Page 2

After hours upon hours of exhaustive research, Page 2 is settling the debate once and for all with our definitive hierarchy of the first 80 Super Bowl participants.

OK, we admit it, we're just pouring more fuel on the fire. But what better football debate is there to have while we bide our time until this year's big game?

So seek out your favorite team on our list. We hope you'll be pleased with the result … although we're reasonably certain you won't. If you're curious to know how we arrived at our rankings, and to read the top five lists from John Clayton and Len Pasquarelli, click here.

The rankings: No. 80 to No. 61 | No. 60 to No. 41 | No. 40 to No. 21 | No. 20 to No. 1

80. 1979 LOS ANGELES RAMS     9-7 (2-1)       
Pts Avg Pts
All.
Avg Diff. Rank
Pts
Rank
Yards
Rank
Pts All.
Rank
Yds All.
Opp.
W-L
.500+ Post.
Score
323 20.2 309 19.3 +14 15 of 28 13 of 28 11 of 28 8 of 28 .473 3-6 49-50
Super Bowl: Lost to Pittsburgh 31-19     Coach: Ray Malavasi
Key players: QB Vince Ferragamo (5 TD, 10 INT in 110 PA), RB Wendell Tyler (1,109 yards), OT Jackie Slater, DE Jack Youngblood, LB Jack Reynolds, LB Jim Youngblood, C Rich Saul

The Rams were a powerhouse for most of the '70s under Chuck Knox and had six straight seasons of 10 or more wins from '73 to '78, so it was a surprise this 9-7 team was the one that finally reached the Super Bowl (with the worst record ever for a Super Bowl team). The Rams led the NFL in interceptions thrown in '79, with four different QBs contributing. Pat Haden was the starting QB most of the season, but Vince Ferragamo had replaced an injured Haden by the playoffs. Despite leading a superior Steelers team heading into the fourth quarter, this team still gets the No. 80 ranking.

79. 2003 CAROLINA PANTHERS     11-5 (3-1)       
Pts Avg Pts
All.
Avg Diff. Rank
Pts
Rank
Yards
Rank
Pts All.
Rank
Yds All.
Opp.
W-L
.500+ Post.
Score
325 20.3 304 19.0 +21 15 of 32 16 of 32 10 of 32 7 of 32 .445 3-3 101-68
Super Bowl: Lost to New England 32-29     Coach: John Fox
Key players: QB Jake Delhomme (3,219 yards, 19 TD), RB Stephen Davis (1,444 yards), WR Steve Smith (88 rec, 1,110 yards), DT Kris Jenkins, DE Julius Peppers, DE Mike Rucker, S Mike Minter

Don't be fooled by Carolina's near win in the Super Bowl. This was a .500 team masquerading as a playoff squad. The Panthers barely outscored their opponents during the regular season (seven of their 11 wins were by three points or less) despite a pretty easy schedule – only six games against .500-or-better teams. While the defense was solid, especially in an NFC title win over Philly, they lost three straight games late in the season, the offense was mediocre, and just two players (Stephen Davis and Kris Jenkins) made the Pro Bowl.

78. 2000 NEW YORK GIANTS     12-4 (2-1)       
Pts Avg Pts
All.
Avg Diff. Rank
Pts
Rank
Yards
Rank
Pts All.
Rank
Yds All.
Opp.
W-L
.500+ Post.
Score
328 20.5 246 15.4 +82 15 of 31 13 of 31 5 of 31 5 of 31 .445 4-4 68-44
Super Bowl: Lost to Baltimore 34-7     Coach: Jim Fassel
Key players: QB Kerry Collins (3,610 yards, 22 TD), RB Tiki Barber (over 1700 total yards), WR Amani Toomer, OG Ron Stone, DE Michael Strahan, LB Jessie Armstead, DT Keith Hamilton

A completely uninspiring and forgettable team, which got crushed in a completely uninspiring and forgettable Super Bowl. (Wait, Jim Fassel coached in a Super Bowl? Kerry Collins took every snap for a Super Bowl team?) Nonetheless, the Giants did win the NFC (beating the Vikings 41-0 in the NFC title game when Minnesota essentially quit). The Giants were strong on D, especially against the run (allowing just 3.2 yards per carry) and did beat the Eagles three times, but won a weak conference and lacked star power (only two Pro Bowlers). Did we mention Jim Fassel was the coach?

