Ranking the Super Bowl Teams

ESPN's Page 2 ranks all 80 Super Bowl teams. They are not ranked against each other - it's unfair to compare 250lb linemen of 30 years ago to the 310lb linemen of today and pronounce who'd beat who. Instead, they're ranked relative to the rest of the league in the year they played. So a 15-1 Super Bowl team will rank ahead of a 9-7 Super Bowl team (and, indeed, the lone 9-7 team is ranked last). Some losers rank ahead of some winners; consider the 1978 Cowboys vs. the 2005 Steelers - which was the better team relative to the competition?

The methodology, such as it is, is explained here. I hope that overall record is favored over record against .500 or better teams - the descriptions make it seem like record against .500 opponents is more impressive than overall record, whereas I say that it reflects better on a team if all of its losses are against winning teams.

I also think that the team's record previous to the Super Bowl year and after the Super Bowl year should count heavily.

It is hard to disagree with the final rankings. The 89 49ers over the 85 Bears? Well, yes - if you consider that the Bears were exposed in that Miami game more than the 49ers were in their two losses.

You have to give the two worst teams, the 79 Rams and 03 Panthers credit, however. They actually showed up for their Super Bowls against dynastic teams, unlike others that suffered blow-out losses. And at least they got there, unlike scores of more talented teams who didn't.

Three of the most dominant teams I've seen, the '84 49ers, the '85 Bears, and '86 Giants, followed each other and neither could go back-to-back. Oftentimes, greatness is a onetime thing. The '91 Redskins were also like that; I recall one Monday Night when qb Mark Rypien had an absolutely horrible game and still beat a very talented Eagles team 23-0.

The '83 Redskins had the best offense I've ever seen (of course, I was a kid and impressionable) - until they were held to 9 in the Super Bowl. The Packers' 48-47 victory over them that year may have been the greatest offensive game ever played. Mark Mosely's late field goal misses prevented that 14-2 Redskin team from being undefeated in the regular season.

Defense is harder to judge, but the '85 Bears were definitely the scariest.

How would this year's Super Bowl participants rank? Part of it depends on the result of the game, but my guess is that the winner will be in the lower echelon of winners - though far from the lowest - and the loser fair pretty resepctably. The Colts will be punished for their #3 seed and one of the worst rushing defenses, whereas the Bears will be docked for their average offense, there slip in defense, and inconsistent quarterback. Though they should get credit for securing the #1 seed early. And Rex Grossman is far more dangerous than most of the other heavily criticized quarterbacks who made the big game.

The notable thing about both the Colts and the Bears is that they piled up victories early, when they were strong and healthy. So when they faced adversity, they could still weather the storm and bounce back in the play-offs.