The NFL in the 21st Century

Between 2001 and 2022, the NFL played 22 different seasons of football -- as many as it played, say, from 1971 to 1992.  What are the best games of the 21st century?  Pro Football Reference picked the NFL's top 100 games in history last year, and here are their picks for the top 10 games in this century, along with where they ranked in the overall top 100:

5.  Super Bowl XLII:  New York Giants 17, New England 14 (Feb. 3, 2008)

8.  Super Bowl XLIX:  New England 28, Seattle 24 (Feb. 1, 2015)

9.  Super Bowl LI:  New England 34, Atlanta 28 (OT) (Feb. 5, 2017)

12.  Super Bowl XLIII:  Pittsburgh 27, Arizona 23 (Feb. 1, 2009)

14.  Super Bowl LII:  Philadelphia 41, New England 33 (Feb. 4, 2018)

15.  2001 AFC Divisional Playoffs:  New England 16, Oakland 13 (Jan. 19, 2002)

20.  Super Bowl XXXVI:  New England 20, St. Louis Rams 17 (Feb. 3, 2002)

21.  2006 AFC Championship:  Indianapolis 38, New England 34 (Jan. 21, 2007)

24.  2017 NFC Divisional Playoffs:  Minnesota 29, New Orleans 24 (Jan. 14, 2018)

30.  Super Bowl XLVII:  Baltimore 34, San Francisco 31 (Feb. 3, 2013)

This list came out last year, so it didn't include the 2021-22 playoffs.  I would certainly put last year's Kansas City/Buffalo game on the list -- I thought it was the best game I'd seen since the Chargers/Dolphins playoff game back on January 2, 1982.  They had that Chargers/Dolphins game as number 4, on their list, but above the Super Bowl where the Giants ended New England's perfect season.  I would fit the Kansas City/Buffalo game in between those two.  In other words, for me it was the best game of the 21st Century.  There were a lot of good playoff games last year, but I think that's the only one that would make the top ten.

I think that from now on, I'm going to try to think of sports more in 21st century terms.  There's so much nostalgia in the sports world now that we aren't giving enough credit to what's happening in front of us.

I've Created Some Original Graphics To Help Us All Enjoy The Upcoming Super Bowl(s)

It sure is fun thinking about the NFL. I started filling out these index cards in church today.

In 1965, I think the eight most interesting teams to be paying attention to would've been the Eagles, Packers, Browns, Colts, Jets, Chiefs, Cowboys and Chargers--but maybe the Oilers instead of the Chargers.

By 1970, those teams would be the Packers, Browns, Jets, Chiefs, Colts, Cowboys, Dolphins and Steelers.

  
By 1975, it'd be the Colts, Cowboys, Dolphins, Steelers, Raiders, Vikings, Rams and Oilers--but maybe the Broncos instead of the Oilers.

1980: Steelers, Raiders, Cowboys, Rams, 49ers, Redskins, Dolphins and Chargers--but maybe the Oilers instead of the Chargers.

1985: Raiders, 49ers, Redskins, Dolphins, Bears, Giants, Broncos and Bengals.

1990: Bears, Giants, Redskins, 49ers, Cowboys, Bills, Broncos and Browns.

1995: Giants, Redskins, Cowboys, 49ers, Packers, Broncos, Rams and Bills.

2000: Cowboys, Packers, Broncos, Rams, Ravens, Patriots, Buccaneers and Steelers.

2005: Ravens, Patriots, Buccaneers, Steelers, Colts, Giants, Saints and Eagles.

2010: Steelers, Colts, Giants, Saints, Packers, Ravens, Seahawks and Patriots.

2015: Packers, Giants, Ravens, Seahawks, Patriots, probably the Broncos, maybe the Panthers, maybe the 49ers, maybe the Steelers.

