NFL Team of the Decade

I was debating with an outspoken Colts fan last weekend. The subject: which is the best football team of the decade? Any topic can be debated, any case can be made, but even with the decade's final season unfinished I'm surprised there's much at question here. Let's examine the elements of the matter, shall we?

REGULAR SEASON RECORD
The Pats began this year with the best cumulative regular season record (102-42), just one game better than the Colts and eight games better than the Steelers. Let's agree that these three teams are the only ones in the conversation. In 2007, the Patriots registered the first NFL undefeated regular season since the '72 Dolphins. The Colts just may match that feat this year, and they've been 12-0 three times. Anyway, this season the Colts are 14-0 so far, the Pats are 9-5 (both are in first place in their divisions) and the Steelers are having a tough year at 7-7 (they were 6-2 before a 5-game slide). So as it stands with three weeks remaining, the Colts have a better cumulative regular season record by four games over a ten-year period, an average of being less than one game better per year during the regular season. This gives the Colts a very slight edge in this category.

POST-SEASON SUCCESS
Colts: one Super Bowl appearance, won it; 7-7 in the post-season.
Steelers: two Super Bowl appearances, won both; 10-4 in the post-season.
Patriots: four Super Bowl appearance, won three; 14-3 in the post-season.
Clear advantage, Patriots. The Steelers are not far behind, and if they make a run and win this year's Super Bowl (unlikely, but stranger things have happened), a good case can be made for them, but while they'd have as many rings as the Pats, New England would still finish better in every other category (more later). The Colts have been pretty sorry in the post-season, when you consider that despite their one Super Bowl season they've been one-and-done five times, including a 41-0 waxing at the hands of the Jets in '02, getting bounced by the 8-8 Chargers last year and getting knocked out twice at home. But for one incredible season, the Colts have laid a bunch of eggs in January all decade long.

PRO BOWLERS
Colts: 38
Steelers: 42
Patriots: 26
Making the Pro Bowl is an individual honor, so less important in a team discussion. I examined this primarily because I believe the guy I argued with last weekend was blurring his Manning vs. Brady case with the matter of which is the better team of the decade. It seemed to me that Manning, great as he is - and make no mistake about it, I think he's at least one of the greatest quarterbacks to ever play the game, mind-blowing on so many levels and watching him call audibles and compete is downright fun - he's always surrounded by Pro Bowlers who certainly help make him better. This decade, Manning (8 Pro Bowls) has enjoyed the company of 21 offensive Pro Bowl teammates to Brady's 11 (4 Pro Bowls for Tom Terrific). Nine times, Manning has had a Pro Bowl wide receiver to throw to; Brady has enjoyed that luxury only three times. Four times, Manning has had a Pro Bowl running back to take the pressure off the passing game and keep defenses honest; Brady has had that balance only once. Manning has had a Pro Bowl tight end and six offensive linemen; Brady, no tight ends and four linemen. With the Colts enjoying such a huge advantage in the Pro Bowl player category, in the evaluation of which has been the better TEAM, I say the team which has realized the far more prolific post-season and championship success with far fewer Pro Bowl selections has shown us a far more impressive decade-long campaign. The Pats have only had more Pro Bowl players than the Colts twice in these past nine years. The year the Pats won their first Super Bowl, guess how many Pro Bowlers were on the team? Zero. So, it is clear as the day is long, the Patriots have been better than the sum of their parts, achieving more with less, and thus the better team.

note: in the Manning vs. Brady debate, I liken my fancy to that of the Montana vs. Young debate of old. For a season, give me Peyton Manning; for one game with all the marbles on the line, give me Brady.

HEAD TO HEAD:
The Patriots are 8-6 vs. the Colts (2-1 in the playoffs) and 4-2 vs. the Steelers (2-0 in the playoffs). Advantage, Patriots.

CONCLUSION
If the Colts run the table during the next few weeks, they'll finish the decade with the best regular season record but not the best playoff record and not the best overall record when you combine the two. They'll have two Super Bowl appearances to the Patriots' four, two championship to the Patriots' three, and head-to-head the Pats will still have the edge both in regular season and playoff contests. And the Pats will have done this with far less Pro Bowl players. If the Steelers bust out of their current funk, make the playoffs and eventually win the Super Bowl, they'll have as many titles as the Pats but not as many Super Bowl appearances, and the Pats will still have a better record in the regular season, playoff, and head-to-head categories - also with far less Pro Bowlers. No matter what happens in the remainder of this season and post-season, the New England Patriots are the best football team of this decade.