I grew up watching the dynastic teams of the 80s and 90s annihilate playoff opponents like it was nothing. Some teams that come to mind are the Bills, Cowboys and 49ers of the late 80s/ early 90s and the Broncos towards the middle/end of the decade.
Since then I've marveled at the passing games of some spectacular teams, led mainly by Brady, Manning, Rodgers, and Brees, as they've shattered records one by one. These teams appeared to be destined for the same 55-10 Super Bowl romps, crushing everyone in the path.
Yet it doesn't happen like that.
These teams may score a lot of points in the regular season, often racking up their points against the middling salary-cap strapped teams who are just bad enough to exploit badly. But when the playoffs begin, the weather gets colder, and the gameplan wrinkles come into effect, these unstoppable passing attacks always seem to flail when it matters most.
One thing people forget is that these dynastic type teams of the past often had Hall of Fame running backs and had a two-dimensional attack. The Niners had all-pro Roger Craig, the Cowboys had all-time rushing leader Emmit Smith, the Bills had HoFamer Thurman Thomas, and the Broncos only won their rings after the all-world stud Terrell Davis came along.
These days, one-dimensional passing attacks can be slowed down, which is why you rarely see a quarterback dominate the postseason. When I see the Broncos, I see a team capable of winning the Super Bowl, but no more capable than the failing teams of recent years. An incredible passing game, poor running game, poor offensive line, and average defense.
