The most prominent example of an NFL bride's maid is the Jim Kelly led Bills squad that made four losing Super Bowl appearances without a win. They were never an overt rival to the Cowboys dynasty, but they would've certainly had a dynasty of their own if not for Dallas.
The Balance Factor: This is perhaps the most important quality of a dynasty and really doesn't need much of an explanation. Defense win championships is held as an empirical truth in the NFL but no defense is complete without a great offense on the other side of the ball.
For instance, the 1991 Eagles fielded arguably the NFL's greatest defense ever, the team's anemic offense scored only 18 PPG, leading to a 10-6 record and a third place division finish.
The aforementioned Colts needed an improvement on defense to finally beat their nemesis, New England. Every team has its weaknesses, however, a true dynasty works to improve on its achilles heel.
Potential present day dynasties:
New England: Active dynasty, 'nuff said.
Oakland: Opinions may differ on whether or not Al Davis is a visionary, but the man has panache and he certainly fits into the "looked down upon by his peers" category. The Raiders have also been losing long enough to stockpile a lot of nice young talent that should sustain their chances at contention in the AFC for at least six-seven years. The jury's out on Jamarcus Russel's clutch play.
San Diego: The Bolts have one of the most balanced young rosters in the NFL and a true genius in AJ Smith. Phillip Rivers is young and somewhat unproven but the kid's a gamer. He played the Pats on two sprained MCLs and a torn ACL, what a fighter. A rivalry between SD and Oakland should vault both teams to prominence in the coming years.
If I missed anything I'm all ears, tell me what you think.
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