Sporting News 140: Ranking NFL's 20 greatest teams of all time

The NFL has had many dominant, dynastic teams, both during the 61-year Super Bowl era and preceding championship seasons since the league was first founded in 1920.

The Sporting News, with 140 years since our 1886 founding, has been around for all 106 years of the NFL's existence, covering and celebrating the league's best in print, magazines and online.

The legendary teams have an enduring legacy. They have created a mythical high standard that every modern team is trying to meet as modern Super Bowl winners. They also are defined by all-time great players on offense and defense.

Here's SN's ranking of the best-ever teams as determined by a panel of our NFL experts.

SN 140: The 140 greatest NFL players of all time

The Sporting News' 20 greatest NFL teams

1. 1984 San Francisco 49ers

Regular season: 15-1, +248 points combined margin of victory

Playoffs: 21-10 vs. Giants, 23-0 vs. Bears, 38-16 vs. Dolphins in Super Bowl 19

Joe Montana won four Super Bowl rings, three with innovative West Coast offensive-minded head coach Bill Walsh. The middle of those teams was the most impressive in stamping the Niners' dynasty. Montana and 2026 Hall of Fame class running back Roger Craig led the efficient scoring machine while intimidating Ronnie Lott powered a big-play defense. There were few weaknesses and the 49ers flexed on some strong NFC foes in the playoffs before destroying Dan Marino and the Dolphins close to home in Stanford Stadium.

2. 1972 Miami Dolphins

Regular season: 14-0, +214 points combined margin of victory

Playoffs: 20-14 vs. Browns, 21-17 vs. Steelers, 14-7 vs. Washington in Super Bowl 7

Don Shula's best team can continue to pop corks off champagne bottles as the lone undefeated champion in the Super Bowl era. The defense was the foundation, allowing an average of just more than 12 points per game through the playoffs. They complemented those "No-Name" stars with a punishing power running game featuring the 1-2 punch of Larry Csonka and Mercury Morris. Quarterbacks Earl Morrall and Bob Griese also had a Hall of Fame big-play wide receiver, Paul Warfield. The Dolphins were a complete team whose pride was their selfness toughness.

SN 140: Dolphins cap perfection with Super Bowl win over Washington

3. 1985 Chicago Bears

Regular season: 15-1, +258 points combined margin of victory

Playoffs: 21-0 vs. Giants, 24-0 vs. Rams, 46-10 vs. Patriots in Super Bowl 20

Whenever someone makes a modern defensive comparison, it all comes down to throwing back to the Bears of Mike Ditka and coordinator Buddy Ryan. Ryan operated a masterful "46" scheme in which Chicago was aggressive in going after quarterbacks with overloaded fronts and forcing those QBs into big mistakes. Jim McMahon, Walter Payton and Willie Gault headlined an offense that had just enough complementary flair. The '85 Bears knew how great they were early, recording the cocky but foretelling "Super Bowl Shuffle" in December — before the playoffs. The Bears were larger than life crossover rock stars with literal big personalities such as William "The Refrigerator" Perry and Richard Dent.

4. 1978 Pittsburgh Steelers

Regular season: 14-2, +161 points combined margin of victory

Playoffs: 33-10 vs. Broncos, 34-5 vs. Oilers, 35-31 vs. Cowboys in Super Bowl 13

Pittsburgh also was powered by all-time awesome defense, better known as the "Steel Curtain" under coach Chuck Noll. The '78 team was the best of their four Super Bowl winners in the 1970s, with destructive Hall of Fame forces that included "Mean" Joe Greene up front, Jack Ham and Jack Lambert at linebacker and Mel Blount at cornerback. They were nasty and brought the blue-collar attitude attached to their home city. The offense around Terry Bradshaw was no slouch, featuring fellow future Canton inductees Franco Harris, Lynn Swann and John Stallworth.

5. 2007 New England Patriots

Regular season: 16-0, +315 points combined margin of victory

Playoffs: 31-20 vs. Jaguars, 21-12 vs. Chargers, 17-14 loss vs. Giants in Super Bowl 42

Go figure the best team of the Patriots' extended double dynasty with Tom Brady and Bill Belichick is the one that didn't win the Super Bowl. New England was positioned to jump 1972 Miami and the all-time teams above as the greatest ever. Even with the shocking upset loss to New York, the '07 Patriots were bound to be this high thanks to Brady throwing 50 TD passes and leading the then highest-scoring offense in NFL history. The Patriots averaged almost 37 points per game and gave up around 17. Brady's best season came armed with Randy Moss and Wes Welker, while the defense came together well on every level for Belichick.

