The 25 best NFL teams from the 1980s

Following up on Super Bowl disappointment in 1980, the Eagles went 10-6 in 1981 with the top defense in the NFL, allowing only 13.8 points per game. Despite the team’s strong season, they floundered late in the year, losing five of their last six regular season games before a 27-21 loss to the Giants in the Wild Card Round. However, Philly’s plus-147 point differential ranks 12th best in the decade.

The 1987 Saints squad had a terrific regular season, going 12-3 and ranking second in points scored and fifth in points allowed. Unfortunately, the offense was suffocated by Minnesota in the Wild Card Round of the playoffs, losing 44-10. The Saints’ offense was led by quarterback Bobby Hebert, who threw for over 2,100 yards and 15 touchdowns in 12 games.

Overshadowed by the dominant 1985 Bears, San Francisco had a strong team in their own right that finished fifth in points scored and second in points allowed to Chicago. The 49ers had excellent seasons from Joe Montana and Roger Craig to go 10-6, but they fell to the Giants in the Wild Card Round.

The 1984 Seahawks started the regular season 12-2 before losing the last two games of the regular season in blowouts. The sudden struggles of the defense that ranked fifth in points allowed foretold a 31-10 loss to the explosive Dolphins in the Divisional Round. The 12 regular season wins were easily the best in franchise history and stood as a franchise record until 2005.

The Falcons make an appearance on the list with their 12-4 squad from 1980, which finished top five in the NFL in both points scored and points allowed. Quarterback Steve Bartkowski and running back William Andrews had outstanding seasons, but an overtime loss in Week 16 was a precursor for the team’s 30-27 playoff loss to the Cowboys in the Divisional Round.

Second-year quarterback John Elway went 12-2 as a starter during the regular season to help Denver finish 13-3 and flash the top defense in the NFL. Still, the team showed some blemishes late in the year, losing two of their last four games before a 24-17 defeat at the hands of Pittsburgh in the Divisional Round.

Miami took off after rookie Dan Marino became the starting quarterback, going 7-2 to finish the regular season 12-4. Supported by the top defense in the league, the team was upset by Seattle in the Divisional Round of the playoffs after a late comeback.

The 1988 Vikings are often forgotten after getting blown out by San Francisco in the Divisional Round, but their dominance in an 11-5 regular season was notable. The team’s plus-173 point differential was seventh best in the decade with a Pro Bowl season from quarterback Wade Wilson and great defensive performances from Chris Doleman, Carl Lee, and Jesse Solomon.

The 1988 Bears defense doesn’t quite stack up to 1985 or 1986, but it remained dominant with only 13.4 points allowed per game. Chicago went 12-4 during the regular season as a result of Mike Ditka’s great defense, but the offensively-challenged squad lost 28-3 to San Francisco in the Conference Championship.

The story of the 1980 Cowboys was an elite offense, leading the NFL with 28.4 points per game as Danny White threw 28 touchdowns and Tony Dorsett rushed for 1,185 yards. However, those who say great defense beats great offense were proven correct in the playoffs, as the No. 1 ranked defense Philadelphia took down Dallas 20-7 in the NFC Conference Championship.

Head coaching phenom Dıck Vermeil turned around the Eagles organization in his six seasons, but he never won the big one while in Philly. The closest the team came was in 1980, losing to the Raiders in the Super Bowl. The team did go 12-4 during the regular season with the top defense in football, led by Claude Humphrey’s 15.5 sacks.

The 1982 season was disrupted due to a players’ strike, with each team playing only nine games. Washington showed its muster by going 8-1 during the regular season and winning four playoff games, all by double-digits. Washington had the best defense in the league, allowing only 14.2 points per game, and beat the Dolphins 24-14 in Super Bowl XVII.

Oakland won their second Super Bowl in five years, with emerging quarterback Jim Plunkett giving the franchise a boost. He threw for nearly 2,300 yards in 13 regular season games, while the defense got terrific seasons from Lester Hayes and Ted Hendricks to help them go 11-5.

San Francisco had a disappointing end result after going 13-2 in the regular season, leading the NFL in points and finishing third-best in points allowed. The 49ers were upset by Minnesota in the Divisional Round, as Joe Montana was pulled in the third quarter after throwing a pick-six.

The 1988 49ers weren’t the best team of the franchise’s great decade, but they sure came up big when it counted. The heroics of Joe Montana and Jerry Rice shined in a come-from-behind 20-16 win over the Bengals in Super Bowl XXIII. San Francisco lost six games during the regular season, but they finished top 10 in points scored and points allowed.

