The Five Greatest Teams of the Super Bowl Era

Trying to figure out what the best team of all-time (or at least the Super Bowl era) is pretty much impossible. There are just way to many things to take into account.

It's almost as pointless an argument as the best QB of all time (Brett Favre, btw, if anyone cares to know my opinion) but I have compiled a list of what I believe are the top five teams of the Super Bowl era. Now by no means is this an end-all list but just my humble opinion. So here we go.

5: The 1978 Steelers

Wow, what a team and this is only No. 5 on my list.

A team littered with talent they cruised to a league best 14-2 record behind the play of MVP QB Terry Bradshaw (207 of 368 passes for 2,915 yards and 28 touchdowns, with 20 interceptions), RB Franco Harris (1,082 yards and 8 touchdowns), and WR Lynn Swann and John Stallworth (combined 102 catches for 1678 yards and 20 touchdowns).

The defense was also stellar, finishing third in the NFL in total defense. Thanks to the exceptional play of "Mean" Joe Greene, L.C. Greenwood, Jack Ham, Jack Lambert, Mel Blount and Tony Dungy.

In the playoffs the Steelers played several quality opponents, first defeating the defending AFC Champion Denver 33-10 and the Houston Oilers 30-5 before facing down the Cowboys in an epic Super Bowl match up35-31.

The reason for only being #5 on my list? Super Bowl XIII was one of the most controversial Super Bowls of all time with several questionable penalties that really helped the Steelers. Factored in with the lucky break that was Jackie Smith's infamous dropped TD pass and it caused this great Steelers team to drop in my eyes.

4: The 1989 49ers

Just another incredible team.

Guided by the arm of Joe Montana (3,512 yards, 26 touchdowns, and only 8 interceptions along 227 rushing yards and 3 TD's on the ground for a then NFL record QB rating of 112.4) the legs of Roger Craig (1,054 yards and 6 touchdowns along with 49 receptions for 473 yards and another touchdown), the hands of WR Jerry Rice (82 passes for 1,483 yards and 17 touchdowns), and breakout star John Taylor (60 passes for 1,077 yards and 10 touchdowns) the team finished at a league best 14-2.

Hell this offense was so good Montana's backup, Steve Young, had a great season (1,001 yards and 8 touchdowns with only 3 interceptions, while also rushing for 126 yards and 2 touchdowns).

The defense wasn't to shabby either, finishing third in total defense. Defensive end Pierce Holt recorded 10.5 sacks, as did linebacker Charles Haley. In addition to Haley, their linebacker corps was anchored by Keena Turner, Matt Millen, and Bill Romanowski.

Safety Ronnie Lott led the team with five interceptions. Defensive backs Eric Wright and Chet Brooks also combined for five interceptions between them.

My knock against this stellar team? Week playoff opponents. The Vikings and Rams in 1989 weren't exactly stellar teams and their Super Bowl opponent, Denver, was pretty pathetic. As this was easily one of the worst Super Bowl teams ever fielded even with John Elway at the helm.

3: The 1985 Bears

Easily one of the most popular teams of all times this was a great team. Lead by their revolutionary 46 Bear defense Da Bears had what I consider the second most dominate single season defense of all-time (2000 Ravens being the first).

Their defense was lead by stars Richard Dent led the NFL in sacks for the second year in a row with 17, while Dan Hampton recorded 6.5 sacks even rookie Will Perry was a solid contributor. In addition to Defensive Player of the Year Mike Singletary, linebacker Otis Wilson had 10.5 sacks and 3 interceptions while Wilber Marshall recorded four interceptions.

In the secondary, defensive back Leslie Frazier had six interceptions.

On offense quarterback Jim McMahon provided the team with a solid passing attack, throwing for 2,392 yards and 15 touchdowns, while also rushing for 252 yards and 3 touchdowns.

Running back Walter Payton, who was then the NFL's all time leading rusher with 14,860 yards, rushed for 1,551 yards. He also caught 49 passes for 483 yards, and scored 11 touchdowns. WR Willie Gault provided the deep threat with 33 catches for 704 and a touchdown. This team cruised to an easy NFL best 15-1 record.

Once again my knock against this team is weak playoff opponents. While the Giants were quality opponents the Rams were pushovers and the Patriots were just lucky to be in the Super Bowl. But nonetheless it cannot be denied that this as an all-time great team due to the exceptional talent on the roster.

2: The 1999 Rams

Easily the most surprising team in NFL History they are also one of the best.

