[CurrentTime]

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I posted this elsewhere, but thought it might be of interest, here as well.

I was thinking and did a

search.


Who was the last NFL team to be BOTH . . . the "best" in the league (best record) AND ended up as the Super Bowl champs?

I constantly see blogs, threads, and hear people talking "smack" about their teams . . . "how they are the best", blah, blah, blah.

But, really . . .

When was the last time a team that was great during the season, actually won the Super Bowl??????

How many times has this been the case?

Interesting!

 

[Seattle]

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No prob CT, Seahawks??
No wait, you said best record and win the Superbowl....forget it.

 

[CurrentTime]

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Well, I just got done spending time researching info from NFL.com, and it's quite interesting . . .

I chose to look back as far as the 1982 NFL season which was shortened by a player's strike. The season was only 6-7 games. [I also graduated from HS in 1983, and thought it would be a good place to start.]

So, this covers the past 26 years of the NFL (1983-2008)

In a nut shell . . .

The New England Patriots were that last team to have the best regular season record and win the Super Bowl. That was in 2003! NE won Super Bowl XXXVIII while amassing a 14-2 record.

What's also interesting that from 1983-2008, the team that had the best regular season record, won the Super Bowl 10 times while the remaining 16 SB wins were from "other" teams!

Only 2 of the last 10 SB winners, also had the best regular season record (2003 Patriots and 2002 Buccaneers)!

Only 4 of the last 15 SB winners, also had the best regular season record (add . . . 1996 Packers and 1994 49ers)!

Only 7 of the last 20 SB winners, also had the best regular season record (add . . . 1993 Cowboys, 1991 Redskins, and 1989 49ers)!

Take what you want from all of this, but my theory is this . . .

YES, you need to do well enough to remain at/near the top of your division throughout the season . . .

However, it's the momentum that your teams carries from the end of the regular season into the playoffs that is a better determinant (than your overall regular season record) in winning the Super Bowl.

This seems like a "no-brainer", but how many arguments have you heard from fans that base everything on a teams record?

Any thoughts?

 

[Seattle]

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Wow, good stuff CT!! Thanks for the read!

So what you're saying is that the 2 - 4 2009 Seahawks just need a little momentum (like 10 -0) and we're in Baby!!!!

CurrentTime wrote:

Well, I just got done spending time researching info from NFL.com, and it's quite interesting . . .

I chose to look back as far as the 1982 NFL season which was shortened by a player's strike. The season was only 9 games. [I also graduated from HS in 1983, and thought it would be a good place to start.]

So, this covers the past 26 years of the NFL (1983-2008)

In a nut shell . . .

The New England Patriots were that last team to have the best regular season record and win the Super Bowl. That was in 2003! NE won Super Bowl XXXVIII while amassing a 14-2 record.

What's also interesting that from 1983-2008, the team that had the best regular season record, won the Super Bowl 10 times while the remaining 16 SB wins were from "other" teams!

Only 2 of the last 10 SB winners, also had the best regular season record (2003 Patriots and 2002 Buccaneers)!

Only 4 of the last 15 SB winners, also had the best regular season record (add . . . 1996 Packers and 1994 49ers)!

Only 7 of the last 20 SB winners, also had the best regular season record (add . . . 1993 Cowboys, 1991 Redskins, and 1989 49ers)!

Take what you want from all of this, but my theory is this . . .

YES, you need to do well enough to remain at/near the top of your division throughout the season . . .

However, it's the momentum that your teams carries from the end of the regular season into the playoffs that is a better determinant (than your overall regular season record) in winning the Super Bowl.

This seems like a "no-brainer", but how many arguments have you heard from fans that base everything on a teams record?

Any thoughts?

 

[CurrentTime]

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Well . . . maybe a little more than that. LOL




Seattle wrote:

Wow, good stuff CT!! Thanks for the read!

So what you're saying is that the 2 - 4 2009 Seahawks just need a little momentum (like 10 -0) and we're in Baby!!!!

CurrentTime wrote:

Well, I just got done spending time researching info from NFL.com, and it's quite interesting . . .

