NFL Rankings: The 50 Most Prolific Offenses in League History
The NFL's 50 Greatest Offenses come in many shapes and sizes, and not all of them revolved around a quarterback—but most of them do.
A lot of these offenses have great nicknames, but many don't.
Not surprisingly, there aren't a lot of offenses on this list from the 1970s.
You will find Joe Montana and Jerry Rice, Kurt Warner, Peyton Manning, Bart Starr, and many others on this list.
You won't find Rex Grossman or Spurgeon Wynn on here, though, so apologies to those affected.
50. 1975 Buffalo Bills
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Eyeball Test: The 1975 Buffalo Bills put up a lot of points in an era that was dominated by grinding running games and stonewall defenses. Rank: 5
Stats: This team averaged 30 points per game and is the only NFL team from the 1970s to do so. Rank: 6
Fear Factor: This team put points on the board between Joe Ferguson's aerial attack, three great wide receivers and a guy named O.J. Simpson running the ball on the ground. This team only lost one game by more than five points. Rank: 5 (They missed the playoffs.)
Overall Rank: 5.5
49. 1986 Cleveland Browns
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Eyeball Test: The 1986 Cleveland Browns featured Bernie Kosar at the peak of his abilities, plus Lindy Infante as the offensive coordinator. Rank: 6
Stats: The Browns simply overwhelmed opponents with a combination of passing and running plays, with Kosar throwing for more than 400 yards in two games. Rank: 5
Fear Factor: This was the first Browns team to beat Pittsburgh in Three Rivers Stadium, and Kosar simply was unstoppable that year, throwing for more than 400 yards in the divisional playoff game. Rank: 5.5
Overall Rank: 5.6
48. 1949 Chicago Cardinals
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Eyeball Test: The Chicago Cardinals were the second-highest-ranked offense in the NFL that year. Rank: 5.
Stats: This team put 360 points on the board in a 12-game season. Rank: 6
Fear Factor: The Cardinals were a hard-hitting team from Chicago at the time, but the defense wasn't that great. Rank: 5
Overall Rank: 5.6
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47. 1949 Los Angeles Rams
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Eyeball Test: The first year Elroy "Crazy Legs" Hirsch played for the Rams. Rank: 6
Stats: Not that much different than the Cardinals, but they made it to the title game. Rank: 5.5
Fear Factor: With Crazy Legs in tow, the Rams blew out several opponents and ended up losing the title game to the Eagles, 14-0. Rank: 5.5
Overall Rank: 5.7
46. 1965 San Francisco 49ers
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Eyeball Test: The 1965 San Francisco 49ers had John Brodie at the height of his career. Rank: 5
Stats: Brodie threw for more than 3,000 yards and 30 touchdowns. Rank: 5.5
Fear Factor: Brodie made the Pro Bowl in 1965, but the team missed the playoffs. Rank: 6
Overall Rank: 5.7
45. 2004 Kansas City Chiefs
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Eyeball Test: The 2004 Chiefs finished the season with the most yards in the league. Rank: 6
Stats: This team averaged more than 30 points per game and finished second in the league in points. Rank: 6
Fear Factor: The Chiefs finished 7-9 with Trent Green as their starting quarterback and didn't make the playoffs. Rank: 5
Overall Rank: 5.7
44. 1960 Cleveland Browns
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Eyeball Test: This was one of those years where Jim Brown was busy proving he was the best running back the NFL has ever seen. Rank: 6
Stats: Jim Brown had his third consective 1,000-yard rushing season, and Milt Plum was the NFL leader in passing yards. Rank: 6
Fear Factor: Jim Brown kept opposing coaches up at night trying to figure out how to stop him, but the Browns failed to make the playoffs. Rank: 5.7
Overall Rank: 5.8
43. 1986 Miami Dolphins
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Eyeball Test: This is the first appearance of Dan Marino on this list; it won't be his last. Rank: 6
Stats: The Dolphins ranked first in the league in points scored and Marino threw for 4,746 yards. Rank: 6
Fear Factor: The Dolphins finished 8-8 and didn't make the playoffs. Rank: 5.7
Overall Rank: 5.8
42. 2003 Kansas City Chiefs
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Eyeball Test: The Chiefs did a little better in 2003 than they did in 2004, finishing 13-3. Rank: 6
Stats: Trent Green threw for 4,000 yards. Priest Holmes scored 27 touchdowns, and nine players went to the Pro Bowl. Rank: 6
