The Sporting News' 10 Greatest NFL Teams Ever

[Warner2BruceTD]

A majority of those rushing yards were gained during garbage time when they were up by 30.

So what?

Those three guys averaged 4.5 yards per pop.

And again, who needs a running game with that passing game? Were they supposed to come out and run off tackles to establish the ground game?

I don't know, when I think about that team, I don't have any recollection of them struggling to run the ball.

[Senser81]

There is a significant gap between bears/cowboys running backs and the rest.

Give me Csonka/Morris/Kiick of the 1972 Dolphins instead of Smith or Payton.

1972 Dolphins - 2960 rushing yards, 26 TDs, 4.8 AVG (14 games)

1985 Bears - 2761 yards, 27 TDs, 4.5 AVG (16 games)

1992 Cowpokes - 2121 yards, 20 TDs, 4.2 AVG (16 games)

[G-men]

I don't deny the 07 Pats were a great team, but they didn't get the job done. Fluke catch or not, a truly great team would never have let the Giants be close enough to win with a fluke catch. A truly great team (like the 92 Cowboys) rips out your jugular and never lets you win by fluke. The Patriots choked, pure and simple, and for that reason do not belong on a top 10 list.

The Patriots didn't lose because they didn't have a running game. They lost because they couldn't protect their damn QB. The Giants' D-Line owned that game.

You act like the Pats were playing the 2007 Dolphins in that game. That Giants team had one of the best pass rushes of all time, and played almost a perfect game. They were a legit team. Still, if the 2007 Giants and Pats played a ten game series, the Giants would only win 3 games max.

[Senser81]

Still, if the 2007 Giants and Pats played a ten game series, the Giants would only win 3 games max.

But if they played a 2-game series, the Giants would win one.

[KINGOFOOTBALL]

Give me Csonka/Morris/Kiick of the 1972 Dolphins instead of Smith or Payton.

1972 Dolphins - 2960 rushing yards, 26 TDs, 4.8 AVG (14 games)

1985 Bears - 2761 yards, 27 TDs, 4.5 AVG (16 games)

1992 Cowpokes - 2121 yards, 20 TDs, 4.2 AVG (16 games)

Fair enough. Its 2011 I often forget fullbacks existed.

[Hasselbeck]

So what?

Those three guys averaged 4.5 yards per pop.

And again, who needs a running game with that passing game? Were they supposed to come out and run off tackles to establish the ground game?

I don't know, when I think about that team, I don't have any recollection of them struggling to run the ball.

Really the only game they struggled on offense was in the Super Bowl. Unfortunate timing for that, but it happens. That's why single-elimination playoffs are so great.. the best teams do not always win.

But to deny their greatness off that one loss is asinine (thats more directed at Dave btw). They outscored their opponents by an average of 37-17. That's unheard of in this day and age for the NFL.

[dave]

Really the only game they struggled on offense was in the Super Bowl. Unfortunate timing for that, but it happens. That's why single-elimination playoffs are so great.. the best teams do not always win.

But to deny their greatness off that one loss is asinine (thats more directed at Dave btw). They outscored their opponents by an average of 37-17. That's unheard of in this day and age for the NFL.

I didn't say they weren't a great team. I said they don't belong on that list because they didn't get the job done.

[G-men]

I didn't say they weren't a great team. I said they don't belong on that list because they didn't get the job done.

That's just plain stupid to me, but I guess it's all in how you define the list. To me, it's the top ten teams talent-wise. If my life is on the line and I have to pick one team to win a game, it would come down to the '07 Pats, '85 Bears, '84 49ers, and '78 Steelers.

[Hasselbeck]

I didn't say they weren't a great team. I said they don't belong on that list because they didn't get the job done.

The list doesn't say "10 Greatest NFL Champions Ever" .. it says "teams"

The 07' Pats were night and day better than the 2004 Patriots squad. And really I'd be hard pressed to take any other team on this list over the Pats aside from the 85' Bears, 84' Niners and 78' Steelers. The 92' Cowboys would have been a good matchup for them too.

Other than that.. I would take them over the rest of the list. 72' Dolphins included .. which I can see why they're #1 given their perfect season.. but talent wise I wouldn't take them over the 07' Pats + the other teams I mentioned.

[strahanfan92]

Yeah '07 Pats were definitely the best team ever IMO.

 

[Shayn•Da•Pain]

Give me Csonka/Morris/Kiick of the 1972 Dolphins instead of Smith or Payton.

1972 Dolphins - 2960 rushing yards, 26 TDs, 4.8 AVG (14 games)

1985 Bears - 2761 yards, 27 TDs, 4.5 AVG (16 games)

1992 Cowpokes - 2121 yards, 20 TDs, 4.2 AVG (16 games)

Yeah this backfield was beastly. Csonka was like a bull in a china shop running the football. People talk about RB's that can wear down a defense, he broke defenses. Csonka+Morris=first 1k yd running back tandem in '72, and they shared the backfield with Kiick who stole 137 carries from them. I like the Miami RBs also.

[Hasselbeck]

Yeah '07 Pats were definitely the best team ever IMO.

 

Best no, Top 10? Yes.

[dave]

You act like the Pats were playing the 2007 Dolphins in that game. That Giants team had one of the best pass rushes of all time, and played almost a perfect game. They were a legit team. Still, if the 2007 Giants and Pats played a ten game series, the Giants would only win 3 games max.

I'm not dismissing the 2007 Giants, but they weren't an all-time great team. They had a great season and a perfect gameplan for the Patriots.
They were legit, no doubt, but no one calls them a top-10 team of all time. And like Aso21 wrote, if the 2007 Pats and Giants played 10 times, the Pats would win 7 times (probably 8).
Give the Giants credit, in the big game they had a great gameplan and it worked.
But that 2007 Giants team wasn't legendary, it was damn good. The Patriots, potentially the most legendary team in NFL history, choked.

[Len B]

I don't give a fuck about Tyree.. fluke plays happen. This, however, shows up in my dreams:

[ame]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K36wgL4VLHM[/ame]

[Sven Draconian]

The 2010 Detroit Lions would beat all but the 2004 Patriots. Any sort of arguement based on who would win Head to Head is retarded, there has been a steady evolution in physical development since atleast the 70s. Top level BCS conferences are fielding more athletic talent than most of these teams.

The only valid way to compare between eras is dominance agaist contemporaries.