Top NFL Teams last 5 years

[motife]

http://weblogs.baltimoresun.com/sports/football/blog/2008/04/top_nfl_teams_since_2003.html

Top NFL teams since 2003
Who have been the NFL's top franchises during the past five seasons?

I'm going to explore that question in the coming weeks, specifically looking at which teams have drafted the best. But before that, I wanted to give you the raw data.

In the first of a series of offseason posts, I took a look at every team's regular-season record since 2003, a five-year span. Also listed are how many times teams have made the playoffs and what their best postseason finishes have been.

Some teams like the Patriots and Colts are easy to name off the top of your head as the league's elite franchises, but others might surprise you. For instance, would you have guessed that besides New England and Indy, the Seahawks are the only other team to have made the playoffs in each of the past five seasons? And no other team has made the postseason more than three times.

Would you have guessed that the Bengals have a better regular-season record than the Giants since '03? But New York has made the playoffs three times (including last year's Super Bowl win), while Cincinnati has reached the postseason just once.

A quarter of the league (eight teams) hasn't made the playoffs since '03 -- the Raiders, Browns, Texans, 49ers, Lions, Cardinals, Dolphins and Bills. Oakland takes the title of worst franchise over the last five years, with just 19 total wins. Pretty incredible when you consider New England won 16 games in '07 alone. The Raiders' best season since '03 came in 2004 when they went 5-11.

I listed teams based on regular-season record, just because I thought that would be the easiest point of reference. That doesn't mean I think the Bengals have had more success than the Giants just because they are listed above New York. These are simply the numbers.

1. New England Patriots

Record: 66-14
Playoff appearances: 5
Best finish: 2003, 2004 -- Super Bowl champions

2. Indianapolis Colts

Record: 63-17
Playoff appearances: 5
Best finish: 2006 -- Super Bowl champions

3. Seattle Seahawks

Record: 51-29
Playoff appearances: 5
Best finish: 2005 -- Super Bowl loss

4. Pittsburgh Steelers

Record: 50-30
Playoff appearances: 3
Best finish: 2005 -- Super Bowl champions

5. San Diego Chargers

Record: 50-30
Playoff appearances: 3
Best finish: 2007 -- Conference championship loss

6. Philadelphia Eagles

Record: 49-31
Playoff appearances: 3
Best finish: 2004 -- Super Bowl loss

7. Denver Broncos

Record: 49-31
Playoff appearances: 3
Best finish: 2005 -- Conference championship loss

8. Dallas Cowboys

Record: 47-33
Playoff appearances: 3
Best finish: 2007 -- Division round loss

9. Jacksonville Jaguars

Record: 45-35
Playoff appearances: 2
Best finish: 2007 -- Division round loss

10. Green Bay Packers

Record: 45-35
Playoff appearances: 3
Best finish: 2007 -- Conference championship loss

11. Carolina Panthers

Record: 44-36
Playoff appearances: 2
Best finish: 2003 -- Super Bowl loss

12. Chicago Bears

Record: 43-37
Playoff appearances: 2
Best finish: 2006 -- Super Bowl loss

13. Baltimore Ravens

Record: 43-37
Playoff appearances: 2
Best finish: 2006 -- Division round loss

14. Kansas City Chiefs

Record: 43-37
Playoff appearances: 2
Best finish: 2003 -- Division round loss

15. Cincinnati Bengals

Record: 42-38
Playoff appearances: 1
Best finish: 2005 -- Wild-card round loss

16.Minnesota Vikings

Record: 40-40
Playoff appearances: 1
Best finish: 2004 -- Division round loss

17. New York Giants

Record: 39-41
Playoff appearances: 3
Best finish: 2007 -- Super Bowl champions

18. Tennessee Titans

Record: 39-41
Playoff appearances: 2
Best finish: 2003 -- Divisional round loss

19. St. Louis Rams

Record: 37-43
Playoff appearances: 2
Best finish: 2003, 2004 -- Division round loss

20. New Orleans Saints

Record: 36-44
Playoff appearances: 1
Best finish: 2006 -- Conference championship loss

21. Tampa Bay Bucs

Record: 36-44
Playoff appearances: 2
Best finish: 2005, 2007 -- Wild-card round loss

