It might be hard for some people to believe, but we have gone through the first 25 NFL seasons in the 21st century.
From 2000 through 2024, a total of 12 teams won the Super Bowl, and seven of them claimed the Lombardi Trophy multiple times. Two teams — the New England Patriots and Kansas City Chiefs — won three or more Super Bowl titles during that span.
The Patriots’ six Super Bowl titles from 2001 though 2018 represent one of the great dynasties in the history of team sports. And yet, when ESPN’s Bill Barnwell published Tuesday his ranking of the 25 best teams of the last 25 years, his choice for No. 1 was actually a Patriots team that failed in its pursuit of the ultimate prize.
“Over a full year, it’s tough to find a team that can realistically compete with the 2007 Pats, even with Super Bowl wins on their résumé,” Barnwell writes in his analysis. “They were the only one-loss team of the era. They had the largest average margin of victory (17.5 points) by more than a field goal over the next-best team. The 2000 Ravens were the only team with a better pythagorean expectation over the regular season and postseason combined.
“You remember (or have heard about) the offense, but the defense wasn’t too shabby, either. The Patriots ranked sixth in EPA per play and fourth in points allowed per drive. The defense contributed six touchdowns during the regular season, which seems almost unfair given what the offense was doing on a weekly basis. Getting to play from ahead as often as they did obviously made life easier for Mike Vrabel & Co., but even with win probability constraints on their performance and measure what they did when each team had at least a 20 percent chance of winning, New England ranked fourth in third-down conversion rate and QBR allowed.”
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Focus on Sport/Getty Images Tom Brady faces pressure from the Giants’ pass rush in Super Bowl XLII.
It’s hard to dispute the 2007 Patriots being the top team, even if they came just a bit short of winning Super Bowl XLII against the New York Giants and finishing the season 19-0. The Giants played well in that game, but they also benefited from some good luck on several plays. And statistically, no team really comes close to matching the 2007 Patriots.
Which of the other Patriots teams made Barnwell’s list? Here’s a recap:
- No. 1: 2007 Patriots, 18-1, lost Super Bowl XLII
- No. 3: 2004 Patriots, 17-2, won Super Bowl XXXIX
- No. 7: 2003 Patriots, 17-2, won Super Bowl XXXVIII
- No. 11: 2016 Patriots, 17-2, won Super Bowl LI
The Patriots’ Super Bowl-winning teams in 2001, 2014 and 2018 did not make the list. The 2014 team was really strong, especially defensively, and it beat an all-time good Seattle Seahawks opponent in Super Bowl XLIX. It was basically the same Seahawks team that won the Super Bowl the year before, and that squad was ranked No. 2 on Barnwell’s list.
The Chiefs had just one team (2019) ranked in the top 10 despite being the second-most successful franchise of this era in terms of Super Bowl wins and appearances.
The Philadelphia Eagles had two teams (2017, 2024) ranked inside the top 10, including their most recent championship squad that defeated the Chiefs 40-22 back in February.
