The Last of the NFL's Super Teams: The Epic '80s

Today's NFL is a ratings monster. The hype is year round; the Super Bowl is a national holiday in the tradition of a Roman bacchanal.

The players are bigger, faster, stronger, and much better paid then their 1980s' counterparts, but the teams of the 80s' were better.

The great teams of the '80s': the San Francisco 49ers, the New York Giants, the Washington Redskins, and the Chicago Bears, all represented the dominant NFC in 11-straight Super Bowls from 1981 to 1992.

The NFC won 10 of those 11 games, with the Redskins' loss to the Oakland Raiders in 1984 being the only blemish.

The Dallas Cowboys of the early '90s were the last of the great teams before the advent of free agency. Free agency changed the game completely.

Parity is the name of today's NFL.

No longer could teams with wealthy owners like Jack Kent Cooke (Washington Redskins) and Eddie Debartolo (San Francisco 49ers) stockpile veteran depth.

The Redskins regularly brought in old, seasoned pros to make their Super-Bowl runs. Joe Gibb's always wanted to go to big running backs. Sometimes two or three stocked on a team. John Riggins, Joe Washington, George Rogers, Earnest Byner, Gerald Riggs, and one-game wonder Timmy Smith, all ran behind the legendary Hogs.

The Hogs were helped by being able to maintain structure. Structure that allowed them to have many of the same players playing together for a long, dominant stretch.

With free agency, this can no longer occur.

The deep-pocketed Redskins did insure the continuity of Hog dominance by snatching All-Pro left tackle Jim Lachey from the Oakland Raiders in the mid-'80s, to strengthen an area Joe Gibbs always deemed essential to success.

An offensive line that stays together plays better together.

The solid, cohesive, veteran lines of the 1980s' great teams are a thing of the past.

These teams enjoyed running the ball behind Pro-Bowl studded offensive lines, which upon reaching the Super Bowl, generally dominated their weaker AFC brethren.

In today's NFL, these teams would be stripped of their veteran players by ravenous teams with tons of cap space. The name of the game now is not greatness, but parity. The great teams are gone.

No longer can teams stash veteran quarterbacks on a roster. The cap prevents it. Steve Young and Joe Montana would eat up too much cap space. The Redskins always kept a veteran quarterback on hand to help out in an emergency.

Doug Williams, Mark Rypien, and Jay Schroeder all manned that key position for the Redskins, once Joe Theismann's career ended on a leg-shattering sack by the great Lawrence Taylor. Joe Gibbs is the only coach to win three Super Bowls with three different players at quarterback.

The key to that is depth. Depth is a luxury that is lacking in today's NFL. Depth can no longer be afforded.

A few key injuries at one position and a team's season is wrecked.

The Niners and Redskins of the '80s loved bringing in veteran players to supplement their squads.

Bill Walsh once said that a fourth-quarter pass rush is the key to winning in the playoffs.

So the Niners coveted veteran pass-rushers: Hall of Fame defensive end Fred Dean, Charles Haley, Gary "Big Hands" Johnson, Tim Harris, and Richard Dent all passed through Candlestick.

The Niners picked up veteran run-stuffers like Jack "Hacksaw" Reynolds and Matt Millen. The Redskins added All-Pro Wilber Marshall from rival Chicago, in a key free-agent move that weakened the Bears severely, and strengthen the Redskins.

Another factor that made these teams better was continuity among their defenses. All of these teams had great defenses throughout the '80s, and each team was stocked with a corps of veteran players who had played together for years. 

The Bears had the famed "46 Defense" with Hall of Famers Dan Hampton and Mike Singletary, along with Pro Bowlers and veteran stars like Richard Dent, Steve McMichael, Otis Wilson, Wilbur Marshall, Todd Bell, Gary Fencik, Dave Duerson, and Al Harris.

The Redskins had Pro-Bowl ends Dexter Manley and Charles Mann, along with the monstrous Dave Butz at tackle. Long-time linebackers Monte Coleman and Neal Olkewicz were pro's pros. Hall of Fame cornerback Darrell Green was the fastest player in the league and a major gamebreaker.

The Giants had the great Lawrence Taylor. The other linebackers from one of the greatest groups ever were Hall of Famer Harry Carson, All-80s linebacker Carl Banks, and solid veterans Pepper Johnson and Gary Reasons. Their veteran defensive line, Leonard Marshall, Jim Burt, and George Martin would devastate Joe Montana in two, key NFC playoff wins.

