NFL Quarter Century: 25 greatest teams since 2000, including many Patriots squads

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The NFL is entering its 2025 season, which means we’re a quarter of the way through this century of football. All week long, Yahoo Sports Senior NFL Writer Frank Schwab will dive into the past 25 years in the league.

More: All-Quarter Century Team | 25 best draft picks

Since 2000, there have been 10 NFL teams to outscore their regular-season opponents by 200 or more points. There are many ways to measure a team’s dominance, but point differential is a simple and arguably the most telling one.

And of those 10 teams that outscored their opponents by at least 200 points, exactly zero won a Super Bowl.

That’s variance in a competitive NFL with a one-and-done playoff format. The best teams don’t always win a title. Some of the greatest teams of the past 25 years didn’t even make the Super Bowl. The best team of the past quarter century — perhaps the best team in NFL history — didn’t get a ring. It happens, and it has happened plenty over the past 25 seasons.

Here are the top 25 NFL teams of the past 25 seasons.

25. 2022 Bills

13-3

AFC No. 2 seed

Lost in divisional round

NFL history might have changed without the only canceled regular-season game (not counting labor disputes) in modern times. The medical emergency with Bills safety Damar Hamlin was obviously more important than chasing a Super Bowl, but it cost Buffalo a shot at home-field advantage. The Bills finished 13-3, behind the 14-3 Chiefs (Buffalo owned the head-to-head tiebreaker over Kansas City). A team that was second in points scored and points allowed ran up against a hot Bengals team in the divisional round and lost, creating an unfortunate what-if for Buffalo fans. This team could have won a Super Bowl.

24. 2015 Panthers

15-1

NFC No. 1 seed

Lost Super Bowl 50

In the spirit of not holding one game against any team, maybe a Panthers team that went 15-1 should be higher. But Carolina came up short in that Super Bowl against the Broncos, an imperfect ending to a great season that included Cam Newton winning an MVP award.

23. 2020 Bucs

11-5

NFC No. 5 seed

Won Super Bowl LV

This is an unusual inclusion on the list, because the Buccaneers were 7-5 at one point and didn’t win their division. But 2020 was a weird season, and when the Buccaneers got it together they finished with eight straight wins, including a dominant 31-9 win over the Chiefs in the Super Bowl. The offense had Tom Brady, Mike Evans, Rob Gronkowski and Antonio Brown. Tampa’s defense also finished top 10 with Lavonte David, Jason Pierre-Paul, Ndamukong Suh and Vita Vea. This was a very good team that took a while to bloom.

22. 2009 Saints

13-3

NFC No. 1 seed

Won Super Bowl XLIV

The Saints’ 2018 team, which was robbed of a Super Bowl chance by a terrible non-call on an obvious pass interference against the Rams in the NFC championship game, might have actually been the best of the Sean Payton/Drew Brees era. But this Saints team was also very good and won it all. Brees is one of the greatest quarterbacks ever and the defense had a knack for big plays. They were a worthy champion.

21. 2024 Lions

15-2

NFC No. 1 seed

Lost in divisional round

The greatest Lions team of the Super Bowl era fell short of making the first Super Bowl in team history, losing in the divisional round. Injuries decimated Detroit’s defense by the end of the season. But it was a 15-2 team that had to beat out a 14-3 Vikings team for the division, had a great offense and was one of those rare teams with a point differential of more than 200. Falling short of a championship was crushing.

20. 2006 Chargers (lost in AFC divisional round)

14-2

AFC No. 1 seed

Lost in divisional round

They went 14-2 and were absolutely loaded, starting with Philip Rivers, LaDainian Tomlinson and Antonio Gates among their nine Pro Bowlers. It’s one of the most talented teams of the past 25 years. This was the Chargers team that should have won a Super Bowl, but got upset in the divisional round by the Patriots. It’s unfortunate because this team’s greatness shouldn’t be forgotten.

19. 2002 Buccaneers

12-4

NFC No. 2 seed

Won Super Bowl XXXVII

This Buccaneers team wasn’t great on offense, but Tampa’s defense had four future Hall of Famers (Warren Sapp, Derrick Brooks, Ronde Barber and John Lynch) and other fantastic players, like Simeon Rice. One of the best defenses ever easily gets a spot on this list.