Fear Factor: Nobody wanted to try and stop the Chiefs offense that year, and the season came down to a shootout in the playoffs with Peyton Manning. Rank: 6
Overall Rank: 6
41. 1956 Chicago Bears
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Eyeball Test: The 1956 Bears crushed opponents on their way to the NFL Title Game. Rank: 6
Stats: Finishing with a record of 9-2-1, the Bears only scored fewer than 30 points in a win one time. Rank: 6
Fear Factor: This was one of those Bears teams that gave the team its reputation as a high-scoring, hard-hitting football club. Rank: 6
Overall Rank: 6
40. 1947 Chicago Bears
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Eyeball Test: While the Bears were a great team, and George Halas was the coach, this team missed the playoffs. Rank: 6
Stats: This team averaged 30.25 points per game, blew several opponents out, and scored a total of 363 points. Rank: 6.5
Fear Factor: This was a Bears team coached by Halas. You always feared this team. Rank: 6.5
Overall Rank: 6.2
39. 1943 Chicago Bears
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Eyeball Test: The Bears claimed their sixth league title this year. Rank: 6
Stats: This Bears team put more than 300 points on the board in a 10-game season. Rank: 6.5
Fear Factor: The Bears had Sid Luckman at the helm, and he led them to an 8-1-1 record plus the title-game victory. Rank: 6.5
Overall Rank: 6.3
38. 2000 Denver Broncos
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Eyeball Test: This was a team that made Gus Frerotte look like a good quarterback. Rank: 6.5
Stats: Brian Griese had almost 2,700 yards passing and 19 touchdowns prior to his injury, while Frerotte put up another 1,776 yards and nine touchdowns the rest of the regular season. Rank: 6
Fear Factor: This was Mike Shanahan at his absolute coaching best. Rank: 6.5
Overall Rank: 6.4
37. 1991 Washington Redskins
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Eyeball Test: This team won the Super Bowl, and they did it through sheer power. Rank: 7
Stats: Mark Rypien threw for 3,564 yards and 28 touchdowns, Earnest Byner ran for more than 1,000 yards and Gerald Riggs had 11 touchdowns. Rank: 6.5
Fear Factor: Art Monk was on this team and so was Gary Clark. This was an offense that could get you through the air or on the ground. Rank: 6.5
Overall Rank: 6.6
36. 1949 Philadelphia Eagles
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Eyeball Test: This was a team that only had one loss (to the Bears) and won the NFL championship. Rank: 7
Stats: The Eagles scored 364 points in 1949, a 12-game season. Quarterback Tommy Thompson threw more than 1,700 yards and 16 touchdowns. Rank: 6
Fear Factor: This team only was beaten by the Chicago Bears and blew out most of their opponents. Rank: 7
Overall Rank: 6.9
35. 1953 Los Angeles Rams
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Eyeball Test: The Rams scored at least 30 points a game in eight of their games. Rank: 7
Stats: The Rams averaged 30.5 points per game and blew out the New York Giants and Baltimore Colts that year. Rank: 7
Fear Factor: The Rams were good, but still missed the playoffs, finishing third behind the 49ers and Lions. Rank: 7
Overall Rank: 7
34. 1950 New York Yanks
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Eyeball Test: This team scored points. The Yanks (formerly the Bulldogs) scored more than 40 points in three games that year, including a 51-14 beatdown of the Baltimore Colts. Rank: 7
Stats: The Yanks could score, but that was the same year as the Los Angeles Rams' big year. Rank: 7
Fear Factor: While the Yanks could put points on the board, their defense couldn't stop other teams from scoring and they missed the playoffs. Rank: 7
Overall Rank: 7
33. 1964 Baltimore Colts
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Eyeball Test: Yep, that's Johnny Unitas—he was good. Don Shula was the head coach. Rank: 7.5
Stats: The Colts didn't just win, they blew out their opponents, including a 52-0 rout of the Bears. The team scored 428 total points that season. Rank: 7.3
Fear Factor: Johnny Unitas was Peyton Manning before Archie Manning was even Archie Manning. Rank: 7
Overall Rank: 7.1
32. 1987 San Francisco 49ers
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Eyeball Test: Joe Montana, Steve Young, Jerry Rice. Getchya Popcorn Ready! Rank: 7.4
Stats: Jerry Rice set franchise records for most touchdowns in a season (23) and most points in a season (138). Rank: 7.5
Fear Factor: This was a great year for the Montana/Rice hookup. No team wanted to face this combination, and Montana had more than 3,000 yards passing and 31 touchdowns. Rank: 7
Overall Rank: 7.2
31. 2006 San Diego Chargers
