Since the turn of the century, we have seen the New England Patriots dominate the NFL, but where do the other teams rank? Here are the top 10 NFL franchises since 2000.
1) New England Patriots: The Pats need no introduction. Since 2000, the five-time Super Bowl Champions have been in 11 AFC Championship Games and eight Super Bowls. They’ve missed the playoffs only three times this century (2000, 2002, and 2008), which is far better than any other team. This was an incredibly easy choice. It’s not even close.
2) Pittsburgh Steelers: Since the beginning of the 21st century, the Steelers have been in three Super Bowls, winning two, along with six AFC Championship Game appearances. Although they’ve been forced under the Patriots’ shadow (three of those AFC Championship appearances resulted in losses to the Pats), the Steelers have maintained a consistent level of success over the course of this time period, which gives them the No. 2 spot on this list.
3) Baltimore Ravens: For obvious reasons,I can’t stand the Ravens, but they’ve been pretty damn good since 2000. In fact, they won the first Super Bowl of this century (not including the Rams’ victory in the 1999-2000 season), defeating the New York Giants. That was the first of their two trips to the big game, both of which resulted in the Lombardi Trophy returning home to Baltimore. The Ravens have given the Patriots and the Steelers hell in this timespan, facing off against one of the two in three of their four AFC Championship Game appearances. While Baltimore has had some struggles as of late, there is no question that this team’s historically tough, physical defense has made them the 3rd-best team since 2000.
4) New York Giants: The Giants are a really hard team to rank. On one hand, New York has reached three Super Bowls and won two, but on the other hand they’ve struggled to be consistently good like the teams ahead of them on this list. Since 2012, the Giants have made the playoffs only once, and this single trip resulted in a measly one-and-done endeavor. Overall, the two Super Bowl wins (tied for second in this timespan) and three appearances are enough to give them the 4th spot, but if Asante Samuel and Wes Welker had not choked so egregiously, the New York Giants would be nowhere near this list.
5) Indianapolis Colts: The Colts have struggled in the last few years with Andrew Luck’s injury issues, but since 2000 the Colts have been pretty good. They only missed the playoffs one time during the reign of Peyton Manning, the same as the Patriots under Tom Brady. Of course, the Colts under Manning were known for choking in the playoffs, and they certainly earned this reputation, but they did reach two Super Bowls, winning one, along with another trip to the AFC Title Game. The regular season dominance under Manning and his three AFC title game appearances (plus one under Andrew Luck) is enough to put the Colts at No. 5 on this list.
6) Philadelphia Eagles: Because Philly just won its first Super Bowl ever a few months ago, you might say I’m being a prisoner of the moment, but I really don’t think that’s the case. The Eagles’ recent struggles (prior to this past season) have obscured the fact that they’ve been a consistently good (or at least decent) NFL franchise, including a dominant run in the early 2000s. The Eagles’ lost dynasty came from 2001-2004 (same years as the Patriots’ actual dynasty), when they made the NFC Championship Game all four years. Unfortunately for the Eagles, they won only one of these title bouts and the single win was followed by a loss to the Patriots in the Super Bowl (Bill Belichick, if you’re reading this please look back at ‘04 and you’ll see a Patriots team that could actually beat the Eagles in the Super Bowl--they had a defense!). Overall, the Eagles have made six NFC Title Games and two Super Bowls, which lands them at #6.
7) Seattle Seahawks: The Seahawks should probably have three Super Bowl wins in this century; their first trip in 2005 resulted in a loss to the Steelers in the Super Bowl. That game was one of the most controversial NFL games in recent memory, and those that recall this game will remember the outrage directed at the refs by fans and media figures after the Steelers won. The Steelers definitely did not deserve to win this game. The head ref Bill Leavy said himself years later,
“It was a tough thing for me. I kicked two calls in the fourth quarter and I impacted the game, and as an official you never want to do that. It left me with a lot of sleepless nights, and I think about it constantly. I'll go to my grave wishing that I'd been better ... I know that I did my best at that time, but it wasn't good enough ... When we make mistakes, you got to step up and own them. It's something that all officials have to deal with, but unfortunately when you have to deal with it in the Super Bowl it's difficult.”
After the Seahawks loss in Super Bowl XL, their next trip resulted in a win against the Denver Broncos, but the following year, moronic coach Pete Carroll cost them another ring. Of course you can go back and do this with any team, but the Seahawks really should have three Super Bowl rings. Overall, those three appearances are enough to make Seattle No. 7 on this list.
8) Green Bay Packers: The Cheeseheads have had a disappointing century. Not because they’ve been bad (they haven’t), or they wouldn’t be 8th on this list. It’s been disappointing because they could have done a lot better than just one Super Bowl since 2000. That number really is unacceptable for such a storied franchise that’s been led by Brett Favre and Aaron Rodgers over this period. Overall, the one Super Bowl and four trips to the NFC Championship Game are enough to bring the Packers into the fringe of the top 10.
9) Denver Broncos: Deciding who makes the final spots on this list has been incredibly difficult. The Broncos have won one Super Bowl over this time period and have reached three AFC Championship Games--these facts are good enough to put them just ahead of the Saints.
10) New Orleans Saints: The Saints haven’t been that great during this span, but under Drew Brees they’ve won a Super Bowl and been pretty good in the regular season. The one Super Bowl and three NFC Title Game trips are enough to squeeze them into the top 10.
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