HA HA !!!!! This will chap some asses !!!
NCDOLFAN
Posts: 300
09:22 Thu 01-13-11 RSS
In celebration of its 125th anniversary, Sporting News will be settling the score on The Great Sports Debates. This month, the publication puts to rest the argument of the greatest NFL teams of all time, asking an All-Star panel of current and former players, coaches and executives to cast their votes. The 17-0 1972 Miami Dolphins came out on top. Leading the league in total offense (359.7 ypg), scoring offense (27.5 ppg), total defense (235.5 ypg) and scoring defense (12.2 ppg), Coach Don Shula's '72 Dolphins are the only team in league history to achieve a perfect season.
Coach Shula says about that perfect season, "Nobody had ever done that before our ’72 team, and no one has done it since. That puts us in a special category, and we’re proud of that. We’d been beaten in the Super Bowl the year before, and that was my motivation for the ’72 team. We didn’t ever want to feel that way again. When you get to the Super Bowl, the two teams are treated the same. When the game is over, all the losing team gets is a token interview outside the locker room with one camera. So just getting there again wasn’t our objective."
Led by Joe Montana's prolific offense and a defense that allowed the fewest points in the league, the Super Bowl-winning 1984 San Francisco 49ers made the list at No. 2. The 1985 Chicago Bears, who rode Buddy Ryan's dominant 46 defense to a Super Bowl 20 title, are No. 3. With nine Hall of Famers, one-quarter of the 1978 AFC Pro Bowl roster and the regular season and Super Bowl MVP, Terry Bradshaw, the 1978 Pittsburgh Steelers come in at No. 4. Rounding out the top five is Coach Vince Lombardi's dominant NFL champion 1962 Green Bay Packers. The 1958 Baltimore Colts, 1992 Dallas Cowboys, 2004 New England Patriots, 1977 Dallas Cowboys and 1976 Oakland Raiders make the list at six through 10, respectively.
Ten Greatest NFL Teams of All Time
1. 1972 Miami Dolphins
2. 1984 San Francisco 49ers
3. 1985 Chicago Bears
4. 1978 Pittsburgh Steelers
5. 1962 Green Bay Packers
6. 1958 Baltimore Colts
7. 1992 Dallas Cowboys
8. 2004 New England Patriots
9. 1977 Dallas Cowboys
10. 1976 Oakland Raiders
In celebration of its 125th anniversary, Sporting News will be settling the score on The Great Sports Debates. This month, the publication puts to rest the argument of the greatest NFL teams of all time, asking an All-Star panel of current and former players, coaches and executives to cast their votes. The 17-0 1972 Miami Dolphins came out on top. Leading the league in total offense (359.7 ypg), scoring offense (27.5 ppg), total defense (235.5 ypg) and scoring defense (12.2 ppg), Coach Don Shula's '72 Dolphins are the only team in league history to achieve a perfect season.
Coach Shula says about that perfect season, "Nobody had ever done that before our ’72 team, and no one has done it since. That puts us in a special category, and we’re proud of that. We’d been beaten in the Super Bowl the year before, and that was my motivation for the ’72 team. We didn’t ever want to feel that way again. When you get to the Super Bowl, the two teams are treated the same. When the game is over, all the losing team gets is a token interview outside the locker room with one camera. So just getting there again wasn’t our objective."
Led by Joe Montana's prolific offense and a defense that allowed the fewest points in the league, the Super Bowl-winning 1984 San Francisco 49ers made the list at No. 2. The 1985 Chicago Bears, who rode Buddy Ryan's dominant 46 defense to a Super Bowl 20 title, are No. 3. With nine Hall of Famers, one-quarter of the 1978 AFC Pro Bowl roster and the regular season and Super Bowl MVP, Terry Bradshaw, the 1978 Pittsburgh Steelers come in at No. 4. Rounding out the top five is Coach Vince Lombardi's dominant NFL champion 1962 Green Bay Packers. The 1958 Baltimore Colts, 1992 Dallas Cowboys, 2004 New England Patriots, 1977 Dallas Cowboys and 1976 Oakland Raiders make the list at six through 10, respectively.
Ten Greatest NFL Teams of All Time
1. 1972 Miami Dolphins
2. 1984 San Francisco 49ers
3. 1985 Chicago Bears
4. 1978 Pittsburgh Steelers
5. 1962 Green Bay Packers
6. 1958 Baltimore Colts
7. 1992 Dallas Cowboys
8. 2004 New England Patriots
9. 1977 Dallas Cowboys
10. 1976 Oakland Raiders
Any team on any given Sunday, can beat any other team...unless they were playing the Miami Dolphins in 1972.
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Comments
Always buying Bobby Cox inserts. PM me.
They had the film. The coach was fined one million dollars. All else covered up by the NFL. How can a coach be fined an unprecedemted 1 million dollars, and it not have significance. Look it up. The Patriots have no Super Bowl wins. My Pee-Wee team could win games if I cheated and had all competitors practice/game day plays on tape. The Patriots people signify America's downfall.
