers: 0
Comment: After winning three consecutive MVP awards, Brett Favre gave his career the ultimate stamp of approval with his only Super Bowl win. But this team was more than a franchise QB. The Pack led the NFL in defense, holding nine teams to 10 points or less. Reggie White goes down as the best free-agent signing in NFL history.
15. 1986 New York Giants
Super Bowl XXI: Beat Denver, 39-20
Record: 14-2
Pro Bowlers: 8
Hall of Famers: 1
Comment: Hall of Fame LB Lawrence Taylor became only the third defensive player in history to win NFL MVP honors on the strength of his league-leading 20 1/ 2 sacks. Phil Simms directed a ball-control offense that featured a 1,500-yard rusher (Joe Morris) and a 1,000-yard receiver at TE (Mark Bavaro).
16. 1973 Miami Dolphins
Super Bowl VIII: Beat Minnesota, 24-7
Record: 12-2
Pro Bowlers: 12
Hall of Famers: 6
Comment: A Hall of Fame RB (Larry Csonka) and No-Name defense were enough to deliver the Dolphins a second consecutive Super Bowl. Bob Griese threw only seven passes in the Super Bowl and only 218 during the regular season. He's in the Hall of Fame, but the question remains: Just how good a QB was Bob Griese?
17. 1966 Green Bay Packers
Super Bowl I: Beat Kansas City, 35-10
Record: 12-2
Pro Bowlers: 8
Hall of Famers: 9
Comment: It's a shame the Super Bowl era came around at the close of Lombardi's Packers dynasty. His best teams were in the early 1960s. The 1962 Packers were arguably the greatest team ever assembled. But the Hall of Famers on that team were nearing the end of their careers by the time the NFL started playing the AFL.
18. 2003 New England Patriots
Super Bowl XXXVIII: Beat Carolina, 32-29
Record: 14-2
Pro Bowlers: 3
Hall of Famers: 0
Comment: These Patriots won their final 15 games — then stretched that streak to 21 in 2004. Tom Brady emerged as the best big-game QB in today's NFL and Adam Vinatieri the best clutch kicker, winning a second Super Bowl with a long field goal in the closing seconds.
19. 1999 St. Louis Rams
Super Bowl XXXIV: Beat Tennessee, 23-16
Record: 13-3
Pro Bowlers: 8
Hall of Famers: 0
Comment: The self-proclaimed Greatest Show on Turf authored one of the top offensive seasons in history, scoring 63 TDs (second-best) and 540 points (third best). Kurt Warner was the NFL passing champion and league MVP. On so many, Sundays, the Rams' offense gave their defense the day off.
20. 1991 Washington Redskins
Super Bowl XXVI: Beat Buffalo, 37-24
Record: 14-2
Pro Bowlers: 8
Hall of Famers: 0
Comment: They won their first 11 games with unheralded Mark Rypien having a career year (3,564 yards, 28 TDs). But has there ever been an easier path to a Super Bowl — home playoff games against Atlanta and Detroit? Veteran backups like Matt Millen, Russ Grimm and Ricky Sanders gave Joe Gibbs a deep, talented roster.
21. 1968 New York Jets
Super Bowl III: Beat Baltimore, 16-7
Record: 11-3
AFL All-Stars: 13
Hall of Famers: 2
Comment: Joe Namath guaranteed the victory, but Matt Snell delivered it. He should have been the MVP in the upset of Baltimore with a 121-yard rushing game. The Jets showed the NFL something the older league wasn't ready to see — the high quality of football being played in the AFL.
22. 1974 Pittsburgh Steelers
Super Bowl IX: Beat Minnesota, 16-6
Record: 10-3-1
Pro Bowlers: 6
Hall of Famers: 9
Comment: Future Hall of Famers Lynn Swann and John Stallworth weren't on the field yet as starters, but the Steelers really didn't need them. Not with a Steel Curtain in place on defense and Franco Harris bashing away on offense. A defense led by Joe Greene held eight of the 14 regular season opponents to 10 points or less.
