It’s been a while but I’m back. This time I’m posing the question what makes an NFL team a dynasty in the Superbowl Era? You often hear dynasty talk when it comes to the NBA but not as much with the NFL. To me, there are four clear-cut dynasties (in order from best to worst): 1. 2001-Present Patriots 2. 1981-1994 San Fransisco 49ers 3. 1974-1979 Pittsburgh Steelers 4. 1992-1995 Dallas Cowboys.
My loose criteria for a dynasty is at least 3 Superbowls in a 6-year span, but as long as there is at least some common factor a dynasty can continue past that six-year span. For example, given that Brady and Belichick have been at the helm for all six Superbowls and that the fact that the Patriots have consistently been contenders and made Superbowls (never gone more than 4 yrs w/o making a Superbowl) I consider them a dynasty. In the case of the 49ers they had two different quarterbacks and coaches, but George Seifert took over and won while Montana was still the quarterback and players like Jerry Rice played and won with both coaches and quarterbacks so there’s enough similarity to include that 5th championship in the dynasty. The Steelers and Cowboys make the list because they fit in my original criteria for a dynasty.
After those four, the case can be made for some other teams based off one’s personal criteria.
The 1960-1967 Packers won 5 championships in 8 years and made another in that span. However, only the last two were Superbowls and the other 3 were NFL championships in the pre-Superbowl era so I didn’t include them seeing as they only won 2 Superbowls and that doesn’t fit my criteria.
Some might say the 1971-1973 Dolphins are a dynasty as they won two Superbowls and made three in a 3-year span, but once again they don’t have my three Superbowl requirement. Winning two Superbowls in a short period of time makes you a great team, but not a dynasty.
The team that comes the closest to a dynasty but is just short is the 1976-1983 Oakland Raiders who won three Superbowls in eight years. Had they kept the same coach and/or quarterback throughout all of their titles I would be inclined to put them at number 5 on my list. However, there is too little similarity from their first title to their third title for me to include them.
The last team I definitely considered putting on the list was the 1982-1991 Washington Redskins. They won 3 titles and made another in that 10-year span. They have decent similarities with the same coach and few of the same players on all three teams such as Hall of Fame WR Art Monk. However, the fact that all three were so spread out (5 years between the 1st and 2nd title and 4 years between 2nd and 3rd title), they weren’t dominant throughout the entire run (three straight years finishing third in their division), and that there was a different quarterback on all three title-winning teams is what keeps them off of my list.
Overall, the definition of a dynasty varies from person to person. Regardless of whether or not the teams above are considered dynasties, they were great teams that will go down in history as some of the best ever.
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