<< <i>8. 2004 New England Patriots
They had the film. The coach was fined one million dollars. All else covered up by the NFL. How can a coach be fined an unprecedemted 1 million dollars, and it not have significance. Look it up. The Patriots have no Super Bowl wins. My Pee-Wee team could win games if I cheated and had all competitors practice/game day plays on tape. The Patriots people signify America's downfall. >>
Is your penis so small that these things bother you?
The 72 Dolphins were perfect and their stats back it all up.
The 1972 Dolphins are the Best Football Team of All Time! Period!
They did not lose a game all year.... and had the best offense and best defense!
Until another team can claim that, they are #1
<< <i>I don't even think the 1972 team was as good as the 1973 Dolphins team. >>
Agreed. I've said that more than once.
The Dolphins in '72, never played a playoff team during the regular season. Their opponents also had a collective 70-123-3 record during the year. Even subtracting those 14 wins from their opponents losses, those teams were a combined 70-109-3, a .391 winning pct. It's not their fault their opponents were so weak.
The best teams they played in 1972 were the Giants and Chiefs who were both 8-6. Plus they played and beat the 7-7 Jets twice. All of their other opponents were sub .500 teams.
So while the 'phins were undefeated in 1972, some of the background on their great season, like their opponents won loss records are never mentioned by these so-called experts.
Their top receiver, HOF'er Paul Warfield, caught only 29 passes in the 14 game season. As a team they rushed for over 210 yards per game. They were a very, very strong running team.
What's really amazing about that season is the Dolphins threw only 29 passes in three playoff games, all wins. The NFL sure has changed a lot in the last 40 years.
I think it's pretty tough to compare era's in Football with all the rule changes and expansion that's gone on.
Rich's point about comparing the eras is very well taken. It's why people who look at '70's receivers and their numbers dismissively bring out my inner Greg House.
I could name 10-12 guys who would have run buck wild with the post-'78 rules in place then.
Edited to add
The 1998 Vikings/01 Rams may be laying points to a few of those teams too. Not saying that they make the list but where do you rank them? Are the 07 Patriots #45 on the list behind the 44 Super Bowl champions? These lists are certainly all about creating debate but over the past decade I think you could argue that the 10 Super Bowl Champions would not rank as the best teams of the decade. Would the 05 Steelers SB Championship team or 02 Bucs really rate ahead of the 01 Rams, 07 Pats or 05 Colts? I just don't see how you can say that. Just a matter of taste. I'm trying to make that point on a larger scale about the all time teams.
Enjoy the scrum that this will start.
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Steve
And yes, the 07 Patriots were awesome and should be on the list. My 2 favorite teams were the 85 Bears and 78 Steelers.---What a match up in our minds that would be. Lambert and Singletary, Ham and Marshall, Mean Joe Green knocking the sweatband off of McMahon's head and Sweetness diving into the endzone.
Mickey71
<< <i>Those Packer teams from the mid 60's were no slouches.
Steve >>
I vote the 62 Packers as the best team ever led by the best coach that ever lived.WHAT DA HELL IS GOING ON AROUND HEYA!!!!!!!!!
<< <i>I am not a 72 Dolphins fan by any means; but one fact that blew me away was this....They played their playoff games on the road. For having the leagues best record they got to go to Pittsburgh for the AFC title game. To me it sounds like they earned that perfect record. Of all the places and eras to play in they had to go to Pittsburgh and win. "Impressive"
And yes, the 07 Patriots were awesome and should be on the list. My 2 favorite teams were the 85 Bears and 78 Steelers.---What a match up in our minds that would be. Lambert and Singletary, Ham and Marshall, Mean Joe Green knocking the sweatband off of McMahon's head and Sweetness diving into the endzone.
Mickey71
Lambert, Webster, Swann, and Stallworth were not on that 72 team.
I truely believe THAT Cowboy team would thumped that Dolphin team again in 72 SB had they not been upset by them PESKY! "Over the Hill Gang" Redskins.
07 Pats, 05 Colts blah, blah ,blah... Thats all wussy rules football.
<< <i>I truely believe THAT Cowboy team would thumped that Dolphin team again in 72 SB had they not been upset by them PESKY! "Over the Hill Gang" Redskins.
Sorry B.R.D. but the Cowboys had their chance on Nov. 22 1973 and lost to the Phins 14-7. SB VI was just a warm up. First team to go to 3 SB's in a row, I think first team to have two 1000 yd backs, first and only un-defeated.
Funny... the fins lost to the #2 49ers in the SB and they were the only team to beat the #3 Bears and probably would have again if the Pats hadn't been playing strip the ball in the rain for the AFC championship. Glad the Bears embarassed them and hope they get the chance to do it again.
<< <i>[...] and they were the only team to beat the #3 Bears [...] >>
One of the greatest regular season games in NFL history. I can still see Nat Moore streaking for the end zone, arms stretched skyward.
<< <i>
<< <i>Those Packer teams from the mid 60's were no slouches.
Steve >>
I vote the 62 Packers as the best team ever led by the best coach that ever lived.WHAT DA HELL IS GOING ON AROUND HEYA!!!!!!!!! >>
I would have to agree. Their only loss coming on the road at Thanksgiving to a great Lions team. I think they sacked Bart Starr like 11 times in that game.
The Packers had the number one offense and defense that year. They dominated. Although they only had to win one playoff game against the Giants to gain the NFL title.