The Death of NFL Dynasties

[sheajets]

You could say the real end for the 49ers was when they didn't draft Tom Brady. They got a lot of miles out of what they started in 1981. The late 90s teams I really don't consider too linked to those glory years squads, but some guys were still around that were at least linked to the 1994 team(Rice, Young and others) but they had a continuous string of winning seasons (10 or more win seasons) from 1983-1998.

Then there was a 2 year blip and then they're suddenly back again in 2001 and 2002. After that it all fell apart for good finally

[Shipley]

Another reason for the demise of the 49ers dynasty was that Bill Walsh wanted them to draft Jake Plummer in 1997, but the total doofus Vinny Cerrato was running the Niners' draft, and he opted for Jim Druckenmiller instead. It's no accident Cerrato is out of football and Walsh is in the Hall of Fame.

[7DnBrnc53]

You could say the real end for the 49ers was when they didn't draft Tom Brady. They got a lot of miles out of what they started in 1981. The late 90s teams I really don't consider too linked to those glory years squads, but some guys were still around that were at least linked to the 1994 team(Rice, Young and others) but they had a continuous string of winning seasons (10 or more win seasons) from 1983-1998.

Then there was a 2 year blip and then they're suddenly back again in 2001 and 2002. After that it all fell apart for good finally

I don't see Brady making a difference for them. He would have been second string for the better part of four years. He didn't fit the Walsh WCO that Mooch ran because he wasn't mobile enough. He probably doesn't start most of the games until 2004. I can see SF doing a tad better, but they still fire Erickson and hire Mike Nolan. And, as we know, new coaches mean new QB's, so I see them taking Smith or Rodgers round 1.

[ShinobiMusashi]

It was before my time but it seems to me like the 1985 playoff loss at home to New England in front of packed Coliseum was really the end of something for that Raider team, certainly looking at attendance numbers after it seems to be the point where they lost LA.

[7DnBrnc53]

'60s Green Bay Packers

The end of the 60's Packer dynasty may have been put in motion before it started.

On November 27th, 1960, Jack Vainisi, the team's Personnel Director (and scout), died of a massive heart attack that was due to contracting rheumatic fever in Japan during WWII.

Jack had a role in acquiring eight HOF players and others that would form the nucleus of the 60's Packer dynasty.

If he didn't go to the war, and had a healthy heart, I wonder what would have happened if he stayed in the organization for another 7-15 years. Maybe the 1968-91 gory years are averted or lessened to a fair degree.

[JuggernautJ]

The end of the 60's Packer dynasty may have been put in motion before it started.

On November 27th, 1960, Jack Vainisi, the team's Personnel Director (and scout), died of a massive heart attack that was due to contracting rheumatic fever in Japan during WWII.

Jack had a role in acquiring eight HOF players and others that would form the nucleus of the 60's Packer dynasty.

If he didn't go to the war, and had a healthy heart, I wonder what would have happened if he stayed in the organization for another 7-15 years. Maybe the 1968-91 gory years are averted or lessened to a fair degree.

It couldn't have hurt.
I think one of the main contributions to the Pack's decline was Lombardi's (otherwise laudable) loyalty.
As many have noted before, Vince had a very hard time letting go of players with whom he had achieved success.

It would indeed have been interesting to see if Vainisi could've restocked the team with young players even as Lombardi ground out the last iota of usefulness from the previous generation.
They did do a decent job with some of the "replacements."
Gale Gillingham, Donny Anderson (and Jim Grabowski) were good to very good.
Trading away starters like Marv Fleming and Herb Adderly probably didn't help.

[7DnBrnc53]

I think one of the main contributions to the Pack's decline was Lombardi's (otherwise laudable) loyalty.
As many have noted before, Vince had a very hard time letting go of players with whom he had achieved success.

That may have been a problem with the 70's Steelers as well. Someone earlier mentioned how Noll held onto Dwight White over Dwaine Board in 1979 as an example.

[JuggernautJ]

I think one of the main contributions to the Pack's decline was Lombardi's (otherwise laudable) loyalty.
As many have noted before, Vince had a very hard time letting go of players with whom he had achieved success.

That may have been a problem with the 70's Steelers as well. Someone earlier mentioned how Noll held onto Dwight White over Dwaine Board in 1979 as an example.

And now teams/GMs overcompensate in the other direction; fear of "growing old" and complacent has led to the trade or release of many great players before they were done. Montana went to a conference championship game after the 49ers punted him. Brady won a Super Bowl after he was unwelcome in New England... etc., etc., etc.
Walking the middle path is no easy task.

[Sonny9]

I saw this question on Reddit and wanted to explore it here. What would you consider to be the "death" of every NFL dynasty during the Super Bowl era? I'd personally consider the following as Super Bowl era dynasties:

'60s Green Bay Packers
'70s Miami Dolphins
'70s Dallas Cowboys
'70s Pittsburgh Steelers
'60s-'80s Oakland/Los Angeles Raiders
'80s Washington Redskins
'80s San Francisco 49ers
'90s Dallas Cowboys
2000's New England Patriots

Feel free to add any additional dynasties you'd consider. What was the "death" moment for each of these?

I'd add the Browns of the 40's, 50's. and 60's even though most of that was before the Super Bowl

[Gary Najman]

The '70s Cowboys dynasty faded in the 1983 game at home against the Redskins, in that famous 4th down play when Danny White called a play instead of waiting for the Washington defense to jump offside. To Tom Landry's credit, the Cowboys were still a winning % team until Danny White's injury in the middle of the 1986 season.