The NFL has seen many great dynasties in its more than 100-year history and those teams featured some of the greatest coaches and players that ever played the game.
But which dynasty was the greatest ever and can it match the greatness of athletes in older sports like soccer, baseball, boxing, and even gambling which has found a resurgence of activity where people can play slots online and other favorite games? Here is a look at the four greatest dynasties in NFL history along with their accomplishments and why they are ranked so high.
4. 1981-1994 San Francisco 49ers
The 49ers were the team of the 1980s yet their dominance stretched through two coaches and two quarterbacks. Bill Walsh perfected the West Coast offense and helped create the great 49ers teams that were led by Joe Montana who led the team to four Super Bowl titles after the 1981, 1984, 1988 and 1989 seasons.
Then, George Seifert took over as coach and later Steve Young at quarterback and the Niners won another title after the 1994 season. Seifert was also the coach in 1989.
Star players in the 49ers dynasty included Ronnie Lott, Roger Craig, Charles Haley and the incomparable Jerry Rice. The offense was innovative and explosive while the defense was tough and often underrated.
3. 2000-2018 New England Patriots
The Patriots were not exactly a traditional dynasty like the others on this list, but under the leadership of head coach Bill Belichick and quarterback Tom Brady, they dominated the NFL for nearly two decades and won a total of six Super Bowls while making a total of eight.
Belichick was a great defensive coach while Brady gave the team clutch play at quarterback and always seemed to come through in big games.
The Patriots won three Super Bowls in four years from 2001-04, and then won three in five years from 2014-2018 while going to one more.
The Patriots are a modern dynasty that overcame the salary cap and NFL draft policies to maintain excellence for the long haul.
2. 1974-1979 Pittsburgh Steelers
The Steelers won four Super Bowls in six seasons under the leadership of head coach Chuck Noll and quarterback Terry Bradshaw.
The offense varied during the dynasty. They won their first two titles on the strength of the running of Franco Harris and Rocky Bleier while the passing game with Bradshaw and receivers Lynn Swann and John Stallworth dominated the second two titles.
The one constant was the defense. Nicknamed the Steel Curtain, Pittsburgh defense featured future Hall of Famers like Jack Lambert, Donnie Shell, Jack Ham and “Mean” Joe Greene. This defense dominated and made opposing teams pay dearly for the few points they could score.
1. 1961-67 Green Bay Packers
Vince Lombardi’s Packers won five titles in seven years including an unmatched three straight from 1965-67.
The team had so many Hall of Famers on both sides of the ball including quarterback Bart Starr, fullback Jim Taylor, halfback Paul Hornung and offensive linemen Forrest Gregg, Jerry Kramer and Jim Ringo on offense. On defense, Willie Wood, Herb Adderley, Dave Robinson, Henry Jordan and Ray Nitschke have all been enshrined in Canton.
Lombardi’s clubs came up big in the clutch, defeating the Dallas Cowboys in the Ice Bowl in 1967 to win their third straight NFL title. They also went on to win the first two Super Bowls showing the NFL’s early dominance over the AFL.
The Packers of the 60s were deep, talented and determined and reached a level of excellence that has never been matched.