I chose to look back as far as the 1982 NFL season which was shortened by a player's strike. The season was only 9 games. [I also graduated from HS in 1983, and thought it would be a good place to start.]

So, this covers the past 26 years of the NFL (1983-2008)

In a nut shell . . .

The New England Patriots were that last team to have the best regular season record and win the Super Bowl. That was in 2003! NE won Super Bowl XXXVIII while amassing a 14-2 record.

What's also interesting that from 1983-2008, the team that had the best regular season record, won the Super Bowl 10 times while the remaining 16 SB wins were from "other" teams!

Only 2 of the last 10 SB winners, also had the best regular season record (2003 Patriots and 2002 Buccaneers)!

Only 4 of the last 15 SB winners, also had the best regular season record (add . . . 1996 Packers and 1994 49ers)!

Only 7 of the last 20 SB winners, also had the best regular season record (add . . . 1993 Cowboys, 1991 Redskins, and 1989 49ers)!

Take what you want from all of this, but my theory is this . . .

YES, you need to do well enough to remain at/near the top of your division throughout the season . . .

However, it's the momentum that your teams carries from the end of the regular season into the playoffs that is a better determinant (than your overall regular season record) in winning the Super Bowl.

This seems like a "no-brainer", but how many arguments have you heard from fans that base everything on a teams record?

Any thoughts?

 

[CurrentTime]

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How many teams do you see begin to "tail-off" at the end of a season, then lose in the playoffs. Versus a team that is doing "OK", but turns things up a notch, makes the playoffs, then kicks butt throughout the playoffs!

 

[TVDinner]

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I would say the best in the regular season and best overall to win it all would be either

1) the 86 Bears
2) One of the MANY championship 49ers teams
3) or maybe the year the Patriots went 14-2 and won it all also.

4)don't forget the undefeated 72 dolphins are still the one and only team to go the entire way without a loss.

 

[CurrentTime]

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Well, I was bored, so I continued my research of the NFL from 1982 back to the first SB year of 1966 (SB I was held in Jan, '67).

Out of a possible 17 SBs (from 1966-1982), 10 were won by the team that had the best regular season record.

8 of the 10 SBs from 1970-1979 were won by the team that had the best regular season record.

1 out of the 4 SBs in the 1960s was won by the team with the best regular season record (the 1966 Packer won SB I).


Taking all years into account . . .


2000-2008 = 2 out of 9 SB winners also had the best regular season record.

1990-1999 = 4 out of 10 SB winners also had the best regular season record.

1980-1989 = 5 out of 10 SB winners also had the best regular season record.

1970-1979 = 8 out of 10 SB winners also had the best regular season record (season expanded from 14 to 16 games in 1978).

1966-1969 = 1 out of 4 SB winners also had the best regular season record (keep in mind that the best NFL team played the best AFL team in the SB until the merger in 1970) .

2008-1966 = 20 out of 43 SB winners also had the best regular season record!

Looks like the "trend" continues . . . as time has passed, it has become less important to have the best record in the league!

 

[Bichondaddy]

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The stats are fun and interesting. But part of the fun of being a rabid fan is the talking smack and enjoying the game. I played the game until I was 20...playing up until my Junior year in college...all be it at a bad college program..but I did give it a shot. What I enjoy is watching the strategy unfold...how the plays are called....and especially...I watch the offensive line play. These guys are under paid and under appreciated by the average fan. The offensive line is what has made teams like the Pats, Steelers, 49ers, Cowboys, Giants multiple Super Bowl champs. Control the line of scrimmage...you control the game. Linemen play hurt almost every game...ask one...he'll tell you. I can remember playing two games with a broken foot, and it wasn't until I couldn't walk on it anymore did I seek medical attention.

Football is the one sport where I don't get even the slightest bit little upset by the salaries they make....with what they put their bodies through...they deserve every penny. Because believe me...when they get to their 40's and 50's...their bodies are cashing in their ticket for the sport they chose to play.