Lead by everyone's favorite success story Kurt Warner this team went from a 4-12 worst to a 13-3 Super Bowl winning best. Warner finished the season with a QB rating of 109.2 by completing 65.1 percent of his passes for 4,353 yards, 41 touchdowns, and just 13 interceptions, earning him the NFL MVP.

Running back Marshall Faulk in his first year with the Rams won the Offensive Player of the Year award. He scored 12 touchdowns, rushed for 1,381 yards, and recorded a team leading 87 receptions for 1,048 yards. In all, Faulk gained over 2,000 yards (2,429, the NFL record for yards from scrimmage in a single season).

Veteran receiver Isaac Bruce was the top Rams receiver with 77 receptions for 1,165 yards and 12 touchdowns. On the other side of the field, rookie wide receiver Torry Holt recorded 52 receptions, 788 yards, and 6 touchdowns. The Rams' offensive line was led by lineman Orlando Pace and Adam Timmerman.

The Rams' defense lead the league in fewest rushing yards allowed (1,189) and fewest rushing touchdowns allowed (four), while giving up just 242 points. Overall, the defense ranked fourth in the league in fewest total yards allowed (5,056).

Their line was anchored by Pro Bowl defensive end Kevin Carter and defensive end Grant Wistrom. Carter led the team with 17 sacks; while Wistrom recorded 8.5 sacks and 2 interceptions. They also boasted a great linebacker corp lead by Mike Jones and London Fletcher. The secondary was leas by Todd Lyght and rookie Dre' Bly.

This was truly a legendary team that boasted talent everywhere. "The Greatest Show on Turf" also played quality opponent's in the playoffs. Beating the Vikings in a 49-37 shootout and then the Buccaneers 11-6 in the Conference Championship.

Then in the Super Bowl they beat a damn good Titans team 23-16 in the greatest Super Bowl ever played with the greatest ending ever, "The Tackle". This great team was only surpassed by one other team in all of modern NFL history.

1: The 1992 Cowboys

Here it is, the greatest team in of the Super Bowl era. In 1992, the Cowboys finished with a 13-3 regular season record, the second best in the league.

Although not a single one of their defensive players made the Pro Bowl Dallas was ranked as the No. 1 defense in the league (allowing only 4,278 yards) and ranked as the No. 1 defense against the run (allowing only 1,244 yards), bringing back many fans memories of the Doomsday Defenses of old.

The defensive line was anchored by Jim Jeffcoat (10.5 sacks) and Tony Tolbert (8.5 sacks), along with Charles Haley, who had led the NFC in sacks in 1990 and had been acquired by Dallas in a trade with the 49ers.

While Norton anchored the inebackers core, the team's solid secondary was led by rookie CB Kevin Smith and defensive backs Kenneth Grant and James Washington, who both recorded 3 interceptions each.

Dallas' spectacular offense, led by Troy Aikman who had the best season of his career by completing 302 out of 473 passes for 3,445 yards and 23 touchdowns while throwing 14 interceptions, was one of the league's finest, finishing fourth in the league in total yards.

Superstar running back Emmitt Smith led the NFL in rushing, with 1,713 yards and scoring 18 rushing touchdowns, while also catching 59 passes for 335 yards and another touchdown.

WR Michael Irvin, the team's emotional lightning rod, caught 78 passes for 1,396 yards and 7 touchdowns. Other contributors on the offense included WR Alvin Harper (35 receptions for 562 yards and 4 touchdowns) and TE Jay Novacek (68 receptions for 630 yards and 6 touchdowns).

Dallas' dominant offensive line,  universally considered the best of all-time, was led by Pro Bowlers Nate Newton and Mark Stepnoski.

Why this team? Well for starters look who they played in their own division. The Giants and Redskins had won the Super Bowl the last two seasons and were both supremely talented teams.

While the Eagles had a lethal defense and a good, but not great, offense. Meanwhile they also played a quality Broncos and Lions team that had played in the Conference Championship's the year before.

Then, in the playoffs, they beat an exceptionally good Eagles team and a dominate and heavily favored 49ers team that was loaded with talent. Following these games in the Super Bowl they crushed a great Bills team 52-17.

In all, this team was not only loaded with talent on both sides of the ball they also played, and beat, the best the NFL had to offer by going 13-3 in the toughest Division in the toughest Conference in NFL history and beat the best AFC team of the decade next to the Broncos of the late 1990's easily. And for an encore? They did it again next year.