Superbowl King 2023

 

The Superbowl King 2023

 

 

 

The NFL season is complete, and a new champion has been crowned. A big shout out to the Kansas City Chiefs and a well deserving cast of characters on taking home the Superbowl LVII title in what was one of the best Superbowls ever played. This is the Chiefs second title over the last 4 seasons. So the question for this article is where does this recent win put the Chiefs in the ranking of greatest Superbowl franchise of all time?

Below is an all-time ranking of Superbowl franchises. This list is not ranking the best Superbowl teams necessarily, but rather the franchises that were the best when it mattered most. From the first to the worst, I ranked every team that played in at least one Superbowl. I kept in mind the full body of work, though considerations are made to teams that have recent performances. So which franchise reigns supreme? We start at the bottom and work up to that team which sits upon the lofty throne as the King of the Superbowl.

#28. (Previous 28) San Diego Chargers (0-1). Making one Superbowl and losing by 23 hardly deserves a spot on this list, but you made it to the game, so here you are at the bottom.

#27. (27) Tennessee Titans (0-1). It was a gritty game that came down to the final play where the Titans came up short. One yard short to be exact. A thrilling game but their only appearance in a 7 point loss.

#26. (26) Arizona Cardinals (0-1). Another riveting game that came down to the final seconds. I leapfrogged the Cards over the Titans just because it was more recent.

#25. (25) Carolina Panthers (0-2). Two appearances isn’t bad for a franchise that entered the league in 1995, but not being able to win one of them doesn’t get you higher on this list.

#24. (24) Atlanta Falcons (0-2). Whether it was a total collapse by the team or the will of an uncompromising Patriots squad, the Falcons fail to get a win in Superbowl 51 that would have put them much higher on the list.

#23. (23) Cincinnati Bengals (0-3). Three appearances and 3 losses by a total of 12 points, including a narrow 3 point loss in LVI. That’ll stick in your craw.

#22. (22) Minnesota Vikings (0-4). Some may argue that the Vikes should be at the bottom with the most losses, but having been there 4 times makes you better than the rest of the teams on this list so far.

#21. (21) Buffalo Bills (0-4). Another sorry record, but almost had one in the closest Superbowl ever. It was an amazing 4 year stretch of consecutive appearances, most in a row by any team. It gives them the edge over the Vikes.

#20. (20) N.Y. Jets (1-0). Finally a team with a win! But 1 appearance in 1969? Okay, so it was amazing. Namath’s guarantee, right right right. It’s been over 50 years and getting harder to justify a higher spot on the list.

#19. (17) Philadelphia Eagles (1-3). Eagles have been one of the better NFC franchises making the big game 3 times over the last 16 years. However, they won just one of those games. Overall, a 25% win percentage is a poor record.

#18. (19) Chicago Bears (1-1). Who doesn’t remember the Superbowl shuffle? My guess is most readers because it was nearly 40 years ago. And since then, just one appearance and a 12 point loss.

#17. (18) Seattle Seahawks (1-2). A Marshawn Lynch handoff away from landing much higher on this list, a shockingly bad call in Superbowl XLIX lands them here. At the end of the day, they have just one win in 3 tries.

#16. (16) New Orleans Saints (1-0). In 2010, the Saints finally made it to the big game and once there completed the quest of securing a title. They sit higher than the Jets at 1-0 by being the most recent to get there.

#15. (15) Miami Dolphins (2-3). The franchise with the only undefeated Superbowl winning team in history makes the top 15. Without a winning record or an appearance in 30 years makes it hard to justify a higher slot.

 

#14. (14) St. Louis/L.A. Rams (2-3). The current champions have one of the biggest post Superbowl moves on this list since I started publishing. Winning LVI and winning 2 of their last 3 appearances vaults the Rams franchise up 6 spots and into the top 15 all-time Superbowl franchises.

#13. (13) Indianapolis/Baltimore Colts (2-2). Redeemed the Broadway Joe debacle in ’69 with a championship two years later and another in 2007.

#12. (11) Baltimore Ravens (2-0). They only made the big game twice but they made it count when they did. A dominating performance in their first appearance and another win just seven years ago. Pretty impressive for a team that has only been in existence since 1996.