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Eyeball Test: This was the big year for the Chargers, the year they finished the regular season 14-2. Rank: 7.5
Stats: Phillip Rivers' rookie season, LaDainian Tomlinson in his prime, the Chargers only had one game where they scored less than 20 points. Rank: 7.5
Fear Factor: The Chargers were the talk of the NFL every week; it took Bill Belichick and the Patriots to stop them in the playoffs. Rank: 7.5
Overall Rank: 7.5
30. 1968 Dallas Cowboys
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Eyeball Test: Don Merideth, Dan Reeves, Bob Lilly, Mel Renfro. This was one of the best Dallas teams to that point. Rank: 7.5
Stats: The Cowboys scored 431 total points, and Merideth threw for 2,500 yards and 21 touchdowns. Rank: 7.5
Fear Factor: The Cowboys opened the season with a 59-13 drubbing of the Detroit Lions and only lost two games the whole season, eventually losing to the Cleveland Browns in the playoffs. Rank: 7.5
Overall Rank: 7.5
29. 1953 San Francisco 49ers
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Eyeball Test: Y.A. Tittle quarterbacked this team. Tittle was pretty good. Rank: 7.7
Stats: Tittle threw for 2,121 yards and 20 touchdowns while completing 57.5 percent of his passes. Running back Joe Perry rushed for 1,018 yards along with 10 touchdowns. Rank: 7.5
Fear Factor: The 49ers didn't lose consecutive games that year, and only the Detroit Lions had their number. Rank: 7.6
Overall Rank: 7.6
28. 1959 Baltimore Colts
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Eyeball Test: Johnny Unitas makes his second appeaerance on this list: 7.5
Stats: Unitas won the MVP in '59 for starters, and the Colts won the NFL championship that year. The Colts put an average of 31 points per game on the board. Rank: 7.8
Fear Factor: If you were facing Unitas, you had your work cut out for you. Rank: 7.8
Overall Rank: 7.8
27. 1948 Chicago Bears
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Eyeball Test: Another Halas-coached team, this Bears team finished 10-2. Rank: 8
Stats: This version of the Halas Bears averaged more than 31 points a game, with no one star standing out that year. Rank: 7.5
Fear Factor: This was the kind of team that snuck up on you because nobody had overwhelming stats that year. Everyone on the offense had a solid year, and it added up. Rank: 8
Overall Rank: 7.7
26. 1948 Philadelphia Eagles
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Eyeball Test: Steve Van Buren's rookie year, and the Eagles won the NFL Championship. Rank: 8
Stats: Two consecutive 45-0 blowouts plus a third a few weeks later. Rank: 7.5
Fear Factor: This offense was a well-oiled machine, putting up 376 points in the 12-game season. Rank: 8
Overall Rank: 7.8
25. 2001 St. Louis Rams
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Eyeball Test: The Greatest Show on Turf makes its first appearance. Rank: 8
Stats: Kurt Warner and Co. returned to try and duplicate the success of the previous year, posting an average of more than 31 points per game and scoring 503 total points. Rank: 8
Fear Factor: The league already was on notice from the 2000 version of this team; Warner and the Rams weren't fooling anybody. Rank: 8
Overall Rank: 8
24. 1958 Baltimore Colts
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Eyeball Test: The 1958 NFL Championship Game has been billed "The Greatest Game Ever Played." Rank: 8.5
Stats: Unitas threw for more than 2,000 yards that year and 19 touchdowns. Rank: 8
Fear Factor: These are the Colts your father and grandfather watched and told you to fear. Rank: 8
Overall Rank: 8.1
23. 1966 Dallas Cowboys
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Eyeball Test: This was the first Cowboys team to make the playoffs. Rank: 8
Stats: Don Meredith threw for 2,800 yards and Dan Reeves had 757 yards and eight touchdowns as a halfback, splitting time with Don Perkins, who had 726 yards rushing and eight touchdowns. Rank: 8.5
Fear Factor: The Cowboys opened the season with a 52-7 romp over the New York Giants. Their largest margin of defeat was by nine points. Rank: 8
Overall Rank: 8.1
22. 1999 St. Louis Rams
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Eyeball Test: This was Kurt Warner and Marshall Faulk ascending. No one knew what they had yet. The Greatest Show on Turf was born. Rank: 8.5
Stats: Warner threw 4,353 yards with 41 touchdown passes and a completion rate of 65.1 percent, and Faulk ran for more than 1,300 yards. Rank: 8.5
Fear Factor: This was the first year of a three-year run at the top of the offensive ranks, and this team won the Super Bowl. Rank: 8.5
Overall Rank: 8.5
