Professional Football Researchers Association Forum

Which team do you consider the best of each decade? Not the franchise of the decade, but the strongest single-season team of that decade.

I'm not old enough to comment confidently on the '60s, but I'd love to hear your thoughts. I would imagine perhaps the '62 Packers.

'70s - '78 Steelers
'80s - '89 49ers
'90s - '92 Cowboys
'00s - '04 Patriots
'10s - ?
'20s - '24 Eagles

Your choices?

hmmmm

1920s - 1929 Packers
1930s - 1933 Bears or 1934 Bears (undefeated, lost championship)
1940s - 1941 Bears or 1942 Bears (undefeated, lost championship)
1950s - I don't have as strong an opinion here. 1951 Rams had the best offense but lost four games, and the Browns and Lions won three while the Colts won two, and there isn't that much to go on about which team of each was best. I'll say the '59 Colts because of the star power. But I could be talked out of this.
1960s - 1962 Packers
1970s - 1972 Dolphins
1980s - 1985 Bears
1990s - 1993 Cowboys
2000s - 2004 Patriots or 2007 Patriots (undefeated, lost championship)
2010s - 2016 Patriots
2020s - I guess 2022 KC, or maybe the Eagles in '24. I don't think the best team of the 2020s has played yet, simply because I'm not sold on anyone so far.

85 Bears over 84 or 89 49ers? Thats bold, Jack !

1940s -- 1943 Bears -- passing juggernaut! With Benton instead of Kavanaugh that year.

1950s -- 1959 Colts -- offense could turn it up anytime. 53 Lions and 54 Browns are close.

1960s -- 1966 Packers -- its easy to say 1962 but the Packers won two championship games in 1966. A better defense I believe

1970s -- 1975 Steelers -- Defense was humming even with Greene hobbled.

1980s -- 1984 or 1989 49ers -- coin flip

1990s -- 1993 Cowboys -- too much defensive speed

2000s -- 2004 Patriots or 2007 Patriots -- 2007 team picked the worst game to allow pressure on Brady.

2010s -- 2013 Seahawks -- should have repeated in 2014

2020s -- 2023 Chiefs -- turned it up in postseason

Brian wolf wrote: ↑Mon Jul 27, 2026 2:17 pm 85 Bears over 84 or 89 49ers? Thats bold, Jack !


1990s -- 1993 Cowboys -- too much defensive speed

The 1989 49ers played a much harder schedule than 84

The 1992 Cowboys beat better playoff opponents

its interesting to me that after 6 SBs in the 2020s decade, we have have just one team with 2 SBs in KC who would have the current edge.

But with four more SBs to go, ReadJack could be right in that another team could yet emerge

Plus 1960s 70s 80s 90s 00s 10s decades all had one team win 3+ championships-its possible 2020s only has team(s) with 2

CSKreager wrote: ↑Mon Jul 27, 2026 2:19 pm

Brian wolf wrote: ↑Mon Jul 27, 2026 2:17 pm 85 Bears over 84 or 89 49ers? Thats bold, Jack !


1990s -- 1993 Cowboys -- too much defensive speed

The 1989 49ers played a much harder schedule than 84

The 1992 Cowboys beat better playoff opponents

I’m with you on 89 over 84 (89 also had Jerry Rice whereas 84 didn’t if you want to talk individual players)

But I might take 93 over 92. 92 certainly had better playoff opponents, but 93 was a better team statistically, and if you are one to talk about losses that were flukes, if Leon Lett doesn’t touch that one ball, or recovers it, they win that game, and Emmitt Smith also held out the first two games, one of which they lost and it was close.

So that team could’ve been 13-3 or 14-2.

92 faced better playoff opponents and the Super Bowl performance was more dominant though, so it’s close.

'92 Cowboys averaged 25.6 ppg (2nd in NFL) and gave up 15.2 ppg (5th in the NFL). 13-3
'93 Cowboys averaged 23.5 ppg (2nd in NFL) and gave up 14.3 ppg (2nd in NFL). 12-4

Kind of a wash no?

1990s -- 1993 Cowboys -- too much defensive speed

Playing against a worn down Bills team in the Super Bowl will make you look fast.

Brian wolf wrote: ↑Mon Jul 27, 2026 2:17 pm 1940s -- 1943 Bears -- passing juggernaut! With Benton instead of Kavanaugh that year.

1960s -- 1966 Packers -- its easy to say 1962 but the Packers won two championship games in 1966.

I wouldn't count the 1943 Bears, because the war had definitely reduced the caliber of play by then. I'd say their 1941 team was the best.

As for the Packers, it's true they "only" won one championship that year, but if they'd been given a chance they would've won the second -- i.e., against the Texans -- by 30 points, so I don't know if that should count against them.

Youre right Bob ... I just think its interesting that the Bears emphatically showed what the forward pass could do. Even before the Browns, who might have had the best team of the decade with that undefeated 1948 team. Imagine had the Bears had Kavanaugh that year? Luckman might have had over 30 TD passes in 10 games!