77. 1982 MIAMI DOLPHINS     7-2 (3-1)       
Pts Avg Pts
All.
Avg Diff. Rank
Pts
Rank
Yards
Rank
Pts All.
Rank
Yds All.
Opp.
W-L
.500+ Post.
Score
198 22.0 131 14.6 +67 10 of 28 19 of 28 2 of 28 1 of 28 .444 3-2 93-53
Super Bowl: Lost to Washington 27-17     Coach: Don Shula
Key players: QB David Woodley (63.5 passer rating), RB Andra Franklin, C Dwight Stephenson, OG Bob Kuechenberg, DT Bob Baumhower, DE Doug Betters, LB A.J. Duhe, CB Don McNeal

Two words: David Woodley. Probably the worst QB ever to start a Super Bowl, Woodley went 4-for-14 in the loss. In the AFC Championship Game of this strike season, he threw three picks. The Dolphins beat the Jets 14-0 anyway (Richard Todd threw five picks). The Dolphins were 19th in total yards, making them one of the worst offensive teams to reach the Super Bowl. Notable fact: Miami allowed the fewest passing yards and had the most interceptions in the NFL, yet none of the defensive backs made the Pro Bowl. (Brothers Lyle and Glenn Blackwood started at safety and were known as the "Bruise Brothers.")

76. 1985 NEW ENGLAND PATRIOTS     11-5 (3-1)       
Pts Avg Pts
All.
Avg Diff. Rank
Pts
Rank
Yards
Rank
Pts All.
Rank
Yds All.
Opp.
W-L
.500+ Post.
Score
362 22.6 290 18.1 +72 10 of 28 9 of 28 6 of 28 5 of 28 .496 4-5 94-94
Super Bowl: Lost to Chicago 46-10     Coach: Raymond Berry
Key players: QB Tony Eason (11 TD, 17 INT, 67.5 QB rating), RB Craig James (1,227 yards), WR Irving Fryar, OG John Hannah, LB Andre Tippett, LB Steve Nelson, CB Fred Marion

The good: a pretty strong defensive unit that featured four Pro Bowlers (remember how good Andre Tippett was?) and allowed the second-fewest TD passes and fifth-fewest yards in the NFL; Craig James and all-time great John Hannah gave the Pats a solid running game; three playoff wins on the road (at Jets, Raiders and Dolphins). The bad: QB Tony Eason had more picks than TDs (17 to 11). The ugly: that Super Bowl performance (Eason was benched for Steve Grogan after going 0-for-6 with a fumble and three sacks).

75. 1986 DENVER BRONCOS     11-5 (2-1)       
Pts Avg Pts
All.
Avg Diff. Rank
Pts
Rank
Yards
Rank
Pts All.
Rank
Yds All.
Opp.
W-L
.500+ Post.
Score
378 23.6 327 20.4 +51 6 of 28 15 of 28 15 of 28 10 of 28 .545 7-4 65-76
Super Bowl: Lost to New York Giants 39-20     Coach: Dan Reeves
Key players: QB John Elway (3,485 yards, 19 TD), RB Sammy Winder (789 yards), WR Mark Jackson, DE Rulon Jones, LB Karl Mecklenburg, CB Mike Harden, S Dennis Smith

How did they reach Super Bowl with such mediocre team statistical rankings? Oh yeah, they beat a Marty Schottenheimer-coached team in the AFC title game. Before you make the case that this is the worst Super Bowl team, consider that Denver faced the toughest schedule ever of a Super Bowl participant – .545 opponents' winning percentage. Oh, and they did have a guy named Elway playing quarterback.

74. 1996 NEW ENGLAND PATRIOTS     11-5 (2-1)       
Pts Avg Pts
All.
Avg Diff. Rank
Pts
Rank
Yards
Rank
Pts All.
Rank
Yds All.
Opp.
W-L
.500+ Post.
Score
418 26.1 313 19.6 +105 2 of 30 7 of 30 14 of 30 19 of 30 .512 4-5 69-44
Super Bowl: Lost to Green Bay 35-21     Coach: Bill Parcells
Key players: QB Drew Bledsoe (4,086 yards, 27 TD), RB Curtis Martin (1,152 yards, 14 TD), WR Terry Glenn (90 rec, 1,132 yards), TE Ben Coates, OT Bruce Armstrong, DE Willie McGinest

Bill Parcells likes to run the ball, but this was a throwing team: The Pats were second in the NFL in attempts and third in passing yards. That wasn't the only strange stat. While finishing second in points, the offense was more methodical than scary: 19th in yards per passing attempt and 25th in average yards per carry. And while the defense gave up a lot of yards (over 4,000 passing yards), it did have a tough run D (third-best yards per carry) and picked off 23 passes. But it certainly wasn't a great team and was helped when 9-7 Jacksonville knocked off 13-3 Denver in the divisional round.

