Categories: Power Rankings

Ranking the Super Bowl Champions

[adsenseyu1] For those of you who enjoy the Power Rankings I do during the season here is a look at the efficiency rankings of all the Super Bowl champions. For those unfamiliar with the rankings what these percentiles measure is the percent a team either scores or prevents an opponent from scoring above or below their schedules average for the season. So for example a team with a scoring efficiency of 25% means that team scored 25% more points per game than their opponents gave up that season. A defensive score of 25% means that a team held their opponents to 25% below their normal scoring output on the season. The stats are for regular season only.

While most people consider the 1985 Bears the greatest team of all time they actually only rank 4^th on this system. The top team is the little praised Redskins who really dominated the league in 1991. The team’s opponents allowed just 19 PPG while the Redskins scored over 30. It’s the top performing scoring unit in the history. The defense wasn’t a slouch either holding teams to 24% below their averages.

The 1996 Packers, who looked like they were going to be the next dynasty franchise, ranked second with a tremendous all around tea. The 73 Dolphins rank 3^rd and were far superior to the undefeated team in 1972 that faced a much easier schedule. The 75 Steelers fill out the top 10. The worst SB champions have been the 70 Colts, 11 Giants, 07 Giants, 01 Patriots, and 87 Redskins, though it’s the bottom 4 that are teams that really surprise as being on the list of champions.

The most productive scoring came from the 91 Redskins, 77 Cowboys, 98 Broncos, 09 Saints, and 94 49ers. Only two teams had a below average scoring output and those were the 01 Patriots and 02 Buccaneers. The 90 Giants, 00 Ravens, and 81 49ers would round out the bottom 5. Defensively the best unit was not the 85 Bears or 00 Ravens but the 73 Dolphins who just edge ot the 02 Buccaneers, who I think people forget when discussing the great defensive teams. The 66 Packers, 85 Bears, and 75 Steelers are the other best ranking teams. At the bottom of the list are the 06 Colts, 11 Giants, 09 Saints, 07 Giants, and 98 Broncos, all of whom were below average.

Perhaps not so surprisingly is that no teams from the current era are close to the top of this list as the NFL is filled with parity and a lack of dominant teams that can run all the way to a title. The 2004 Patriots just cracked the top 10 and the next closest team is the 00 Ravens at 19 and 10 Packers at 22. Of the 13 lowest ranking teams, 6 are from 2001 onwards.

The current era will be represented better by either the Seahawks or Broncos either of whom would rank in the top 20. The Broncos would have the best scoring output of any team on this list but would also grab the “title” for worst defense and it would be by a wide margin. It would be unlikely to see either mark broken anytime soon. The Seahawks defense would rank 9^th all time, which is pretty impressive considering the way the rules have skewed to the offenses in this era.

The table below should be fully sortable.

Super Bowl Champion Rankings

Rank	Year	Team	Off	Def	Total
1	1991	Washington Redskins	60.77%	24.51%	85.28%
2	1996	Green Bay Packers	45.84%	32.45%	78.29%
3	1973	Miami Dolphins	30.38%	45.89%	76.27%
4	1985	Chicago Bears	31.03%	43.10%	74.13%
5	1975	Pittsburgh Steelers	24.49%	42.65%	67.14%
6	1984	San Francisco 49?ers	36.26%	28.10%	64.36%
7	1966	Green Bay Packers	18.57%	43.55%	62.12%
8	1999	St. Louis Rams	39.72%	22.12%	61.84%
9	1994	San Francisco 49?ers	48.21%	10.52%	58.73%
10	2004	New England Patriots	31.97%	26.73%	58.70%
11	1969	Kansas City Chiefs	16.30%	40.95%	57.25%
12	1977	Dallas Cowboys	54.44%	2.23%	56.67%
13	1972	Miami Dolphins	19.37%	35.96%	55.33%
14	1993	Dallas Cowboys	29.30%	25.13%	54.43%
15	1979	Pittsburgh Steelers	30.93%	23.05%	53.98%
16	1997	Denver Broncos	39.62%	13.61%	53.23%
17	1989	San Francisco 49?ers	27.18%	25.88%	53.06%
18	1998	Denver Broncos	51.09%	-0.48%	50.61%
19	2000	Baltimore Ravens	5.62%	42.35%	47.97%
20	1992	Dallas Cowboys	31.01%	16.59%	47.60%
21	1971	Dallas Cowboys	40.34%	6.54%	46.88%
22	2010	Green Bay Packers	12.70%	33.37%	46.07%
23	1978	Pittsburgh Steelers	13.02%	33.05%	46.07%
24	1995	Dallas Cowboys	29.72%	15.68%	45.40%
25	1967	Green Bay Packers	16.18%	28.73%	44.91%
26	2008	Pittsburgh Steelers	9.30%	35.15%	44.45%
27	2009	New Orleans Saints	50.80%	-6.76%	44.04%
28	1976	Oakland Raiders	31.73%	12.10%	43.83%
29	2002	Tampa Bay Buccaneers	-2.94%	45.79%	42.85%
30	2005	Pittsburgh Steelers	22.48%	20.24%	42.72%
31	1986	New York Giants	13.39%	27.10%	40.49%
32	1982	Washington Redskins	13.18%	24.98%	38.16%
33	1990	New York Giants	1.17%	36.89%	38.06%
34	1968	New York Jets	33.21%	4.01%	37.22%
35	2003	New England Patriots	12.74%	23.67%	36.41%
36	1974	Pittsburgh Steelers	8.66%	25.50%	34.16%
37	1981	San Francisco 49?ers	6.42%	24.07%	30.49%
38	1983	Oakland Raiders	20.68%	8.27%	28.95%
39	1988	San Francisco 49?ers	19.16%	8.88%	28.04%
40	2006	Indianapolis Colts	32.58%	-7.96%	24.62%
41	1980	Oakland Raiders	12.23%	6.33%	18.56%
42	2012	Baltimore Ravens	11.44%	6.74%	18.18%
43	1987	Washington Redskins	7.13%	10.26%	17.39%
44	2001	New England Patriots	-1.54%	12.58%	11.04%
45	2007	New York Giants	9.94%	-0.61%	9.33%
46	2011	New York Giants	15.29%	-7.09%	8.20%
47	1970	Baltimore Colts	8.02%	-0.07%	7.95%