22. Atlanta Falcons

Record: 35-45
Playoff appearances: 1
Best finish: 2004 -- Conference championship loss

23. Washington Redskins

Record: 35-45
Playoff appearances: 2
Best finish: 2005 -- Divisional round loss

24. New York Jets

Record: 34-46
Playoff appearances: 2
Best finish: 2004 -- Divisional round loss

25. Buffalo Bills

Record: 34-46
Playoff appearances: 0
Best finish: 2004 -- 9-7

26. Miami Dolphins

Record: 30-50
Playoff appearances: 0
Best finish: 2003 -- 10-6

27. Cleveland Browns

Record: 29-51
Playoff appearances: 0
Best finish: 2007 -- 10-6

28. Arizona Cardinals

Record: 28-52
Playoff appearances: 0
Best finish: 2007 -- 8-8

29. Houston Texans

Record: 28-52
Playoff appearances: 0
Best finish: 2007 -- 8-8

30. Detroit Lions

Record: 26-54
Playoff appearances: 0
Best finish: 2007 -- 7-9

31. San Francisco 49ers

Record: 25-55
Playoff appearances: 0
Best finish: 2006 -- 7-9

32. Oakland Raiders

Record: 19-61
Playoff appearances: 0
Best finish: 2004 -- 5-11

[texaspackerbacker]

Just going down the list based on record seems pretty valid to me. I saw nothing wrong at all with the top ten.

What subjective criteria is somebody going to throw out, anyway that could possibly trump record--which is the ultimate objective factor?

[3irty1]

Don't really care about the records, the Giants won a superbowl and should be higher.

[The Leaper]

What subjective criteria is somebody going to throw out, anyway that could possibly trump record--which is the ultimate objective factor?

Uh, SB wins?

The Giants should be one of the top 10 teams in the last 5 years...they've got bling (or will have) on their finger to prove their point. Sure, they have been mediocre over much of that 5 years...but they manned up and made a great run to win a title. That puts them ahead of most other top 10 team record-wise without a title IMO.

The way I usually approach this is to make the list by regular season wins as shown in this thread...but then go back and add playoff wins to the equation. The catch is that I rate playoff wins more than regular season ones...Wild Card Round wins are worth 2 wins, Divisional Round wins are worth 3 wins, Conference Titles are worth 4 wins and Super Bowl wins are worth 5 wins.

I did this to figure the 1990s a few years back...but haven't done it since. I don't have time right now to figure this 5 year stretch by my way of doing it...maybe tonight.

To me Dallas isn't a top ten team...they haven't won a playoff game in a decade.

[HarveyWallbangers]

Not sure how Jacksonville finished ahead of us. Same record. Packers had more playoff appearances and advanced further in the playoffs. I guess one 4-12 season that ruins the overall record trumped it.

[KYPack]

I've always been intrigued by Oakland's long fall.

2002 AFC Champs, A Superbowl berth.

Then look out below.

Has any team ever fallen so far and stayed down there?

This after heisting all those draft picks from Tampa for Gruden.

[Guiness]

Geez, when you look at the Giants record, they've had some luck or a couple of really up and down seasons. At 17th, they've had 3 playoff berths. The closest other team to them with 3 berths is the Pack, at 10th, with 6 more wins!

[red]

I've always been intrigued by Oakland's long fall.

2002 AFC Champs, A Superbowl berth.

Then look out below.

Has any team ever fallen so far and stayed down there?

This after heisting all those draft picks from Tampa for Gruden.

i think you can clearly tell when al davis finally lost any mind he had left

[woodbuck27]

I've always been intrigued by Oakland's long fall.

2002 AFC Champs, A Superbowl berth.

Then look out below.

Has any team ever fallen so far and stayed down there?

This after heisting all those draft picks from Tampa for Gruden.

Yup. That's one really bad fart Jon Gruden left behind. :D

and in Tampa Bay!

@ 21. Tampa Bay Bucs

Record: 36-44

Playoff appearances: 2

Best finish: 2005, 2007 -- Wild-card round loss

PACKERS FOREVER!

[KYPack]

I've always been intrigued by Oakland's long fall.

2002 AFC Champs, A Superbowl berth.

Then look out below.