SN 140: David Tyree's helmet catch sparks Giants to Super upset

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6. 1999 St. Louis Rams

Regular season: 13-3, +284 points combined margin of victory

Playoffs: 49-37 vs. Vikings, 11-6 vs. Buccaneers, 23-16 vs. Titans in Super Bowl 34

These Rams were dubbed the "Greatest Show on Turf" for their dazzling dome-cooked offense led by savvy Dick Vermeil and mad scientist coordinator Mike Martz. They were a massive surprise, having been a losing team for most of the decade. A simple twist of fate — a preseason knee injury to quarterback Trent Green — made Kurt Warner the ultimate next QB up with a spectacular MVP turn. Marshall Faulk, Isaac Bruce, rookie Torry Holt and Az Zahir-Hakim turned every passing performance into a track meet with their collective pass-catching speed and quickness. When the offense cooled down in the playoffs, defense was the difference with Mike Jones' tackle stopping the Titans one yard short in the Georgia Dome.

7. 1996 Green Bay Packers

Regular season: 13-3, +246 points combined margin of victory

Playoffs: 35-14 vs. 49ers, 30-13 vs. Panthers, 35-21 vs. Patriots in Super Bowl 31

The Packers were at the height of the powers with MVP QB Brett Favre and offensive architect Mike Holmgren, ending Titletown's long championship drought after a great past. Armed with a deep running game and versatile passing game, Green Bay was an efficient big-play team. The other side would administer the pain with the Minister of Defense, Reggie White, coming off the edge and LeRoy Butler leaping to terrific safety play. The durable, fearless Favre epitomized the team's toughness.

8. 1998 Denver Broncos

Regular season: 14-2, +192 points combined margin of victory

Playoffs: 38-3 vs. Dolphins, 23-10 vs. Jets, 34-19 vs. Falcons in Super Bowl 33

The Broncos finally had their Super Bowl breakthrough, winning with John Elway and Terrell Davis in Mike Shanahan's offense over Favre's favored Packers in Super Bowl 32. No one was surprised when the Broncos rolled through '98 opponents to repeat. Davis posted 2,008 rushing yards and scored 21 times, apt for a fantastic back nicknamed "TD." Elway, meanwhile, was loaded with targets between wide receivers Ed McCaffrey and Rod Smith and Hall of Fame tight end Shannon Sharpe. The 38-year-old QB kept turning back the clock with his Super Bowl MVP performance vs. Atlanta.

9. 1991 Washington

Regular season: 14-2, +261 points combined margin of victory

Playoffs: 24-7 vs. Falcons, 41-10 vs. Lions, 37-24 over Bills in Super Bowl 26

Washington had three Super Bowl teams under coach Joe Gibbs, but this third version with a third quarterback, Mark Rypien, stands out. Wire-to-wire, Washington was the NFL's best team, winning 45-0 in a "prematch" with future NFC title opponent Detroit and opening the season 11-0. In true Gibbs fashion, Washington did it with the "Hogs" on the offensive line, leading the league's most prolific running game. Rypien then could let it rip downfield to his "Posse" of top wide receivers — Art Monk, Gary Clark and Ricky Sanders. The defense smashed, too, with Charles Mann leading the pass rush and the ageless Darrell Green lifting a secondary known for making big plays on the ball.

10. 1994 San Francisco 49ers

Regular season: 13-3, +209 points combined margin of victory

Playoffs: 44-15 vs. Bears, 38-28 vs. Cowboys, 49-26 vs. Chargers in Super Bowl 29

The 49ers had won the four Super Bowls with Montana before the Cowboys emerged as a prime rival in the early 1990s. It was uncertain whether San Francisco could add its fifth ring so soon. But then quarterback Steve Young, in his 30s, emerged as his own style of MVP and Hall of Fame QB with his big left arm, bigger numbers and rare running ability. Like Montana, he benefitted from having Jerry Rice and John Taylor at wide receiver. Ricky Watters did his best Roger Craig impression as a backfield dual threat. The defense also had dazzle with Deion Sanders headlining the interception-happy secondary, working to support the pressure put on by the tackle duo of Bryant Young and Dana Stubblefield. The playoffs became more of a coronation, capped by Steve Young's six TD passes in the rout of San Diego.