The 49ers had a remarkable turnaround in 1981 after losing ten games in 1980. The promotion of Joe Montana as the regular starting quarterback resulted in a 13-3 regular season, though the defense led by Ronnie Lott played an important role with only 15.6 points allowed per game. San Francisco won a classic NFC Championship Game against the Cowboys 28-27, before beating Cincinnati 26-21 in the Super Bowl.

Washington won their second Super Bowl of the decade in 1987 after an 11-4 regular season, with the fourth-ranked offense and sixth-ranked defense in the NFL. The team had injuries throughout the year at quarterback, and Doug Williams became the first black quarterback to start and win a Super Bowl when he defeated Denver in Super Bowl XXII. Williams started and lost two games during the regular season, but he still helped fuel a deep roster.

Washington had a brilliant season under Joe Gibbs that was only halted in the Super Bowl by the Raiders. They led the NFL with 33.8 points per game, the most in the decade, as Joe Theismann threw for 29 touchdowns and the running back duo of John Riggins and Joe Washington combined for over 2,000 yards. After beating San Francisco in a classic NFC Championship, the 14-2 Washington team was down to the Raiders early in Super Bowl XVIII and couldn’t recover.

The Raiders sported an elite offense with Jim Plunkett under center and Marcus Allen the primary runner, averaging 27.6 points per game en route to a 12-4 regular season record. The team’s dominance in three playoff games showed how much better they were than the rest of the pack, outscoring opponents in three games 106-33.

The 1984 Dolphins featured one of the best offenses of the decade, led by MVP Dan Marino. The MVP quarterback threw for an unprecedented 5,084 yards and 48 touchdowns, helping the offense average 32.1 points per game. After scoring 76 points over the team’s first two playoff games, the Dolphins fell 38-16 to San Francisco in the Super Bowl. It was a disappointing ending after going 14-2 during the regular season.

The Bears entered 1986 as Super Bowl favorites and backed up expectations with a 14-2 regular season and an amazing 11.7 points allowed per game. Unfortunately, quarterback issues were a major flaw that came back to bite Chicago in a 27-13 Divisional Round loss vs. Washington. Chicago completed only 50% of their passes during the regular season, and young Doug Flutie only completed 11-of-31 passes in the loss.

After consecutive playoff appearances, Bill Parcells’ team finished the job in 1986 with a 14-2 regular season record and smooth run through the playoffs. The calling card for the team was its dominant defense, allowing only 14.8 points per game led by coordinator Bill Belichick and a ferocious pass rush with Lawrence Taylor, Leonard Marshall, and Carl Banks. The Giants running game was also excellent, as Joe Morris ran for 1,516 yards and 14 scores.

MVP Joe Montana led the brilliant 49ers offense to a 14-2 regular season record and seamless playoff run, averaging 27.6 points per game in the regular season. The team threw for over 4,500 between Montana and backup Steve Young, with Jerry Rice and John Taylor both gaining over 1,000 yards. The defense was also third-best in the NFL, with only 15.8 points allowed per game, with elite players like Charles Haley, Pierce Holt, and Ronnie Lott. San Francisco won every playoff game by at least 27 points, including a 55-10 win over Denver in Super Bowl XXIV.

The 49ers were the premier offense of the 1980s, and they never scored more points than in 1984 (475). Bill Walsh’s squad went 15-1 during the regular season with a plus-248 point differential, followed by three easy wins in the playoffs culminating with a 38-16 win over Miami in Super Bowl XIX. Joe Montana threw for over 3,600 yards and 28 touchdowns, while Wendell Tyler and Roger Craig led the running game. The defense was arguably even better than the offense, ranking first in the league with only 14.2 points allowed per game while led by Ronnie Lott and Dwaine Board.

The 1985 Bears are synonymous with great defenses, and often the first team mentioned in debates. They had the numbers to back it up, allowing only 198 points in a 15-1 regular season, with the only blemish a 38-24 loss at Miami in which backup quarterback Steve Fuller started. The team’s plus-258 point differential was the best of the 1980’s despite Fuller starting five games, with the dominant rushing attack led by Walter Payton and an incredible defense coached by Buddy Ryan and anchored by William Perry, Richard Dent, Wilber Marshall, Mike Singletary, and Steve McMichael. The Bears demolished New England 46-10 in Super Bowl XX after consecutive playoff shutouts.