 

[Bob]

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Hi all, I think that greatest team of all times was the 1972 Miami Dolphons. Their head coach was Don Shula. They were undefeated that year and won the Super Bowl. Back then the NFL season had only 14 games. Now there have been teams to win the Super Bowl in the 16 game season going 15 - 1. My favorite team the Chicago Bears did it 1985 Under Coach Mike Ditka. They won the Super Bowl 46 -10 against the New England Patriots. Their only lost durring the 1985 season was in Miami being defeated by the Dolphins. If memory serves that was a Monday night game and the Dolphins had many of their greats from the 1972 team on the field by the Dolphin's bench. They truly wanted to save their undefeated record that evening. I was hoping that the Dolphins would win in the playoffs because I felt a Dolphinsvs Bears Super Bowl would be awesome and it wouldbe redemption for our only lost. But on a rainy day in Miami the Pats eliminated the Dolphins. ....Bob

 

[srebo70]

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Bob wrote:

Hi all, I think that greatest team of all times was the 1972 Miami Dolphons. Their head coach was Don Shula. They were undefeated that year and won the Super Bowl. Back then the NFL season had only 14 games. Now there have been teams to win the Super Bowl in the 16 game season going 15 - 1. My favorite team the Chicago Bears did it 1985 Under Coach Mike Ditka. They won the Super Bowl 46 -10 against the New England Patriots. Their only lost durring the 1985 season was in Miami being defeated by the Dolphins. If memory serves that was a Monday night game and the Dolphins had many of their greats from the 1972 team on the field by the Dolphin's bench. They truly wanted to save their undefeated record that evening. I was hoping that the Dolphins would win in the playoffs because I felt a Dolphinsvs Bears Super Bowl would be awesome and it wouldbe redemption for our only lost. But on a rainy day in Miami the Pats eliminated the Dolphins. ....Bob

Your memory is spot on Bob! The "Bitter Old Men" as I often refer to them, always seem to get together when there is a team going for a perfect season amd then pop champagne and smoke cigars when the team loses. So much for sportsmanship!

It was a Monday night game the Bears lost to the Dolphins. They were the only team to pick apart Buddy Ryan's 46 Defense that year. Qucik outs and dump off passes were the key to dealing with the 6, 7 and sometimes 8 guys rushing the QB (Marino, I believe).

 

[RipitRon]

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Like any pro sport, it is all luck to be the top dog. You can have the greatest team in history and one fluke play and loose a key person before the playoffs and you could very well be done. There is so much that goes into the regular season that are unknowns. Me I have never been a stat guy so although interesting, I dont recall EVER seeing this many crappy teams in 1 year. So the stats very well could go the other direction this time?

 

[TVDinner]

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srebo70 wrote:

Bob wrote:

Hi all, I think that greatest team of all times was the 1972 Miami Dolphons. Their head coach was Don Shula. They were undefeated that year and won the Super Bowl. Back then the NFL season had only 14 games. Now there have been teams to win the Super Bowl in the 16 game season going 15 - 1. My favorite team the Chicago Bears did it 1985 Under Coach Mike Ditka. They won the Super Bowl 46 -10 against the New England Patriots. Their only lost durring the 1985 season was in Miami being defeated by the Dolphins. If memory serves that was a Monday night game and the Dolphins had many of their greats from the 1972 team on the field by the Dolphin's bench. They truly wanted to save their undefeated record that evening. I was hoping that the Dolphins would win in the playoffs because I felt a Dolphinsvs Bears Super Bowl would be awesome and it wouldbe redemption for our only lost. But on a rainy day in Miami the Pats eliminated the Dolphins. ....Bob

Your memory is spot on Bob! The "Bitter Old Men" as I often refer to them, always seem to get together when there is a team going for a perfect season amd then pop champagne and smoke cigars when the team loses. So much for sportsmanship!

It was a Monday night game the Bears lost to the Dolphins. They were the only team to pick apart Buddy Ryan's 46 Defense that year. Qucik outs and dump off passes were the key to dealing with the 6, 7 and sometimes 8 guys rushing the QB (Marino, I believe).

I hate those guys and there parties when the last undefeated team loses. can't stand seeing them every year and can't wait to see someone else do it to shut them up.