11. 1975 Pittsburgh Steelers

Regular season: 12-2, +211 points combined margin of victory

Playoffs: 28-10 vs. Colts, 16-10 vs. Raiders, 21-17 vs. Cowboys in Super Bowl 10

The Steelers had two repeats in the 1970s and although the '78 champions were a bit better, Noll's team from three seasons earlier had plenty of curtain calls. Blount led the league with 11 interceptions, while Greene, Ham, Lambert and L.C. Greenwood helped throw down in the front seven. Swann led the league with 11 receiving TDs, while Harris was at his best and Bradshaw went into his prime. 

12. 2016 New England Patriots

Regular season: 14-2, +191 points combined margin of victory

Postseason: 34-16 vs. Texans, 36-17 vs. Steelers, 34-28 over Falcons in Super Bowl 51

The Patriots make the cut again in the later Brady-Belichick era. This season was capped by the epic comeback from being down 28-3 to Atlanta in the Super Bowl. New England was at its most methodical with the defense dispatching most opponents and a rejuvenated Brady, at 39, taking advantage of resting for the first four games because of the "Deflategate" suspension. LeGarrette Blount and James White sparked the backfield with Julian Edelman taking on much of the receiving burden with Rob Gronkowski being limited to only a half-season. Belichick proved his genius by getting the most out of a defense led by Devin McCourty and Dont'a Hightower.

SN 140: Brady, Patriots put together historic rally in Super Bowl

13. 1962 Green Bay Packers

Regular season: 13-1, +267 points combined margin of victory

Playoffs: 16-7 vs. Giants in NFL championship game

Vince Lombardi already was building his trophy-namesake worthy legend with his first title leading the Packers a season earlier. Quarterback Bart Starr and running back Jim Taylor put the offense in overdrive as the Packers averaged just short of 30 points per game. The offensive line set the table and the defense featured Hall of Famers Herb Adderley, Willie Wood, Willie Davis and Ray Nitschke. Adderly and Wood combined for 16 interceptions, while Nitschke was the all-around playmaking glue at linebacker.

14. 1968 Baltimore Colts

Regular season: 13-1, +258 points combined margin of victory

Playoffs: 24-14 vs. Vikings, 34-0 vs. Browns, 16-7 loss vs. Jets in Super Bowl 3

The Colts join this list as the other notable Super Bowl loser, joining the '07 Patriots. Baltimore's offense had its own Kurt Warner-like supersub turn with Earl Morrall filling in for Johnny Unitas. This was Shula's first top team, and the downfield passing game was dangerous with wide receiver Jimmy Orr and Hall of Fame tight end John Mackey. Like his '72 Dolphins and with many of Belichick's Patriots teams, Shula got the most out of the defense limited in star power to make it a devastating unit. It took a gritty defensive effort for the Jets to come through on Joe Namath's improbable guarantee and take the historic battle of attrition.

15. 1986 New York Giants

Regular season: 14-2, +136 points combined margin of victory

Playoffs: 49-3 vs. 49ers, 17-0 vs. Washington, 39-20 vs. Broncos in Super Bowl 21

Whenever a coach gets a Gatorade bath after a Super Bowl victory, it conjures up memories of Bill Parcells feeling the ice-cold joy from Harry Carson and the rest of Big Blue's big-time '86 defense with Lawrence Taylor starring and Bill Belichick scheming. Carson and Taylor were joined on the fine linebacker corps by Carl Banks and Gary Reasons. Leonard Marshall supplemented Taylor's 20.5-sack pass rush. The physicality carried over to the offensive front to power running back Joe Morris in the rushing attack. Underrated QB Phil Simms put on the finishing touches as Super Bowl MVP after picking apart the Broncos opposite Elway.

16. 1966 Green Bay Packers

Regular season: 12-2, +172 points combined margin of victory

Playoffs: 34-27 vs. Cowboys, 35-10 vs. Chiefs in Super Bowl 1

Lombardi had his championships before the Super Bowl era that started right before the NFL-AFL merger, but the inaugural championship game between the leagues, he got celebrated as the paradigm football coach on a national level. Starr, Taylor and familiar receivers got the job done, all while getting into their 30s. The same defensive core from four years before also had risen to rejuvenate. Green Bay was the ideal club to be crowned early in the new era and enjoyed another repeat under Lombardi the following season.

