Written by Cameron DaSilva at FoxSports.com
“Dynasty” is a term that’s not thrown around very often. It’s saved for the very best of the best when it comes to teams dominating their respective sport for a significant stretch of time.
The NFL has had several dynasties in its days, from the ‘50s to present day with the New England Patriots. Each reigned in its own way, from the Cowboys’ trio in the ‘90s to the Steelers’ “Steel Curtain” of the ‘70s.
In an effort to separate the best of the best from one another, we ranked the greatest dynasties in NFL history. They qualify as teams that won multiple championships over the course of several years, while also making several deep playoff runs and Super Bowl appearances.
9 Washington Redskins (1982-1991)
Playoff appearances: 7
Super Bowl appearances: 4
Super Bowl wins: 3
The Redskins of the ‘80s and early ‘90s get overlooked fairly often because they didn’t win a whole bunch of titles with the same quarterback. Instead, they went the unconventional route to win three Super Bowls with three different QBs: Joe Theismann, Doug Williams, and Mark Rypien. Jay Schroeder even contributed a great deal in 1987, but it was Williams who started and won the Super Bowl.
Joe Gibbs was the mainstay at the helm, orchestrating each Super Bowl-winning team as the head coach. While their lulls tend to downplay their “dynasty” tag – three straight years of finishing third in the division – their peaks were as good as any. Winning three Super Bowls in 10 years with seven playoff appearances isn’t something many teams have done.
8 Miami Dolphins (1970-1974)
Playoff appearances: 5
Super Bowl appearances: 3
Super Bowl wins: 2
Some may not consider the Dolphins a dynasty because their run was only five years’ long, but it was a stretch that was challenged by very few teams. As soon as Don Shula took over in 1970, the Dolphins were perennial contenders. They made the playoffs in each of his first five seasons, reaching the Super Bowl three times with two victories. Not once did they rank outside the top 10 in points or yards, which shows just how strong they were offensively.
Oh, and the 1972 Dolphins are the only team in NFL history to go wire-to-wire without a single loss, going 14-0 in the regular season and winning Super Bowl VII. That certainly counts for plenty, considering it’s never been done since.
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