73. 1993 BUFFALO BILLS     12-4 (2-1)       
Pts Avg Pts
All.
Avg Diff. Rank
Pts
Rank
Yards
Rank
Pts All.
Rank
Yds All.
Opp.
W-L
.500+ Post.
Score
329 20.6 242 15.1 +87 7 of 28 6 of 28 5 of 28 27 of 28 .500 7-4 72-66
Super Bowl: Lost to Dallas 30-13     Coach: Marv Levy
Key players: QB Jim Kelly (3,382 yards, 18 TD, 18 INT), RB Thurman Thomas (1,315 yards), WR Andre Reed, DE Bruce Smith, LB Cornelius Bennett, CB Nate Odomes, OT Howard Ballard

Hey, only three more Bills teams to go! Despite a 12-4 record, this team had slipped substantially from previous years. Jim Kelly's passer rating declined for the third consecutive season, so the team relied heavily on Thurman Thomas. Buffalo went 7-4 against teams .500 or better during a difficult schedule and allowed the fifth-fewest points in the NFL, but one important statistic can't be ignored. Buffalo ranked next to last in yards allowed (and was outgained on the season by 294 yards). The Bills built a 13-6 halftime lead in the Super Bowl, a short-lived advantage as Dallas scored the last 24 points.

72. 1999 TENNESSEE TITANS     13-3 (3-1)       
Pts Avg Pts
All.
Avg Diff. Rank
Pts
Rank
Yards
Rank
Pts All.
Rank
Yds All.
Opp.
W-L
.500+ Post.
Score
392 24.5 324 20.3 +68 7 of 31 13 of 31 15 of 31 17 of 31 .461 5-2 90-69
Super Bowl: Lost to St. Louis 23-16     Coach: Jeff Fisher
Key players: QB Steve McNair, QB Neil O'Donnell, RB Eddie George (1,304 yards, 13 TD), TE Frank Wycheck, OG Bruce Matthews, DE Jevon Kearse, S Blaine Bishop, CB Samari Rolle

This team was defined more by grit, guts and a bit of a miracle than glamour and pizzazz. Despite its 13-3 record, there were some smoke and mirrors involved since the Titans barely outgained their opponents and didn't dominate any statistical category. They won the close games (one point over Cincy, one over Jacksonville, three other wins by three points) and owned Jacksonville, which lost three games all year – all to the Titans, including the AFC Championship Game. And that miracle? The Titans used it up in the wild-card playoff victory over Buffalo and fell a yard short of tying the Super Bowl on the game's final play.

71. 1994 SAN DIEGO CHARGERS     11-5 (2-1)       
Pts Avg Pts
All.
Avg Diff. Rank
Pts
Rank
Yards
Rank
Pts All.
Rank
Yds All.
Opp.
W-L
.500+ Post.
Score
381 23.8 306 19.1 +75 5 of 28 11 of 28 9 of 28 15 of 28 .543 4-3 65-83
Super Bowl: Lost to San Francisco 49-26     Coach: Bobby Ross
Key players: QB Stan Humphries (3,209 yards, 17 TD), RB Natrone Means (1,350 yards, 12 TD), WR Tony Martin, DE Leslie O'Neal, DE Chris Mims, LB Junior Seau, K John Carney

This team takes its lumps because of the pummeling it took in the Super Bowl against one of the finest offenses ever assembled. The Chargers were the last undefeated team in the league at 6-0, and while their blue-collar offense boasted just one Pro Bowl player (Natrone Means), it ranked fifth in points scored. Stan Humphries navigated a balanced passing game that boasted four players with 40 or more receptions. San Diego won the AFC Championship Game at top-seeded Pittsburgh, and its only losses of more than seven points came against high-flying San Francisco in Week 14 and then in the Super Bowl.