Has any team ever fallen so far and stayed down there?

This after heisting all those draft picks from Tampa for Gruden.

Yup. That's one really bad fart Jon Gruden left behind. :D

That was a pretty cool kick to AD's groin.

Oak kept JGruden's offense intact.

Come the SB, Tampa had all Oak's audibles, hots, line calls, the whole shit.

They had no shot.

[woodbuck27]

I've always been intrigued by Oakland's long fall.

2002 AFC Champs, A Superbowl berth.

Then look out below.

Has any team ever fallen so far and stayed down there?

This after heisting all those draft picks from Tampa for Gruden.

Yup. That's one really bad fart Jon Gruden left behind. :D

That was a pretty cool kick to AD's groin.

Oak kept JGruden's offense intact.

Come the SB, Tampa had all Oak's audibles, hots, line calls, the whole shit.

They had no shot.

Super Bowl XXXVII

Jan. 26, 2003
Qualcomm Stadium
San Diego, California

MVP: Dexter Jackson, FS, Tampa Bay

Tampa Bay Buccaneers 48 Oakland Raiders 21

[texaspackerbacker]

What subjective criteria is somebody going to throw out, anyway that could possibly trump record--which is the ultimate objective factor?

Uh, SB wins?

The Giants should be one of the top 10 teams in the last 5 years...they've got bling (or will have) on their finger to prove their point. Sure, they have been mediocre over much of that 5 years...but they manned up and made a great run to win a title. That puts them ahead of most other top 10 team record-wise without a title IMO.

The way I usually approach this is to make the list by regular season wins as shown in this thread...but then go back and add playoff wins to the equation. The catch is that I rate playoff wins more than regular season ones...Wild Card Round wins are worth 2 wins, Divisional Round wins are worth 3 wins, Conference Titles are worth 4 wins and Super Bowl wins are worth 5 wins.

I did this to figure the 1990s a few years back...but haven't done it since. I don't have time right now to figure this 5 year stretch by my way of doing it...maybe tonight.

To me Dallas isn't a top ten team...they haven't won a playoff game in a decade.

At the risk of getting swarmed all over--like I care, Super Bowls don't mean all that much. It's getting there, and more particularly, getting to the playoffs i.e. RECORD that shows which teams are good and which teams are merely lucky. Doesn't the past Super Bowl and NFL Championship prove that to ya'all?

If there's anybody that ISN'T obvious to, it will be when the Giants revert to shittiness this season. Remember where you heard it first.

[The Leaper]

Last 5 years by my schedule:

1. New England Patriots 66+3+4+5+3+4+5+2+2+3+3+4=104
2. Indianapolis Colts 63+2+3+2+2+3+4+5=84
3. Pittsburgh Steelers 50+3+2+3+4+5=67
4. Seattle Seahawks 51+3+4+2+2=62
5. Philadelphia Eagles 49+3+3+4+2=61
6. Carolina Panthers 44+2+3+4+2+3=58
7. San Diego Chargers 50+2+3=55
8. New York Giants 39+2+3+4+5=53
9. Denver Broncos 49+3=52
10. Chicago Bears 43+3+4=50

11. Green Bay Packers 45+2+3=50
12. Jacksonville Jaguars 45+2=47
13. Dallas Cowboys 47
14. Baltimore Ravens 43
15. Kansas City Chiefs 43
16. Cincinnati Bengals 42
17. Minnesota Vikings 40+2=42
18. Tennessee Titans 39+2=41
19. New Orleans Saints 36+3=39
20. St. Louis Rams 37+2=39

21. Atlanta Falcons 35+3=38
22. Washington Redskins 35+2=37
23. New York Jets 34+2=36
24. Tampa Bay Bucs 36
25. Buffalo Bills 34
26. Miami Dolphins 30
27. Cleveland Browns 29
28. Arizona Cardinals 28
29. Houston Texans 28
30. Detroit Lions 26
31. San Francisco 49ers 25
32. Oakland Raiders 19

[Scott Campbell]

I've always been intrigued by Oakland's long fall.

2002 AFC Champs, A Superbowl berth.

Then look out below.

Has any team ever fallen so far and stayed down there?


The Bears got pretty bad, pretty quick for pretty long after their 85 fluke.