Best NFL Franchises in History (mathematically proven)

[NICKinDALLAS]

A local radio host (from Wisconsin and with a Packers tatoo) put this together. So whaddaya think?

NFL Franchise Rankings, Version 7.0


You asked for it, or maybe you didn't. But it is back. The NFL Franchise Rankings, through Super Bowl 42.

To recap, a few years ago, a good strong listener asked me to rank the franchises from #32 to #1 based on their accomplishments from Super Bowl I to present.

So I did. I wanted it to be objective, not subjective. I wanted it to be a formula and you would just enter the numbers and it would spit out the rankings with no favoritism or prejudice.

Here is how it works. Each Franchise gets 1 point for each season it makes the playoffs. Then, if it reaches the Conference Championship Game it gets a total of 3 points. If it makes the Super Bowl it gets 5, and if it wins the Super Bowl it wins the maximum total of points in a given year of 11. It used to be 10 for the Super Bowl, but I have adjusted it this year because I didn’t like the idea that 2 Super Bowl losses equaled a Super Bowl win. So, Now 11 points for a win and 5 for a loss in the Super Bowl.

I have been asked why no points are given for wins in the Wildcard round, but I decided that would not make sense with the idea that the playoffs have grown over the years and there is no way to equalize a smaller field to a larger one. Also, a Wildcard win is not that big a deal anymore with 6 teams in the playoffs, so unless you reach the Conference Title game, no additional points beyond the 1 for making the post-season.

Just add up the points for all the years, and that is the entire formula. Otherwise, I break ties based on the team with more Super Bowl wins, then Super Bowl losses, then Championship Game wins, etc. There are no ties. I will settle it somehow.

Explanation of Years: Just the year means they made the playoffs (1 point). Year followed by “C” means they lost in the Conference Championship Game (3 points), Year followed by “SL” means they lost the Super Bowl (5 points), and Year followed by “S” means they won the Super Bowl (11 points).



#32 – The Houston Texans
Total Points: 0
Total Playoff Years: None

Still at #32.



#31 – The Arizona/St Louis Cardinals (31)
Total Points: 4
Total Playoff Years: 74, 75, 82, 98

Holding steady at 31.



#30 – The New Orleans Saints (30)
Total Points: 8
Total Playoff Years: 87, 90, 91, 92, 00, 06C

Same Spot.



#29 – The Jacksonville Jaguars (29)
Total Points: 10
Total Playoff Years: 96C, 97, 98, 99C, 05, 07

Up 1 point, with the Playoff spot.




#28 - Detroit Lions (28)
Total Points: 11
Total Playoff Years: 70, 82, 83, 91C, 93, 94, 95, 97, 99

Same Spot



#27 - Carolina Panthers (27)
Total Points: 11
Total Playoff Years: 96C, 03SL, 05C

Same Spot



#26 – The Atlanta Falcons (26)
Total Points: 14
Total Playoff Years: 78, 80, 82, 91, 95, 98SL, 02, 04C

Same Spot.



#25 – The Baltimore Ravens (25)
Total Points: 14
Total Playoff Years: 00S, 01, 03, 06

Same spot.



#24 - The Seattle Seahawks
Total Points: 16
Total Playoff Years: 83C, 84, 87, 88, 99, 03, 04, 05SL, 06, 07

The Bengals hold the tiebreaker here, as they have been to more Super Bowls than the Seahawks.



#23 - The Cincinnati Bengals (23)
Total Points: 16
Total Playoff Years: 70, 73, 75, 81SL, 82, 88SL, 90, 05

Same Spot.



#22 The San Diego Chargers (22)
Total Points: 20
Total Playoff Years: 79, 80C, 81C, 82, 92, 94SL, 95, 04, 06, 07C

Another 3 points for the Chargers, but no leapfrogging.



#21 - The Cleveland Browns (20)
Total Points: 24
Total Playoff Years: 67, 68C, 69C, 71, 72, 80, 82, 85, 86C, 87C, 88, 89C, 94, 02

Down a spot, as Tampa Passed by.



