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Football

Who are the greatest NFL teams of all time?

Philip Marsh
Who are the greatest NFL teams of all time?Getty

To win a Super Bowl is a difficult feat, so difficult that 12 of the 32 teams in the NFL have never enjoyed that level of success.

In fact four franchises have not even played in a Super Bowl - the Cleveland Browns, Detroit Lions, Houston Texans and Jacksonville Jaguars.

Unsurpisingly, almost every team on the list of greatest NFL teams went on to win the Super Bowl in their respective season - with one notable exception.

There are several great teams that are not included on this list, honourable mentions must go to the 1992 Dallas Cowboys, 1989 San Francisco 49ers, 1976 Oakland Raiders and 1999 St Louis Rams.

And arguments can be made for many others, but DAZN looks at five of the greatest teams of all time.

Miami Dolphins (1972)

The 1972 Miami Dolphins are probably the greatest team to ever play in the NFL, relative to the time in which they were playing.

The '72 Dolphins finished the regular season unbeaten at 14-0 before beating the Browns, Steelers and finally Redskins to win Super Bowl VII.

They remain the only team to complete a perfect season, though many have come extremely close since.

What makes the season even more remarkable is that nine of the games were played with back-up quarterback Earl Morrall while regular starter Bob Griese recovered from a broken ankle.

The '72 Dolphins led the league in total offense, scoring offense, total defence and scoring defence and are the only team in NFL history to top all four charts in a single season.

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Chicago Bears (1985)

The 1985 Chicago Bears put together one of the most dominant seasons in NFL history which culminated in winning Super Bowl XX.

After starting the season 12-0, the Bears suffered their only defeat of the campaign at the hands of the Miami Dolphins who unknowingly at the time preserved their record as the only team to record a perfect season in NFL history.

The '85 Bears are best known for their defence, which allowed just 198 points against all season, and the brilliance of Walter Payton, who is among the greatest running backs of all time.

After finishing the regular season 15-1, the Bears would not allow a single point against them in either the divisional round of the playoffs against the New York Giants (21-0) or their NFC Championship game against the Los Angeles Rams (24-0).

And their 45-10 win in Super Bowl XX over the New England Patriots remains the second biggest winning margin in Super Bowl history, which highlights their dominance in that season.

New England Patriots (2007)

The 2007 New England Patriots are the only team to not win a Super Bowl which can be considered for this list.

The '07 Pats finished the regular season 16-0 to become the first team since the NFL season was expanded to 16 games to achieve a perfect regular season.

During the regular season the Patriots were rarely tested, recording winning scorelines of 56-10, 52-7, 49-28 and twice 38-14  on their way to setting a new record for most points in a regular season with 589.

By Week 11 they had the AFC East title secured, and after beating the Jacksonville Jaguars and San Diego Chargers in the playoffs the Patriots went to Super Bowl XLII as heavy favourites against the New York Giants.

With less than three minutes remaining, the Patriots led 14-10 and looked set to become the second team to complete a perfect season, but the Giants had not read the script and marched down the field to score what proved to be the winning touchdown.

The Giants drive included one of the most memorable catches in NFL history, as David Tyree pinned the ball to his helmet as he fell to the ground, making it one of the best Super Bowls of all time - even if it ruined the Patriots' perfect campaign.

San Francisco 49ers (1984)

Just as Chicago did a year later, the 1984 San Francisco 49ers finished the regular season 15-1 before marching to Super Bowl glory.

Super Bowl XIX saw 49ers quarterback Joe Montana go toe-to-toe with Miami Dolphins signal caller Dan Marino, who had just thrown 48 touchdowns in the regular season.

But it was Montana who was the star of the show, as he threw for 331 yards and three touchdowns while rushing for a further 59 yards and touchdown in one of the all time great Super Bowl performances.

The '84 49ers became the first to win 15 games in the regular season since the NFL extended it to 16 games, and while it is the offense that is best remembered their defence conceded the fewest points in the league that season.

The sole defeat of the season came in Week 7 against the Pittsburgh Steelers, as Gary Anderson kicked the game winning field goal to secure a 20-17 win for the Steelers.

Pittsburgh Steelers (1978)

The 1978 Pittsburgh Steelers are the only team on this list to lose two games in the regular season, but their 14-2 record was still the highest in the NFL that season.

The team was steered by quarterback Terry Bradshaw while on the opposite side of the ball the Steelers turned to their defence which was nicknamed the 'Steel Curtain' during the 1970s.

After getting revenge against the Denver Broncos in the divisional round of the playoffs, where they had lost to the same team the year previous, the Steelers made short work of the Houston Oilers in the AFC Championship game to set up a Super Bowl against reigning champions the Dallas Cowboys.

Super Bowl XIII was a thriller and broke all sorts of records, but ultimately it was the Steelers who came out on top, beating the Cowboys 35-31 to become the first franchise to win three Super Bowls.

A total of 10 Steelers were named in the Pro Bowl that season, whlie Bradshaw was named NFL MVP and Super Bowl MVP after a brilliant individual campaign.

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