Rank all 15-1 teams from #1 to #6

[74_75_78_79_]

Here they are in chronogical order...

'84 Forty Niners
'85 Bears
'98 Vikings
'04 Steelers
'11 Packers
'15 Panthers

Quite tough to believe only two of these actually won the Super Bowl with three not making it at all.

[7DnBrnc53]

1. 1998 Vikings
2. 1985 Bears
3. 1984 49ers
4. 2011 Packers
5. 2004 Steelers
6. 2015 Panthers

[74_75_78_79_]

1a) '85 Bears
1b) '84 Forty Niners
3) '98 Vikings
4) '15 Panthers
5) '11 Packers
6) '04 Steelers

A shame that the very unsexy juggernaut that exposed Marino & Co at Stanford with an old-fashioned butt-whooping the previous January (would have beaten them 4-0 in a best-of-7) could not duplicate themselves at least one more year in the '85 campaign. A tie game at the 'Stick in Week #6 (Ditka doesn't celebrate, nor get pulled over afterwards) and then that January a fine, "the real Super Bowl" NFCC slugfest we would have had between two 14-1-1 teams! Whether at Soldier or the 'Stick, despite Joe Cool vs McMahon, despite that eternally-underrated-for-life Forty Niners D being even better suited for the '84 Marinos/'11 Rodgers/'13 Mannings/'98 Vikings, between these two particular teams - matchup wise - da Bears to me get the ever so slight edge. 14-7 or 17-10 final score; take your pick.

That historically explosive Vikings' O could give both these D's all they could handle, but Bears keeping them off field more than long enough primarily with #34 while relentlessly attacking Cunningham with that '46', and Bill Walsh simply "slowing-down" the game, gives both Chi & SF their positions with me. Although not ridiculously more a gap between #3 and #4 as the gaps between each of the top-three, my bottom trio each with more significant weaknesses.

2010/'11 Packers are like the 2004/'05 Steelers in-reverse...championship-caliber once playoffs began/win-it-all following with best-record-in-league the next year though not really as good nor balanced/not winning-it-all as opposed to the other way around (or, in '05 Pittsburgh's case, they became champ-caliber Week #13/December when Urlacher's 9-2 Bears came to town). 2011 Packers, basically, were more-or-less "one-trick-pony"-like. All passing, just not yet exposed until late. Quite a..."one-trick" to have with an already-HOF-caliber A-Rodg at QB! Not losing in 2011 (while looking quite stellar) until already having started 13-0! 2004 Steelers certainly more balanced, 'great' if however merely, but really not '15-1'-caliber. Having the weakest QB of these half-dozen 15-1 teams in rookie Big Ben, the '04 Steelers simply don't have the overall goods or firepower to keep-up with and possibly expose any weaknesses of the '11 Pack nor those above them on this list.

Carolina had that, Norman-aside, weakness in their secondary, but I feel all other components like the rest of that D and Cam overall are the stronger team than GB. That Panther squad was a special one. Kudos to Kubiac & Wade for finding an answer, but very much an historic "should-of"-won-it! Very Buddy Ryan-like. Great D-front along with linebacking. Again, a suspect secondary but with a significant anchor (Norman/Eric Allen); a big-play QB who could take over a game (Cam/Randall)...yeah, maybe place them at #3 instead?

[sheajets]

The 2011 Packers were a video game. A great Qb having one of the greatest QB seasons ever. A deep stable of reliable receivers, good mix of gamebreakers, crisp route runners, possession guys...and nothing else. No running game to speak of, a porous offensive line, no pass rush, and a poor secondary. Forget that they had some good interception totals they were absolutely scorched through the air and scorched all year. If everybody you face feels comfortable heaving it up 40 times a game...sure some are bound to get picked. But they must've allowed close to 5000. They won games where they gave up 34, 27, 38, 35, and 41 points. They played 7 one score games and went 6-1 in them.

