via Peter Bond
Two men have defined the last decade of the NFL. Tom Brady carried the torch throughout the early portion of the last ten years before handing it off to Patrick Mahomes. The two quarterbacks have combined for seven of the last ten Super Bowls. In the brief pauses from their dominance, other elite teams have grasped success. Here, I’ve ranked each of the past ten Super Bowl-winning teams, considering talent, stats, and overall performance.
10. 2023 Kansas City Chiefs
One sign of a great dynasty is being able to find success in the midst of struggle. The Chiefs’ offense in 2023 finished worse in terms of yardage than they have at any point in the Patrick Mahomes era. For the majority of the season, Kansas City struggled to find any consistent receiving option. While the offense fell short, the defense rose to fill the gap, finishing second in the league in both points and yards allowed. A narrow overtime victory over the 49ers earned the Chiefs their second consecutive championship.
9. 2021 Los Angeles Rams
In the late 2010s and early 2020s, the Los Angeles Rams ran against the grain of the league by trading away draft picks and young players in exchange for quality veterans. These deals, along with aggressive free agency moves, landed them players like Jalen Ramsey, Matthew Stafford, Marcus Peters, and Brandin Cooks. The Rams’ strategy clearly paid off, culminating in a Super Bowl victory over the Bengals. Cooper Kupp was dominant in the Rams’ run, hauling in 191 passes for nearly 2,000 yards.
8. 2015 Denver Broncos
The 2015 Denver Broncos may be the most unique team on this list. To the general public, this team was headlined by quarterback Peyton Manning, who was nearing the end of a Hall of Fame career. This season was portrayed as one last ride for Manning, but it was the Broncos’ defense that stole the show. While Denver’s offense finished the season ranked nineteenth in scoring, the defense ranked fourth in scoring and first in yards allowed. Players like Von Miller, Demarcus Ware, and Aqib Talib carried this team straight to their first Super Bowl victory of the 21st century.
7. 2014 New England Patriots
It was one of the most shocking moments in recent football history. Up by four, with under 30 seconds left in the game, Patriots cornerback Malcolm Butler broke on a quick slant to intercept Russel Wilson’s pass and seal a Super Bowl victory. That play seemed to derail the growing dynasty of the Seattle Seahawks. It only added to the legend of Tom Brady, as he won his fourth of seven titles.
6. 2022 Kansas City Chiefs
If 2023 was the lowest point of a Mahomes-led offense, 2022 may have been the highest. The Chiefs offense finished the year first in the league in both points scored and yardage gained. Travis Kelce had one of the best seasons of his career, tallying over 1,300 yards and 12 touchdowns. The season culminated in the so-called Kelce Bowl, with Travis and the Chiefs facing off with Jason Kelce and the Eagles. The Chiefs, of course, edged out Philadelphia to earn their second championship in four years.
5. 2018 New England Patriots
The last Super Bowl victory of the Tom Brady era in New England was one of the most dominant. The Patriots finished the season top-10 in both offense and defense, winning the AFC East for the tenth consecutive year. The running back tandem of Sony Michel and James White totaled nearly 1,500 yards. I’ll look back on this season as the end of one of the most dominant eras in football history.
4. 2017 Philadelphia Eagles
Yep, a Nick Foles-led team ranks fourth on my list. That should show just how impressive this Eagles roster was. Philadelphia finished the year among the league’s top four teams in both offensive and defensive scoring. After a dominant 13-3 regular season, the Eagles earned a dramatic and high-scoring Super Bowl victory over Tom Brady’s Patriots.
3. 2020 Tampa Bay Buccaneers
After the 2019 season, Tom Brady left the New England Patriots and signed with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. Talented veterans from around the league joined up with Brady to assemble a super-team capable of taking down any opponent. Players like Rob Gronkowski, Antonio Brown, Leonard Fournette, and Jason Pierre-Paul joined an already talented squad, making the Buccaneers instant favorites to win a title. Tampa Bay did not disappoint, dominating the Chiefs on the big stage to earn Brady his seventh and final ring.
2. 2019 Kansas city Chiefs
As a football fan, I miss the days when Patrick Mahomes had both Tyreek Hill and Travis Kelce to throw to. Hill’s unmatched vertical speed and Kelce’s ability to find open space against any coverage look combined to make the Chiefs’ offense nearly unstoppable. Kansas City’s defense wasn’t a weakness by any means, finishing seventh in points allowed. With a 31-20 victory over the 49ers, the Chiefs took home their first of three titles in the Patrick Mahomes era.
1. 2016 New England Patriots
The 2016 Patriots were dominant in every sense of the word. With a 14-2 record in the regular season, they finished third in scoring offense and first in scoring defense. Running back LeGarrette Blount dominated on the ground, scoring 18 touchdowns. The receiving core of Julian Edelman, Rob Gronkowski, and Danny Amendola consistently gave Tom Brady options in the passing game. After trailing 28-3 to the Falcons in the Super Bowl, the Patriots stormed back to win in overtime.
