1991 'Skins are the #4 best Superbowl champs

[wildbill1952]

Not sure who the polled for this result, but to have the 1999 Rams at number #1 and the 1972 Dolphins at #10 and the 1987 Redskins nowhere on the list. I have to question it.

Just an FYI to your question: from the link-->

WhatIfSports.com used its free NFL SimMatchup technology (you could do this too!) to simulate the 42 Super Bowl champions against one another -- 100 times each. This means that each team played 4,100 games and 86,100 games were played in total. At the end, we looked at all of the games and ranked teams by winning percentage to find the top 10. This is the most accurate and thorough approach to answering “the question.”

The conclusion may not be “the 2007 New England Patriots,” but the question is still relevant -- and WhatIfSports.com has a definitive answer.

The debate in question is precisely why the site exists and it’s one of the major reasons why sports talk radio exists. It is why we all talk sports with our fathers and grandfathers, just like we do or will with our children and grandchildren. That’s because the conversation concerns historical context. On the heels of one of the most exciting and dramatic Super Bowls ever, and with so much recent discussion about NFL history, the specific question is; “Which team was the greatest Super Bowl champion of all time?” Or, more appropriately, “what if” the undefeated 1972 Miami Dolphins and other elite teams played all of the other Super Bowl champions? The answer: The Dolphins would win just more than 60% of the time, while the 1985 Chicago Bears and 1999 St. Louis Rams would each win well over 70% of their games.

When running these games, the simulation engine factors in actual regular season statistics that are adjusted equally on a historical and relative (to other teams that season and to strength of schedule) basis. This means that if a team or player had a record-breaking rushing season against a schedule that includes very weak rush defenses, the team or player will still perform well, but may not perform as well it did that year. This also means that the computer does not have to try to figure out how a 230-pound offensive lineman can block a 330-pound defensive tackle. Everything is in the numbers and relative to the context of that season.

Record has nothing to do with this analysis, but do not confuse that with a neglect for “heart” or “clutch.” Strengths, weaknesses, consistency, comfort under pressure, and the like are all “intangible” factors that show through in the numbers. And teams with better numbers typically win -- especially when the games are played often.

[cphil006]

Two of the sacks happened in the last game of the season against Philly when it was meaningless and back-ups for us were in...

That was a great year...

[fuji869]

That is sweet.

I think the reason why 1991 Washington Redskins do not get much mention when it comes to the NFL's Greatest Teams is because how fast if fell apart and oh yea, it is a Redskins Team.

14-2 Regular Season with only one meaningful loss
Clinched home field before another NFC Team qualified for the playoffs
Never trailed in the playoffs
Never allowed a sack in the playoffs

[preachtheWORD]

I think the reason why 1991 Washington Redskins do not get much mention when it comes to the NFL's Greatest Teams is because how fast if fell apart and oh yea, it is a Redskins Team.

What the heck happened so quickly to that team? How do you go from powerhouse superbowl champs and follow it up with seven seasons with no playoff berth?

I remember the days of the '91 skins. How nice it was to have everyone on the bandwagon for a while! But man, people sure bailed off of that bandwagon in a hurry!!

[MarkB452]

What the heck happened so quickly to that team? How do you go from powerhouse superbowl champs and follow it up with seven seasons with no playoff berth?

I remember the days of the '91 skins. How nice it was to have everyone on the bandwagon for a while! But man, people sure bailed off of that bandwagon in a hurry!!

>> The team made the Playoffs in 1992, then Gibbs left and it all went bad after that.......

[#21Taylor4Ever]

You mean someone actually complimented our team?

[BleedBNG]

Number 1 1999 St. Louis Rams


What a joke

When I saw that I thought "No, no... then the '91 Redskins are actually #3."
I mean c'mon... they were 1 or 2 yards from being tied in that SB and who knows what would have happened after that.

[FunBunch7]

What the heck happened so quickly to that team? How do you go from powerhouse superbowl champs and follow it up with seven seasons with no playoff berth?

They imposed the cap in I believe 94'...at the time the Redskins had a HUGE payroll of around 45 million which was like 12 million over the newly imposed 34 million dollar cap...these #s are just estimates...but we were hit very hard.

Before the cap JKC would write checks like Daniel Snyder (but you have to adjust for imflation)

[SkinsFTW]

The rest of their stats were pretty average, but the two facts mentioned are enough to put this team in the top five.

They were #1 in points and #2 in points allowed and had a bigger point differential than then 1985 Bears who were 15-1, the 1984 49ers who were 15-1 and they had one of the toughest schedules of any team on any list of top teams.

Actually, I don't know if any team ever had a bigger point differential than the 1991 Redskins 16.3 except for the 2007 Patriots. The Bears, 49ers, Cowboys all had easy schedules their best years, same with the 1972 Dolphins. That should make the 1991 Redskins #1. If you compare the stats their is no argument.

The difference between the 1991 Redskins and the 1985 Bears, 1992 Cowboys, and the 1989 49ers Super Bowl games is that the Redskins didnt run up the score even though they easily could have. They led 17-0 at halftime and made it 24-0 after the 3rd quarter started. Buffalo never had a chance but Gibbs didn't try to make it a 55-0 game. Now everybody sees that the 1992 Cowboys beat the Bills 52-17 but they forget that it was a pretty close game until the 4th Quarter. It was 31-17 before that. The Redskins completely shut down a great Bills offense, the 1985 Bears and 1989 49ers didn't face good offenses.

I dont see how anyone can look at the actual stats and then say the 1972 Dolphins, 1992 Cowboys, 1989 49ers, etc were better than the 1991 Redskins. The numbers disagree.