70. 1970 DALLAS COWBOYS     10-4 (2-1)       
Pts Avg Pts
All.
Avg Diff. Rank
Pts
Rank
Yards
Rank
Pts All.
Rank
Yds All.
Opp.
W-L
.500+ Post.
Score
299 21.4 221 15.8 +78 10 of 26 4 of 26 4 of 26 4 of 26 .487 3-4 35-26
Super Bowl: Lost to Baltimore 16-13     Coach: Tom Landry
Key players: QB Craig Morton (1,819 yards, 15 TD), RB Duane Thomas (803 yards), RB Calvin Hill, WR Bob Hayes, DT Bob Lilly, LB Chuck Howley, CB Mel Renfro, CB Herb Adderley

This might seem like a low ranking for a team that lost the Super Bowl on a last-second field goal. But there are factors working against this squad. They went just 3-4 against teams .500 or better, including drubbings of 38-0 and 54-13. Their leading passer, Craig Morton, completed less than half his passes. Dallas had seven takeaways in the Super Bowl and still lost. Positively, rookie Duane Thomas bolstered the Cowboys' rushing attack and Bob Hayes averaged an incredible 26.1 yards per catch, as America watched a certain fedora-wearing coach begin to make his mark.

69. 1988 CINCINNATI BENGALS     12-4 (2-1)       
Pts Avg Pts
All.
Avg Diff. Rank
Pts
Rank
Yards
Rank
Pts All.
Rank
Yds All.
Opp.
W-L
.500+ Post.
Score
448 28.0 329 20.6 +119 1 of 28 1 of 28 17 of 28 17 of 28 .482 5-3 58-43
Super Bowl: Lost to San Francisco 20-16     Coach: Sam Wyche
Key players: QB Boomer Esiason (3,572 yards, 28 TD), RB Ickey Woods (1,066 yards, 15 TD), RB James Brooks (931 yards), WR Eddie Brown (1,273 yards), OT Anthony Munoz, S David Fulcher

One of the forgotten offensive powerhouses, the Bengals led the NFL in rushing yards behind the dangerous 1-2 punch of Ickey Woods and James Brooks, and Boomer Esiason was the NFL MVP with a league-leading 97.4 QB rating. The other weapon was wide receiver Eddie Brown, who averaged an amazing 24 yards per catch. But this Bengals team had a split personality. They allowed the second-most points of any playoff teams, and while three of Cincinnati's four losses were by seven or fewer points, the fourth was a 35-point defeat at Houston with home-field advantage and the playoffs still at stake. Cincinnati also has the distinction of losing to the team with the most defeats of any Super Bowl champion.

68. 1995 PITTSBURGH STEELERS     11-5 (2-1)       
Pts Avg Pts
All.
Avg Diff. Rank
Pts
Rank
Yards
Rank
Pts All.
Rank
Yds All.
Opp.
W-L
.500+ Post.
Score
407 25.4 327 20.4 +80 5 of 30 6 of 30 9 of 30 3 of 30 .495 4-3 77-64
Super Bowl: Lost to Dallas 27-17     Coach: Bill Cowher
Key players: QB Neil O'Donnell (2,970 yards, 17 TD), RB Erric Pegram (813 yards), WR Yancey Thigpen (1,307 yards), C Dermontti Dawson, LB Kevin Greene, LB Greg Lloyd, CB Rod Woodson

Pro: The Steelers had a fearsome defense that ranked second in the NFL in yards allowed. They had four defenders named to the Pro Bowl, including intimidators Greg Lloyd and Kevin Greene. Con: Their leading rusher was Erric Pegram, and they lost three games by 13 or more points. Pittsburgh outgained Dallas in the Super Bowl, but it couldn't overcome three Neil O'Donnell interceptions. To be fair, Pittsburgh faced a difficult schedule, but it also avoided the top-seeded team, Kansas City, in the AFC playoffs.

