What's the Best Team You Ever Saw?

[aluminum seats]

With everybody giddy in the early going here about the Pats maybe ranking historically, it got me thinking about the best teams I ever saw. Not heard about, or read about, but watched when they were playing, either live or on TV.

My Dad had season tickets for years, and I started going to Pats games in the 1970's--not sure where they puts me in the age spectrum on this board. I'm guessing the range here is from teens to seniors. My first real memories of the games were the agitated Pats' fans in our section screaming out for "GROGAN!!" to play because they didn't like what Plunkett was doing.

Anyway, there have been a few 15-1 teams that stand out over the years, but the best team I ever saw is kind of a weird choice to me, because they were so defined by one side of the ball: the 1985 Bears. That defense was just so overwhelming, so suffocating, it was something to behold. They only won one Super Bowl, it was like that kind of D couldn't be sustained. The offense was really just complementary. Of course, they WERE beaten--the Dolphins were able to burn that pressure with Marino and those speedy wideouts.

Other great teams--the 49ers, the Giants in the 80's, etc., but that's my pick. What's yours?

 

[Gwedd]

Heh,

I flew with the Navy for many years. My favorite team was my squadron flag football team in 1978. We would beat the Marines every time we played them. Beat them like a rug. Those games devolved into beer-fueled mud bowls with the flags being used to identity where the bodies landed

The only better times were when we joined up with the marines to take on Army or Air Force. Heh.. it was like a field full of brothers & cousins beating the crap outta each other.

Great memories.

 

[Slagathor]

The 85' Bears were the best football team I've ever seen.

With Walter, their offense was good not great. Along with McMahon and the receivers, they did just enough to win. Walter was the key.

But that defense was smothering. Eight to nine guys on the line every play and they would destroy opposing offensive lines. QB's had no time to throw, and running backs were usually hit in the backfield.

Marino was the only one who beat them and that was because he had the quickest release I ever saw as well as great field awareness.

That was a year where everything came together for them.

I still have visions of Champagne Tony Eason folding up like a wet napkin the minute the ball was snapped. He'd get the ball and curl up like a baby.

 

[Halifax_Pats_Fan]

Are we asking the best team in any sport? or in Football, or in the NFL?

I will assume you mean the NFL and I will say the 2001 NEP were the best TEAM i ever saw, that year was amazing.

in hockey, it was the Oilers...fwiw...first HNIC tonight, Leafs and Habs....good night up here, hockey is back...

 

[aluminum seats]

Are we asking the best team in any sport? or in Football, or in the NFL?

I will assume you mean the NFL and I will say the 2001 NEP were the best TEAM i ever saw, that year was amazing.

in hockey, it was the Oilers...fwiw...first HNIC tonight, Leafs and Habs....good night up here, hockey is back...

Nah--just football. This is a Pats' board, and adding other sports makes the conversation too watered down.

 

[oldrover]

Football: '85 Bears. Best defense ever. Runner-up: the 70's Steel Curtain.
Baseball: '76 Reds. Marginal rotation, but with that lineup, it didn't matter.
Basketball: Between the Walton Celtics and the 70-game-winning Chicago Bulls.
Hockey: Any of Gretzky's Edmonton championship teams.

 

[ligermark]

For NFL teams, I'd go with the 1989 49ers. Montana and Rice at the top of their game, and I dug the veteran pick-ups like Millen and Burt.

 

[dhamz]

The Bears or the 89 49ers.

That 49er team was Montana & Rice at their absolute peak. 14-2, losses by a combined 5 points, and then a playoff run of 41-13, 30-3, 55-10.

 

[sanvara]

This one is easy. The '85 Bears were the more dominant than any NFL team ever.

They finished the season 18-1. In the playoffs and Superbowl they outscored their opponents 91-10 including two shutouts. Yes, they allowed an average of 3 points a game in the playoffs and SB. Playoff teams could only muster 144 yards a game against them. In the SB their defense allowed (-19) yards at the half and allowed 7 yards rushing for the entire game. That team was just sick.

Regular season stats for the '85 Bears:
Points scored: #2 of 28 in the NFL
Points allowed: #1 of 28 in the NFL

 

[Michigan Dave]

Probably the 1989 49ers.

 

[JDSal45]

I gotta go with the '85 Bears. I take solace a bit in the fact the Patriots were the only team to score on them in the postseason.

J D Sal

 

[Water Boy]

2007 Patriots

 

[aluminum seats]

Yeah, I meant to mention that I was thinking besides the 2007 Patriots.......

Although with all of these teams, it's interesting to think about how the Pats would fare against them--like, how would BB attack the '85 Bears defense?

 

[scout]

Saw the 85 Bears at Texas Stadium totally kick butt.

On that hockey thing (Edmonton Oilers), I would have loved to see them go against Orr and the Bruins when they were on top. People say Gretzky was the greatest.........only thing is, he didn't change how the game was played.

 

[rookBoston]

This is it. Never seen anything like it. And I dont see why we wont see this nucleus play together for two or three years.

Reminds me of Bird-Parish-McHale-DJ-Ainge, but I dont even think they dominated as completely.

 

[scout]

This is it. Never seen anything like it. And I dont see why we wont see this nucleus play together for two or three years.

Reminds me of Bird-Parish-McHale-DJ-Ainge, but I dont even think they dominated as completely.

Dude, they lost one home game in two years, and that went into OT.