The 2024 
Philadelphia Eagles were a great team that dominated both the latter half of their 
NFL regular season and the playoffs. Philadelphia was 2-2 going into their Bye Week in early October and came back as an entirely different group.
Led by superstar running backSaquon Barkley, the Eagles won all but one of their last 13 games, and that loss took place without star quarterbackJalen Hurts.
After two tight playoff wins over the 
Green Bay Packers and 
Los Angeles Rams, Philadelphia obliterated its last two opponents, the 
Washington Commanders and 
Kansas City Chiefs, by a combined 50 points.
|
2024 Philadelphia Eagles Stats |
|
|---|---|
|
Record |
14-3 |
|
Point Differential Regular Season |
+160 |
|
Point Differential Playoffs |
+68 |
|
Number of Pro Bowlers |
6 |
|
Number of All-Pros |
6 |
This impressive feat has sparked a discussion about this team’s place in NFL history, and shortly after, Saquon Barkley even said he believed this Eagles’ squad is one of the top 5 greatest teams of all time.
Fox Sports 1 pundit Nick Wright, however, disagrees with this notion and dove into which teams fit that criteria.
“As far as single seasons go, they are not one of the ten best teams ever…(they had the) number seven offense, number two defense, and almost doubled their opponents up in the postseason 145-77 because game one against the Packers was virtually a six-point game and game two against the Rams, The Rams were on the 13-yard line down six with a minute left. Then they were thoroughly dominant after that.”
After listing the Eagles’ string of accomplishments, Wright went into his five greatest teams of all time. And, despite Nick’s longstanding fandom for the Kansas City Chiefs, he doesn’t have the 2022 squad or any team from the 21st century on this list.
1972 Miami Dolphins
The 1972 
Miami Dolphins might not have blown out their opponents in the postseason, but they are the only team in NFL history to achieve a perfect season.
Don Shula’s squad was a well-oiled machine that dominated both on offense and defense. The offense was led by 1,000 rushers in Larry Csonka and Mercury Morris, while the aerial attack was manned by two of the most underrated quarterbacks ever, Bob Griese then Earl Morral.
|
1972 Miami Dolphins Stats |
|
|---|---|
|
Record |
14-0 |
|
Point Differential Regular Season |
+214 |
|
Point Differential Playoffs |
+17 (3 games) |
|
Number of Pro Bowlers |
9 |
|
Number of All-Pros |
4 |
Meanwhile, the “No-Name Defense” thrived on turnovers during this run, boasting a star-studded secondary that was almost impossible to crack.
The Dolphins were a true team, greater than the sum of their parts, which is why they are often listed among the greatest NFL teams of all time.
“The 72 Dolphins. The number one offense, the number one defense, literally went undefeated.”
1978 Pittsburgh Steelers
The 1978 
Pittsburgh Steelers were right in the prime of the “Steel Curtain” era. Chuck Noll’s squad defined itself in the trenches with Mike Webster and “Mean” Joe Greene as the faces of the offensive and defensive units up front.
Under center, Hall of Fame quarterback Terry Bradshaw had the best season of his career, winning his sole MVP in 1978. This aerial explosiveness carried Pittsburgh, as it scored more than 30 points in all three postseason clashes.
The Steelers’ season ended in a 35-31 win against the 
Dallas Cowboys in Super Bowl XIII.
“The 78 Steelers. The number five offense, the number one defense, went 14-2, doubled up their opponents in the playoffs 102-46.”
1984 San Francisco 49ers
The 1984 
San Francisco 49ers were in the middle of revolutionizing the NFL with their transcendent West Coast offense under head coach Bill Walsh.
Joe Montana was just hitting his prime during this season, throwing for 3630 yards, 28 touchdowns, and just 10 interceptions. The 49ers’ only loss came against the Pittsburgh Steelers in a Week 7 three-point loss.
That same Steelers’ squad ultimately made it to the AFC Championship game. Meanwhile, San Francisco ran through the rest of their schedule and the playoffs, winning Super Bowl XIX 38-16 over the Miami Dolphins.
“The 84 49ers lost one game. Number two offense, number one defense, more than tripled up their opponents in the postseason.”
1985 Chicago Bears
When it comes to the greatest teams ever, generally two squads stand at the top: the 1972 Miami Dolphins and the 1985 
Chicago Bears. Mike Ditka’s group was an unstoppable force that made many of their opponents look like Pee Wee teams during this season.
Chicago’s defense, which featured six All-Pros that season, allowed only 198 total points, giving up an average of 12.4 points per game.
On the other side was the immortal Walter Payton, who was still a phenomenal player in his early 30s. The nine-time Pro Bowler recorded his fourth career season of 1500+ yards on the ground while also racking up 483 receiving yards.
Jim McMahon led the Bears at quarterback, putting together his best season yet in 85. Ditka’s squad had few, if any, flaws.
“The 85 Bears. Number two offense, number one defense, 15-1, outscored their opponents in the postseason 91-10.”
1992 Dallas Cowboys
The 1992 Dallas Cowboys might have had the worst record on the list, but they made up for it by consistently blowing teams out. Jimmy Johnson’s squad won all but three games by double digits, thanks in large part to the legendary trio of Troy Aikman, Emmitt Smith, and Michael Irvin.
All three of these Hall of Famers were at or near the peak of their powers this season, resulting in an explosive, multifaceted offense that only got better in the postseason.
|
1992 Dallas Cowboys Stats |
|
|---|---|
|
Record |
13-3 |
|
Point Differential Regular Season |
+166 |
|
Point Differential Playoffs |
+69 (3 games) |
|
Number of Pro Bowlers |
6 |
|
Number of All-Pros |
6 |
On the other side of the ball, the defense prided itself on stopping the run so that Smith would be able to wear down opponents as the game wore on. That strategy paid off in spades, and the Cowboys looked like the freshest team come the playoffs.
“The 92 Cowboys. Number two offense, number five defense, almost tripled up their opponents in the postseason and went 13-3.”
Overall, in 2019, the NFL celebrated its 100th anniversary with a list of the 100 greatest teams of all time. All five of these squads were listed in the top 6, with the ’92 Cowboys barely missing out on the top 5.
There’s a very likely chance that when this list is revisited at some point, the 2024 Philadelphia Eagles won’t be near any of these squads in the all-time rankings, indicating that Nick Wright is probably right in this debate.
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