5 best, and 5 worst, defending-SB champs

[74_75_78_79_]

‘5 best’, of course, refers to defending-SB champs who didn’t win it again.

[ChrisBabcock]

Do you mean... what they were perceived to be strength-wise at the beginning of the following season, or what they actually were at the end of the following season?

[74_75_78_79_]

Do you mean... what they were perceived to be strength-wise at the beginning of the following season, or what they actually were at the end of the following season?

The latter, how they would end up that very campaign as a whole, whether meeting expectations or lack-of expectations and whatnot.

[74_75_78_79_]

Not sure what my two 5s will be. As for ‘best’...many to at least mention for now, only to then decide from there.

‘72 Cowboys, ’74 Dolphins, a certain team that didn’t have their starting backfield for the AFCC, ’78 Cowboys, ’90 Forty Niners, ’94 Cowboys, ’95 Forty Niners, ’97 Packers...perhaps there are others you can think of who either should, at least, be mentioned or maybe even make your top-5.

5 ‘worst’? I’m sure many will first think of 1981 Raiders, but should they actually make ‘bottom’-5? All depends on what you look at. The team that lost those 3-straight shutouts early on (non-playoff albeit above-500 Broncos & Chiefs ultimately sweeping them) as well as the true black-eye...that 55-21 fiasco at home vs SD (only to lose 2nd game to them MNF finale following home-schlacking to Bears). Or is it the team that beat playoff-bound Bucs and (at) Dolphins as well as, then, 8-5 Steelers on MNF? Have a feeling they may not even make my bottom-5. Plenty of other bad, likely worse, defending-SB champ campaigns. We’ll see once I see it all closely.

[ChrisBabcock]

Interestingly, the seasons that first popped into my head when I started thinking about this were back to back seasons for one team. The 1998 & 1999 Broncos. From 14-2 defending champs that repeated to 6-10 struggling to find their way with Bubby Brister. I think I'd go with the 1975 Steelers or 1989 or 1990 49ers for best though.

[SixtiesFan]

I recall in 1971 a magazine article that said the Baltimore Colts didn't have much respect as defending Super Bowl champions. However, they did reach the 1971 AFC Championship game before losing to the Dolphins.

[Jay Z]

Best was probably the 1978 Cowboys. They did not come the closest to winning again, that would be the 2014 Seahawks! But an excellent statistical season, and they got to the Super Bowl and competed against a 14-2 team.

I think I would grade most of the teams that got to the Super Bowl pretty well. Maybe my top 5 would be those teams (1978 Cowboys, 1983 Redskins, 1997 Packers, 2014 Seahawks, 2017 Patriots.) 2011 Packers were really not that great a team when you look at the stats. 15-1, but they were outgained. Survived on turnovers. Too one dimensional.

1976 Steelers can't make my top 5. I don't discount for injuries. Tough break, but they couldn't find a way to make a game of it in the AFC Championship.

Not sure who would be the worst. Might be the 1981 Raiders. 1987 Giants, if there's no accounting for the scab games. 1991 Giants weren't very good either.

[BD Sullivan]

The 72 Cowboys didn't have Staubach for a good portion (10 games) of the season after he got injured in the preseason.

[Bryan]

2011 Packers were really not that great a team when you look at the stats. 15-1, but they were outgained. Survived on turnovers. Too one dimensional.

I remember thinking in 2010 that the Packers could win it all even though they were a low seed. They were very talented and seemed to have 'timed' their injuries well that year...guys who were hurt during the regular season were back healthy for the postseason. In 2011, I did not get that same feeling even though the Packers were 15-1. You were just kind of waiting for the dam to burst at some point.

1978 Cowboys were virtually the same team that had won it in 1977. Very tough team stacked with HOFers. I don't think the 83 Redskins had nearly the same talent as the 78 Cowboys, but I think from start to finish the Redskins were regarded as the dominant team in the NFL for that year.

A quick comment about the 1997 Packers. Not as good as their 96 team, but still really good and they cakewalked through the NFC playoffs in 1997. Held the Bucs to 7 points and about 250 yards of offense, then the next week held the Steve Young Niners offense to 3 points and about 250 yards of offense. I guess this can be interpreted different ways, but I think the 1997 Packers played their worst game of the year in the Super Bowl, and they still almost beat a top notch Broncos team. At the time people viewed the Broncos win as a big upset and the Packers were somehow 11 point favorites, but the Broncos in 1996 were an incredible team. They were 12-1 and had clinched HFA, then went 1-2 in their last 3 games when they were resting their players. Denver losing at home in the postseason to the mediocre Jaguars was one of the biggest upsets in postseason history, much bigger IMO than the Broncos beating the Packers in 97. The 1996 Broncos were clearly the best team in the AFC.

The worst team IMO would be the 1982 Niners. After playing terribly all year, including losing a game to a Broncos team that would win one other game that season, the Niners were 3-5 heading into the last game but still had a chance to make the postseason. All they had to do was win a home game against the 1-7 Rams...a team the Niners had beaten earlier in the year. With everything to play for, the Niners blew a 20-7 halftime lead and lost the game.

[L.C. Greenwood]

The worst team IMO would be the 1982 Niners. After playing terribly all year, including losing a game to a Broncos team that would win one other game that season, the Niners were 3-5 heading into the last game but still had a chance to make the postseason. All they had to do was win a home game against the 1-7 Rams...a team the Niners had beaten earlier in the year. With everything to play for, the Niners blew a 20-7 halftime lead and lost the game.[/quote]


Those '82 Niners were a good example of a team not ready to handle unexpected success. Had that team played to the level we thought, they could have challenged the '82 Redskins in the NFC. The two teams would meet in the 1983 NFC TG.