Ranking NFL Teams Since the Merger: Middle of the Road

The Carolina Panthers came into the league in 1995. In only their second season, they advanced to the NFC Championship game, losing to the Green Bay Packers 30-13.

They did reach the Super Bowl 2003 in a losing effort against the New England Patriots. The Panthers lost by three in the final minute of the game.

In the 14-year history of the Panthers, they have made it to the playoffs a total of four times.

The Tampa Bay Buccaneers stormed into the NFL in 1976, losing their first 26 games which will be the longest losing streak in NFL history that is until the Lions lose their 27th game in a row this season.

For the two Lions fans that may read this, at least the Bucs didn't lose 16 in one season.

Tampa did turn things around and make the playoffs in the 1979 season though, falling to the eventual Super Bowl loser LA Rams in the NFC Championship game.

In 2002, the Buccaneer faithful were finally rewarded with their first Super Bowl, when Jon Gruden led the team against the team he had coached the previous season, Oakland Raiders.

There was much rumor that Tampa knew what Oakland was doing on every play, due to the fact that Bill Calahan never bothered to change any of the offensive signals, and Gruden informed his team what they were.

But that is just a rumor, and Tampa will forever have a Lombardi trophy in their case.

Prior to Super Bowl III, the AFL was looked at as a joke. They were spanked in the previous two Super Bowls, and the heavily favored Baltimore Colts were set to make it three in a row.

"Broadway" Joe Namath, after being taunted by a reporter during his press conference guaranteed victory over the Colts, and then he delivered.

In one of the most shocking upsets in Super Bowl history, the Jets defeated the Colts 16-7.

Of course, the Jets really have not had much success since. They have been to the playoffs a total of 12 times.

But that game changed the face of the league, and validated the Super Bowl as a real contest between the two best football teams playing.

I think I had more trouble placing this team than any other team on the list. Yes, the Eagles have a Super Bowl record of 0-2. They have been to the playoffs a total of 17 times, and in the last decade, have become main stays in the NFC Championship game.

I believe that Eagles as an organization are better than every other team that is ranked below them, but they are not nearly as good as the ones above them.

Sure, Tampa and the Jets have won Super Bowls. I just think, if I had to be a fan of the Bucs, the Jets or the Eagles, I would go with Philadelphia.

Lamar Hunt was the owner of the Kansas City Chiefs until his death in 2006. One of the main reasons that there is even a Super Bowl in the first place is because of the efforts of Lamar Hunt.

From what I hear, and again this is rumor, Hunt is the man that came up with the name Super Bowl.

While attending Super Bowl I, while his Chiefs played the Green Bay Packers, Hunt exclaimed, "This is going to be a Super Bowl." And the name stuck.

In addition, the AFC Championship trophy was named the Lamar Hunt Trophy. To me, that is as important as the Super Bowl trophy being called named after Lombardi.

Kansas City has gone 1-1 in the Super Bowls, losing Super Bowl I to the Packers, then defeating the Minnesota Vikings in Super Bowl IV.

To me, this is one of the most frustrating teams in the NFL.

They had a fantastic defense with a stellar running game, but had no quarterback.

The Vikings have posted a career Super Bowl record of 0-4. Some people may say they should be higher on this list because they have been to four Super Bowls.

Others say they should be lower because they lost all four.

To me, it is an accomplishment that the Vikings did make it that many times, which is a feat. That is why they deserve to be right smack dab in the middle, along with....

The Buffalo Bills are very much like the Minnesota Vikings. They are the proud participant of four Super Bowls. And like the Vikings, they lost all four.

The big difference is that the four that Buffalo lost were all in a row.

In the early 90s, Buffalo dominated the AFC, but every time they got to the Super Bowl, they were beat down by the NFC.

I know that the first one was a close game that Buffalo could have won. The last second field goal attempt by Scott Norwood sailed wide, and from there, it was down hill for the Bills.

But, as I said before, the Bills, like the Vikings have to get some credit for playing in four consecutive Super Bowls. That is why I have them rated just higher than the Vikings.

When most people think of the Rams, they think of the "Greatest Show on Turf". Not me, I think about the man pictured, Jack Youngblood.

In the 1979 NFC Championship game, Youngblood broke his leg. Instead of doing what he should have done and headed to the hospital, Youngblood played the entire game with a broken leg.

The 1999 Rams did the city of St. Lous proud by bringing home the teams first, and only, Lombardi Trophy, setting record for most points scored in a season in the process. They defeated the Titans by literally one yard.

The Chicago Bears have been to two Super Bowls, 1986 (1985 season). There are two reasons that the Bears were so successful that year.

1 - One of the greatest defenses to ever play the game.
2 - The man in the picture. Walter "Sweetness" Payton.

Da Bears, went on to produce a music video that year entitled, the Super Bowl shuffle. And they did exactly that.

In the second worst beating in the history of the Super Bowl, the Bears pounded the New England Patriots 46-10.

The saddest part of the game was when Mike Ditka put the William "the refrigerator" Perry in on a goal line situation to pound the ball into the end zone, instead of giving the ball to Payton who never scored in his only Super Bowl.

The Bears also lost to the Indianapolis Colts is Super Bowl XLI, 29-17.

The Ravens migrated east from Cleveland in 1996. After four bad seasons, the Ravens came to life, winning the Super Bowl following the 2000 season.

Since then, they have been to the playoffs five times.

The Ravens are one of those teams I had a hard time placing, but when talking about the greatest defenses to play the game, the 2000 Ravens have to be included in the conversation. They did win the Super Bowl with Trent Dilfer under center.

The Ravens are ranked this high because they are a throwback team that plays football the way it is supposed to be played, smashmouth.

The Denver Broncos made a trade in the 1983 Draft to get the man that would lead the Broncos to the promise land.

He led them to the door step three times before they finally broke through the door.

John Elway was the leader of the Broncos for every Super Bowl they played in. He lost his first three, before leading the Broncos to back-to-back titles in the late 1990's.

One of only seven teams to compete in five Super Bowls, the Broncos are one of only two teams to win back-to-back in the last 15 years.