#11. (10) Denver Broncos (3-5). Okay, so they have a losing record. But 8 appearances is an impressive feat. They are also 3-1 in their last 4. Like collegiate sports rankings, I am giving a good deal of weight to the fact that they have been clutch in their more recent games. Thus, the Broncos crack my top 10 greatest Superbowl franchises of all time.

 

#10. (9) Tampa Bay Buccaneers (2-0). Another team that only made the Superbowl two times, but boy do they show up when they get there. The first win was the ultimate of all redemption games as Jon Gruden’s Bucs blew out the Raiders by 27. Redemption because Gruden had coached the Raiders in the previous season. The second win was Tom Brady’s seventh. Almost as impressive as their first win, they won this game by 22. Now THAT’S how you Superbowl!


#9. (8) Oakland/Los Angeles Raiders (3-2). 5 appearances and a winning record gets your franchise in the top ten. Unfortunately, their last win was in 1984. Hard to put them much higher than 8, but a respectable placement.

#8. (7) Washington Football Team (3-2). Washington won 3 in 10 years from the mid 80s to the mid 90s. I know they lost to the Raiders and I have them higher on the list, but since that game the Washington franchise is 2-0 & with an average margin of victory of 23. The Raiders 0-1 and lost by 27.

#7. (12) Kansas City Chiefs (3-2) The Chiefs are having a Superbowl revival for their franchise. After a 40 year lull at the top of the AFC, the Chiefs have now made the big game in three times in the last 4 years winning 2 of them including the most recent one. As the reigning champs, their win vaults them into the top 7.

#6. (6) New England Patriots (6-5). No team has made it to more Superbowls or has more wins. Cemented as a dominant Super bowl franchise, the Patriots have won the title 6 times. While their recent dominance in getting to the big game has been extremely notable, losses loom large. This ranking is measuring success in the big game and barely over .500 isn’t a great overall mark.

#5. (5) Green Bay Packers (4-1). Truly great franchises get into the top 5 and the Packers are just that. Winning the first ever two Superbowls and another just eight years ago. Winning 4 out of 5 is an impressive feat when it comes to winning when it matters most.

#4. (4) N.Y. Giants (4-1). Equally impressive resume to the Pack. A title in the 80s, a title in the 90s, and 2 titles since 2008 gets them the #4 spot on the list. They edge the Packers with a more recent title. The Giants are another franchise that has mastered the art of winning in the end and have done it across several eras.

#3. (3) Dallas Cowboys (5-3). They are 3-0 in their last 3 games, but failing to close over the span of their appearances is their biggest drawback. That and not having been in a Superbowl in over 20 years, not to mention nine franchises on this list have a better winning percentage. Still, the Cowboys are an amazing Superbowl franchise and they land at #3. If there is a debate over which division is the best in the big game, stop now. 3 NFC East teams in the top 7 with a combined record of 12-6.


#2. (2) San Francisco (5-2). The 49ers had a chance seven years ago to dethrone the Steelers with a mark of 6-0, only to fall 3 points short to the Baltimore Ravens. Once again, they had a shot in this year’s Superbowl and with 10 minutes left in the game appeared on track to take the crown. But it was not meant to be. Still, only 4 teams have been to the big game more. They owned the 80s with 3 Superbowl wins in that span, plus another in January 1990. Oh, and they won that game by 23. Getting to the Superbowl recently helps cement this spot over the Cowboy and their win percentage puts them top 2...but can’t give them the crown.

 
#1. (1) Pittsburgh Steelers (6-2). Still reigning, the Steelers are your King of the Superbowl. Only the Patriots have been to more but no team has more wins. Pittsburgh was the team of the 70s, securing their 4th victory in 1980 and had won 4 Superbowls in 6 years. They also won 2 more over the last 16 years. With the Niners falling from the ranks of the undefeated a few years back, having a better win percentage (both overall & head to head) over the Cowboys it makes the top spot easy to affirm. Congrats to the Steelers. You sit on the throne as king and it is well deserved. Wave your towels, Steeler Nation…your team is THE Superbowl King!

 

Let me know what you think. Who is YOUR Superbowl King?

 

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