Power Ranking the Last 10 Years: The Contenders

Back for the next installment of my power rankings for all 32 NFL teams, taking the last 10 seasons (2001-2010) into account. As a reminder, we’re going by how much you would have liked to be a fan the last 10 years, Assuming you’re a rational fan and championships matter most, we tackled the first 7 teams in the first entry (it’s the next entry down on here. Read that one first dammit). All of those teams won Championships this decade. Here’s how that list broke down.

The Multiple Championship Group:

1. New England

2. Pittsburgh

The One Championship Group

3. Indianapolis

4. Green Bay

5. New York Giants

6. New Orleans

7. Tampa Bay

Now that the title teams are out of the way, it’s time to look at the next rung down. There will be teams that enjoyed stretches of ultra-competitiveness, but couldn’t quite get all the way. Again, I’m looking at playoff appearances, division titles, consistency year to year, and overall fan enjoyment of the product. In other words if Team A and Team B are close statistically, I’ll say “Would I have rather been a fan of Team A the last 10 years, or Team B”. And that’s how the final rankings shake out.

Let’s get it on.

 Perennial Powerhouses, No Ring

8. Philadelphia- Easily the best 10 year stretch in Eagles history, in everything but the trophy case. 8 playoff appearances in the decade. An astounding 5 conference championship games, and an NFC Championship in 2004. Have won the division 6 times in the decade, and finished below .500 only once. Easily the best team in the NFC over the course of the decade, up until the last weekend in January. Have done everything this past decade except have a parade.

9. Baltimore- Their 2000 Championship just misses the cut for this time frame. Still, have 6 playoff appearances, and went to the AFC Championship game in 2008. Outside of 5-11 and 6-10 seasons in 2005 and 2007, have been competitive every year. They get the nod over the next team because of the sense that they over-achieve, and most of their most memorable moments the last 10 years are positive. ON THE OTHER HAND….

10. San Diego- I had them at number 9, ahead of Baltimore. But upon closer inspection, they get bumped down here. They were dreadful at the beginning of the decade, posting only 17 wins from 2001-2003. Made the playoffs five of 6 years after that, winning the division each time. But they go below Baltimore for a habit of choking and heartbreaking losses. Outside of an AFC title game appearance against the 16-0 Patriots in 2007, every other year has brought stinging disappointment. They were beaten at home in the playoffs by the Jets in 2004 and 2009. They lost to Pittsburgh in 2008. But the topper is 2006. They were 14-2 and the top seed in the AFC. Lost to a very beatable New England team at home in the divisional round, with the game all but won. That’s the defining moment for the Chargers this decade, and why they are last in this category.

A Few Years as Contender

(As we get into this category, the accomplishments drop off pretty sharply).

11. Seattle- 6 playoff appearances, 5 division titles. NFC champs in 2005. Got to at least the division round four times. Have been awful from 2008 on, but managed to win the division- and a playoff game- in 2010, despite a 7-9 record. Made the playoffs 5 times in a row from 2003-2007, equaling the franchise’s total playoff appearances prior. Opened a new stadium that it the loudest, and toughest place to play in football. Do have their share of heartbreak, in 2 overtime losses in the playoffs, coupled with a Super Bowl in which they were the victim of some close calls. Just miss the last category for getting into the playoffs with 9 wins twice and 7 wins once.

12. Chicago- 4 playoff appearances. Amazingly, earned a BYE each time they made the playoffs. NFC Champion in 2006. Made the NFC title game in 2010. Have had 2 large gaps of mediocrity, but the Super Bowl appearance and 4 times getting a bye is enough to earn them a top spot on the list. Not an incredibly distinguished decade by any means, but the NC Championship year was incredibly exciting and that’s enough for the 12.

13. New York Jets- 6 playoff appearances, including 2 straight AFC title games. Have won 6 playoff games this decade, 5 of them on the road. Do have a few 4-12 seasons on the ledger, but have only missed the playoffs in consecutive years once. Being the Jets, they do have some heartbreakers, the 2004 overtime loss to the Steelers, and the 2008 meltdown namely. But the sheer number of appearances and exciting runs if enough to make them one of the highest teams on this list to not have played in a Super Bowl (and still ahead of a number of Super Bowl  losing teams).

14. Carolina- This high based only on 2 seasons. Only 3 playoff appearances, but 1 was a Super Bowl year (a game they almost won) and another was a conference championship appearance. But they also started the decade with 15 loss season and ended it with a 14 loss year. Outside of those comically bad years though, they never finished worse than 7-9 and won 11 or more 3 times. The only Super Bowl team left who had at least 1 other good year is enough to place them here. Their good years were also spread out (2003, 2005, 2008) so that they didn’t have a prolonged period of awfulitude.

15. Atlanta- 4 playoff appearances, including an NFC title game appearance in 2004 (admittedly in the weakest NFC ever). They watched the whole Vick parabola unfold, which means they got some great years (including becoming the first team ever to beat the Packers in a playoff game at Lambeau Field) and some awful ones after his fall from grace. But they rebounded nicely with 2 playoffs in 3 years under Matt Ryan. A stretch for this high on the list, which will hopefully make sense with the next category.

Right now, you’re probably thinking “There’s some teams he hasn’t mentioned yet that had much better decades than Atlanta or Carolina.” And looking at the stats, that might be right. But at the middle of the list, something started popping up over and over again to me, missed opportunities. The next category will be teams that had 1 specific year where they had a real chance to grab a ring, and choked it away. For most of these teams, it was their only real contender in the decade. So even though one of them may have 4 playoff appearances to Carolina’s 3, the fact that they underachieved in their year to do it all necessarily knocks them lower on my list.

I’ll reveal that portion of the rankings next time. Again, this is all very subjective, and I think I hate my list already. So feel free to jump in and comment on what you think I got wrong. Chances are I’ll agree with you.