18. 2005 Colts

14-2

AFC No. 1 seed

Lost in divisional round

These Colts started 13-0 and rarely trailed during that streak. Sitting starters late in the season for multiple games was a mistake, because they were rusty in a divisional-round upset loss to the Steelers. The Colts won the Super Bowl the following season, but this team with Peyton Manning, Edgerrin James, Marvin Harrison, Reggie Wayne, Dallas Clark and a defense that was second in points allowed was the best Colts team of that era.

17. 2008 Steelers

12-4

AFC No. 2 seed

Won Super Bowl XLIII

It’s possible the 2004 team that went 15-1 or the 2010 team that came up short against the Packers in the Super Bowl were actually Pittsburgh’s best teams of this era. But this team, with a great playmaking defense, came back to knock off the Cardinals in a thrilling Super Bowl. So it makes the list.

16. 2013 Broncos

13-3

AFC No. 1 seed

Lost Super Bowl XLVIII

The Peyton Manning-era Broncos won a Super Bowl but you won’t find the 2015 team on this list, although the defense was stellar. The 2015 team might have been the fourth best of Manning’s four Broncos seasons. The 2012 team might have actually been the best, but we’ll include the 2013 Broncos because of an offense that is still the only in NFL history to reach 600 points. Manning threw for 5,477 yards and 55 touchdowns, which remain single-season records. They just lost (badly) to a similarly great Seahawks team in the Super Bowl.

15. 2001 Rams

14-2

NFC No. 1 seed

Lost Super Bowl XXXVI

The 2001 Rams were an offensive machine that had a top-10 defense and lost three games all season by a combined 13 points. Unfortunately for their legacy, one of those losses was an upset to the Patriots in the Super Bowl. Still, an offense that had four Hall of Famers (it’ll be five if Torry Holt gets in) still gets remembered fondly, as it should.

14. 2014 Seahawks

12-4

NFC No. 1 seed

Lost Super Bowl XLIX

The biggest what-if in Super Bowl history might be the Seahawks’ decision to not hand the ball to Marshawn Lynch at the 1-yard line. Malcolm Butler picked off Russell Wilson, and the Seahawks had a potential dynasty end with just one title. This 2014 team was fantastic, it just went up against another great team in an all-time great Super Bowl.

13. 2010 Packers

10-6

NFC No. 6 seed

Won Super Bowl XLV

The 2010 Packers were just 10-6 but that’s misleading. They never lost by more than four points and were the first team since 1970 to never trail by more than seven points over an entire season. They also had 15 players on injured reserve by the end of the season but still won the Super Bowl as a wild card. It’s probably the best six-loss team ever and a deserving Super Bowl champion.

12. 2017 Eagles

13-3

NFC No. 1 seed

Won Super Bowl LII

The 2017 Eagles are the only team on this list to lose an MVP favorite at quarterback during the season and still win the Super Bowl. That’s how good they were. Nick Foles took over at QB after Carson Wentz tore his ACL, and a superb team on both sides of the ball kept right on going to the first Super Bowl title in franchise history. They beat an excellent Patriots team that easily could have made this top 25 list as well.

11. 2000 Ravens

12-4

AFC No. 4 seed

Won Super Bowl XXXV

The legend of the 2000 Ravens continues to grow. Do you remember they weren’t the 2000 AFC Central champions? The Titans won the division. But the Ravens have an elevated place in NFL history due to a phenomenal defense that carried them through a dominant playoff run. The offense wasn’t great, the defense was all-time great, and the latter is what we’ll always remember.

10. 2011 Packers

15-1

NFC No. 1 seed

Lost in divisional round

Aaron Rodgers’ 2011 season might have been the best a quarterback has ever produced. He was almost perfect that season, with 45 touchdowns and six interceptions and an NFL record 122.5 passer rating. The Packers were 15-1 in the regular season, with just a 19-14 loss to the Chiefs in their 14th game, but got upset by the Giants in their first playoff game. Does that one loss make this Packers team worse than the one that won a Super Bowl a year before? Probably not, but it’s a good argument.

9. 2019 Ravens

14-2

AFC No. 1 seed

Lost in divisional round

The 2019 Ravens are the forgotten version of the 2007 Patriots. But while we remember the 2007 Patriots’ greatness, the dominance of this Ravens team is already lost to history. The 14-2 Ravens were phenomenal behind Lamar Jackson’s unanimous MVP season and a top-five defense. They had 12 Pro Bowlers, which tied an NFL record. Pro Football Reference’s simple rating system ranks the 2019 Ravens as the second-best team of the past 25 seasons and the sixth-best of the Super Bowl era. They had the second-biggest point differential of the past 25 seasons. But when you lose in the divisional round, you get forgotten quickly. Had Baltimore won the Super Bowl this season, they’d be considered one of the greatest teams in NFL history. If the Ravens never win a title with Jackson, this postseason failure against the Titans will be the biggest regret.