Somewhat similar to the 1985-86 Edmonton Oilers. They never faced true gut check adversity until the playoffs and the Giants. All of a sudden the things that came so easy on offense weren't coming so easy...and they could not adapt.

And it if it wasn't the Giants it would've been the 9ers or Patriots. They weren't getting it done that year

Those 2004-5 Steelers were an interesting team. A great great defense and a not quite ready for prime time Ben Roethlisberger who had not yet had his training wheels off. They didn't ask him to do too much, and threw for less than 3000 yards which is quite paltry. Still they had a good ground attack with Bettis/Staley, and Hines Ward playing terrific football.

Still thought we had 'em during that Divisional Playoff. We seemed listless until a 75 yard punt return was followed by a 90 yard interception return for a TD. The Steelers then went on a gutsy, methodical 7 minute march in the 4th to tie it.

And I know back then it was absolutely impossible to kick in that stadium, but Brien has to make one of them. And Herms conservative playcalling did us no favors.

1. 1984 49ers
2. 1985 Bears
3. 1998 Vikings
4. 2015 Panthers
5. 2004 Steelers
6. 2011 Packers

[ChrisBabcock]

1. '85 Bears... People often forget they had one heck of a scoring offense to go with that famous D.
2. '84 49ers
*** if the '07 Pats would have lost a game and therefore qualified for this list they'd be slotted in right here.
3. '98 Vikings
4. '15 Panthers
5. '04 Steelers
6. '11 Packers

[sheajets]

1. '85 Bears... People often forget they had one heck of a scoring offense to go with that famous D.
2. '84 49ers
*** if the '07 Pats would have lost a game and therefore qualified for this list they'd be slotted in right here.
3. '98 Vikings
4. '15 Panthers
5. '04 Steelers
6. '11 Packers

Yes that Bears offense in 1985 was very overrated simply because the D has attained mythical status.

Fuller and McMahon combined for 3300 yards. Not a crazy high total for that era but respectable. Payton had a great year with 2000 combined yards (1500 on the ground) and Suhey chipped in almost 500 yards rushing. Gault could stretch the field. McKinnon, Wrightman, Moorehead...all steady reliable targets to spread the ball around to.

[74_75_78_79_]

*** if the '07 Pats would have lost a game and therefore qualified for this list they'd be slotted in right here.

#3 with me as well! '07 Pats similar in style to '98 Vikes but a tad better. Or maybe you can tie the two considering how the Pats were a bit in cruise-control as the season wound down as well as their close wins over Jags & SD. Both take up the 3/4 spots either way.

Perhaps I should have made this 15-1 or teams who at least started 13-0. This way '98 Broncos as well as SBXXXIV participants, Colts (14-0) & Saints (13-0) could be included.

And then you got '91 Redskins (11-0) who were 14-1 going into meaningless finale.

[ChrisBabcock]

And then you got '91 Redskins (11-0) who were 14-1 going into meaningless finale.

I had completely forgotten about that. They certainly had the look of a 15-1 team that year.

[Brian wolf]

1) 1984 49ers ... Ist and best. Taught the Giants and Bears what it took to be champions.

2) 1985 Bears ... Nuff Said

3) 1998 Vikings ... Only a missed FG kept them from possibly winning it all. The SB, would have been a shootout.

4) 2004 Steelers ... Close, but Steelers had better receivers than 2015 Panthers. Big Ben was undefeated as a rookie QB, until he faced a red-hot Tom Brady in Pitts. The Patriots went back-to-back with 14-2 seasons in 2003 and 2004.

5) 2015 Panthers ... Had a great year but Newton had his Earl Morrall/Craig Morton/Kerry Collins SB performance

6) 2011 Packers ... Only 15-1 team to lose a divisional playoff

7) 2024 Chiefs ... Will be either the first 16-1 or 15-2 team in a regular season

[Bryan]

Of the teams listed, the Packers and Steelers teams are the only ones I expected to lose in the postseason. They weren't really great teams, IMO.