23. 1981 San Francisco 49ers
Super Bowl XVI: Beat Cincinnati, 26-21
Record: 13-3
Pro Bowlers: 6
Hall of Famers: 2
Comment: This was most fun of the 49ers' championship teams in the 1980s because even the 49ers didn't realize how good they were — or how good they'd become. Has there ever been a worse starting running back tandem in a Super Bowl backfield than Ricky Patton and Earl Cooper? They ranked 13th in the NFL in offense.
24. 1979 Pittsburgh Steelers
Super Bowl XIV: Beat LA Rams, 31-19
Record: 12-4
Pro Bowlers: 10
Hall of Famers: 9
Comment: Like the 1960s Packers, a great collection of Steelers were nearing the end of the line at the end of this decade. Terry Bradshaw, Joe Greene, Jack Ham, L.C. Greenwood and Mel Blount were all in their 30s. Pittsburgh would miss of the playoffs the following two seasons.
25. 1983 Los Angeles Raiders
Super Bowl XVIII: Beat Washington, 38-9
Record: 12-4
Pro Bowlers: 8
Hall of Famers: 4
Comment: Los Angeles showed the NFL a new winning formula — a great runner and shutdown corners. With Marcus Allen rushing and Mike Haynes and Lester Haynes smothering the game's best receivers, the Raiders won three playoff games by a combined score of 106-33. But at 35, Jim Plunkett was just a caretaker QB.
26. 1995 Dallas Cowboys
Super Bowl XXX: Beat Pittsburgh, 27-17
Record: 12-4
Pro Bowlers: 10
Hall of Famers: 0
Comment: Two Hall of Famers had joined the Dallas lineup by 1995, guard Larry Allen and CB Deion Sanders, but the salary cap had gutted the Cowboys of their depth. Had Pittsburgh not suffered first-quarter stage fright in the Super Bowl, falling behind 13-0, the Dallas dynasty might have ended with back-to-back titles.
27. 1997 Denver Broncos
Super Bowl XXXII: Beat Green Bay, 31-24
Record: 12-4
Pro Bowlers: 5
Hall of Famers: 1
Comment: The Broncos became just the second wild-card team to win a Super Bowl - giving Hall of Fame quarterback John Elway his first championship ring in four tries. Denver won with a balanced offense that featured a 1,700-yard rusher (Terrell Davis) and two 1,000-yard receivers (Rod Smith, Shannon Sharpe), plus a Top 5 defense.
28. 2000 Baltimore Ravens
Super Bowl XXXV: Beat NY Giants, 34-7
Record: 12-4
Pro Bowlers: 5
Hall of Famers: 0
Comment: The Ravens allowed the fewest points (165) in the NFL's 16-game era, breaking the record of the 1985 Bears. When Trent Dilfer is your QB, you'd better hold the opposition down. The Ravens were another formula champion, running the ball with Jamal Lewis and playing suffocating defense with Ray Lewis and Rod Woodson.
29. 2002 Tampa Bay Buccaneers
Super Bowl XXXVII: Beat Oakland, 48-21
Record: 12-4
Pro Bowlers: 7
Hall of Famers: 0
Comment: Like the 2000 Ravens, the Bucs won a championship playing defense, defense and more defense. Tampa Bay fielded the worst offense ever to win a Super Bowl, ranking 24th in the NFL. But Derrick Brooks, Warren Sapp and John Lynch were the backbone of a defensive unit that allowed the fewest yards and points in the NFL that season.
30. 1970 Baltimore Colts
Super Bowl V: Beat Dallas, 16-13
Record: 11-2-1
Pro Bowlers: 3
Hall of Famers: 3
Comment: Johnny Unitas, the game's greatest quarterback, won his only Super Bowl at the age of 37. But he completed only three of nine passes before leaving the game in the second quarter with a rib injury. Earl Morrall relieved him and the Colts eventually beat the Cowboys on a field goal with five seconds left in the fourth quarter. A better Colts team in 1968 lost a Super Bowl.