#20 The Tampa Bay Buccaneers (21)
Total Points: 24
Total Playoff Years: 79C, 81, 82, 97, 99C, 00, 01, 02S, 05, 07

Their playoff spot knocked them into the Top 20, passing the Cleveland by virtue of the Super Bowl title tiebreaker.



#19 - The New York Jets
Total Points: 26
Total Playoff Years: 68S, 69, 81, 82C, 85, 86, 91, 98C, 01, 02, 04, 06

Same Spot



#18 - The Tennessee Titans/Houston Oilers (18)
Total Points: 29
Total Playoff Years: 67C, 69, 78C, 79C, 80, 87, 88, 89, 90, 91, 92, 93, 99SL, 00, 02C, 03, 07

Added point, same spot.





#17 - The Philadelphia Eagles (17)
Total Points: 30
Total Playoff Years: 78, 79, 80SL, 81, 88, 89, 90, 92, 95, 96, 00, 01C, 02C, 03C, 04SL, 06

Same Spot



#16 - The Kansas City Chiefs (16)
Total Points: 30
Total Playoff Years: 66SL, 68, 69S, 71, 86, 90, 91, 92, 93C, 94, 95, 97, 03, 06

Same Spot



#15 - The Chicago Bears (15)
Total Points: 31
Total Playoff Years: 77, 79, 84C, 85S, 86, 87, 88C, 90, 91, 94, 01, 05, 06SL

Same Spot



#14 - The Buffalo Bills
Total Points: 34
Total Playoff Years: 66C, 74, 80, 81, 88C, 89, 90SL, 91SL, 92SL, 93SL, 95, 96, 98, 99

Same Spot



#13 - The New York Giants (13)
Total Points: 47
Total Playoff Years: 81, 84, 85, 86S, 89, 90S, 93, 97, 00SL, 02, 05, 06, 07S

This year's big winner gained 11 unexpected points for their Super Bowl win. But, oddly, the gap was so big that they didn't pass anyone in the rankings. But now, they are hot on the heels of the Vikings and Colts.



#12 - The Minnesota Vikings (11)
Total Points: 48
Total Playoff Years: 68, 69SL, 70, 71, 73SL, 74SL, 75, 76SL, 77C, 78, 80, 82, 87C, 88, 89, 92, 93, 94, 96, 97, 98C, 99, 00C, 04

Dropped a spot to the Colts this season.



#11 - Indianapolis/Baltimore Colts (12)
Total Points: 48
Total Playoff Years: 68SL, 70S, 71C, 75, 76, 77, 87, 95C, 96, 99, 00, 02, 03C, 04, 05, 06S, 07

Up one spot with a one and done in 2007.



#10 - The St Louis/Los Angeles Rams (10)
Total Points: 50
Total Playoff Years: 67, 69, 73, 74C, 75C, 76C, 77, 78C, 79SL, 80, 83, 84, 85C, 86, 88, 89C, 99S, 00, 01SL, 03, 04

Same spot as last season.



#9 - The Green Bay Packers
Total Points: 53
Total Playoff Years: 66S, 67S, 72, 82, 93, 94, 95C, 96S, 97SL, 98, 01, 02, 03, 04, 07C

They had higher ideas when the Championship game was at Lambeau, but 3 more points in the bank for the Packers.



#8 - The Washington Redskins (7)
Total Points: 56
Total Playoff Years: 71, 72SL, 73, 74, 76, 82S, 83SL, 84, 86C, 87S, 90, 91S, 92, 99, 05, 07

Gained a point, but lost a spot to New England.



#7 - The Miami Dolphins (6)
Total Points: 57
Total Playoff Years: 70, 71SL, 72S, 73S, 74, 78, 79, 81, 82SL, 83, 84SL, 85C, 90, 92C, 94, 95, 97, 98, 99, 00, 01

Just about had a winless 2007, and fell a spot as the Patriots jumped them, Washington, and the Broncos. They sit behind the Broncos by virtue of a tie-breaker (Broncos total Super Bowls, 6-5)



#6 - The Denver Broncos (5)
Total Points: 57
Total Playoff Years: 77SL, 78, 79, 83, 84, 86SL, 87SL, 89SL, 91C, 93, 96, 97S, 98S, 00, 03, 04, 05C

Missed the playoffs this year, and fell below the New England Patriots.



