Professional Football Researchers Association Forum

The very first two to come to mind (practically standing side-by-side) are the '79 Steelers and '93 Cowboys!

A league-leading 52 turnovers yet Noll's final World Champion still finishes on top! The cracks in the Dynasty were starting to show but just imagine had they not shot themselves in the feet as much as they did along with not having all the injuries they had?? We're talking maybe a 15-1 finish! '79 seems to have more 'bite' than the previous year's better Historically heralded 14-2 installment. Those four-straight convincers between those eggs they laid in Cincy and Jack Murphy is the best example; likely their most-dominant moment of the entire Dynasty! And beating the Rams a much more remarkable accomplishment than what they're given credit for! Back to being that Rams team that they were all-decade-long once that 5-6 start was out the way, and with even more 'bite' with Ferragamo and Tyler; a more SB-win-capable team along with three coaches on their staff - Bud Carson the most notable - recently being with the Steelers thus being quite familiar with them. Yet the 'Burgh still prevails, placing that exclamation point on the Dynasty!

'93 Cowboys...basically a 15-1 team if not for Emmitt's holdout and Lett's Thanksgiving Day gaffe! Yet they needed that finale at Meadowlands in order to get top-seed as opposed to a wild card berth which would have meant #22 not getting that vital bye-week of rest! Maybe '92 was a better team (I simply have them tied), but either way I only see the '79 Steelers as being the better 12-4 team. Who's in 'third'? Can't even imagine right away. More than enough distance. As much as many, including myself, would have liked to have seen them play Houston in SBXXVIII instead of against Buffalo again, I still think Dallas wins by at least 7; and beats Montana's Chiefs by a bit more.

Both Historically outstanding teams in guise of 12-4. Maybe the '83 Raiders are in third. And, no, not that distant a third after all.

Any one of the 2012 through 2015 Patriots would have to be in the conversation.

1997 Broncos would be in that convo--a couple of close losses
and one seemed big but gave up a couple of defensive scores
like the 79 Steelers, not far from 15 wins . . . big point differential
have not made a huge study of it--but they seems right there

Rate them as good as any of the 12-4 teams that won a Super Bowl

1978 Cowboys were pretty good

I don't know why I didn't think of those teams mentioned since my OP as well as it taking me until the very end of that post to mention the '83 Raiders? Of course '97 Broncos and '14 Patriots! I should have remembered the former in that I just wrote about them recently in calling them the best wild card SB winner; definitely better than their 12-4 record, and maybe better than they were the following year. As for those '14 Pats...once that 2-2 start was out of the way (blasted at Arrowhead, 41-14, Wk#4), they had the look of a juggernaut for the remainder. One funny thing though...they were actually #11 in offense and #13 in D! Kind of weird but still a top-tier 12-4 SB-champ to me. And '78 Cowboys? Well, of course! How can I forget a team that (yes, despite losing the SB; I mean, look who it was against) I feel is better than the '83 Raiders and the others you've all mentioned? '00 Ravens and '02 Bucs should at least be brought up, but I don't place them above any of those thus far mentioned. But I still feel that it all begins with the '79 Steelers and then, right after that, the '93 Cowboys. A pair of 15-1s, in my mind.

93 Cowboys but 83 Raiders were strong as well and the last AFC Champion till the 97 Broncos ...

The 02 Bucs are my default answer of this question. Not only did they have the defense with 4-5 HOFers(Rice over Lynch!!) their offense was solid and didn't need to hold teams to single digits to win averaging 35 a game during the playoffs. They had both Keshawn Johnson and McCardell at WR.

Top two teams in terms of point differential at 12-4 were 2012 Patriots and 2019 Patriots. Neither team made the SB.

1997 Broncos are tough. But my final choice might be 2000 Ravens. That defense was just sick. If you're winning with Dilfer I take those odds against the 1997 Broncos.

I would say 83 Raiders. One of the all-time underrated teams, IMHO.

Two two-point losses, one of them to Washington, who they crushed in the SB. They lost twice to the Seahawks in the regular season but walloped them in the playoffs.

Two HOF on offense (Marcus Allen and Cliff Branch), two HOF on defense (Ted Hendricks and Howie Long), plus HOF punter Ray Guy. Other starters included Lester Hayes, Todd Christensen, Alzado, Dave Dalby, and Henry Lawrence. Gregg Pruitt, Greg Townsend, and Bill Pickel played roles on that team. Plus Plunkett. With Tom Flores as HC. Near the end of the regular season, they added another HOF on defense, Mike Haynes.

Now, many of those guys might not have been at their peak that year, but that was a tough group to beat.

2000 Ravens, 93 Cowboys and 79 Steelers were also great teams, likely better than their records as well. These four would make quite a four-team playoff.

Fun factoids...

1999, 2007, and 2017 are the only non-strike NFL seasons from 1978-thru-2020 to not produce a 12-4 finisher!

The Cardinals are the ONLY team to have never posted a 12-4 record!