21. 1982 San Diego Chargers
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Eyeball Test: In a strike-shortened season, the Chargers still scored 288 points in nine games. Rank: 8.5
Stats: Dan Fouts threw for more than 2,800 yards and 17 touchdowns. Rank: 8.5
Fear Factor: The Chargers had just come off of their best season in franchise history, and were looking to repeat that success. Rank: 8.5
Overall Rank: 8.5
20. 1966 Kansas City Chiefs
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Eyeball Test: Under Hank Straam's leadership, this Chiefs team went to the first Super Bowl. Rank: 8.5
Stats: This team averaged 32 points a game, and Len Dawson threw for more than 2,500 yards and 27 touchdowns. Rank: 9
Fear Factor: This team was an early favorite of NFL Films for a reason. Rank: 8.5
Overall Rank: 8.6
19. 1962 Green Bay Packers
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Eyeball Test: Vince Lombardi coached this team to its eighth NFL championship. Rank: 8.5
Stats: Bart Starr led the league in passing yards and Jim Taylor led the league in rushing yards. Rank: 8.5
Fear Factor: Vince Lombardi doesn't have the Super Bowl trophy named after him for nothing. Rank: 9
Overall Rank: 8.7
18. 1963 New York Giants
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Eyeball Test: Y.A. Tittle led this team to score after score after score. He was unstoppable, even with an early-season rib injury. Rank: 9
Stats: Tittle had more than 3,100 yards passing and 36 touchdowns while the team averaged 32 points per game. Rank: 9
Fear Factor: This team was a monster through the air and still had a great running attack. Rank: 8.5
Overall Rank: 8.7
17. 1994 San Francisco 49ers
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Eyeball Test: Steve Young in his prime throwing to Jerry Rice. Rank: 9
Stats: Young completed more than 70 percent of his passes for 3,969 yards, 1,499 of which were from 112 Rice catches. The Niners averaged 32 points a game that year in the regular season and 44 points per game in the postseason. Rank: 9
Fear Factor: The Niners overwhelmed teams that year. Young and Rice were the most feared combo in the league. Rank: 8.5
Overall Rank: 8.8
16. 1948 Chicago Cardinals
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Eyeball Test: This team finished 11-1 during a real smashmouth era of football. Rank: 9
Stats: The Cardinals led the league in points scored, total yards, and averaged more than 32 points a game. Rank: 8.5
Fear Factor: This team put 63 points on the board against the New York Giants in Week 4. Rank: 9
Overall Rank: 8.8
15. 1967 Oakland Raiders
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Eyeball Test: The Raiders reached the Super Bowl this year on the strength of their offense. Rank: 8
Stats: The Raiders averaged more than 33 points a game and frequently blew out opponents. Rank: 9
Fear Factor: The kind of team Al David wants every year, the Raiders could score at will. Rank: 9
Overall Rank: 8.8
14. 1941 Chicago Bears
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Eyeball Test: This team finished 10-1 with George Halas coaching. Rank: 9
Stats: The Bears averaged 36 points per game. Rank: 9
Fear Factor: Sid Luckman had a 57 percent completion rate and the Bears won the championship. Rank: 8.8
Overall Rank: 8.9
13. 1961 Houston Oilers
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Eyeball Test: George Blanda led this team with more than 3,300 yards passing and 36 touchdowns. Rank: 9
Stats: This team averaged more than 36 points per game and put 513 points on the board. Rank: 9
Fear Factor: The Oilers were the 1961 AFL Champions. Rank: 8.8
Overall Rank: 8.9
12. 1990 Houston Oilers
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Eyeball Test: Warren Moon in the Run-and-Shoot offense. Rank: 9
Stats: The Oilers put 405 points on the board that year, and Moon threw for 527 yards in one game. Rank: 9
Fear Factor: While this offense could score points, their defense gave up a lot of points and the team finished 9-7. Rank: 8.8
Overall Rank: 8.9
11. 1989 San Francisco 49ers
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Eyeball Test: This was the year the 49ers destroyed the Broncos, 55-10, in the Super Bowl. Rank: 9
Stats: Montana threw for 3,512 yards, 26 touchdowns and only eight interceptions. His QB rating was 112.8, then an NFL record. Rank: 9
Fear Factor: When Montana wasn't in the game, Steve Young threw for more than 1,000 yards. This was a team you couldn't stop from scoring. Rank: 9
Overall Rank: 9
10. 1981 San Diego Chargers
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Eyeball Test: This team is considered one of the best teams in NFL history to never win a Super Bowl. Rank: 9