17. 1992 Dallas Cowboys

Regular season: 13-3, +166 combined points margin of victory

Playoffs: 34-10 vs. Eagles, 30-20 vs. 49ers, 52-17 vs. Bills in Super Bowl 27

Coach Jimmy Johnson's impromptu locker-room wail of "How about 'dem Cowboys!?" resonates a little more every season that goes by to extend the team's Super Bowl drought, now at three decades. Johnson, despite some skepticism making the jump from winning a national title at Miami, rewarded his old friend and Arkansas teammate Jerry Jones with an express construction of a championship roster. Defense led the turnaround from the end of the Tom Landry era while offense headlined with the Hall of Fame "triplets" of Troy Aikman, Emmitt Smith and Michael Irvin. Johnson's Cowboys were brash and confident, with some off-field controversy to go with on-field brilliance. His first of back-to-back Super Bowl winners were young upstarts who blossomed together at the right time and become crossover celebrities not seen since the '85 Bears.

18. 2004 New England Patriots

Regular season: 14-2, +177 combined points margin of victory

Playoffs: 20-3 vs. Colts, 41-27 vs. Steelers, 24-21 vs. Eagles in Super Bowl 39

The '04 Patriots were the first team to repeat as Super Bowl champions since Johnson's '93 Cowboys. New England seemed like a one-year fluke when Belichick and Brady teamed up for the first ring,  upsetting Warner's Rams in Super Bowl 36. But then Brady's performance through winning Super Bowl 38 over the Panthers plus Belichick finding the ideal defensive playmakers indicated the Patriots would be around as top AFC contenders for a long time. This version added the power of former Bengals star running back Corey Dillon to support Brady. That also complemented a defense with familiar names such as Mike Vrabel, Tedy Bruschi, Richard Seymour, Willie McGinest and Vince Wilfork. The Patriots' special teams, led by the clutch kicking of Hall of Famer Adam Vinatieri, also played a key part in their dominance.

19. 2024 Philadelphia Eagles

Regular season: 14-3, +160 combined points margin of victory

Playoffs: 22-10 vs. Packers, 28-22 vs. Rams, 55-23 vs. Commanders, 40-22 vs. Chiefs in Super Bowl 59

The Eagles have had a couple of modern Super Bowl winners and the 2017 version that rolled to winning Super Bowl 52 over the Patriots also was impressive. Recency bias aside, however, Philadelphia was the No. 2 seed behind Detroit, but it was the clear best team in the NFL in '24 with the No. 1 total defense and No. 2 rushing offense. Feature back Saquon Barkley had a monster first season with the team, running for 2,005 yards ahead of winning the Super Bowl on his 28th birthday. Jalen Hurts was uber efficient and accurate as a passer working to A.J. Brown and DeVonta Smith and also had more rushing TDs (14 to 13) than Barkley. The exclamation point for Nick Sirianni's team was Vic Fangio's defense, with a deep versatile pass rush and several big playmakers in the secondary. That all came to fruition when taking down Patrick Mahomes and earning sweet revenge from a loss to the Chiefs in Super Bowl 57.

20. 2019 Kansas City Chiefs

Regular season: 12-4, +143 combined points margin of victory

Playoffs: 51-31 vs. Texans, 35-24 vs. Titans, 31-20 vs. 49ers in Super Bowl 54

This list would not be complete without mentioning one of the Patrick Mahomes-led Chiefs teams from the modern three-ring dynasty under Andy Reid. The first one, in Mahomes' third season, passed the torch from Tom Brady and Bill Belichick. Although Mahomes had his big statistical breakout in 2018, this was about him maturing into a clutch winner in the vein of Brady and Joe Montana. These Chiefs also had a top-10 defense to match a top-10 offense, led by Chris Jones up front and Tyrann Mathieu on the back end of Steve Spagnuolo's scheme. Mahomes was locked into quick tight end Travis Kelce and speedy wide receiver Tyreek Hill, with the latter catching the famed "Jet Chip Wasp" pass downfield to flip the Super Bowl and clinch the win over San Francisco.