#5 - The New England Patriots (8)
Total Points: 59
Total Playoff Years: 76, 78, 82, 85SL, 86, 94, 96SL, 97, 98, 01S, 03S, 04S, 05, 06C, 07SL

Into the top 5 for the Patriots, but they have to be thinking they lost several points in Super Bowl XLII.



#4 - The Oakland Raiders (4)
Total Points: 77
Total Playoff Years: 67SL, 68C, 69C, 70C, 72, 73C, 74C, 75C, 76S, 77C, 80S, 82, 83S, 84, 85, 90C, 91, 93, 00C, 01, 02SL

Tradition is fading a bit. Tough times for Al Davis and the proud Raiders.



#3 - The San Francisco 49ers (3)
Total Points: 85
Total Playoff Years: 70C, 71C, 72, 81S, 83C, 84S, 85, 86, 87, 88S, 89S, 90C, 92C, 93C, 94S, 95, 96, 97C, 98, 01, 02

No Change for the first team that won 5 Super Bowls.



#2 - The Pittburgh Steelers (2)
Total Points: 91
Total Playoff Years: 72C, 73, 74S, 75S, 76C, 77, 78S, 79S, 82, 83, 84C, 89, 92, 93, 94C, 95SL, 96, 97C, 01C, 02, 04C, 05S, 07

Another team with high hopes in the 2007 playoffs, but Jacksonville had other idea. Nevertheless, they still sit well in the 2nd position.



#1 - The Dallas Cowboys (Last Year, #1)
Total Points: 107
Total Playoff Years: 66C, 67C, 68, 69, 70SL, 71S, 72C, 73C, 75SL, 76, 77S, 78SL, 79, 80C, 81C, 82C, 83, 85, 91, 92S, 93S, 94C, 95S, 96, 98, 99, 03, 06, 07

The Cowboys remain the undisputed Champ since Super Bowl I. They added only 1 point in 2007, but their cushion remains substantial.

[JGAC]

#5 is good I guess.

[NICKinDALLAS]

Sure it is JGAC, with 59 pts your just (ever so slightly) over half way to #1.

[Rusty27]

No homer comments from me this time. I'll agree with your #1 ranking. I think it's a good system.

[NICKinDALLAS]

I think that it makes sense as well, regardless of where the 'Boys end up. And again, it was devised by a Packers fan.

[BaldBil]

A better syetem than any I've seen before. I would like to see it modified to include the entire history of the NFL inclusive of AFL statistics.

[NICKinDALLAS]

AFL Championship Game appearances 1960-69
Num Team W L PCT
5 L A/San Diego Chargers 1 4 .200
4 Houston Oilers 2 2 .500
3 Dallas Texans/Kansas City Chiefs 3 0 1.00
3 Buffalo Bills 2 1 .667
3 Oakland Raiders 1 2 .333
1 New York Jets 1 0 1.00
1 Boston Patriots 0 1 .000

NFL Championship Game appearances 1933-1969

# Team W L PCT
14 New York Giants 3 11 .214
11 Cleveland Browns 4 7 .364
10 Green Bay Packers 8 2 .800
10 Chicago Bears 6 4 .600
6 Boston/Washington Redskins 2 4 .333
5 Detroit Lions 4 1 .800
5 Cleveland/Los Angeles Rams 2 3 .400
4 Baltimore Colts 3 1 .750
4 Philadelphia Eagles 3 1 .750
2 Chicago Cardinals 1 1 .500
2 Dallas Cowboys 0 2 .000
1 Minnesota Vikings 1 0 1.000

[NICKinDALLAS]

But now we've got over lapping years as Super Bowl I was in '66.

[Shane]

I was told there would be no math.

[NICKinDALLAS]

I'm with you. Let's leave well enough alone!

[Shane]

In hindsight, if we take the square root of the number of playoff appearances, multiply that by the cosine of the number of Super Bowl appearances, and divide by the number of tangents of Super Bowl victories, then we should be able to figure out how many waffles you can fit in a bird house.

My brain just exploded. It's been a long time since I took calculus.

[BaldBil]

Birds make waffles?

[Rusty27]

Not all waffles. Just eggo waffles.