NFL15: Almost Through Week 6

Now that Miami has won a second game, I'm ready to think about the NFL again. Here are my standings ("-e," "-n," "-s" and "-w" indicate East, North, South and West division leaders, respectively):

AFC (five or six teams will qualify for the playoffs)

Denver Broncos-w (NFL97, NFL98 champs) 6-0

Cincinnati Bengals-n 6-0

Pittsburgh Steelers (NFL74, 75, 78, 79, 05, 08 champ; 01*, 04* co-champ) 4-1

New York Jets (NFL68 champ) 4-1 

Indianapolis Colts-s (NFL70, NFL06 champ; NFL03*, NFL14* co-champ) 3-2

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Buffalo Bills 3-2

Miami Dolphins (NFL72, NFL73 champ; NFL85* co-champ) 2-3

Oakland Raiders (NFL76, NFL80, NFL83 champ) 2-3

Houston Texans 2-4

San Diego Chargers (NFL07* co-champ) 2-4

Cleveland Browns 2-4

Jacksonville Jaguars (NFL97* c0-champ) 1-4

Tennessee Titans 1-4

Baltimore Ravens-n (NFL00, NFL12 champ; NFL11* co-champ) 1-5

Kansas City Chiefs (NFL69 champ) 1-5

NFC (six teams will qualify for the playoffs)

Green Bay Packers-n (NFL66, NFL67, NFL10 champ; NFL97* co-champ) 6-0

Carolina Panthers-s (NFL03* co-champ) 5-0

Atlanta Falcons 5-1

Arizona Cardinals-w 4-2

Minnesota Vikings 3-2

New York Giants-e (NFL86, NFL90 champ; NFL07*, NFL11* co-champ) 3-2

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Dallas Cowboys-e (NFL71, NFL77, NFL92, NFL93, NFL95 champ) 2-2

Philadelphia Eagles (NFL04* co-champ) 2-3

St. Louis Rams (NFL99 champ) 2-3

Tampa Bay Buccaneers (NFL02 champ) 2-3

Seattle Seahawks-w (NFL13 champ, NFL14* co-champ) 2-4

San Francisco 49ers (NFL81, NFL84, NFL88, NFL89, NFL94 champ) 2-4

New Orleans Saints (NFL09 champ) 2-4

Chicago Bears (NFL85* co-champ) 2-4

Washington Redskins (NFL82, NFL87, NFL91 champ) 2-4

Detroit Lions 1-5

Finally, I just want to say again that people are so, so smart ...

NFL AP Poll: Week 5

Not a whole lot of movement in the AP Poll this week, although it's surprising to see the Rams so high:

1.  New England Patriots:  3-0
2.  Green Bay Packers:  4-0
3.  Denver Broncos:  4-0
4.  Atlanta Falcons:  4-0
5.  Cincinnati Bengals:  4-0
6.  Carolina Panthers:  4-0
7.  Arizona Cardinals:  3-1
8.  Seattle Seahawks:  2-2
9.  New York Jets:  3-1
10.  St. Louis Rams:  2-2

The Redskins vaulted from 25th to 21st with their win over Philadelphia, but upcoming games against the Falcons and Jets should send the Washington Football Team back into the high 20's.  The Dolphins fell from 24th to 29th after losing to the Jets in London, and responded by firing their coach.

The Panthers and Jets are on bye this week, so only eight of the top 10 teams will be in action.  The Game of the Week is in Cincinnati, where the Number 5 Bengals will host the Number 8 Seahawks.  The other big game features the number 10 Rams traveling to Wisconsin for a showdown with the Number 2 Packers.  It's not a lot to choose from, but you're supposed to be watching the baseball playoffs anyway.

The Night Courage Wore Orange

To fire up my new main man in Miami, Interim Head Coach Dan Campbell, here's a little Former Dolphins Interim Head Coach Jim Bates mojo ...

NFL15: Week 1

The NFL 2015 regular season kicks off today! I'm very excited to see which of 31 NFL teams end up winning the league championship. I'll be rooting for the Miami Dolphins, the NFL72 and NFL73 champions and NFL85* co-champions.

Thirty of the 31 legitimate NFL teams play games today; the Pittsburgh Steelers begin their real regular season in Week 2. It's not necessary to publish these standings today, given that all of the teams are 0-0--I just wanted to have the fun of typing each of their names because, even though I am a Dolphins guy, I really do just love the whole, legitimate NFL. I've listed the teams by conference, in the order of their NFL14 finish. Teams with the little "-z" won their divisions; teams with the little "-y" earned wild-card berths to the playoffs. The Buffalo Bills, with the little "-x," had the best record in the AFC East, but their division championship was awarded to a team that I no longer recognize as a legitimate member of the league. 