Stats: The Chargers put up an average of 29 points per game and Dan Fouts threw for more than 4,800 yards and 33 touchdowns. Rank: 9
Fear Factor: The "Air Coryell" Chargers always come up when you do a list like this. Rank: 9
Overall Rank: 9
9. 1990 Buffalo Bills
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Eyeball Test: Like the '81 Chargers, this Bills team is considered one of the best to never win a Super Bowl. Rank: 10
Stats: Jim Kelly had more than 2,400 yards passing, Thurman Thomas ran for 1,297 yards and the team averaged 26 points per game. Rank: 9
Fear Factor: This was the first of four Bills teams to lose the Super Bowl in the early '90s. Rank: 8.5
Overall Rank: 9.1
8. 1983 Washington Redskins
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Eyeball Test: Joe Theisman, Art Monk, John Riggins, need I say more? Rank: 10
Stats: The Redskins scored 541 total points in 1983, more than 33 points per game as an average and never less than 23 points a game. Rank: 9.5
Fear Factor: If Theisman wasn't killing you in the air, Riggins was running all over your defense. Rank: 9
Overall Rank: 9.2
7. 1984 Miami Dolphins
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Eyeball Test: A young Dan Marino led one of the best teams Miami ever had. Rank: 10
Stats: The Dolphins averaged 32 points a game and Dan Marino threw for more than 5,000 yards and 48 trouchdowns. Rank: 9
Fear Factor: Don Shula and Dan Marino have become intertwined in history. Those '80s Dolphins teams knew how to score points. Rank: 9.5
Overall Rank: 9.3
6. 1998 Denver Broncos
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Eyeball Test: John Elway, aging but still great, helped Denver post a 14-2 season. Rank: 10
Stats: The Broncos had 6,276 total yards of offense, and scored 501 total points. Rank: 9
Fear Factor: The Broncos started the season 13-0 and won the Super Bowl. Rank: 9.5
Overall Rank: 9.5
5. 1998 Minnesota Vikings
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Eyeball Test: Randall Cunningham and Randy Moss plus a 15-1 record. Rank: 10
Stats: The Vikings were the third team in NFL history to win 15 games during the regular season. The offense scored 556 points and broke the record for most points scored in the regular season. Rank: 9.6
Fear Factor: If it weren't for the loss to the Falcons in the NFC Championship, the Super Bowl that year would've featured two of the most prolific offenses in history playing for it all. Rank: 9.2
Overall Rank: 9.5
4. 2000 St. Louis Rams
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Eyeball Test: The third and final appearance of the Greatest Show on Turf. Rank: 10
Stats: The Rams averaged 33.8 points per game, almost a point more than they did in 1999. Warner averaged 9.9 yards per pass attempt, and Warner and Trent Green combined for 5,492 total passing yards. Faulk only scored 28 touchdowns. Rank: 9.4
Fear Factor: This team just kept scoring despite the fact every opponent knew what was coming at them on Sunday. Rank: 9.6
Overall Rank: 9.6
3. 2004 Indianapolis Colts
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Eyeball Test: Peyton Manning being Peyton Manning and throwing 49 touchdowns. Rank: 10
Stats: The Colts scored 522 total points and Manning was named MVP after throwing for more than 4,500 yards. Rank: 10
Fear Factor: The only team that didn't fear Manning and the Colts were Bill Belichick and the New England Patriots. Not much has changed: 9.5
Overall Rank: 9.7
2. 1950 Los Angeles Rams
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Eyeball Test: An offense ahead of its time scored 466 points. Rank: 10
Stats: The Rams averaged 38.83 points per game and quarterback Norm Van Brocklin threw for more than 2,000 yards in a 12-game season. Rank: 10
Fear Factor: While the Rams lost the NFL Championship Game, it was to the Paul Brown-led Cleveland Browns. They were a pretty good team back then. Rank: 9.5
Overall Rank: 9.9
1. 2007 New England Patriots
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Eyeball Test: Tom Brady, Bill Belichick and the only 16-0 season. Rank: 10
Stats: The Patriots scored 589 points total, averaging 36.8 points per game. They get the edge over the 1950 Rams because of the lengthened schedule and the pure power of the Patriots offense that year. Tom Brady threw for more than 4,800 yards and 50 touchdowns. Rank: 10
Fear Factor: The Patriots already were the most feared team in the league coming into the year. Nothing they did that year changed that perception. Rank: 10
Overall Rank: 10
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