You’ve heard the same three arguments at every sports bar since the dawn of the Super Bowl era. One guy swears by the 1972 Dolphins because "perfection is perfection." Another dude is wearing a Ditka sweater and shouting about the '85 Bears defense. Then there's the analytics nerd pointing at the 2007 Patriots’ point differential while ignoring the fact they actually lost the game that mattered most.
But when we talk about the all time nfl team, we usually mess up the criteria. Are we talking about a single-season juggernaut, or a roster of the greatest players to ever lace up cleats?
The truth is, the "Greatest" title is a slippery fish. If you put the 1972 Dolphins in a time machine and dropped them into the 2025-2026 season, they’d get absolutely annihilated. Their offensive linemen averaged about 250 pounds. Today, that’s the size of a beefy linebacker or a very large safety. Modern edge rushers like Micah Parsons would be in the backfield before Bob Griese could finish his dropback.
Context is everything. You can’t just look at a win-loss column and call it a day.
Why the 1985 Bears Aren't Actually #1
Don’t get me wrong. That '85 Chicago squad was terrifying. Buddy Ryan’s "46 Defense" didn't just stop teams; it sent people to the hospital. They had 64 sacks in 16 games. In the playoffs, they allowed a grand total of 10 points. Zero in the first two games.
But there’s a massive "what if" that people forget. They lost one game that year. To who? The Miami Dolphins.
Dan Marino showed the world that if you had a quick release and enough guts to stand in against the blitz, the 46 defense was vulnerable. The Bears were built to bully teams that tried to run or take slow-developing deep shots. Honestly, if they played a modern, pass-heavy offense with 2026-era spread concepts, that legendary defense might have looked a lot more human.
Still, they remain the gold standard for intimidation. Mike Singletary’s eyes peering through the face mask still haunt the dreams of retired NFC Central quarterbacks.
The Statistical Monster: 2007 New England Patriots
If we are strictly looking at dominance on a per-play basis, the 2007 Patriots are the all time nfl team that broke the sport.
- Tom Brady: 50 touchdowns.
- Randy Moss: 23 receiving touchdowns.
- Point Differential: +315.
They weren't just winning; they were practicing "scorched earth" policy. They’d be up by 30 in the fourth quarter and Bill Belichick would still be dialling up deep shots to Moss. It was ruthless.
But they lost to the Giants. David Tyree caught a ball with his helmet. It shouldn't have happened, but it did. In a single-elimination tournament, the "best" team doesn't always win. Does a 18-1 record with a Super Bowl loss rank higher than a 17-0 record with a ring? Most players will tell you the ring is the only thing that validates the season.
The Forgotten Juggernauts
Everyone skips over the 1991 Washington Redskins. Why? Because they didn't have a "sexy" superstar like Montana or Rice. Mark Rypien was the quarterback.
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Yet, by almost every advanced metric, including DVOA (Defense-adjusted Value Over Average), the '91 Redskins are arguably the most complete team ever assembled. They had a top-three offense and a top-three defense. They only lost two games by a combined five points. They destroyed the Bills in the Super Bowl.
Then you have the 1989 San Francisco 49ers.
They went 14-2.
In the playoffs, they outscored opponents 126-26.
That isn't a typo.
They beat the Broncos 55-10 in the Super Bowl.
Joe Montana was at the absolute peak of his powers that year, completing over 70% of his passes when the league average was way lower. If you’re looking for the most "perfect" execution of a football scheme, that 49ers team is it.
The "All-Time Team" vs. The "Greatest Team"
There's a big difference between the best season and the all time nfl team as a roster of legends. The NFL's 100th Anniversary team tried to settle this by picking the best players at every position.
When you look at a roster that has Lawrence Taylor and Dick Butkus at linebacker, with Reggie White and "Mean" Joe Greene on the line, you realize no modern offense could move the ball. It’s basically cheating.
But even that list has flaws. It’s heavy on nostalgia. It’s hard for voters to weigh a guy like Sammy Baugh from the 1940s against Patrick Mahomes. Mahomes is playing a different sport. The speed, the velocity, and the complexity of modern coverages make today’s stars statistically superior, even if the "toughness" of the old guard is legendary.
What Most People Get Wrong About Success
We tend to overvalue the quarterback.
Sure, Brady and Montana have the rings.
But look at the 1970s Steelers.
They had the "Steel Curtain," but they also had four Hall of Famers on the offensive side of the ball.
The all time nfl team conversation usually ignores the offensive line. The 1990s Cowboys aren't the dynasty they were without Larry Allen and that massive wall of human beings. Emmitt Smith is the all-time leading rusher, but he’d be the first to tell you those holes were wide enough to drive a truck through.
Actionable Insights for the Modern Fan
If you're trying to settle a debate or actually evaluate who the best is, stop looking at Super Bowl rings as the only metric. Use these three filters instead:
- Standard Deviation of Dominance: How much better were they than the average team in their own year? The 2007 Patriots and 1985 Bears were light-years ahead of their peers.
- Roster Depth: Look at the "non-stars." The 1994 49ers were so loaded they had future Hall of Famers coming off the bench as specialists.
- The "Eye Test" vs. The "Spreadsheet": Stats tell you what happened. Tape tells you why. The 2000 Ravens had a mediocre offense but a defense so violent it dictated the entire flow of the game.
To really understand the all time nfl team rankings, you have to study the rule changes. In the 70s, you could basically mug a wide receiver. Today, you can't breathe on them. Comparing a 1978 cornerback to a 2026 cornerback is like comparing a bare-knuckle boxer to a fencer. Both are skilled, but the rules change the entire "best" identity.
Watch the film of the 1989 49ers if you want to see pure efficiency. Watch the '85 Bears if you want to see pure chaos. And keep an eye on the 2024-2025 Chiefs; if Mahomes keeps stacking rings with rosters that aren't "perfect," he might just end up leading the greatest dynasty we’ve ever seen, even without an undefeated season.