Which is the best single-season team in NFL history?

[Uncle.Ruckus]

It was a discussion on the Super Bowl Shuffle thread, but we should start fresh here.

1985 Bears? '89 Niners? One of the Steel Curtain teams? Who ya got?

If you say '72 Dolphins, you will be placed in a burlap sack and thrown from the nearest tall bridge over water.

 

[Dick Whitman]

I'm biased, but the '85 Bears, I believe. Particularly, they peaked at absolutely the right time, the playoffs, which is what a team is supposed to do. Ten points allowed in three playoff games. Has anyone else ever come close to that? How many did the '00 Ravens allow?

 

[Armchair_QB]

'85 Bears.

Though they should probably be docked a couple of votes for the Super Bowl Shuffle.

 

[Stoney]

85 Bears

 

[Uncle.Ruckus]

I'm biased, but the '85 Bears, I believe. Particularly, they peaked at absolutely the right time, the playoffs, which is what a team is supposed to do. Ten points allowed in three playoff games. Has anyone else ever come close to that? How many did the '00 Ravens allow?

23, in an extra game. Surprisingly, 12-4 didn't win the division. The Titans won it at 13-3.

 

[Dick Whitman]

I'm biased, but the '85 Bears, I believe. Particularly, they peaked at absolutely the right time, the playoffs, which is what a team is supposed to do. Ten points allowed in three playoff games. Has anyone else ever come close to that? How many did the '00 Ravens allow?

23, in an extra game. Surprisingly, 12-4 didn't win the division. The Titans won it at 13-3.

Yeah, I definitely wouldn't include the Ravens in this particular discussion. A best single-season defenses discussion, yes.

 

[mpcincal]

I'm not really biased at all (actually I may be a little biased toward a couple of the 49er teams), but put me down for the '85 Bears also. I never seen a team so dominant during my time covering the NFL.

But I also agree with Armchair. Sometimes I want to blow them off the face of the earth for that Shuffle video and all the sports team-created copycats it spawned.

 

[Azrael]

1962 Packers.

 

[Mizzougrad96]

I'd go 1985 Bears slightly over the 1989 Niners.

 

[LongTimeListener]

1989 49ers. Joe Montana in his best season ever. Jerry Rice in his physical prime (he averaged 18.1 yards a catch, then went down to 15.0 the next year and never again got above 16). Ronnie Lott, Charles Haley and a dominant defense. Won three playoff games by a total of 126-26.

Those 49ers didn't play the precise '85 Bears. But they did play some reasonable facsimiles of the defense in that time ('84 and '88) and crushed them in the playoffs. I think they would have scored in the 20s against the '85 group, which would have been enough with that defense.

Anyone on this thread who says the '72 Dolphins needs to just go watch soccer.

 

[cyclingwriter]

1962 Packers.

Second that.

 

[BenPoquette]

1962 Packers.

Second that.

Thirded...best O-line in history, best linebackers, amazing secondary. The skill positions were dominant. Defensive backfield the only soft spot, and it really didn't matter because the pass rush was so good.

 

[Captain_Kirk]

Was a big fan of the Montana 49ers during the 80s, but my pick here would be the 85 Bears. They just demolished the opposition, and mauled them on defense. You could almost sense the fear the other team had playing that bunch--not something you expect of grown men playing professional sports.

The only other time I've seen dominance of that nature was the recently undefeated Patriots. Just crushed people in the regular season. Point spreads of 16, 18, 23 throughout the year. Came a Tyree catch on the helmet away from being at the top of the list.

 

[Batman]

'89 Niners.

And, I'll reiterate my claim that the '91 Eagles defense should be in the discussion for best single-season defenses.

And, had Cunningham not gotten hurt, they'd be in this discussion, too.

Amen, brother. Winning 10 games with the rotating cast of Jim McMahon, Jeff Kemp, Brad Goebel and Pat Ryan under center — all coached by Rich Kotite — should speak volumes about how great that defense was.
Eat a ****, Bryce Paup.

 

[CD Boogie]

1976 Steelers. 10-4, five shutouts, Franco and Bleier both over 1000 yards rushing. Lost to Raiders in AFC Title game due largely to the absence of the two RBs, who were both injured.

28: how many points the defense allowed in the last nine games of the season. That is dominance.

The team didn't win the Super Bowl, but it might have been the best of those Steelers team, at least until injuries late in the year killed them.

 

[LongTimeListener]

The thread title asks for the best single-season team in NFL history and your vote goes to a team that lost four games and didn't win the Super Bowl, while four other editions of that team did win the Super Bowl? That's your single best team in the history of the NFL?

 

[CD Boogie]

The thread title asks for the best single-season team in NFL history and your vote goes to a team that lost four games and didn't win the Super Bowl, while four other editions of that team did win the Super Bowl? That's your single best team in the history of the NFL?

yes. injuries prevented them from winning a title, but a nuanced mind can look beyond that. You're saying every team that won a Super Bowl is by default better than any team that didn't? Because that's pretty simple-minded.

BTW, ESPN ranked that Steelers defense as the best of all time in 2007 -- better than the Bears or the 49ers or the 1991 Eagles.

In the playoff opener -- a 40-14 drubbing of the Colts -- Pittsburgh gained an NFL record 524 total yards. Unfortunately Franco Harris and Rocky Bleier were lost to injuries during the game.

So record-setting offense and the best defense of all time. Yes, they still get my vote for best team even though they didn't win the Super Bowl.

 

[Gutter]

The thread title asks for the best single-season team in NFL history and your vote goes to a team that lost four games and didn't win the Super Bowl, while four other editions of that team did win the Super Bowl? That's your single best team in the history of the NFL?

yes. injuries prevented them from winning a title, but a nuanced mind can look beyond that. You're saying every team that won a Super Bowl is by default better than any team that didn't? Because that's pretty simple-minded.

OK, then you have to include the 2010 Packers in the discussion. 10-6, didn't win the division, but didn't lose by more than 4 points in those 6 losses, and won the Super Bowl with 15 players on IR ... among those being six starters.

And for the record, I'm not saying this team was the best single-season team in NFL history.

 

[dooley_womack1]

1972 Dolphins.

 

[Sam Mills 51]

1985 Bears

Stellar defensive line, strong linebackers (only the Dome Patrol and '70s Steelers were better), outstanding secondary, strong offensive line and only the greatest running back known (had to say something to upset the Jim Brown sorts ... ).

Just a strong team, and that Monday Night game against the Dolphins is still a highlight in terms of watching a great team get taken down. If the Patriots hadn't discovered lightning in a bottle, what Super Bowl XX could have been ... the only offense that had any answers for the 46 (yes, one pass was lucky, but 38 points is NOT luck, not against that bunch).