AFC (five or six teams will qualify for the playoffs)

Indianapolis Colts-z (NFL70, NFL06 champ; NFL03*, NFL14* co-champ) 0-0

Baltimore Ravens-y (NFL00, NFL12 champ; NFL11* co-champ) 0-0

Denver Broncos-z (NFL97, NFL98 champs) 0-0

Pittsburgh Steelers-z (NFL74, 75, 78, 79, 05, 08 champ; 01*, 04* co-champ) 0-0

Cincinnati Bengals-y 0-0

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Houston Texans 0-0

Kansas City Chiefs (NFL69 champ) 0-0 

San Diego Chargers (NFL07* co-champ) 0-0

Buffalo Bills-x 0-0

Miami Dolphins (NFL72, NFL73 champ; NFL85* co-champ) 0-0

Cleveland Browns 0-0

New York Jets (NFL68 champ) 0-0 

Jacksonville Jaguars (NFL97* c0-champ) 0-0

Oakland Raiders (NFL76, NFL80, NFL83 champ) 0-0

Tennessee Titans 0-0

NFC (six teams will qualify for the playoffs)

Seattle Seahawks-z (NFL13 champ, NFL14* co-champ) 0-0

Green Bay Packers-z 0-0 (NFL66, NFL67, NFL10 champ; NFL97* co-champ)

Dallas Cowboys-z 0-0 (NFL71, NFL77, NFL92, NFL93, NFL95 champ)

Carolina Panthers-z (NFL03* co-champ) 0-0

Arizona Cardinals-y 0-0

Detroit Lions-y 0-0

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Philadelphia Eagles (NFL04* co-champ) 0-0

San Francisco 49ers (NFL81, NFL84, NFL88, NFL89, NFL94 champ) 0-0

New Orleans Saints (NFL09 champ) 0-0

Minnesota Vikings 0-0

New York Giants (NFL86, NFL90 champ; NFL07*, NFL11* co-champ) 0-0

Atlanta Falcons 0-0

St. Louis Rams (NFL99 champ) 0-0

Chicago Bears (NFL85* co-champ) 0-0

Washington Redskins (NFL82, NFL87, NFL91 champ) 0-0

Tampa Bay Buccaneers (NFL02 champ) 0-0

(*In NFL85, the Chicago Bears won the Super Bowl and the Miami Dolphins lost the AFC championship against a team that I no longer recognize as a legitimate member of the NFL. The Dolphins beat the Bears in the regular season, so I do now privately consider the Dolphins the NFL85 champions--but because the Bears actually did win the Super Bowl and I am a fair person, I am willing to officially declare the Dolphins and Bears as co-champions of NFL85. Anyway, there are similar problems with the NFL97, NFL01, NFL03, NFL04, NFL07, NFL11 and NFL14 seasons, and you can look up those stories. I may do so some day, but I'm not going to today. Today is the first day of the legitimate, 31-team NFL15 regular season, and I'm ready to move forward and sweep away all of that unfortunate history.)

Dolphins

The NFL is helping me better relate to the tea partiers.

That said, I've gotten myself pretty geeked up for the Miami Dolphins' 50th season. I watched parts of three of the four preseason games, and, over the weekend, I printed out the team's preseason depth chart and marked it up with final cuts.

The asterisk next to Jay Ajayi's name indicates he is "reserve/designated-to-return." (I've heard he's supposed to be back from injury in Week 8 of the regular season.) And then the dots next to guys with scratched-out names indicate those guys were put on Miami's "practice squad." One of the things I need to finally learn about this season is how the practice squad works.

Anyway, for as long as it's fun to do so, I'm going to keep track of the Dolphins' season at the HP. The first game is Sunday at the Washington Redskins.

NFL Update

NBC’s Cris Collinsworth, elaborating tonight on his support of the Arizona Cardinals’ female intern coach, Jen Welter: “I think it’s a great idea. I mean, there are so many things that happen in a locker room … a woman’s touch … why not?”

NFL Update

Our next-door neighbors in Madisonville are the parents of a Cincinnati Bengals cheerleader!

NFL Update

This complete vintage Fleer helmet sticker set is amazing. And an extra of the Oilers? Now they're just teasing me. pic.twitter.com/Ow4IBr3v4p

— Super 70s Sports (@Super70sSports) August 6, 2015

NFL Update