67. 1966 KANSAS CITY CHIEFS     11-2-1 (1-1)       
Pts Avg Pts
All.
Avg Diff. Rank
Pts
Rank
Yards
Rank
Pts All.
Rank
Yds All.
Opp.
W-L
.500+ Post.
Score
448 32.0 276 19.7 +172 1 of 9 1 of 9 2 of 9 2 of 9 n/a 6-2-1 41-42
Super Bowl: Lost to Green Bay 35-10     Coach: Hank Stram
Key players: QB Len Dawson (2,527 yards, 26 TD), RB Mike Garrett, WR Otis Taylor (1,224 yards), DE Buck Buchanan, DT Jerry Mays, LB Bobby Bell, LB E.J. Holub, DB Johnny Robinson

The AFL's best offense had good balance. Len Dawson compiled the second-best passer rating of his Hall of Fame career. Mike Garrett topped 800 rushing yards, and Curtis McClinton and Bert Coan added more than 500 apiece. Otis Taylor and Chris Burford combined for 116 receptions, 16 touchdowns and 2,055 receiving yards. The Chiefs had the No. 2 defense in the AFL, bolstered by future Hall of Famers Bobby Bell and Buck Buchanan. As the losing team in the first AFL-NFL championship game, the Chiefs earned player shares of $7,500 each.

66. 1992 BUFFALO BILLS     11-5 (3-1)       
Pts Avg Pts
All.
Avg Diff. Rank
Pts
Rank
Yards
Rank
Pts All.
Rank
Yds All.
Opp.
W-L
.500+ Post.
Score
381 23.8 283 17.7 +98 3 of 28 2 of 28 4 of 28 13 of 28 .492 6-3 111-103
Super Bowl: Lost to Dallas 52-17     Coach: Marv Levy
Key players: QB Jim Kelly (3,457 yards, 23 TD), RB Thurman Thomas (over 2,000 total yards), WR Andre Reed, OG Will Wolford, DE Bruce Smith, LB Cornelius Bennett, S Henry Jones

They're back! OK, let's say something nice here: The Bills had excellent rankings in the major categories, with the exception of 13th in yards allowed. Thurman Thomas had the highest rushing total of his career. And the Bills rallied behind backup QB Frank Reich to overcome a 32-point deficit against Houston in a classic playoff game and followed it up with two comfortable victories to win the AFC championship. Unfortunately, they did play the Super Bowl. Buffalo committed a record nine turnovers and, well, at least Don Beebe chased down Leon Lett. Not that that really salvaged any pride.

65. 1974 MINNESOTA VIKINGS     10-4 (2-1)       
Pts Avg Pts
All.
Avg Diff. Rank
Pts
Rank
Yards
Rank
Pts All.
Rank
Yds All.
Opp.
W-L
.500+ Post.
Score
310 22.1 195 13.9 +115 5 of 26 3 of 26 3 of 26 10 of 26 .454 4-3 50-40
Super Bowl: Lost to Pittsburgh 16-6     Coach: Bud Grant
Key players: QB Fran Tarkenton (2,598 yards, 17 TD), RB Chuck Foreman (777 yards, 15 TD), WR John Gilliam, OT Ron Yary, DT Alan Page, DE Carl Eller, S Paul Krause

And before the Bills there were the Minnesota Vikings! This was the third of Minnesota's four Super Bowl teams between 1969 and 1976 -- the Vikings would lose the four Super Bowls by a combined score of 95-34 and average just 237 yards per game (really, when you look back at the Super Bowls from the early '70s, you wonder how the game ever caught on). Anyway, this team lost by more than four points only once, but laid an egg in the Super Bowl, compiling a mere 119 net yards and scoring only on a blocked punt recovered in the end zone.

64. 1987 DENVER BRONCOS     10-4-1 (2-1)       
Pts Avg Pts
All.
Avg Diff. Rank
Pts
Rank
Yards
Rank
Pts All.
Rank
Yds All.
Opp.
W-L
.500+ Post.
Score
379 29.3 288 19.2 +91 4 of 28 2 of 28 7 of 28 9 of 28 .464 5-3 82-85
Super Bowl: Lost to Washington 42-10     Coach: Dan Reeves
Key players: QB John Elway (3,198 yards, 19 TD), RB Sammy Winder, WR Vance Johnson, WR Ricky Nattiel, OL Keith Bishop, DE Rulon Jones, LB Karl Mecklenburg, CB Mike Harden

Denver won its second consecutive AFC championship, but the Broncos' defense ultimately capsized. After allowing more than 30 points just once in 12 nonstrike games, Denver coughed up a combined 75 in the AFC Championship Game and the Super Bowl. A telling statistic was the 4.44 yards per carry that the Broncos allowed in the regular season, which ranked near the bottom of the league. Washington exploited that weakness to the tune of 280 rushing yards in a Super Bowl blowout.