The Niners were more of a mercenary defensive force. But Hall of Famer Ronnie Lott was a constant. As were Pro Bowl nosetackle Michael Carter and long-time linebacker Kenna Turner.

The coaches and the quarterbacks were, of course, also key.

Hall of Famers Bill Walsh, Joe Gibbs, and eventual Hall of Famers Bill Parcells and his defensive guru Bill Belichick are all-time coaching greats. The Bears had Hall of Fame tight end Mike Ditka and a blitzing Buddy Ryan running the defense.

Joe Montana lifted the 49ers above their rivals. The Redskins switched quarterbacks, while Jim McMahon and Phil Simms had injury issues at various times in their careers. 

Montana was the key to the dynasty. Place him on the Bears or Giants, and it makes all the difference.

Still, even with Steve Young on the bench, sometimes the 49ers were dispatched.

Bill Walsh once said the 1987 49ers was his best team, and it broke his heart when the talented Minnesota Vikings upset them in the divisional round of the playoffs.

The following week, the Minnesota Vikings were barely beat by the soon-to-be Super Bowl champion Redskins, when Darrell Green made a key stop on a Viking goal-line pass late in the game.

Big players make big plays.

The Giants, in 1986, brutalized Montana in the Meadowlands 49-3, and then beat them with a field goal in 1990, when Lawrence Taylor recovered a Roger-Craig fumble late in the game with the Niners leading.

Great games. Great teams. Hall of Fame player line upped against Hall of Fame player. Perennial Pro Bowler against perennial Pro Bowler. Veteran on veteran.

John Riggins running at Mike Singletary. Lawrence Taylor battling Joe Jacoby. Ronnie Lott locked up on Mark Bavaro. Speedster Darrell Green man-to-man with Willie Gault.

Dan Hampton and Steve McMichael stunting against Russ Grimm and Jeff Bostic. Richard Dent rushing Joe Montana. Phil Simms dodging Monte Coleman. Jim Burt wrestling Randy Cross. 

Walter Payton colliding with Harry Carson. Jerry Rice streaking down field against Gary Fencik. Michael Carter battling with Jay Hilenberg and Mark Bortz. Art Monk angling for an out pattern against Dwight Hicks.

Charles Mann and Dexter Manly fighting on the flanks against Jimbo Covert and Keith Van Horne. "Big" Dave Butz stuffing Roger Craig. Wilbur Marshall and Otis Wilson chasing "Little" Joe Morris.

Fans knew their teams better then. Before the frenzy of free agency. Players stayed and became legends in their cities.

Todays players change teams so often fans forget what player is on what team from one year to the next. Faces are in flux. Every year teams are restocked with new names wearing old numbers.

Teams were better before free agency. There was more cohesion, continuity. There was more teamwork. Veterans were playing beside veterans.

Players made a cash bonanza in free agency. Owners made mints. The league grew, but it didn't get better.

The quality of play got much worse.

The lack of stability, particularly along the offensive line, made developing a quarterback more of a challenge. The ability to sit a rookie quarterback behind a veteran is gone in this win-now game.

As is the quarterback's ability to develop a rapport with veteran wide receivers and tight ends, as they change yearly on most teams.

No longer do the great defenses stay together.

Defensive front-sevens don't last forever. Sometimes not even two years in a row anymore.

The Bears and Giants' defenses of the 1980s' would be quickly dismantled by free agency. Each team would only be able to pay one, star linebacker, and perhaps two defensive lineman. The gap would be filled by rookies, low-priced journeymen, or untested young players.

The Hogs would be sent to market. Steve Young would split sooner from Montana.

Do you keep Russ Grimm or Joe Jacoby? Charles Mann or Dexter Manley? Richard Dent or Dan Hampton? Carl Banks or Harry Carson? John Taylor or Roger Craig? Wilbur Marshall or Otis Wilson? Mark Bavaro or Joe Morris? Jeff Bostic or Mark May? Jimbo Covert or Jay Hilenberg?

Those questions would ruin a general manager's day.

Cap space must be cleared.

The quality of the play drops dramatically around the league.

Parity is Paul Tagliabue's lasting gift to the fans.

Though smaller and slower, the elite teams of the '80s would dominate today's superstar, self-centered game.

In the end, it's about the team. The best team wins.

But the best teams aren't around anymore.