31. 1982 Washington Redskins
Super Bowl XVII: Beat Miami, 27-17
Record: 8-1
Pro Bowlers: 5
Hall of Famers: 1
Comment: It's hard to get a read on just how good this Washington team was because it played so few games. A player strike limited the NFL season to only nine games. For the first and only time in history a kicker - Washington's Mark Moseley - was the NFL's MVP. Redskins coach Joe Gibbs won Super Bowls in both seasons shortened by NFL strikes.
32. 1990 New York Giants
Super Bowl XXV: Beat Buffalo, 20-19
Record: 13-3
Pro Bowlers: 7
Hall of Famers: 1
Comment: The Giants benefited from great defense (Lawrence Taylor, Carl Banks, Leonard Marshall) and defensive coaching (Bill Belichick). New York prevailed with a backup quarterback (Jeff Hostetler) after Phil Simms went down in December. But if Scott Norwood hits the game-ending field goal, Bill Parcells is a one-time Super Bowl winner.
33. 1971 Dallas Cowboys
Super Bowl VI: Beat Miami, 24-3
Record: 11-3
Pro Bowlers: 8
Hall of Famers: 7
Comment: The Cowboys won their first Super Bowl with a roster laden with Hall of Famers - and age. Lance Alworth, Mike Ditka and Herb Adderley all built Hall of Fame careers elsewhere but collected Super Bowl rings as going-away presents from the Cowboys. Bob Hayes, Bob Lilly, Chuck Howley and Cornell Green also were nearing the end.
34. 1988 San Francisco 49ers
Super Bowl XXIII: Beat Cincinnati, 20-16
Record: 10-6
Pro Bowlers: 6
Hall of Famers: 2
Comment: No team ever won a Super Bowl with more losses than the 1988 49ers. Hard to believe any team quarterbacked by Joe Montana could lose that many times in a single season. Even the Phoenix Cardinals defeated the 49ers in 1988. Roger Craig was San Francisco's best player with 1,502 yards rushing and a team-leading 76 receptions.
35. 1980 Oakland Raiders
Super Bowl XV: Beat Philadelphia, 27-10
Record: 11-5
Pro Bowlers: 5
Hall of Famers: 3
Comment: The Raiders reached the playoffs as a wild card and became only the second non-division winner to capture a Super Bowl. Aging legs prevailed for the Raiders: Jim Plunkett, Cliff Branch, Art Shell, Gene Upshaw, Ted Hendricks, Ray Chester and Ray Guy were all in their 30s. Oakland ranked 16th in the NFL in offense and 11th in defense.
36. 2001 New England Patriots
Super Bowl XXXVI: Beat St. Louis, 20-17
Record: 11-5
Pro Bowlers: 4
Hall of Famers: 0
Comment: These Patriots fielded the worst defense ever to win a Super Bowl, ranking 24th in the NFL. The offense wasn't much better, ranking 19th. New England prevailed with a first-year quarterback (Tom Brady) but arguably the best coaching the NFL has seen since Vince Lombardi. Bill Belichick was - and is - a difference-maker on the sideline.
37. 1987 Washington Redskins
Super Bowl XXII: Beat Denver, 42-10
Record: 11-4
Pro Bowlers: 3
Hall of Famers: 0
Comment: These Redskins were the only team to win a Super Bowl in the last 25 years with a negative takeaway/giveaway ratio, committing 17 more turnovers than they forced. This is another Washington team difficult to get a read on because it used a 3-0 strike record with replacement players as propulsion for an NFC East-winning 11-4 record.
38. 1967 Green Bay Packers
Super Bowl II: Beat Oakland, 33-14
Record: 9-4-1
Pro Bowlers: 5
Hall of Famers: 7
Comment: Vince Lombardi walked away from the Packers after this game. He knew the dynasty was done. Jim Taylor and Paul Hornung were already gone and Bart Starr, Forrest Gregg, Ray Nitschke, Willie Wood, Jerry Kramer, Willie Davis, Henry Jordan, Fuzzy Thurston were all in their 30s. The Packers finished 6-7-1 the next season.