63. 1975 DALLAS COWBOYS     10-4 (2-1)       
Pts Avg Pts
All.
Avg Diff. Rank
Pts
Rank
Yards
Rank
Pts All.
Rank
Yds All.
Opp.
W-L
.500+ Post.
Score
350 25.0 268 19.1 +82 8 of 26 3 of 26 9 of 26 5 of 26 .459 4-2 71-42
Super Bowl: Lost to Pittsburgh 21-17     Coach: Tom Landry
Key players: QB Roger Staubach (2,666 yards, 17 TD), RB Robert Newhouse (930 yards), WR Drew Pearson, OT Rayfield Wright, DE Harvey Martin, LB Lee Roy Jordan, S Cliff Harris

This team overachieved to reach the Super Bowl (only three Pro Bowlers), then suffered a narrow defeat against a powerful Steelers team. In the NFC Championship Game, the Cowboys earned a blowout 37-7 victory at Los Angeles against the league's stingiest scoring defense. Of course, if not for the controversial Hail Mary pass from Roger Staubach to Drew Pearson, this team wouldn't have beaten top-seeded Minnesota in the first round. Staubach didn't have one of his better seasons statistically (16 picks), and the Cowboys had the worst record among NFC playoff participants.

62. 1981 CINCINNATI BENGALS     12-4 (2-1)       
Pts Avg Pts
All.
Avg Diff. Rank
Pts
Rank
Yards
Rank
Pts All.
Rank
Yds All.
Opp.
W-L
.500+ Post.
Score
421 26.3 304 19.0 +117 3 of 28 2 of 28 12 of 28 12 of 28 .463 6-1 76-54
Super Bowl: Lost to San Francisco 26-21     Coach: Forrest Gregg
Key players: QB Ken Anderson (3,754 yards, 29 TD), RB Pete Johnson (1,077 yards, 16 TD), WR Cris Collinsworth (1,009 yards), TE Dan Ross, OT Anthony Munoz, DE Ross Browner

The Bengals made a nice turnaround by doubling their win total from the previous season. Maybe it had something to do with the snazzy new uniforms the team introduced to replace the conservative attire the franchise had worn since its inaugural season in 1968. More likely, it involved the performances of Ken Anderson (98.4 QB rating, NFL MVP) and RB Pete Johnson, who both had career years. The Bengals held the NFL's highest-scoring team, the Chargers, to a single touchdown in the AFC Championship Game – the coldest contest in league history at minus-9 degrees with a wind chill of minus-59.

61. 1977 DENVER BRONCOS     12-2 (2-1)       
Pts Avg Pts
All.
Avg Diff. Rank
Pts
Rank
Yards
Rank
Pts All.
Rank
Yds All.
Opp.
W-L
.500+ Post.
Score
274 19.6 148 10.6 +126 10 of 28 17 of 28 3 of 28 8 of 28 .520 8-2 64-65
Super Bowl: Lost to Dallas 27-10     Coach: Red Miller
Key players: QB Craig Morton (1,929 yards, 14 TD), DL Lyle Alzado, LB Randy Gradishar, LB Tom Jackson, CB Louis Wright, CB Billy Thompson, KR Rick Upchurch

Although statistically unimpressive, the Broncos tied for the best record in the league against a difficult schedule. Denver had neither a 500-yard rusher nor a 30-catch wide receiver, but still went 8-2 against opponents .500 or better. These Broncos are the only Super Bowl participant to average less than 20 points per game. Craig Morton quarterbacked the team effectively, although he completed just 51.6 percent of his passes, but then chunked against his former team in the Super Bowl, throwing as many interceptions (four) as completions.

STATISTICAL KEY: Pts: points scored; Pts: Points allowed; Avg.: Average; Diff.: Point differential; Rank Pts.: League ranking in points scored; Rank Yards: League ranking in yards gained; Rank Pts. All.: League ranking in points allowed; Rank Yds All.: League ranking in yards allowed; Opp. W-L: Combined winning percentage of opponents (includes games played against featured team); .500 +: Record against teams with record of .500 or better; Post. Score: Cumulative score in postseason games. Note: All statistics are regular season only.

 

Rankings by Kevin Jackson, Thomas Neumann and David Schoenfield. Capsules by Thomas Neumann and David Schoenfield. Statistical sources include "The ESPN Pro Football Encyclopedia," espn.com, pro-football-reference.com, databasefootball.com, superbowl.com, profootballhof.com and Eddie Epstein's "Dominance: The Best Seasons of Pro Football's Greatest Teams."

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