Still Da (1985) Bears

Chicago, 1985 edition... for now.

Top 10:

1. CHI '85

2. GB '96

3. WSH '91

4. SF '89

5. MIA '72

6. SF '84

7. STL '01

8. DAL '77

9. PIT '79

10. SF '94

Formula: all eighty teams ranked in eleven categories (points per game, points allowed per game, NFL/AFL rank in offensive yards, NFL/AFL rank in offensive yards allowed, NFL/AFL rank in points, NFL/AFL rank in points allowed, strength of schedule, record v. +.500 teams, cumulative post season margin of victory average, Super Bowl margin of victory, and year played)

Note: Excepting year played, all other statistics are taken from the ESPN.com article produced roughly one week ago (cited above).

Note 2: In effect, all teams were given bonus points for leading the NFL/AFL in either yards (made or allowed) or points (scored or allowed). CHI '85 earned two #1s here, GB '96 three, and MIA '72 all four. All in all, the Bears posted five scores of eleven at 5 or below ("1" being the best).

The major change is the "year" variable, based on the assumption that the more modern the team, the quicker, faster, and stronger its players. Even though it played twenty-one years ago, CHI '85 still remains #1, and even though MIA '72 played twenty-four years ago (can't you just wait for the 35th Anniversary Celebration next season? Sigh) it checks in at #5.

Other random points:

A fairly significant gap in points exists between #3 and #4, as well as #9 and #10.

CHI '85's margin over GB '96 is < 0.1, only between teams #8 and #9 does the gap begin to usually show such tightness.

STL '01 is by far and away the best team to ever lose a Super Bowl, likely due to its modern placement.

Despite the small bias towards more recent teams, just three clubs (STL '01, NE '04, and TB '02) from this decade are found in the Top 25. Another argument that NFL parity is felt most at the very upper-echelon.

BAL '68 edges out KC '69 (whose SOS is unavailable) for the best 60s Super Bowl team. Further, all teams from the 1960s, according to the article, did not reference SOS, therefore, all tie for last in that category, a decision that drops them somewhat overall, but not terribly much.

WSH '91, not unexpectedly, wins the award for consistency, it is the only team on the board with no score in the 30s, with one of its two "29"s owing to the year, 1991.

The great Steelers teams fall down the list owing, mostly, to the year they played (and less-than-dazzling SB MOVs), even though several contemporary teams finish with a lower (and thus better) total.

Top 10 teams of my lifetime:

1. CHI '85

2. GB '96

3. WSH '91

4. SF '89

5. SF '84

6. STL '01

7. SF '94

8. DAL '93

9. DAL '92

10. NE '04

Biggest Super Bowl Result Surprises:

WSH '87, #52 overall, #4 in SB margin (furthering the point that DEN '87, #64 overall, suffered worst SB loss)

LA '83, #38 overall, #5 in SB margin

Most Underrated SB Champions:

GB '96, #2 overall, rarely mentioned with best of the best, despite being last truly great team

SF '84, #6 overall, 18-1, I guess we're blinded by the team that succeeded it as champs

DAL '77, #8 overall, few, if any, rank DAL 70s teams over PIT 70s teams

Fine Wine List (Teams in the Top 25 with a year score of "40" or higher)

CHI '85, #1 overall, #41 in year

MIA '72, #5 overall, #67 in year

SF '84, #6 overall, #43 in year

DAL '77, #8 overall, #57 in year

PIT '79, #9 overall, #53 in year

WSH '82, #16 overall, #47 in year

DAL '78, #17 overall, #55 in year

MIA '73, #19 overall, #65 in year

DAL '71, #23 overall, #69 in year

BAL '68, #25 overall, #75 in year

If one were to follow this report to its conclusion, the CHI '85 figure of "41" (meaning it played in 1985) will grow to "45" by the time the 2007 champion is crowned (as neither INDY nor CHI figure to challenge for the top spot). Yet, hypothetically, owing to the modern era's rule of "weaker" dominant clubs, it may take ten or twenty years for someone to top CHI '85, unless a team on par with STL '01 wins the Super Bowl decisively.

Finally, who were the best clutch teams of the Super Bowl era? Simple. Just find the lowest (as in, best) scores for the postseason margin of victory that occur outside the great team realm:

LA '83, #38 overall, #4 in postseason margin/avg, #5 in SB margin

BAL '00, #33 overall, #14 in postseason margin/avg, #6 in SB margin

TB '02, #24 overall, #5 in postseason margin/avg, #6 in SB margin

DAL '92, #12 overall, #5 in postseason margin/avg, #3 in SB margin

Conversely...

MIA '72, #5 overall, #54 in postseason margin/avg, #29 in SB margin

STL '01, #7 overall, #35 in postseason margin/avg, #42 in SB margin (almost goes without saying)