8. 2024 Eagles

14-3

NFC No. 2 seed

Won Super Bowl LIX

The Eagles were overshadowed all season by the Lions and Chiefs, who each won 15 games. But Philadelphia was dominant after a slow start. The Eagles lost one game after a 2-2 September, and that came in the final 10 seconds on the road at Washington after losing Jalen Hurts to a concussion. They had offensive stars led by Saquon Barkley and the No. 1-ranked defense in the NFL. The domination of the Chiefs in the Super Bowl was validation of their greatness.

7. 2014 Patriots

12-4

AFC No. 1 seed

Won Super Bowl XLIX

Since it seems like the Patriots won titles just about every season with Tom Brady, it’s easy to forget they went nine seasons without a Super Bowl title. This talented team broke that streak with a dramatic comeback win over the Seahawks. Seattle’s decision to not hand it to Marshawn Lynch at the goal line and Malcolm Butler’s amazing interception changed how we think about two different teams from that era.

6. 2022 Chiefs

14-3

AFC No. 1 seed

Won Super Bowl LVII

The Chiefs went 14-3, got an MVP season from Patrick Mahomes, and Steve Spagnuolo’s defense made strides that would help Kansas City reinvent itself during a dynasty. The three losses came by a combined 10 points, and like most Chiefs teams this era, it was clutch. The Chiefs’ late-game heroics included a last-minute drive to beat the Eagles in the Super Bowl.

5. 2013 Seahawks

13-3

NFC No. 1 seed

Won Super Bowl XLVIII

The 2013 Broncos had the highest-scoring offense in NFL history, and the Seahawks nearly shut them out in the Super Bowl. This Seahawks “Legion of Boom” defense was unbelievable, with a pretty good offense led by a young Russell Wilson and Marshawn Lynch. They had a great run, and this was the lone title.

4. 2004 Patriots

14-2

AFC No. 2 seed

Won Super Bowl XXXIX

The 2003 and 2004 Patriots both went 14-2 and won a Super Bowl. But it was the 2004 team that put everything together. No longer was the offense just OK, propped up by a great defense. Tom Brady had his best individual season to that point and these Patriots were fourth in the NFL in points scored and second in points allowed. The 2001 and 2003 teams were great in their own ways, but this was the first complete Patriots team of a long dynasty.

3. 2016 Patriots

14-2

AFC No. 1 seed

Won Super Bowl LI

We remember this team for its comeback from 28-3 down in the Super Bowl. It’s also arguably the best Patriots Super Bowl-winning team. New England went 14-2 and Tom Brady would likely have been MVP had he not missed four games due to Deflategate (Brady had an absurd 28-2 touchdown-to-interception ratio). The Patriots dominated their first two playoff games and then had plenty of magic in the greatest comeback in Super Bowl history.

2. 2019 Chiefs

12-4

AFC No. 2 seed

Won Super Bowl LIV

The Chiefs’ first Super Bowl title team in 50 years was the peak of the dynasty, to date. They lost four games but each of them was by seven points or less. Patrick Mahomes, Travis Kelce and Tyreek Hill were the core of a great offense that had a remarkable comeback to beat the 49ers in the Super Bowl.

1. 2007 Patriots

16-0

AFC No. 1 seed

Lost Super Bowl XLII

This isn’t just the greatest team of the last 25 seasons. It’s probably the greatest team in NFL history. Their +315 point differential is the best in NFL history. Pro Football Reference’s simple rating system has the 2007 Patriots as the highest ranked team ever, and by a significant margin. They’re the only team to go 16-0 in an NFL regular season. Bill Belichick, Tom Brady and Randy Moss are among the greatest at their jobs ever, and they were all at their peak this season. Alas, placing them first on the list will lead to some consternation, and we all know why. The Patriots lost the Super Bowl to the Giants, who played a great game, with the defensive line taking over and a helmet catch we’ll remember forever. Because the 2007 Patriots didn’t win a championship, many will eliminate them from consideration as the greatest ever. But this is the best team to take the field in the last 25 seasons and maybe in any season. Without any doubt, they’re the greatest team in NFL history to not win a ring.

This news was originally published on this post .

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